I survived. Barely.

I spent the better part of last week in the Hunger Games Ticketmaster waiting room trying to get Metallica Sphere tickets.

Fan club codes for nine different presales.

Battling the reseller bots (curse them to the depths of hell).

A blood pressure spike as I finally saw tickets to purchase.

Oh please let me get them into my cart fast enough.
Accidentally buying the wrong ticket tier.
Questioning my life choices.

It was chaos.

And I shared it all on my Instagram stories.

The frustration.

Rubbing my Hetfield signature for good luck.

And the sweet victory.

And something interesting happened while I was posting about the Struggle Within in my Instagram stories.

Engagement exploded.

Replies.
DMs.
People sharing their own Ticketmaster war stories.

Friends and strangers who were personally invested in my Metallica Sphere Saga.

Now compare that to how I see many creative entrepreneurs treat their Instagram.

They position it like:

• a sales page
• a portfolio
• a carefully staged museum of professional achievements

And then the complaints roll in about how engagement SUCKS.

That's because Instagram isn’t a brochure.

It’s a bar.

People don’t go to a bar to read your resume.

They go to talk, complain, celebrate, and occasionally bond over a shared enemy. (Looking at you, Ticketmaster.)

Every time I mention something even slightly personal in my stories — a concert ticket fiasco, a new guitar, a behind-the-scenes about how I really feel about filming ads (which ranks right up there with my loathing of Ticketmaster) — engagement jumps.

Not because it’s strategic.

Because it’s human.

Social media works best when you remember the first word in the phrase is Social.

And yes, I have gotten many a client from my Instagram account, with its humble follower count and occasional chaos.

Because people hire people.

A mixture of portfolio and personality.

So if your content has been feeling stiff lately, here’s my professional recommendation:

Loosen your Instagram's corset.

Let people see the human running the studio.

You might be surprised how many of them pull up a chair.

Stephanie Owens

Ticketmaster Survivor
Corset-Loosening Advocate

Co-Founder | Maker Division

Lettering for Logos &Amp; Branding

Take This Workshop Now

There's something so satisfying about hand lettering your clients' logos. And so profitable. I learned everything I know about lettering from Ken Barber and this weekend he's bringing back his popular workshop all on lettering for logos. Don't sit on this one. It only comes around once a year.

check it out

White Feather Hawk Tail

Now Playing

DEER HUNTER This new track from Lana Del Rey is giving classic Lana, and I'm here for it. Moody in the best way and the perfect soundtrack for deep work.

Check It Out

21 Days to Learn Anatomy

On the Shelf

I'm probably one of the few people you'll meet with a fine arts degree who can't draw. But I'm jamming on a new personal project that necessitates some figure drawing skills so I'm working through this gem. Where was this when I was paying thousands for my college education?

check it out

Inside Maker Division, we are team slow growth.

Yes, we cheer the immediate wins from cold outreach.

But for most of us, growth takes time, patience, and steady movement forward.

And this is exactly what we're seeing from member Dana Gaertner.

She's worked through the entire curriculum at a steady pace.

She's taken on work that has pushed her.

She's constantly working on personal projects.

She's bringing client challenges to coaching calls and taking action.

And right now, she is taking off!

It seems like it's out of nowhere. But it's not.

But what it is, is amazing to watch. We're so happy to see her growth, getting that five-figure project badge, and collaborating with another Division member.

And the best part (for me)?

She's joining us at Maker Vegas Spring as our retreat photographer. Can't wait to hang with her and hype her up at Licensing Expo!