Latest / The 3Bz Podcast - Building Better Business / EP137 - Fix Your Messaging: Clarity, Clients and Courage with Natalie Potts

Transcript

EP137 - Fix Your Messaging: Clarity, Clients and Courage with Natalie Potts · The 3Bz Podcast - Building Better Business

• 0:01
  Hi there business owner, and welcome to the Three BS Podcast,
• 0:04
  the place where we go beyond the numbers and dive into strategies
• 0:07
  to help you build a Better Business one step at a time.
• 0:11
  I'm your host Stephanie, a multi awarding entrepreneur with over
• 0:13
  a decade of experience in the bookkeeping and currency world.
• 0:17
  If you're a business owner looking to streamline, grow and
• 0:19
  get back the time that you deserve, you're in the right
• 0:21
  place tackling real world problems, answering tough
• 0:24
  questions and digging deep into business building secrets in
• 0:27
  just 15 minutes each week. So Are you ready to build a
• 0:31
  Better Business with confidence and clarity?
• 0:33
  Then let's go. Hello and welcome back to
• 0:37
  another episode of a three BS podcast, your go to place for 15
• 0:41
  minutes of CPD certified motivation, inspiration and
• 0:45
  education to help you build a Better Business.
• 0:47
  Now this week, I have an amazing guest of us this week.
• 0:50
  So, Natalie, would you like to introduce yourself?
• 0:53
  Hello, First of all, thank you for having me.
• 0:54
  Pleasure to be here. I am Natalie Potts and I help
• 0:58
  entrepreneurs, coaches, creators online to cut through the noise.
• 1:03
  Essentially, just get very clear on their messaging so people
• 1:05
  know exactly what they do and who they help, which often
• 1:08
  sounds really easy, but I'm always going to people with
• 1:12
  saying I don't get what you do, so that's why I help people do.
• 1:15
  Absolutely. I think messaging is something.
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  Even me as a business owner, I've gone through so many
• 1:19
  iterations of my messaging. I think it's something that
• 1:22
  always evolves, isn't it? It does, yeah, 100%.
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  And like I have a framework that's we look at that.
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  You have to have congruence first of all, like understanding
• 1:29
  you as a business owner and positioning who you are,
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  personal branding, all of that side.
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  But then we have to get really clear on who's the idle client.
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  And I think people see it so much as a tick box exercise, but
• 1:39
  you and I have changed in the last few months, let alone the
• 1:42
  last few years. We are always evolving
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  expectations, behaviours, how people buy.
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  We have to really get close to ideal client, then we have to
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  have a very good offer for that ideal client, markets that ideal
• 1:52
  client, sells that ideal client. And that's how you get great
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  messaging when it's congruent through all.
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  And I think people see it very much of Oh no, I need to focus
• 1:59
  on sales and marketing and everything else.
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  It's like, yeah, but your messaging is not clear.
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  Like none of those things are going to be irrelevant or
• 2:07
  relatable to people. So let's just get that
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  foundation piece done first. So, you know, I very much think
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  it's very important. Like you say, like you can't
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  change, you've offers change or we work with different people.
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  The messaging will evolve. I love that.
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  Yeah, very much. I feel like sometimes you just
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  post on social media as a business only you're like, I
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  just need to get something out there.
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  And it's like needle in a haystack if you're not talking
• 2:26
  to the right people. And you say about the noise and
• 2:28
  the the local space is busy enough, but you get the online
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  space involved in that and it's just a whole different ball
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  game. I mean, look, look what you do.
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  There is thousands of people doing what you do.
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  There's loads of people doing what I do.
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  People find it very hard to differentiate themselves and it
• 2:44
  doesn't have to be loads of different things that we do.
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  You know, your values and your story are often the best place
• 2:50
  to start with that, but get really clear on that because you
• 2:54
  need to. Again, I know when we've spoken
• 2:55
  before, you're very much about people and getting into business
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  and it's that that makes a huge difference with how you
• 3:02
  therefore market and sell yourself.
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  I love that so much and talking about people.
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  The reason that we're here today is that you are doing an in
• 3:10
  person event on the 13th of November.
• 3:13
  Tell us more about that. 27th that's cool.
• 3:16
  It's the 27th of November. There's a lot on at Christmas.
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  I love that time of year and I think as you said, like people,
• 3:23
  that's probably something that's brought us close together and
• 3:25
  how we talk on things because again, people buy from people.
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  And I think a lot of people are either that I'm online, offline
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  and actually like we're kind of in the world's of everything
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  now. But bringing people together,
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  genuinely connecting, you know, you can do great calls like
• 3:40
  this, but it's still a barrier and that in real life of people,
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  you know, gaining out your comfort zone, like really
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  connecting, networking, looking at good opportunities to
• 3:50
  collaborate on different things. That being in the room is like
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  gold dust that you just can't replicate on online.
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  And I think it's so important. So there's the element we're
• 3:59
  going to focus on fixing your messaging.
• 4:00
  Of course, there's a big part of having some incredible sponsors
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  and speakers talk about what they do.
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  But again, for you to see how they position their message
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  differently. Some have been clients, some
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  have them, but how they're really putting it out to the
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  world and and growing their businesses inspiration.
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  And and again then in the afternoon, we're going to do a
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  bit of a piece where we just bring more round table and they
• 4:19
  go to the sponsors and they just can, everybody can speak.
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  It's not one of those where you've just spoken at you.
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  You just bring people together. And sometimes you have to lead
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  by example and and create and curate those environments.
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  And that's very much what the event is for me.
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  I love that 27th, 13th of November this goes out.
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  Tickets are on the 27th. You've got time to go and get
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  some. That's a strategic approach I
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  like. What I love about that and I
• 4:45
  don't know if you've even realized, is the 27th of
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  November is the day after the autumn budget is delivered by
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  Rachel Reeves. So we will finally know all of
• 4:52
  the changes that's going to impact as many owners.
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  Yeah, and it's, and do you know what?
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  But even with that, there'll be people thinking, no, wait and
• 5:00
  things like that, like this world in business is so fast
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  right now and it's not going to slow down.
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  And therefore you've got to take opportunities, go with things,
• 5:10
  just get out there, just fail faster, learn and I think yeah,
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  and just keep going. So there'll be some, it's a good
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  one to think about the mood of people because it will impact,
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  but it's how then we choose to to then go forward from that,
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  isn't that? I love that so much.
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  And obviously the 27th of November as well.
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  It's like a sort of end of November, beginning of the
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  Christmas period. It's nice to just get out and
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  see real humans again. I think being a COVID business,
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  being a COVID baby, sitting here behind the screen is kind of how
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  we all are. And I, I find when I go out to
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  events, so our industry event is on the 17th of November and
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  bookkeepers are well known for sitting in the corner, sitting
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  at a home in their office, whatever it may be, but alone.
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  And that even if it's somebody that does what you do, building
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  that camaraderie and having somebody to speak to of.
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  Are you having this issue too? Or are you, how do you deal with
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  this challenge when it comes up? Those connections are only
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  really built in person, I feel. Do you agree with that?
• 6:08
  No, I do agree. And there's also a conversation
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  like I'm naturally very confident as a person, always
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  have been using corporate and leading teams and things.
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  But I sometimes find maybe less from my perspective.
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  But people think you can come across a certain way online and
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  different in real life and things like that.
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  And it's just, again, just breaking down all those barriers
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  like we're human beings and we've all got something to learn
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  from people, I think. And again, like what I love
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  about what you do is it's a skill that no one's taken away.
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  And so it's about getting out and thinking around, what am I
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  great at? What can I bring to the table?
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  How can I help people give you that boost of confidence.
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  It's not been an easy year in business.
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  We all know that at all. And therefore having people
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  around you, like you say, who sometimes you can just sound
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  bored and give you the space to just get it.
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  Somebody was asking about the agenda the other day.
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  I was like, look, I've just told you speakers and an exist.
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  I've been to incredible events in Canada.
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  There's no agenda until you walk in the room.
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  That's part of it. And that I said that's a you.
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  You're not used to that. You want to know everything
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  because you're structured and you're certain personality.
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  But that's exactly what the difference I'm creating here is.
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  I just want people to just let all of that go for ones and you
• 7:14
  know, have a bit of fun as well. I talk a lot about values in
• 7:16
  business Yeah, we're just work, work, work or next thing or, you
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  know, work on our own and you've got to be putting yourselves in
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  environments where you're like people changes the game on so
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  many things. The right people as well the
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  right mindset of person. That really helps.
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  So you know, it's been pockets this year where I've like, I've
• 7:35
  showed up in business, but I've not loved it and that's OK.
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  That's just because it's my business.
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  I love my business, but I don't have to love everyday being like
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  let's. Go.
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  Let's. Do this.
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  Yeah. It's like there's just not a
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  reality. And again, that's being a bit
• 7:47
  more human of it's pretty SHIT right now or it's yes, it's
• 7:50
  hard, but I'm going to keep going or I'm going to ask for
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  help or I'm going to try this and if it fails, it fails.
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  It doesn't doesn't The same with the event people like how many
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  people there and all this, I was like, well, I've got 60 names to
• 8:00
  lock down. If I get 100, whoopee Doo.
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  But if it's sixty or if it was 40 or if 20 show up, I'll make
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  it amazing for every single individual to come.
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  It's like lesson learned. So I just think it's more about
• 8:12
  just getting out there, doing good things, being strategic and
• 8:15
  things. But yeah, I think bringing
• 8:18
  people together, you can't often go wrong.
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  I love that and what you probably don't know is that I
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  suffer huge of anxiety so confidence is not a skill of
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  mine at all. And yet I still push myself out
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  my comfort zone and I go to these in person events and I
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  always leave feeling like if nothing else, I've pushed myself
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  today, like I've achieved something.
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  And I'm, I'm sure you will be. But is there anything that you
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  can say to those that maybe are a little bit anxious that don't
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  aren't used to dealing with big people or being at home all the
• 8:48
  time or have that anxiety around it?
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  I know they're going to be amazing in your space, but how
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  can we? Yeah, how can we reassure them,
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  I guess. I think you've got to reframe
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  things. That's really important.
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  You know, I've come, like you said, CPD, I've come from a very
• 9:02
  strong coaching background, CPD coaching as well.
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  It's people centred, which I love and you to help you see
• 9:09
  differently on that. I always ask a question like at
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  the start is like, why is this day important to you?
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  Like because why you do what you do matters and that's important
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  and that drives you as well through the hard times on
• 9:20
  things. So going back to why something
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  really matters and why you want to do it and that bigger picture
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  vision of where you want to be with it.
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  I also have another idea that is that when you start to get in
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  front around the right people. When I left corporate I was very
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  aware of people and community and connection and that's why I
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  went straight to a mastermind 'cause I was working on my own
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  so I knew I needed people. So get around to people who are
• 9:44
  like minded but the ones who want you to win and I always
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  start events like that, like everybody here wants you
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  genuinely to win, even the people on stage.
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  I remember when I spoke at somewhere on stage and I was
• 9:53
  petrified about going up my first time in doing a business
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  and always spoken at stuff. But this was different.
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  And I just that maybe she was like, everybody wants you to win
• 10:01
  in this room and you generally got that sense.
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  The first part is the courage. You've got to take that first
• 10:06
  step. And I think people want the
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  confidence first, have the courage to just show up and be
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  there. And I generally believe that
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  most of the time people are going to welcome you in going to
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  want you to be a big part of it because it it means something to
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  them too. So they're going to create that.
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  And if it's not, then you just learn and, and not everything is
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  for you. But it's, I think it's around
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  the courage to take the first step And, and like reality,
• 10:32
  what's the worst that can happen?
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  Like you, you know, you go, I've been to one event this year and
• 10:37
  I felt so out of my depth. And I was like, this is
• 10:40
  horrific, like swallow me up. And I was like, it's an hour or
• 10:43
  two of my day. And they got out and I was like,
• 10:45
  at least I know like not to do it again.
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  Like it's been on my mind for a while.
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  And the lesson is, no, it's not for me.
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  Nobody died. You know, it hasn't massively
• 10:53
  infected my business. I've just realized actually
• 10:56
  those people aren't my ideal clients.
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  And that was a lesson I've learned.
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  I need to get better at that. And then I won't feel that
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  uncomfortableness in that way. But I think some uncomfortable
• 11:06
  as well is the path to growth, right?
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  So I think just give things a go.
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  People want you to do well and that having that in mind, people
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  want you to win. Nobody's often thinking, Oh, I
• 11:17
  hope they're a Dick head or I hope they come out of some crap.
• 11:19
  I hope, you know, I'm swearing by the way, but do you see what
• 11:21
  I mean? Like I I don't think that when I
• 11:22
  go places or oh, I don't really want to talk to her.
• 11:25
  I just think, OK, it's not for me, move on.
• 11:28
  I love that. And you know, what I really love
• 11:29
  is that you're really honest about the lows as well.
• 11:32
  I am the same. I'm so transparent with not.
• 11:34
  It's not always rosy. And I think too often nowadays
• 11:37
  everyone's like, oh, it's wonderful, It's amazing.
• 11:40
  Life's not like that. No, no, it's not.
• 11:43
  It's hard. And sometimes, you know, I've, I
• 11:46
  guess another reframe, I've always looked at what I think of
• 11:49
  the great clients I adore and love to work with.
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  They've all just come from a simple hello or often somewhere
• 11:55
  where you'll be like, oh, hi, who are you?
• 11:57
  What do you do? Oh, I do this and that rubbish
• 11:59
  took stuff that we have to go there.
• 12:01
  And then they're like, it's the most incredible relationships
• 12:04
  after that. They've all come on that sticky
• 12:05
  point a bit. I think just get out there and
• 12:07
  be a human and be be fun and be who you are and, and keep it
• 12:12
  natural. And if you're a bit more, I
• 12:13
  don't like labels of introvert, extrovert, but I think if you're
• 12:16
  a bit quieter and reserved, then that's OK as well.
• 12:19
  Like, you know, I can be a bit like that.
• 12:21
  Sometimes I'll go to events and things and people think I'm cold
• 12:23
  and I'm not cold. I'm just, I'm more confident
• 12:26
  online sometimes. It doesn't mean I'm, you know,
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  that like you said, the anxiety part, but I've just kind of
• 12:30
  accepted that more now. If I can't accept it, I can't
• 12:33
  expect anyone else to. And then, you know, it just, it
• 12:36
  does build. Yeah, not like not everything is
• 12:40
  going to be, but it's, it's a bit like anything, it's the
• 12:42
  numbers game. And also there's some things
• 12:44
  I've been to before. If I hadn't have gone like that
• 12:46
  was just brilliant for me to just to like I went to an event
• 12:49
  last week in London. I didn't know anybody and create
• 12:52
  a fest. I just needed a different space
• 12:54
  where people were talking about things just beyond bloody money
• 12:57
  online and stuff like that. And make 5 grand and 10 grand
• 13:00
  months and do this and you're not doing enough.
• 13:02
  And, and it was just all about impact and purpose.
• 13:05
  And they were like, yeah, of course we'd go talk about money.
• 13:07
  You need to make money. But we're doing it because we
• 13:10
  love it and, and it was just a different feeling.
• 13:11
  I was like, I just need a bit more of this fresh feeling.
• 13:15
  So I think like, you know, we have to be honest with ourselves
• 13:18
  on those things and do it. And it is a bit nerve wracking.
• 13:21
  I didn't really, I didn't talk to anybody and meet loads of
• 13:23
  people, but that was OK. It like ticked the box on
• 13:26
  something I just needed last week.
• 13:29
  I love that. So if people want to get out of
• 13:31
  their comfort zone and have a go and come to an event, yours is
• 13:34
  the perfect example. So where, when, how do people
• 13:37
  get tickets? So they can come to
• 13:39
  nastypots.co.uk/london live. I always feel like I should put
• 13:44
  on like TV like forward slash, but it's that or I'm really the
• 13:48
  best place is always Instagram just Nataliepots strategist on
• 13:51
  there and I would like they at this part.
• 13:53
  I'm always like, stop listening to these podcasts, but like
• 13:56
  reach out to people if you have guests on or yourself and just
• 13:59
  again, just build that conversation.
• 14:01
  Ask the questions. People sit for so long and don't
• 14:04
  ask because they're worried about how they come across.
• 14:05
  I'm like, just bloody DM me. That's what you've got to do.
• 14:08
  You say hi, Listen to this. It was, you know, Barbish,
• 14:11
  you're great and. That's that's good.
• 14:13
  It's all good feedback I love. That so 27th of November in
• 14:17
  London. I have one final question that I
• 14:20
  ask all my guests when they come on the podcast.
• 14:21
  If you could describe your business in one word, what would
• 14:25
  it be and why? Focused.
• 14:28
  I've got a big thing on focus this year because I'll bring in
• 14:31
  strategy, coaching, mentoring, everything.
• 14:34
  And I think, you know, the strategy side, people want to
• 14:37
  know what to do all the time and get result.
• 14:39
  But I think if you've got focus, it's around, you know, looking
• 14:43
  at forward vision, which I love and I think it's really
• 14:45
  important in business goals, everything like that.
• 14:47
  Then I also think it's really important with focus is what you
• 14:49
  say no to and that's certainly been something this year where
• 14:52
  I've been doing so many things. I've really simplified back and
• 14:55
  said actually what's the real, the core things that are going
• 14:58
  to move me forward, you know, make the boat go faster type of
• 15:00
  thing. And that focused the ability to
• 15:02
  say like what do I say yes or no to?
• 15:04
  It really just helped me just stay and meet myself where I'm
• 15:07
  at in business. I love that every single time I
• 15:10
  ask I get a different answer. I don't think 1-2 people have
• 15:12
  ever said the same word twice, which is amazing.
• 15:14
  Good. Question.
• 15:15
  Good question. So that brings us the end of
• 15:17
  another episode of the Three BS Podcast.
• 15:19
  I hope you found it useful. If you did, please like, rate
• 15:22
  and review whatever you're watching so we can push this out
• 15:24
  to help more business owners build better businesses.
• 15:27
  Thank you so much for joining us.
• 15:28
  Natalie and I will see you all next week for the next episode.
• 15:31
  Bye. And that brings us to the end of
• 15:34
  another episode of The Three Bees podcast.
• 15:36
  I hope you found it useful and that you're walking away with
• 15:38
  some motivation, inspiration, or education to help you build a
• 15:43
  Better Business. Don't forget to subscribe, leave
• 15:45
  a review, and of course, connect with us on social media for more
• 15:48
  insights, tips, and behind the scenes content.
• 15:50
  Your next step in building a Better Business is just a click
• 15:53
  away. I can't wait to connect with you
• 15:55
  and I'll see you on the next episode.
• 15:56
  Bye.