Meet Megan Esser | Mobile Art Studio Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Megan Esser and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Megan, what is the most important factor behind your success?
Making connections. Every event I do on The Art Cart comes with the opportunity to make new genuine connections. A majority of my business is children’s birthday parties. I strive to make sure the parents that hire me feel like they were able to give their child a birthday to remember without all the stress and mess, allowing them to enjoy the day as well. I know I’ve accomplished that when I hear from them again for the next family birthday celebration. I make connections with the parents of party guests, making sure they feel comfortable either dropping their child or staying to witness the magic. And most importantly, I get to connect with each kid that steps on that bus. I want them to walk away feeling confident in their ability and excited to be creative again. Often, the parties I book come from children who attended a friend’s Art Cart celebration and want to have the same experience for their own birthday. These personal connections are what keep this business thriving.

What should our readers know about your business?
I saw a need for art spaces that focused on the process of creating art over a finished product. Where the experience of creating is the art in itself. I decided I would create that space but worried about leasing a studio space as I saw rent increases straining and even forcing closures of other businesses. Continuing forward, not sure how I would make this dream a reality, I was brainstorming business name ideas and when The Art Cart came to mind, I immediately thought “it’s a *mobile* studio!” I realized I could purchase a bus and not worry about rent increases. What felt like a plan b for a studio space ended up being what made my business stand out from the others. Turns out it’s a ton of fun to have an art studio on a bus show up at your house for your birthday party! It certainly came with challenges. There was no blueprint to follow – no guide for how to make it work in a small mobile space, navigating registration and insurance for a new concept that was hard to explain, or the fact that I’d have to actually drive the thing! I trusted the process, knowing the concept was worth fighting for, and all the hurdles I jumped through were worth it the moment I had my kids and their friends in for the first trial run of creating on The Art Cart.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love to enjoy the beauty of this state as often as possible so we’d probably find ourselves sitting by a river or hiking in the mountains most of the time! I love to stroll around Old Town Fort Collins shops, grabbing breakfast at The Silver Grill Cafe. Also can’t miss eating at Waltzing Kangaroo. If kids are with us we’re checking out the Linc Library and letting wiggles out at Lil Monsters Playground.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First a massive shoutout to my husband and kids who support this business in so many ways every single day. My parents were both entrepreneurs. I saw the work it took to run your own business, but I also saw their commitment to putting family first through it all. My dad passed away in 2016 but I feel his support in my pursuit of creative entrepreneurship everywhere I go. My mom lives back home in Kansas and I’m forever grateful for the support I get from her not just as my mom but as a female entrepreneur. I also will always credit this business to my “Aunty O” who invested in me not long before her unexpected passing. She had a beautiful way of applauding everyone for their unique gifts and talents. I can still hear her telling me over one of our long chats “Megan, this is a fantastic idea. People believe in you, I hope you pursue this.” I will forever wish she had gotten to see The Art Cart come to life.

Website: https://www.TheArtCart.com

Instagram: @artcartco

Facebook: https://facebook.com/theartcartco/

Image Credits
Shantell of Every Piece Belongs Photography