Meet Lais Schulz: Artist, Copywriter & Pinterest Marketing Expert

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

Hi Lais, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I guess I never really thought about myself as an entrepreneur up until I became one. My goal was always to express myself, have freedom, be independent, and do what I love. When I started my own business I was really frustrated working for a very traditional company in my hometown and I just wanted to do what I love – which is mostly art. So I started writing on my blog (https://laisschulz.com) and taking pictures of my friends. There was not much thought process behind starting to write – which was something I always wanted to do –, but with portrait photography, I really thought about photographing some of my friends to post on social media and see if people would start seeing me as a photographer. I started calling myself a photographer too, and once people saw my pictures, friends and colleagues started asking me if I would take their pictures too. And then I started charging for it, which was great at the time, and I really felt like I could provide for myself without a formal employer – even though it took me a while to leave the 9-5 work place.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I believe that what sets me apart is the detours I took to be where I am now and the mix of things I did so far, as well as the way I see my business as something with a soul, something that is greater than the business world itself. When I first started I had the dream to be an artist and a photographer. But I came from a traditional family, where you hear you need to do something “useful” to make money. So, during a decade I felt like I was struggling with my family’s thoughts and my own intuition. I always knew that my path was down the arts, but I didn’t have the knowledge and maturity to make this choice at that time. So after working as a portrait and events photographer for 5 years, I was frustrated. I didn’t like it, because it was killing my creativity. Back then, I thought I hated photography when I just hated events photography. Even though I have my photos for sale in some galleries in Brazil, I gave up photography and kept writing, which was what I loved the most. I realized that by sharing my personal experiences and my knowledge about marketing, I was helping people and I loved it. Then clients found me, and I found some other clients as I needed money, and I let myself go back to client work, now writing for other people and working with Pinterest marketing. After a year of writing what I was briefed to write instead of what I wanted to, I felt drained again and missed art more than never. The creative writing, the creative photography, watercolor. I needed a creative outlet and then I got back to it, in a way that now I know fits me because I know myself better. So now I’m in the middle of a transition. I want to continue helping people with my courses and with what I’ve learned over the years – whether it’s talking about Pinterest Marketing or art. But I also want to focus on making more art and helping people to integrate the artist within, to awaken their creativity, and have their work seen by more people. And this is where my experience as an artist and marketer meet and how I see myself working in the future.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in Porto, Portugal. I moved here 4 months ago (before I used to be a digital nomad) and I still know very little of the city. But the day would definitely start with a Brunch, whether in Garden Porto or Camelia Brunch Garden – which is really close to the beach! I would also include a walk to Ribeira (the path along the river) which is full of bars and restaurants, perfect to sit and have a glass of wine. Then, we would go up the steep stairway to a hidden – and local – bar that has cheap beer and an amazing view of the iconic Ponte Luís I. Would definitely walk over the bridge to Gaia and watch the sunset there. Also, I can’t leave out the breathtaking views from Jardins do Palácio de Cristal. I absolutely love walking and doing things slowly, so my plans are always loose enough so we can take time to enjoy.

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?
I’ve had the chance to meet amazing people who have supported me and encouraged me to overcome my fears and insecurities. My family for supporting me to leave a job that was destroying me. My ex-husband, who today is a great friend of mine and was the one who encouraged me to publish what I write and helped me to be featured by LinkedIn as one of the most influential people in the network in 2018 (LinkedIn Top Voices Brazil). My friends, those who have taught me so much about life, work and really believing in myself, without any kind of judgment or pressure. My boyfriend, and my therapist, these two amazing and talented humans, who are constantly pushing me forward, reminding me of my qualities, how much I’m worthy, and helping me look beyond what I can see. All these people have built me up when I didn’t believe in myself – which happened, and sometimes still happens, more often than I’d like it to.

Website: https://laisschulz.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lais_schulz/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laisschulz/
Other: https://br.pinterest.com/laisschulz/