I’m not sure it’s possible to string together the write words to express exactly how I’m feeling in this moment. You see, last week I had the opportunity to speak in front of sixty amazing women at the Creative at Heart Conference. I stood in front of photographers, calligraphers, designers, planners and other creatives to share a tiny bit of my heart in the hope of helping them succeed!
When I was working on my presentation for Creative at Heart I was unbelievably nervous… I imagined a million scary scenarios in my head, including but not limited to: tripping Jennifer Lawrence style on the way to the front, forgetting my words, stumbling through my presentation or doing all of the above simultaneously.
This was a big dream of mine and standing up there, beside so many women I admire, was… terrifying.
But somewhere between leaving my seat and taking ahold of the microphone, everything changed. I looked up at these beautiful faces staring back up at me and that whisper of a voice in my head became an outstanding roar…
Each and every person sitting in front of me was doing just that… they were being brave. Starting their own businesses and taking that giant leap of faith that they are capable of turning their passions into a career requires courage. The type of courage that rallies on your strengths and pushes your insecurities out the door.
These women, like me, took a huge risk to launch into the creative field. They were willing to sacrifice their time and money to make the dream work. And friends… That’s all I needed to set aside my own worries and speak from the heart. So that’s exactly what I did.
I absolutely loved hearing Katelyn speak on Building a Business on Blogging and Krista rock her SEO presentation that even had the veterans taking notes! And the last presentation of the conference had every single person in the room reaching for a tissue… Kat Schmoyer of Dear Sweetheart Events (you may remember her from this Annapolis Portrait Session last year), poured her heart out on the stage. She talked about her struggles, her fears, and how she overcame them. She recounted conversations she had in the pursuit of taking making her business a reality. Every word she spoke, every tear she cried, reached into my heart and reminded me why it is so important to be a part of this creative community.
Each and every one of us has struggled. We’ve worried about the future of our businesses. We’ve questioned whether we can truly make a living doing what we love. There have been slow seasons and plentiful ones. There are happy emails and frustrated ones.
And more importantly, it requires community. No one can do it completely by themselves. Businesses are built with the support and guidance of others. A rising tide lifts all ships, as they say. And by lending a hand to another creative in your field, you aren’t setting yourself up for ruin. Trust me. I’m living proof. The more I live to help others and grow our local community… the more my business has thrived!
The biggest take away that I had from Creative at Heart was the reminder that: You’re not alone. All of the struggles you face as a small business owner, I have faced them too. Rather than feeling isolated from behind your computer screen with that first cup of coffee (or second cup, lets be honest!) — Reach out and ask for help. And if you’re farther along on your entrepreneurial journey, please work to help someone who is struggling. Be their compass, guide them into a safe harbor.
We’re all in this together. Each and every one of us.
© 2023 Natalie Franke
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Loved every word of this post!
I loved this post Natalie! “The roller coaster of entrepreneurship isn’t for the faint of heart. It demands bravery,” is just perfect! Thank you for being brave and showing us newbies that it CAN happen!! You’re such an inspiration <3
Such truth!!!
Beautifully written and so inspiring, Natalie! Wish I could have been there, maybe next year!
Yay I love this! It was SUCH an amazing conference and I didn’t even notice your trip 🙂
You are so…awesome. I loved all of this and every time I read a recap post – it just makes me want to go back and do it alllll over again. I so enjoyed seeing you again and your presentation (which I’m trying to execute all of your tips and tricks!). Hope you are enjoying your trip! XO
I loved this post! You are such a beautiful person Natalie! xoxo
This is so great, Natalie! I feel so alone and defeated most days, and this is just what I needed! Thank you for always being true!
What an incredible experience!!!
We are so fortunate to have such a loving, supportive community of photographers in this area. Thanks for the positive reminder 🙂
Such a great post!! I love knowing I am not alone in this even if sometimes this is a super lonely job.
Love! Looks like it was an amazing experience!
Love this, Natalie! Brave is the perfect word and you’re so right…community is so necessary!
So happy to hear that everything went wonderfully and the experience was such a great one! <3
Natalie, I LOVE this and I LOVE your heart!! Thank you for sharing this! You are an encouragment more than you will ever know! <3
This made my day 🙂
This is all so true! I always ask myself “what would you do if you knew your couldn’t fail?” It has motivated me to do so many things!
sounds like such an enriching and motivating event! Congrats on overcoming your fears & rocking it!!
Sounds like you were the perfect person to speak – this is great!
I am so happy this conference lifted so many spirits! Looks like fun and a whole lotta pretty!
this post is wonderful. I am currently starting a business endeavor with my mom and the Creative At Heart conference seems perfect. I followed along with all of the posts and pictures, I would love to attend the next one in March! I also can’t wait to continue following you as you live your dream. I would love to work with you one day!
love you! thank you for everything!!!! YOU are the brave one! 🙂
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Thank you for this post – so needed this!