In this episode, Christine sits down with professional artist Amanda van Gils, whose 25-year exhibiting history has taken her from the gallery walls to the world of business coaching for creatives. Together, they dive into Amanda’s journey of creating The Artist Business Lounge — a platform designed to help visual artists build profitable, sustainable businesses without losing the heart of their craft.
They discuss:
🎨 The unique challenges artists face when turning passion into profit — and why generic business advice often falls short.
💼 Amanda’s background in corporate consulting and leadership coaching, and how she became an “accidental executive” using creative problem-solving in unexpected places.
🛠 Her Success System Program, which blends mindset, skills, and automation tools to help artists overcome self-doubt, grow their audience, and sell their work.
💡 Why art-driven entrepreneurs need to balance their creative vision with smart, aligned business strategies — and how to know what advice to take (and what to swipe left on).
🌱 The power of aligned action, habit stacking, and outsourcing tasks that drain your energy so you can focus on what you love.
Christine and Amanda also touch on the courage it takes to put your art into the world, the importance of legacy in creative work, and the myth that artists can’t make a living doing what they love.
Amanda’s feature article will be published in the current issue of Inspire Magazine, offering an even deeper look into her story, strategies, and insights.
If you’re a creative looking to blend artistry with entrepreneurship — or an entrepreneur trying to reconnect with your creative side — this conversation will leave you feeling inspired and ready to take action.
About the guest:
Amanda van Gils is an exhibiting artist and award-winning business coach who helps visual artists build sustainable and joyful art careers. After discovering painting at age 15, Amanda followed her passion through art school and into a successful career as a professional artist. She is the founder of The Artists Business Lounge, where she draws on 20+ years of experience to provide high-touch coaching, business strategy, and practical tools tailored to artists.
Connect with Amanda here:
https://www.theartistsbusinesslounge.com/
https://www.instagram.com/theartistsbusinesslounge/
About your host, Christine
Transition and Lifestyle Coach, Host of The Corporate Escapists TV Show & Podcast, Speaker & Educator. In a past life, I was a corporate queen, earning the big bucks & working my way up that ladder. From the outside, I had it all, but I felt completely dead inside. It wasn’t until I hit rock bottom that I really discovered what was missing from my life. I realised I had no idea who I was.
What lit me up. What was setting my soul on fire? What was my passion in life? But after years of doing the inner work, I have rebuilt my life and now I want to help you do the same.
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