There’s something powerful about sharing your smarts. Read on.
(And then research Facebook groups for female entrepreneurs. Do it.)
I was a year out of college and my husband and I had a new baby (she’s 11 now which I cannot believe). I wasn’t exactly sure what direction my career would take or even what I wanted to do, honestly. One afternoon, I opened up a magazine and read an article about tips for Moms wanting to start a business. The article suggested joining an online forum called Mompreneurs.com. (Yes, it was a chat forum. This was 2006. And it was amazing.) I had recently been entertaining the idea of starting a personalized stationery business and decided to check out the forum. Little did I know it would be the thing that most influenced my career.
Long story short, I found myself in a network of women who were ALL about helping one another grow their businesses. We all shared our expertise to fill in the gaps. Our group was full of variety, we had a former lawyer, a graphic designer, a logistics expert, and so many other skills. We shared our experiences with everything from shipping processes, manufacturing hurdles, to how to get press. It was authentic, genuine, and exciting! After a year or so, I had become the group’s go-to expert in social media. It was challenging and rewarding and so I decided to close my stationery business and begin formerly helping other small businesses grow through social media.
I realize now that this group not only helped me become a successful entrepreneur, it gave me life long friends and helped me realize my true passion (you would have thought the degree in Communications would have given me that direction, ha!).
The spirit of that group has remained with me. It was one of giving and sharing knowledge. It was about celebrating each other’s wins and empathizing with the losses. I’ve done several things since then–I freelanced, I became a lifestyle blogger and influencer, and I joined a brand working as the Director of Content & Community 8+ years. Throughout it all, I’ve always been eager to share wins, losses, and strategies with others. I have a deep value for helping others because I know first hand how that value comes back . . . tenfold.
I’m a firm believer in the idea saying “a rising tide lifts all boats.” It’s true. I’ll admit that it’s pretty easy to jump on social media and start playing the comparison game. This often leads us believing that there’s not enough to go around, that we need to succeed before the other gal does. It’s human and understandable. But it’s false.
I’m writing this post as a reminder that when we give our time, skills, and knowledge to others it can be powerful. In fact, that’s why I started this blog last year. (Feel free to dig around for some helpful tips.)
Rest assured that no one is exactly like you, so no one can do exactly what you do. But they might be able to learn from you and you can certainly learn from others. If we want people to take the time and share with us, we need to first start by walking the walk.
What’s one thing you’ve learned from past experiences that you might be able to share with someone else? Put it out there, you never know how it can impact someone.
Eager to connect with other like-minded bloggers, entrepreneurs, and small business owners? Join our Facebook Group “Marketing Mixer” (it’s our modern day chat room and cocktails are optional). Hope to chat with you there!
Tori Tait is sharing her experience as a Content Director and Pinterest expert. Since 2006 she's been helping entrepreneurs build their businesses online through simple & smart marketing strategies.