EPISODE 13 - Tech Leader to Full-Time Calligrapher - with Shaochen Wu of Monstera Gold

Shinah Chang ·

“I had always wanted to be a small business owner. I didn’t really know what that looked like, though.”

- Shaochen Wu

SUMMARY

How do you build a successful passion business from scratch?

My guest, Shaochen Wu, is a former tech consultant who worked in a very logic-heavy, left-brained job in Silicon Valley before transitioning to become a wedding calligrapher.

While Shaochen had always dreamed about running her own small business, nothing ever quite seemed to fit… until she discovered calligraphy.

“I had always loved pretty lettering and calligraphy but I didn’t think I could do it, because I actually have really awful handwriting,” Shaochen says. But she signed up for classes anyway. Like me, Shaochen had a long history of signing up for different creative arts… and then eventually drifting away from them.

But calligraphy stuck for her.

“The reason I kind of stuck with it was because it was just such a mindfulness practice for me,” she explains. “Especially being in a stressful job. It was just one of the few ways I found that I could really take my mind off things and really clear my mind.”

Calligraphy made sense as a small business because of the low initial investment. All Shaochen had to do was work on honing her skills and developing her style! 

Want to learn how Shaochen took those first steps from falling in love with calligraphy to building an incredible business based on it?

Tune into this episode of The Shinah Show to find out:

  • How business owners can learn and grow when faced with fish-out-of-water moments.  

  • The basics of building a beginner portfolio — and what you need to include.  

  • How to turn your calligraphy skills into actual products you can sell. 

Highlights:

01:12  All about Shaochen Wu.  

02:29  Why calligraphy?  

04:34  From fun hobby to creative business.  

05:38  Personal style & confidence.  

06:56  First calligraphy clients.  

08:46  Building a portfolio.  

10:54  Developing & marketing your products.  

16:18  Growing & niching down.  

17:58  Revenue numbers.  

23:35  Modern Calligraphy 201.  

26:29  Shaochen’s advice.  

29:50  Shaochen’s courses.

LINKS:‌ ‌

Shaochen Wu  

CONNECT:

Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy

Facebook: facebook.com/crookedcalligraphy 

SUBSCRIBE:

  • Love podcasts? Listen to The Shinah Show wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

  • Watch these episodes on YouTube!