Have you ever felt the pull to turn your passion into something tangible? For Melody Nazarian, Picsart’s Senior Copywriter, that dream is becoming a reality with the launch of her tarot-reading service, Taropy by Melody. In this next installment of our “Let’s Make It” series, we explore the initial challenges Melody faced, how these were overcome, and how she is transforming her idea into a real-life business.
A spark of inspiration
Sometimes, the best ideas come at unexpected times. For Melody, her journey started on a lunch break in the Picsart office.
Reminiscing on the moment inspiration struck, Melody recalls, “I had been wanting to start a side hustle for a while. My only stipulations were that I wanted to tap into my spiritual gifts, as well as help people get to know themselves better and love themselves on a deeper level. Last summer, one of my co-workers brought her new tarot deck to work. As soon as I started shuffling them and doing impromptu readings for a few people on our lunch break, it suddenly hit me: this was the sign I had been waiting for.”
With that spark of inspiration, Taropy by Melody was born: a tarot-reading service combined with coaching, aimed at empowering clients to uncover deeper insights about themselves, and equipping them with the knowledge they need to thrive.
Finding the courage
Launching a business can be daunting, no matter who you are. For Melody, overcoming self-doubt was the hurdle she needed to tackle head on.
“Like anyone, I had hesitations about putting myself out there,” Melody explained. “It can be intimidating and vulnerable to share your gifts with the world. When Picsart launched its Small Business Starter Pack, seeing all those small business owners realize their dreams gave me a burst of inspiration. It felt like all the signs were pointing to it being my time. I was finally ready to ditch the fear and embrace the unknown. I figured, even if I fail, at least I tried.”
The final cherry on top was the launch of a new and improved Picsart tool, which gave her the added nudge. “Not that I needed more signs, but Picsart also simultaneously launched its AI Logo Maker. That was the final push I needed to get the (crystal) ball rolling.”
The name says it all
Melody knew what she was going to launch now, but like every other business, she needed a name. For Melody, this came naturally.
“If I hadn’t become a writer, I would have gone into coaching or therapy, so I knew I wanted my tarot readings to have a therapeutic element. Once I honed in on that, the name came pretty quickly and easily!”
From this, what started off as a quick shuffle of some cards became Taropy by Melody.
Overcoming challenges
Starting a business is a journey – there’s no doubting that. Melody credits her continued personal growth as the key to moving forward.
“Timing truly is everything in life,” she said. “I had to go through my own trials and tribulations to learn and grow and gain the confidence and the tools needed to succeed (in life and in business). The biggest challenge was shifting my mindset. I had to really look at myself in the mirror and ask myself what kind of person I wanted to be.”
Through consistent journaling and reading, Melody forged her own path, ready for a new adventure to take place. “Self-acceptance and growth is a lifelong journey; the work never stops. But I feel more equipped now to help others because I overcame a lot of challenges myself.”
Looking to the future
As Melody’s dream begins to take shape, she’s thinking about the parts she’s most looking forward to.
“I’m most excited about the amazing humans I get to meet,” she said. “I love connecting with people and helping them see their beauty. You would be surprised at how many people don’t feel seen or heard in this life. That’s all we want as humans, and whenever I can help validate someone, I feel honored.”
Being a creative by both nature and profession, it’s no surprise that she’s been loving putting her skills to use. “I have also been enjoying creating content for social media. It gets my creative juices flowing and takes me back to my blogging days.”
Follow the journey
Melody’s story so far is a prime example of how taking a leap of faith can lead to an exciting future. Over the coming weeks, we’ll continue to follow her progress as she grows Taropy by Melody, applies insights from the Small Business Starter Pack, and uses Picsart’s tools to bring her vision to life.
Stay tuned for the next installment, where we’ll dive into Melody’s business planning. Until then, take a page from Melody’s journey and start turning your dreams into reality.
Let’s Make It with Melody!
Download the Small Business Starter Pack to launch your own business.
Empowering the Creator in Everyone
Picsart is the world’s largest digital creation platform. Its AI-powered tools give creators of all levels the ability to design, edit, draw and share photo and video content anywhere. It’s used by consumers, marketers and content creators for both personal and professional design, and is available to businesses via API partnerships and integrations. Picsart has collaborated with major artists and brands like Discord, PopSockets, Shopify, Taylor Swift and more. Download the app or visit picsart.com.
