Latest / Abundant + Aligned / 172 // Finding your version of success and knowing when to pivot in business with Tara McKean, Founder of Self Events

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172 // Finding your version of success and knowing when to pivot in business with Tara McKean, Founder of Self Events · Abundant + Aligned

• 0:02
  Speaker 1: Welcome to the Abundant and Aligned podcast, where we welcome women who are ready to live the life of their dreams.
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: So if that's you, I'm so glad you're here.
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: I'm Jess, your host and your new bestie, here to remind you to dream big, live with intention and believe that actually, yes, you can.
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: Here we talk all things mindset and personal development.
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: We are on a mission to create abundance in all areas of our life, and playing small just isn't our jam.
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: So if you're ready to expand your mind to the possibilities, turn off autopilot and start showing up with intention.
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: Buckle up for the ride.
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: We are Abundant and Aligned.
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: Hello everyone and welcome back to the Abundant and Aligned podcast.
• 0:44
  Speaker 2: I'm so excited to be sitting down with you all today, with a very special guest speaker who we were just chatting.
• 0:50
  Speaker 2: It feels like we've known each other for so long after speaking with each other online, but today I have Tara here with me, who is the leader in events at the moment, and that's actually how we connected.
• 1:01
  Speaker 2: She runs these incredible events and I wanted to bring her on the show today just to chat about her story as a woman in business.
• 1:09
  Speaker 2: We do have a bit of a series going at the moment, which is coincidental, but I'm loving it.
• 1:14
  Speaker 2: There's just these raw and honest conversations with women who are in the trenches with us and they're doing the do and they're facing the challenges we are and they're having the wins that we are, and I just love highlighting people's stories.
• 1:25
  Speaker 2: So, tara, welcome to the show.
• 1:27
  Speaker 2: Thank you so much for having me.
• 1:29
  Speaker 2: I'm so excited to chat with you today and just, yeah, like I said, highlight everything that you're doing online and offline, which is really cool.
• 1:37
  Speaker 2: I feel like I'm seeing we're seeing a trend at the moment where there's more events happening like women making an impact offline, and I'm so here for it.
• 1:46
  Speaker 2: I'm loving it Absolutely.
• 1:47
  Speaker 2: Yeah, because there's been such an emphasis on the online world for so long and I feel like we're all missing that in-person connection, like I definitely was.
• 1:57
  Speaker 3: Definitely, and now I feel like there's another event every single week.
• 2:00
  Speaker 3: There's almost so many that it's like how can I possibly go to all of them?
• 2:05
  Speaker 2: I love to see it.
• 2:06
  Speaker 2: Yeah, me too.
• 2:07
  Speaker 2: Well, I guess for an intro, I'm going to hand the mic over to you.
• 2:17
  Speaker 3: Let us know a bit of a personal intro and then chat to us about what your business actually is.
• 2:20
  Speaker 3: So I am obviously Tara.
• 2:21
  Speaker 3: I am an international events manager and the founder of Self Events Co, where I create events that inspire women to be bold.
• 2:28
  Speaker 3: I also work with businesses both locally and internationally to help bring their dream events to life.
• 2:35
  Speaker 2: I love it.
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: And how long have you been in the event space for?
• 2:40
  Speaker 3: It's been almost 10 years, wow.
• 2:42
  Speaker 3: I think I can almost say a decade Wow.
• 2:45
  Speaker 2: Okay, so you were doing it as a job prior to then starting your own business.
• 2:49
  Speaker 3: Yeah, absolutely.
• 2:50
  Speaker 3: I never thought I would start my own business, but always loved being in the industry.
• 2:54
  Speaker 2: Yeah Well, talk to us about that.
• 2:56
  Speaker 2: Like, how did the business become a thing and have you always wanted to be an entrepreneur?
• 3:02
  Speaker 3: Definitely have not always wanted to be an entrepreneur, but, having been in the events industry for so long, I've always loved organizing events.
• 3:10
  Speaker 3: I've loved seeing them come together.
• 3:12
  Speaker 3: But I guess I always wanted to organize events that really excited me and that I was really passionate about.
• 3:20
  Speaker 3: I always thought that that would mean working for someone else about.
• 3:27
  Speaker 3: I always thought that that would mean working for someone else.
• 3:29
  Speaker 3: Most of my, like corporate career was very like like a lot of legal events, a lot of that really dry, like yes, the events were amazing, but the content for me, like that doesn't excite me.
• 3:37
  Speaker 3: I don't really know anything about, you know, those sorts of industries.
• 3:41
  Speaker 3: So when I moved back to Australia from London in March 2020, I was working from home I didn't really know anyone.
• 3:49
  Speaker 3: I was back in the city that I went to uni in, didn't really know anyone, but really craved that sense of community, I guess, and like wanting to be around other like-minded people.
• 3:59
  Speaker 3: But the thought of going to a networking event terrified me literally ick.
• 4:04
  Speaker 3: But regardless of all of that, I still decided to.
• 4:07
  Speaker 3: A networking event terrified me literally ick.
• 4:08
  Speaker 3: But regardless of all of that, I still decided to take the leap and thought, you know, if I craved these sorts of events and this community, then surely I wasn't the only woman out there that wanted to.
• 4:17
  Speaker 3: So I guess that's how the self events like the women's networking events started I was still working full time.
• 4:25
  Speaker 3: Events like the women's networking events started I was still working full-time.
• 4:28
  Speaker 3: I was freelancing on the side, which then, like I guess, evolved into just freelancing.
• 4:31
  Speaker 3: I ran myself into the ground, fully burnt out.
• 4:34
  Speaker 3: When will we learn not to do all of the things but ultimately quit my full-time job and really lent into both the self events and, like building up the other side of my business, which was bringing on my own clients and running their events for them and, I guess, using my experience into yeah, helping other people do that?
• 4:57
  Speaker 2: I love that, and so that's what you do now.
• 4:59
  Speaker 2: That's your full time role.
• 5:01
  Speaker 3: Yes, that is my full time role.
• 5:03
  Speaker 3: This is a bit of an announcement, I suppose that I haven't really told anyone yet, but I'm actually starting a part time role as head of events for a local firm who have been my client for two years and the opportunity just came up recently and I know we'll get to this other side of things and the hard challenges of business, but for me it feels really exciting and it's really what I think I need in terms of structure, whereas I get to do that role, which I'm really excited about, but I also get to still build my self-events and go back to doing the things that I really loved about my business.
• 5:43
  Speaker 2: So I feel really lucky.
• 5:45
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm very excited to unpack that because I feel like that's a conversation we don't have enough.
• 5:50
  Speaker 2: Business can feel so unstable sometimes and that predictability can really throw us out of whack, so I love that you've recognized that having this part-time job can be a way to just have some kind of stability, which our brains do need.
• 6:07
  Speaker 2: But we will definitely get to that.
• 6:09
  Speaker 2: Take us back to when you first started your business.
• 6:13
  Speaker 2: Was it a matter of just locking in a date for an event, advertising it and just hoping for the best?
• 6:20
  Speaker 3: Pretty much I was really fortunate to have met.
• 6:23
  Speaker 3: I did go along to another networking event back at the time and I met a girl there who ended up is now one of my best friends, but at the time she had just left her corporate career to start a business which was all about helping female startups like startup or scale their businesses.
• 6:43
  Speaker 3: So I I say this to her all the time but I truly believe if I didn't have like just that one person that believed in me at the time and said you can 100% do this, I don't know whether I would have had the self-belief to do it.
• 6:58
  Speaker 3: So I'm forever grateful for her for that, but also for our friendship.
• 7:03
  Speaker 3: Um, and I think, just really leaning on the community here, we have a really amazing community of women that are working for themselves.
• 7:12
  Speaker 3: That I guess I didn't really know at the start, but yeah, I suppose that's what ultimately started.
• 7:21
  Speaker 3: Like you just start an Instagram one day, there's like no followers and all of a sudden I'm talking on the camera and launching this event, thinking like, who am I Like?
• 7:29
  Speaker 3: Is anyone even going to buy a ticket?
• 7:31
  Speaker 2: I love that and like, honestly, the biggest inspiration.
• 7:34
  Speaker 2: You've just got to start somewhere and I find myself in conversations with women quite often who have these ideas for business but they hold back because they're like, but I'll have no followers at the start, what if I don't sell that many tickets?
• 7:48
  Speaker 2: No one's going to listen to my podcast, and that's just a reminder.
• 7:51
  Speaker 2: Everybody has had to start somewhere, with no followers, with no listeners, with low ticket sales potentially, but you do have to start in order for that to grow.
• 8:01
  Speaker 3: Absolutely, and I actually had the Instagram handle for, I think, like six to 12 months before I even did anything about it.
• 8:10
  Speaker 3: Like I knew I wanted to do this, but it wasn't until I don't know.
• 8:15
  Speaker 3: A few other things fell into place and I finally was just like you know what, if I don't do it, I'll always kind of wonder what if.
• 8:22
  Speaker 2: Yeah, so yeah, yeah.
• 8:24
  Speaker 2: Was there a moment that?
• 8:28
  Speaker 2: Or like, did something happen for you to say, look, I'm just going to do this?
• 8:32
  Speaker 2: Or like, I guess, how did you navigate your self-belief, Like having your Instagram handle for over six months?
• 8:37
  Speaker 2: What made you eventually just pull the trigger and go okay, today's the day we're actually going to make something of this.
• 8:45
  Speaker 3: I think it's because I saw my friend Miranda starting her business.
• 8:48
  Speaker 3: I saw, and I didn't know her well at the time.
• 8:50
  Speaker 3: We met this one networking event and I like followed each other on Instagram.
• 8:54
  Speaker 3: I saw her all of a sudden getting on her stories and talking about what she was doing and knowing that, like I think seeing someone do something out of their comfort zone but doing it anyway because they were so passionate about it, is ultimately why I started it and I think it's always been such a big thing for self is that I'm not a public speaker.
• 9:16
  Speaker 3: I'm like, yes, I have the events background, I know I can run a good event, but the whole self-belief and mindset piece is just something I did not have.
• 9:25
  Speaker 3: So I think, having the right people around you, I was, and I still am, working with a coach in the space, specifically in my industry.
• 9:33
  Speaker 3: I think the self-development and the mindset work was the biggest hurdle for me to start, like, I knew I could do it, I knew I could organize an event, but it was that whole other scary piece usually the case.
• 9:49
  Speaker 2: Right as women, we have the skills, we have the qualities like, we have everything around us to support our dreams and our desires, and usually the only thing holding us back is ourself and that, that inner self-belief.
• 10:02
  Speaker 2: What did you do to cultivate enough belief to do your first event and then do another one and just continue to go Like?
• 10:12
  Speaker 2: Do you have specific habits or routines that you follow?
• 10:17
  Speaker 2: Or was there a book or a podcast Like what helped with that?
• 10:21
  Speaker 3: I feel like it was a combination of a lot of things.
• 10:23
  Speaker 3: Like definitely I.
• 10:25
  Speaker 3: The whole like self-development industry, I suppose, was really new to me.
• 10:29
  Speaker 3: I'd never done any of that sort of work before, so there was definitely books and podcasts and I was around all of these people that I'd never been around before, like I literally had to make new friends as a I don't know.
• 10:44
  Speaker 3: I thought how do you even make friends when you're in your 20s or late 20s?
• 10:47
  Speaker 3: I think yeah, I think it was a combination of like surrounding myself with the right people, really like I'd never journaled before, like all of those little bits I think have definitely helped.
• 10:59
  Speaker 3: I don't know.
• 11:00
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I think, like what's being highlighted here is getting around people who are doing what you want to do and who believe in you enough for you to believe in yourself and we hear that a lot.
• 11:11
  Speaker 2: Right, you are the average of the five people you hang around, but these stories really confirm that getting yourself in rooms with women who are doing what you want to do and who have normalized the goals that we've set makes it so much easier.
• 11:26
  Speaker 2: But when we are having conversations with people who aren't walking the path we want to walk, it makes that path that we want to walk almost too good to be true.
• 11:35
  Speaker 2: It's like can that really be something?
• 11:36
  Speaker 2: But when they normalize it, it's like, okay, yeah, this can be something.
• 11:40
  Speaker 3: I think even just telling like my friends and family, like, oh, I think I'm going to start this little thing that was way harder than telling strangers Then literally like I, I don't know, you know you'd start.
• 11:53
  Speaker 3: I was starting to meet people through like the Instagram or just from going to like run clubs or anything like that, and I would just tell them, oh, I'm starting this thing, I'm doing this.
• 12:03
  Speaker 3: And they just think, oh, well, of course she is Like it seems so normal, but I don't know.
• 12:10
  Speaker 3: I think it's like right, I feel like this conversation is highlighted, but like right from the beginning, if I could show up like not perfect, but willing to like do something out of my comfort zone to do the thing I really cared about, if that inspires just one other person that comes to an event or sees an Instagram post like to do that, that was just like what the whole thing was about.
• 12:32
  Speaker 2: Yeah, and it is so inspiring just seeing like everyday women doing events and and showing up online and doing these things because, yeah, you really get this sense of if they can do it, so can I.
• 12:45
  Speaker 2: Exactly yeah, and that's why I love these conversations as well, like we've.
• 12:50
  Speaker 2: You know, you may look at people on Instagram and they look like they've got all the success and they're killing it, but they're also going through the same challenges.
• 12:58
  Speaker 2: They're also battling with themselves every day.
• 13:01
  Speaker 2: To actually hear this, it's like, okay, I'm not broken, I'm not doing anything wrong by doubting it, but I've just got to move regardless of the fear and just step forward, even if it is very uncomfortable.
• 13:12
  Speaker 2: I love that.
• 13:14
  Speaker 2: So chat to us about your journey in business, highlighting maybe your biggest win or just what being a woman in business has been like for you.
• 13:26
  Speaker 3: I feel like that's like a roller coaster, like a hundred percent a roller coaster.
• 13:30
  Speaker 3: I feel like it's the best thing I've ever done, but I don't know, this probably sounds so cliche.
• 13:37
  Speaker 3: It's also like the highest highs and the lowest lows that I've ever had.
• 13:40
  Speaker 3: I don't think I ever had any sort of anxiety or any like, any kind of like I don't know doubt before I did this, but it just like highlights so much to you.
• 13:52
  Speaker 3: But then you also like have those moments where you're like, oh my god, a year ago I never would have even dreamed that I did xyz.
• 14:01
  Speaker 3: I'm like big on vision boards and I was just like ticking those things off, or like a dream speaker would say yes, or I would just open the opportunities.
• 14:09
  Speaker 3: And the people that I've met has just been like if you had told me 10 years ago I would not have believed it.
• 14:16
  Speaker 3: And so I think my biggest win is definitely like the community, the people that I've met, seeing the women come to my events just like I.
• 14:27
  Speaker 3: Even I was so scared at the first view, I was so nervous.
• 14:31
  Speaker 3: But seeing other women come, not knowing anyone, completely out of their comfort zone, like make friends, see them start their own businesses, collaborate with each other, like it's just like I still think like, how did I do this?
• 14:44
  Speaker 3: Like I created this.
• 14:46
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it makes me want to cry.
• 14:48
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's funny you say that, because that's definitely something I love about my business as well.
• 14:53
  Speaker 2: It's like bringing women together and, yeah, looking in at your case at a room of women but in my world, like on zoom, and seeing them bounce off each other and chat and make friends, it's like I, I did this and I want every, every woman.
• 15:08
  Speaker 2: That's why I love my show is like to have those moments like whether it's bringing a community together or doing something else, but just feeling that feeling of I, I did that, like I actually did that.
• 15:20
  Speaker 2: It's.
• 15:20
  Speaker 2: It's the best feeling in the world and being proud of yourself.
• 15:23
  Speaker 3: I think there was.
• 15:25
  Speaker 3: Yeah, we're not taught to be proud of ourself or to be like oh my God, I did that, but actually like even having those moments with yourself.
• 15:32
  Speaker 3: Yeah, wow, yeah.
• 15:36
  Speaker 2: Now, speaking of the rollercoaster and I don't mean to dampen the mood here, but what's like a challenge that you've experienced in business and, more importantly, how you did overcome that?
• 15:46
  Speaker 2: Because, again, this podcast is all about being honest and raw with, like, the realities of life, but also being in business and I know it's so easy to watch, again, women on Instagram and assume they've got it all together.
• 15:58
  Speaker 2: So to really just chat about the challenges in business and how you did overcome it, I think is such an inspiring conversation because not only does it show women that we're feeling it too, but it gives them some tips on how to overcome it.
• 16:12
  Speaker 2: So, is there like a big challenge that stands out to you or, yeah, something that you've really had to overcome?
• 16:19
  Speaker 3: I think this conversation is so important and I love everything you just said because that is also what I want my events to be like, and same with my like online presence.
• 16:29
  Speaker 3: Like it was always about being able to celebrate the wins but also being able to talk about the challenges, the hard days, and not feel so alone, because there are so many of us that are in business maybe alone, maybe with a small team that are like is any, am I going crazy?
• 16:44
  Speaker 3: Is anyone else feeling like this?
• 16:46
  Speaker 3: Um, I feel like, in terms of my biggest challenge, I'd probably say just like trying to juggle everything, like at the start and probably literally up until like I don't know, last week, I would say yes to everything.
• 17:02
  Speaker 3: I was like trying to grow and scale and do all of the things, probably at times like undervaluing my worth and my time, and then ultimately, that leads to like tiptoeing, burnout again, which is why I left my full-time job in the first place.
• 17:21
  Speaker 3: So I think like trying, like I really don't believe in balance, especially in my industry, but I think, yeah, I think I've just I don't know this year especially struggled with the like, the perspective from outside, where everyone's like oh my god, you are killing it like you are doing amazing, and inside I'm like I'm really struggling actually.
• 17:48
  Speaker 3: I'm really not killing it.
• 17:49
  Speaker 3: That was really hard for me, I think, especially over the last few months.
• 17:54
  Speaker 2: Yeah, and again there's this pressure of like I've got to find a balance, I've got to have this together, I've got to say yes in order to grow, I've got to be doing everything in order to grow, and then we end up doing ourselves a disservice because we are spreading ourselves way too thin, that even by doing all of the things and not really doing it as our full potential, in our best capacity, because we are just tired, exhausted and we're just trying to stay afloat.
• 18:20
  Speaker 2: So how have you navigated?
• 18:23
  Speaker 2: Like setting some boundaries in business, in your life, pulling back a little bit, without fearing that that's going to impact your growth?
• 18:32
  Speaker 3: Definitely this year, compared to last year, I got way better at putting boundaries in.
• 18:37
  Speaker 3: One of my clients is based in the US, so I do a lot of early morning calls and things like that, which I don't mind because I am an early bird, but I was finding myself waking up.
• 18:50
  Speaker 3: The first thing I would do is like check my emails, check my phone, like is everything okay?
• 18:54
  Speaker 3: Have I missed anything?
• 18:54
  Speaker 3: Is someone going to think I'm not good at my job because I haven't, like I'm not online?
• 18:59
  Speaker 3: I just basically scrapped that this year.
• 19:02
  Speaker 3: There's one day a week that I will have early morning calls and I'm flexible if I need to be, but the other days I would just go on at my regular time.
• 19:10
  Speaker 3: I would try and do something for myself every morning, whether it's go down to the beach or whether it's like Pilates, or sometimes that means actually just sleeping in.
• 19:20
  Speaker 3: That was a big lesson this year.
• 19:21
  Speaker 3: Like you don't have to get up at 5 am every day in.
• 19:26
  Speaker 3: That was a big lesson this year.
• 19:27
  Speaker 3: Like you don't have to get up at 5 am every day, um, but trying to do something for myself before, like working on client stuff, and what I realized is literally the world didn't end.
• 19:34
  Speaker 3: No one, like no one fired me like that.
• 19:37
  Speaker 3: They still keep renewing my contracts like nothing has gone wrong, just by putting in like some of those boundaries.
• 19:44
  Speaker 3: Um, my brand is very big on self-care and I think sometimes I would feel like, oh, you need to be doing all the self-care things, but I don't know, when life gets busy and when you're stressed and you've got deadlines, it's hard to do that.
• 20:02
  Speaker 3: But I guess trying to find even the small moments of the things that you know are going to make you feel better.
• 20:10
  Speaker 2: We are in this era at the moment.
• 20:12
  Speaker 2: We see it all over social media like this soft era in business, and sometimes I think that is a bit of a detriment, because it's kind of flipping it the other way now.
• 20:21
  Speaker 2: So before we were so burnt out, so busy, and we're trying to bring in more self-care.
• 20:25
  Speaker 2: Now we're like I need to bring in more self-care, and now that's become a pressure in itself.
• 20:30
  Speaker 2: So it's self-care has almost become like this new pressure that we're putting on ourself.
• 20:35
  Speaker 2: It's like I haven't slowed down enough this week.
• 20:37
  Speaker 2: I do have this deadline, but I should probably try and make some time for myself.
• 20:48
  Speaker 2: So it's like you know what I mean Like there's I feel like there's pressures coming from both sides.
• 20:49
  Speaker 2: It's like go hard, grow, do all of the things, and it's like slow down, look after yourself more self-care.
• 20:52
  Speaker 3: It's like, oh my God, it's become another thing on the to-do list.
• 20:55
  Speaker 2: Have you meditated today Like no, I'm busy.
• 20:57
  Speaker 2: Yeah, and that's sometimes a reality in business.
• 21:00
  Speaker 2: It's like things need to get done, um, so again, it's like just trying to.
• 21:05
  Speaker 2: Honestly, it's trying to balance it all.
• 21:07
  Speaker 2: It's like finding times where you can be for yourself, but then also realizing it's a busy period in business and then the self-care will go out and oh, it's a constant battle.
• 21:16
  Speaker 2: It really is, and I'm a mindset coach and I'm still sitting here saying this.
• 21:22
  Speaker 3: I'm like how many times I need to learn this lesson before I've learned it?
• 21:25
  Speaker 3: But I think I I have actually like finally proved to myself that if I do just like I don't know, take a few hours, have a rest I have the flexibility, luckily, to be able to I will wake up the next morning and I will feel better, whereas I used to be like no, I can't possibly like lay down for half an hour because how am I going to get everything done?
• 21:44
  Speaker 3: But that is such for like people that are just like go, go, go.
• 21:48
  Speaker 2: It's so hard to even the thought of doing nothing is stressful.
• 21:56
  Speaker 2: Yeah, as you said, usually if you just take the day to recharge, you're good to go again.
• 21:58
  Speaker 2: But if we fight that rest day, the need for the rest just extends weeks and weeks, and weeks, weeks, and yeah, then we've gone a whole month of pushing ourselves to the limits but being so tired, not in it energetically, and then usually the results aren't what we want anyway.
• 22:13
  Speaker 2: But most of the time if you just take a day or two just to rest, switch off, you're then good to go again.
• 22:19
  Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, what's your favorite way to switch off and take care of yourself?
• 22:27
  Speaker 3: um, probably a beach walk or a swim at sunrise.
• 22:31
  Speaker 3: Yeah, um, yeah, yeah, if I need something gentle, especially like just a slow morning at the beach.
• 22:39
  Speaker 2: Yeah, the ocean is the best fix, I agree.
• 22:42
  Speaker 2: Um, now I would love to take you to an Instagram post that I saw recently, um, which has actually kind of inspired this episode everybody, because I saw this and I was like I need to talk to you about this on my show because, again, raw vulnerable, we're here for it.
• 22:58
  Speaker 2: Um, the post essentially was just saying that you felt you were falling out of love with your business and this has led to maybe a bit of a pivot in business and where you're focusing.
• 23:09
  Speaker 2: I'd love for you to just chat about what brought that post on and how you are navigating that.
• 23:17
  Speaker 3: I think it came on like over many months and I was even scared to share it.
• 23:24
  Speaker 3: But I also think that people aren't maybe having those conversations.
• 23:30
  Speaker 3: I think that business and working for yourself can be glamorized.
• 23:32
  Speaker 3: I think there's been this whole era of like girl boss, like quitting the nine to five and working for yourself, and I love that and I've been part of that.
• 23:42
  Speaker 3: But I think that, similarly to like what we have kind of been talking about, like I just realized I was addicted to like that dopamine hit of doing more, achieving more, like what that looks like for my business and my brand.
• 23:57
  Speaker 3: And then I guess I've just like I've had an incredibly big few months a lot of international trips, a lot of weddings, a lot of events.
• 24:06
  Speaker 3: Like my event season has been the last two to three months, but I kind of got to this point where I'd achieved everything that I wanted to say a year ago, but it did not feel as good as I thought it would and I guess and it it took like ages for this to really kind of click um, but I guess I just asked myself, like what do I actually want?
• 24:32
  Speaker 3: Not because I feel like I have to, because that's why everyone's telling you like that's how you grow a business.
• 24:39
  Speaker 3: At the start of the year, I thought I wanted to scale and grow and have a team, and I think there's also a lot of like expectations that we put on ourselves.
• 24:46
  Speaker 3: Maybe there aren't, maybe no one's even putting these expectations on us, but, like we open Instagram, we see what everyone else is doing.
• 24:52
  Speaker 3: We feel like we have to be doing a certain thing and I just wasn't feeling very happy.
• 25:00
  Speaker 3: It made like the things that I used to love about my business.
• 25:02
  Speaker 3: I'd started resenting Like I used to love, like going out and connecting with people and meeting new people and going to events.
• 25:10
  Speaker 3: I was so exhausted by doing all the things to grow my business that I had no time or no energy for that.
• 25:17
  Speaker 3: I feel like I wasn't spending enough time with my family or my friends, like the people I actually cared about.
• 25:22
  Speaker 3: I would just had nothing to give.
• 25:24
  Speaker 3: Um, so, yeah, I guess that's kind of like what started it.
• 25:29
  Speaker 2: I suppose so powerful with what you were saying when you said that you had achieved all the goals and it didn't feel like you thought.
• 25:38
  Speaker 2: It would feel like that is a huge milestone and like a realization to have.
• 25:43
  Speaker 2: I feel like I've been in moments like that in my business as well, like hitting a revenue goal and being like, oh, I thought it would feel different.
• 25:51
  Speaker 2: Or filling a container in a program.
• 25:54
  Speaker 2: I'm like, oh, like you're happy about it, it's exciting, but it's like you work it up to be this huge, big ordeal and then you get there and you're like interesting, I didn't feel how I wanted to and I think it's really, really, really inspiring that you've actually taken a look at that.
• 26:09
  Speaker 2: Instead of just going, okay, onto the next goal, onto the next goal, onto the next goal, you've stopped and you've asked the question why is this not feeling like I thought it would?
• 26:18
  Speaker 2: And actually digging deep and being okay about the answers that you would find by asking those questions.
• 26:25
  Speaker 2: So I guess, like, what were the answers that you found and what has come from that?
• 26:29
  Speaker 3: those questions.
• 26:30
  Speaker 3: So I guess, like, what were the answers that you found and what has come from that?
• 26:32
  Speaker 3: I think I realized that it's okay to like start something and to grow your business in a way that you think you want, but, like we said, you might get there and realize, okay, that didn't feel as great.
• 26:44
  Speaker 3: Like we make the rules, like we're literally the boss of our own life, like we can pivot and change the goalposts.
• 26:51
  Speaker 3: And for me, I think I realized, like the parts that I love about working with clients and the parts that I don't like.
• 26:59
  Speaker 3: For me, yes, I love the flexibility, but I also I love being part of a team and I love having structure and routine in my life.
• 27:08
  Speaker 3: Like I know you like leave a nine to five because you don't want to be like stuck in that.
• 27:13
  Speaker 3: But I went back to a co-working space this year and it was the best thing I did because it lets you have boundaries.
• 27:19
  Speaker 3: And like I think, just like I don't know, over like weeks and days, I would realize, ok, no, I actually like don't love doing that, which ultimately led to this new job opportunity at the time, which I'm really grateful and fortunate that it combines everything that I love Like I get the flexibility.
• 27:41
  Speaker 3: I still get to do the events that I love so much, but I also get to go to work and be a part of a team and really like drive their events forward.
• 27:50
  Speaker 3: It's a really exciting role that they've created and I feel like I just get to have the best of both worlds.
• 27:56
  Speaker 3: And if I didn't actually sit down and ask myself, like what do I want, I didn't even think a role like this would exist.
• 28:02
  Speaker 3: I feel like I've created it.
• 28:05
  Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, and you would have, by putting it out there and just opening up that space for something new to drop in, and I think that's a good like something to highlight.
• 28:14
  Speaker 2: There is, a pivot isn't always going to end up leaving you worse off, and I think we make that up in our head.
• 28:21
  Speaker 2: By changing things up and pivoting, whether it's in business or life that we are failing, we are taking a step back and, yeah, we just make up all of these negative stories as to what that means.
• 28:34
  Speaker 2: But in most cases, something better is around the corner and it is time to shift and pivot.
• 28:40
  Speaker 2: And you have grown so much to get to that point and the pivot you had to become that person before the pivot could be possible.
• 28:48
  Speaker 2: Now you're ready for what's next.
• 28:50
  Speaker 3: A hundred percent.
• 28:51
  Speaker 3: And I think before I shared that series on Instagram, I was really worried about what people would think Like is she giving up?
• 29:01
  Speaker 3: Would my clients think like is she like incapable or like does she hate working with us which it was not the case at all Like I really love my clients.
• 29:10
  Speaker 3: And then, even before this job opportunity came up, I applied for another job and actually got offered it and I like almost didn't even apply for it because I was like this is failure, this is going backwards.
• 29:26
  Speaker 3: So I like had to come to terms with that for myself for like a week before I was like you know what?
• 29:31
  Speaker 3: This is actually my version of success and this I don't care what anyone thinks, and also no one's going to look at another woman and be like oh, what a failure.
• 29:40
  Speaker 3: But we do like we.
• 29:42
  Speaker 3: We create exactly what you said those negative stories and we're always pressure on ourselves when it really only matters, like what we want to do.
• 29:51
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 29:52
  Speaker 2: I love what you said about creating your own version of success, and that is a journal prompt for every single person listening to us.
• 29:59
  Speaker 2: What is your version of success?
• 30:01
  Speaker 2: Because, again, we look at success like growing and expanding and scaling and making more money and having a bigger team and having more clients and more meetings and a packed calendar.
• 30:10
  Speaker 2: But maybe that's not your version of success.
• 30:13
  Speaker 2: Maybe it is to have your entire schedule to yourself or have somewhere where you can go and clock on and know that you're getting paid every single week or whatever.
• 30:24
  Speaker 2: Whatever it could be.
• 30:25
  Speaker 2: But again, like coming back to that and doing it often as well, like not just when you launch your business and setting the stage and creating that version of success, like checking in, like every year or every couple of times throughout the year, and just like making sure you're still on track.
• 30:41
  Speaker 2: I love that so much.
• 30:42
  Speaker 2: I love also what you said around like we make up, like everyone's going to judge us and question why we've left our business and do they not like us?
• 30:51
  Speaker 2: They're not capable.
• 30:52
  Speaker 2: But when we were chatting in the dms, you mentioned that you got so much positive feedback from sharing that to the world, um, which is proof that, like, not everyone is bad, not everyone is going to judge you, not everyone thinks the worst of you and I think we've both created communities that it attracts the right type of people.
• 31:11
  Speaker 3: And if someone was to come and like, judge me for that, then they're probably, you know.
• 31:16
  Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah.
• 31:17
  Speaker 2: Well, I've loved this story, and so what's next for you?
• 31:20
  Speaker 2: Your business, your life, you as a woman?
• 31:22
  Speaker 2: Like what's next?
• 31:25
  Speaker 3: I am excited to be in this new era.
• 31:28
  Speaker 3: I feel like I'm almost going and I hate to say the word back, like back to my side hustle era, like I get to have this job that I'm really excited about that allows me to spend a bit of time both here and in brisbane and I get to just work on the 2025 self events, which I just haven't had really the capacity to do for a few months.
• 31:50
  Speaker 3: So I'm really excited for that over the next year and just to really enjoy the silly season with my family and friends and take some like time after a really busy year.
• 32:02
  Speaker 2: I suppose yeah, I love that amen to that.
• 32:04
  Speaker 2: I'm looking forward to a bit of a break.
• 32:06
  Speaker 2: We all should give ourselves that space because the years go so fast and, like we just fine, we just don't stop until the end of the year.
• 32:14
  Speaker 2: So please, everybody, take a break over Christmas.
• 32:17
  Speaker 3: Your business is not going to flop no, and I loved what you said about like having those regular check-ins with like actually like, is this working for me?
• 32:25
  Speaker 3: I feel like I am quite bad.
• 32:28
  Speaker 3: I wait until I'm like almost really burnt out.
• 32:31
  Speaker 3: I was like just trying to claw through to get to the end of the event season before I like gave myself the space to actually think about it.
• 32:39
  Speaker 3: So maybe my goal is to like have those regular check-ins a bit more and, honestly, me too.
• 32:46
  Speaker 2: Like we yeah, I feel like we're probably all guilty of not having that check-in enough and, as you mentioned, like we are the boss of our life.
• 32:53
  Speaker 2: I love that you said that.
• 32:55
  Speaker 2: Like our entire life, and there's, if there's areas in there that aren't lighting us up anymore, like we do get to change it.
• 33:00
  Speaker 2: Sure, it's not going to be easy, sure it's going to come with some resistance.
• 33:04
  Speaker 2: No one's sitting here saying that it's going to be a comfortable move.
• 33:07
  Speaker 2: But we are here to live lives that light us up in all areas, and sometimes it does require making the scary moves, the uncomfortable moves, just hoping for the best.
• 33:18
  Speaker 2: But, yeah, like, let's not be settling in any area.
• 33:22
  Speaker 2: No, no more of that.
• 33:25
  Speaker 2: Well, I'm so sure you've inspired so many women, so thank you for sharing your story and being so honest.
• 33:32
  Speaker 2: Where can they find you?
• 33:34
  Speaker 2: Where are you hanging out Any links or offers that you want to share with people?
• 33:40
  Speaker 3: You can find me on Instagram at selfeventsco.
• 33:44
  Speaker 2: Yep, I'll link that in the show notes as well.
• 33:46
  Speaker 2: And if you're in Queensland, seriously, guys, get to one of those events.
• 33:50
  Speaker 2: I cannot wait to go because you're in the sunny coast and, like I know, that's only like two and a bit hours away, but I just haven't made the trip up yet.
• 33:59
  Speaker 2: So you'll have to make a weekend of it and because there's actually a lot of events on the sunny coast Like, yeah, as you mentioned, there is a big community there of women.
• 34:06
  Speaker 2: Absolutely, as you mentioned, there is a big community there of women that are creating these communities, which I love.
• 34:11
  Speaker 3: Yeah, if anyone is interested in like finding out about the events my mailing list are the first to find out and often events will sell out before they make it to Instagram.
• 34:21
  Speaker 3: So, yes, sign up to the mailing list.
• 34:24
  Speaker 3: I send a little monthly newsletter, but you'll also be the first to hear.
• 34:30
  Speaker 2: Well, I will link all of that in the show notes.
• 34:32
  Speaker 2: Go and let Tara know if you've listened to this episode and it has inspired you.
• 34:35
  Speaker 2: It's really nice to hear from the listeners.
• 34:37
  Speaker 2: And, yeah, if you're in Queensland, if you can get to her events, definitely keep an eye out for the dates and add that to your calendar.
• 34:45
  Speaker 2: I know going to these networking events is scary.
• 34:47
  Speaker 2: I still feel the fear, but they're so worth it.
• 34:51
  Speaker 2: Collaborations, the support, just meeting women who are having conversations like this in real life, it's really nice.
• 34:57
  Speaker 2: Well, thank you so much, tara, for being here sharing your story, and to the listeners, thank you for tuning in and we'll talk to you in the next one.
• 35:05
  Speaker 2: Thank you.