Sharing What You Love Can Become Your Next Business

Mahjong started as pure fun for me, and it keeps turning into something bigger: a creative business thread that connects art, friendship, and a surprisingly deep design world. Coming to you from a late Friday afternoon as the shop winds down, fresh off a lively mahjong session and the simple joy of putting a beautiful new set on the table.

I talk about trying a new Jonathan Adler mahjong set sourced through Michael’s, why exploring new tiles and layouts sparks new ideas, and how those small details shape the whole playing experience. Then, a wild update from the product side: our mahjong mats are doing really well, and the company licensing our artwork is heading toward a television moment through a new collaboration with a studio and network. If you’re curious about art licensing, building a niche product line, or what it looks like when a creative career takes an unexpected turn, this one is for you.

Also, I lay out our affiliate program for people who genuinely love playing and want to share mats, tiles, and game-night culture with their audience. I will explain how the special code works, how commissions are tracked, whyIe offer a big first-order discount for samples, and the platform (UpPromote). To bring it back to community, I preview upcoming local classes, share how to teach without gatekeeping, and invite you to send tile photos or ask about a custom mahjong mat if you can’t find the right match.

Subscribe for more honest creator updates, share this with a mahjong friend, and leave a review if it helped you see a new path forward. 

What’s one hobby you could share more boldly this month?

Transcript

Welcome And Quick Life Update

SPEAKER_00 0:06

Hello, welcome back to a new episode of Bruttifully Made. I was so busy last week I did not get a chance to record, so I wanted to make sure I at least get an episode in this week. Um, there's been a lot going on. Um, I feel like I say that every time I get to talk to you, but it's true. I mean, this whole ride of doing art full time and doing it in the community and engaging with everyone is just a dream come true. And I just love how things are developing, and I really do love sharing all of the ideas that I come up with with you and hoping it inspires you to do something that you love as well. So um this is a Friday and it's a later in the afternoon. I'm getting ready to uh close for the day in the next half hour or so. But uh had a mahjong um activity this afternoon, and it was so much fun getting to play that game with uh some wonderful, wonderful girls that come in. Um ladies, I guess. Uh they're all girls to me. We just have the best time. So I um yeah, so we played with a new set that is exclusive to the Michael stores from Jonathan Adler. And I saw that it came up and it was just placed out in the stores last night. So I hurried and reserved it and purchased it through their app. I had rewards to use, so I got things that were free because of the rewards points that were I was able to use. There was a sale, all kinds of stuff. It was amazing. And uh we got to use that whole mat and tiles and racks today, and it was so much fun. And um I love exploring uh you know new tiles and new designs with everyone, and we just had a blast. And so I have um my mats though that are doing super well, and the uh company that is licensing my artwork for their mats, they are going to be on television soon. And so they have a whole new tile collaboration with uh a studio, a network. Um, and I am excited to, you know, see that program and um talk more about that when this is released here in the next couple weeks. So I um love that that's happening, and I am still just floored by just sharing what I love to do and then learning what I, you know, and loving playing has turned in what it has turned into for me. Um it really is just amazing. It was not something I expected, and it's I guess it is just a testament to really putting yourself out there and not I guess pigeonholing yourself into what you think you need. Really just exploring uh what you love, sharing what you love, and you never know what's gonna come out of it. So um along that lines with my designs, my mahjong mats and stuff like that, uh I'm looking for people who also love playing and um maybe want to get a mat at a discount and share their, you know, love for the game, their tile collection. And um I have affiliates. So I have a whole system set up to where you get a percentage of the sales um when they're made using a special code. And once you use that code uh that keeps track of all the orders that are placed with that code, um, maybe from your um newsletters when you share it on your social media. Um, and the code that I also give you for your first initial order, there's a large percentage off. So you have some samples that you can talk about and experience firsthand. So I really want it to be a great experience for you and would love to have your input and feedback on the styles that you choose, the accessories that you choose. Um, again, I have a fair um presence now so you can buy wholesale. Um, just really, this has expanded beyond anything that I could have planned. And I am really excited about where it's going and getting to participate in uh this beautiful game and the traditions that it holds in some little artistic small way. And so I uh really love being part of the community and the collaborations that are happening uh within at least Stark County for me and and beyond. Uh this weekend we have a big class coming. Um, you know, I'm seeing big, four, six, eight people. That's amazing that they want to come in and learn this together. They can, you know, grab some food and drinks and just really make an afternoon of it. And that's what I love about doing this in my community and being part of it. I am no like certified instructor. I am just sharing my little bit of knowledge, uh, basic instruction, um, maybe a little bit of strategy that I've learned and letting you explore. There's so many other places that you can play in groups and communities. Uh, come with us to the library. I mean, all of those things. Please continue to do that. This is just one location, one outlet, one place that you can just enjoy it. I am not the end-all be-all at all. Um, I love other people's tiles, other people's mats, other people's artwork, other groups. I am all for sharing uh everything about this. And I just appreciate being just a little small part in this whole mahjong world. So uh again, if uh I do need five more affiliates, um, just because that's I wanted to get 10, and so I'm at five. And so that would be great if you want to participate and you have a a good following or just a love for this, and you want to share, uh, just let me know. I am open to signing more people up. You can find me on Instagram, uh, Facebook, TikTok, um uh LinkedIn, everywhere as brutally. So um, yeah, I just wanted to share starting an affiliate and um how that's going and uh yeah, and keep you updated on um on what that looks like. Up promote is what I use. So uh I have big high hopes that this continues, and I love that you're a part of it and listening in. And um, if you've got some beautiful tiles, send me pictures I want to see. Uh maybe, you know, I've done custom mats for people that have some tile sets that they couldn't find a mat that they wanted. I love doing that. So I am always open to designing more for anyone. So uh reach out, let me know. Let me know if you play, and uh I can also share uh in the show notes some of the online that I play. Um uh mahjong for friends on the app and the real mahjong or real mahjong, that one um you can play with the computer or with people all over the world. So uh yeah. Okay, well, I will let you go so you can enjoy this beautiful weather that at least we're having here. And uh thanks for tuning in and listening to me drone on about this newfound love of mine. So I will talk to you later. Have a bruttifully uh wonderful weekend. Take care. Bye.