IFH MEMBERS ONLY


Your single source for member benefits, recordings, and FAQs.



JUMP TO...



SEMINARS   MEETUPS   FAQS

Seminars


The Pro Series seminars are practical, no-fluff sessions focused on helping you get found, get hired, and get paid as an illustrator. 

Note: For the general public, these are paid offerings. If you have a friend who might benefit from these seminars, send them to this link. 
 

THE PRO SERIES: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SEARCH

75 minutes
Understand how AI, search engines, and art directors interpret your website. Learn how small, strategic webstie changes can dramatically improve your visibility, allowing more clients to discover you.
  • How do search engines and AI tools evaluate an illustration website?
  • How do art directors actually search for illustrators today?
  • What signals of expertise, focus, and credibility make the biggest difference?

BEGIN THE SEMINAR


THE PRO SERIES: FINDING YOUR NICHE

50 minutes
Take advantage of the effectiveness of niche marketing for illustrators. Learn how to gain a competitive advantage as a specialist within a niche. 
  • What is niche marketing? Why is it more important now than ever?
  • What are illustration niches? Which illustrators have strong niches?
  • What are the benefits of niche marketing? 
  • How do you find your niche?


BEGIN THE SEMINAR




THE PRO SERIES: OPTIMIZING YOUR WEBSITE

85 minutes
Drive more traffic to your site by implementing the best practices of Search Engine Optimization (SEO).  Learn how to maximize a search engine’s ability to understand—and recommend—the content of your website.
  • What is SEO? How does it work?
  • Why is it so important?
  • Is your site optimized for search engines?
  • How can you make your site more SEO-friendly?

BEGIN THE SEMINAR


THE PRO SERIES: ASSERTING YOUR CREDIBILITY

70 minutes
Understand how the nature of online searching—beyond SEO—has evolved to encompass greater judgement on a professional’s credibility. Learn how to emphasize your own credibility.
  • What are the factors used by search engines to assess your credibility?
  • How can you emphasize your credibility as a professional illustrator?
  • What are Google's standards of quality?
  • How has Google’s new guidelines (so important!!!) affected your website?

BEGIN THE SEMINAR


THE PRO SERIES: NEGOTIATING YOUR PRICES


80 minutes
Earn larger fees by applying effective negotiation skills and client communication techniques. Learn how to win more commissions and maximize your income.
  • How much should you charge?
  • What factors go into setting the right price?
  • How do you ensure that you actually get the job?

BEGIN THE SEMINAR


THE PRO SERIES: PRICING YOUR ILLUSTRATIONS


90 minutes
Gain pricing insight from five professional illustrators—Nate Padavick, Carrie Cantwell, Yeti Iglesias, Gia Graham, and Lucy Truman—who will divulge financial details behind a variety of projects.  Learn how to price your own illustrations based on the fees earned by others.
  • How much money can an illustrator earn in a year?
  • From whom can illustrators draw income?
  • What do other illustrators charge for their illustrations?

BEGIN THE SEMINAR


THE PRO SERIES: BUILDING YOUR BUSINESS


60 minutes
Build your business into a brand that attracts more of the right clients from more of the right sources. Learn how to turn your freelance practice into an ecosystem of illustration.
  • What does it take to manage a successfull illustration business?
  • What are the components of an illustration brand?
  • How do you define, display, communicate, and expand your brand?

BEGIN THE SEMINAR


RETURN TO TOP

Monthly Member Meetups


IFH Members can watch videos of past twelve Meetups which serve to build connections and share knowledge within this illustration community. Each recording is approximately 60 minutes.


FEBRUARY 2026

Topic: special guest Jennifer Orkin Lewis shares the many facets of her creative practice. 

WATCH THE VIDEO

Here’s the link list:


JANUARY 2026


Topics: charting holiday sales, activating a Google Business profile, telling stories about your art, and more.

WATCH THE VIDEO

Here’s the link list:


DECEMBER 2025


Topics: making connections and focusing on local opportunities.

WATCH THE VIDEO

Nate Padavick kicked off the convo by drawing attention to LinkedIn as an under-utilized source for networking and credibility building.
Takeaways: 1) create a LinkedIn account and 2) join the private IFH-only community group.

Jude Buffum showed us how his recently crafted content specific articles help drive traffic to his site.
Takeaway: write a How-To or Top Ten article about your niche, like Jude did here or like Nate did here.

Karen Kemp told us how her hyper-local postcard/poster business has grown from an idea to 3000+ orders in just a few months. Takeaway: create opportunities in your own back yard.

Carrie Cantwell explained how she and Toni Federico use PaddyPost to seed—in one fell swoop—all the social media posts for their Cranky Creatives podcast.
Takeaways: check out PaddyPost and Cranky Creatives.

Jennifer Skopp told us how she uses local Facebook community groups to advertise her house/business portrait niche.
Takeaway: local businesses want to hire local illustrators

Salli Swindell told us how fellow IFHer Thao Nguyen focuses on developing business opportunities in Cleveland, her hometown. 
Takeaway: celebrate what you love about where you live.

Jude Buffum encouraged us to create a Google Business Profile to attract local clients. 
Takeaway: leave Jude a 5-star review (here) and follow these easy steps to create your own Google Business Profile.


NOVEMBER 2025


Topics: watercolor recommendations, embroidered hats, online shops, in-person markets, and most importantly: mock-ups.

WATCH THE VIDEO

Here’s the link list:


OCTOBER 2025


Topic: special guest Sarah Walsh lovingly shares her thoughts, insights, and personal perspective.

WATCH THE VIDEO

Here’s the link list:


SEPTEMBER 2025


Topic: special guest illustration agent Jennifer Nelson talks about all-things-greeting-cards.

WATCH THE VIDEO

Here’s the link list:
  • A glossary of terms that are important to know when talking about greeting card design with your clients
  • A PDF that shows all the different ways you can engage with Jennifer and her creative cosmos.


AUGUST 2025


Topics: Substack, newsletters, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.

WATCH THE VIDEO

Here’s the link list:
  • Lori Burt highly recommends this Skillshare class. She says it gives clarity to the usage of many of the aforementioned platforms.


JULY 2025


Topic: special guest Kirk Wallace provides real world insights into the topic of collaboration. 

WATCH THE VIDEO

Here’s the link list:


JUNE 2025


Topic: special guest Jen Hewett discusses her surface design business and gives us a studio tour. 

WATCH THE VIDEO

Here’s the link list, and a couple takeaways:
  • Proof of Concept. For every design that Jen puts out into the world she creates a proof of concept first. This demonstrates to a potential buyer that the idea actually works, in terms of design, material, and technique. Jen takes her ideas to the next level!
  • Longevity and Perseverance. Jen discusses the importance of staying in the game—for the long run. This means…Working hard. Making good work. Showing up. Producing lots. Executing ideas. Sharing creativity. In a world with so many freelancers, the ones who stick around the longest will be rewarded for their perseverance. 
  • Jen mentioned Chuck Cordes. Chuck is Jen’s lawyer. He represents artists like Jen, reviewing contracts and assisting with negotiations. Visit his site and feel free to contact him. We’ve known him personally for over a decade.


MAY 2025


Topic: special guest Adam Lee, co-founder of Mysterious Alchemy, gives incredible insight into the gaming industry, Even if (especially if!) this industry is not one you’ve ever considered working within, this hour-long talk will inspire you to open a few doors to see what opportunities are lurking.

WATCH THE VIDEO

Here’s the link list:


APRIL 2025


Topic: IFH Members share their insights in this open forum

WATCH THE VIDEO

Here’s the link list:
  • a link the website speed tester Pingdom


MARCH 2025


Topic: special guest Kyle Janson, the founder of blanc space, discusses how creators, like us, can turn our illustration practices into a well-oiled growing machines.

WATCH THE VIDEO

Here’s the link list:


RETURN TO TOP

Member FAQs


Maybe the answer to your question is here. If not, feel free to send Nate an email.


HOW DO I...LOG IN TO MY ACCOUNT?


You don’t! IFH doesn’t use member logins. We handle all updates for you!

HOW DO I...UPDATE MY LINKS?

If your website URL or Instagram handle changes, send Nate an email.

HOW DO I... UPDATE MY IMAGES AND TEXT?


You can update your images and creative statement once a year—upon membership renewal*. We keep them stable throughout the year so search engines can fully index your page and start sending traffic your way. Think of it like a recipe—if it keeps changing, search engines can’t learn what it is. After your subscription renews, we will send you a reminder.

*Of course, if there is a valid legal reason to immediately remove an image, send Nate an email!


HOW DO I... GET FEATURED ON THE IFH INSTAGRAM FEED?


We keep an eye on your posts and we also pull content from your IFH profile. If you do something extra special—like publish a book or land a magazine cover—email Salli or tag her (@sallistyle) on the IG post so we can share it!


HOW DO I... SWITCH MY NICHE?


You can switch your niche once a year—upon membership renewal. After your subscription renews, we will send you a reminder.

HOW DO I... MANAGE MY MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTION?


We handle all subscription changes—upgrades, downgrades, and cancellations—so you don’t have to manage anything yourself. Just send Nate an email.

HOW DO I... GET A RECEIPT?


If you paid via PayPal, your receipt is stored in your account—search for “Studio SSS LLC” in Recent Transactions. If you paid by credit card, send Nate an email and he’ll send you a receipt.

    RETURN TO TOP
    BY USING THIS SITE, YOU ACCEPT OUR TERMS OF USE.