Being Fearless with Your Business
Anytime you pursue something new, there’s going to be a season of transition in your life or business. Trying to change and grow can be scary, especially if it’s something no one else has done before.
In this episode of The Bearded Tog Podcast, I talk with Natalie Franke, the founder of the Rising Tide Society, a network of creative entrepreneurs who believe in community over competition. After years as a successful wedding photographer, Natalie saw that the entrepreneur life can be an extremely lonely one, and there was a need for community.
In this episode, Natalie Franke opens up about her journey from wedding photographer to leader of the Rising Tide Society, the merger with HoneyBook and how she’s handled all of these transitions.
Natalie’s Tips for Being Fearless
- Business can be a very lonely journey. Running your business by yourself and having no exposure to what others are going through can make you feel like you are the only one going through the struggles. You need to be plugged into a community to even consider being fearless with your career. Natalie founded the Rising Tide Society to provide that space.
- To fulfill the need of leading of being fearless and building creative community, Natalie transitioned away from her wedding photography business. Sometime It’s scary to set aside the job that she knew worked, and paid the bills, but she knew that by going full time with Rising Tide, she could use her knowledge and experience to impact and empower others.
- When Natalie feels scared about what she is doing, she thinks back to the first meeting between her and some other creative friends where they shared how they all felt alone. She remembers that she is doing this to help other creatives grow the bueisnes they want, and not feel alone. That motivation helps her get past the fear.
- “As entrepreneurs we have to march forward fearlessly everyday. Go out there, fall on our face, get up and march forward again.” Start being fearless.
- When facing the big fear of moving across the country and starting something new, Natalie shares this advice: “You are more than a photographer. You are a wife, you are a writer, you are a dreamer.” We often place our identity in one single thing, when in reality, we all have unique skill sets that extend beyond a short bio on social media.
- We often choose not to make a change, because we are afraid of falling publically.
How do I get started?
- We get stuck in perfection paralysis. “If it’s not going to be perfect, I’m not going to do it.” Natalie says: Just start being fearless!
- When trying to transition, things to making the transition successful are preparation and communication.
- Being prepared for a transition may include saving up financially, or learning to cut stuff out and live with less. It includes having a plan A, a plan B, and a plan C. Preparation helps with being fearless.
- Because communication is important, make sure to have informative communication between your business team, and your family about the transition.
- Communicate with your audience about your transition, too. When you bring them on the journey with you, you excite them about the new things to come.
- It is incredibly valuable to have a community that can support you and give you advice during a change.
Connect with Natalie Franke
Website: www.nataliefranke.com
Instagram: @nataliefranke
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