In 2024 it’s critical to ‘Be Bold’

When I was 12, I was so tall I had specialist hospital appointments because they thought I was going to a giant. I towered over other kids like Lurch on The Addams Family. So when my mum chose a maroon pantsuit with pink and white bowtie for my first communion, you might say I stood out in the sea of white princess dresses.

At the time, I wished I looked like all the other girls, but now I know it’s the very first time I realised the power of standing out.

I realised being different is more than okay—it’s a huge asset. Now, ‘Be Bold’ is one of the top marketing with no money strategies I’ve used to build three businesses and a global reputation. It’s a belief shift that transformed my business.

So, what does it mean to be bold? And why does it matter?

Being bold means backing yourself. It allows us to create incredible opportunities from dreams. It gets us out of ruts. Being Bold builds resilience and confidence, and stretches our capabilities.

Being Bold has led me to found three businesses and become a marketing strategist and coach as well as a two-time bestselling author and international award-winning speaker.

Being Bold is my mantra. I desperately want it to be yours too. Maybe it already is—if you’re listening, I’m guessing you’re extraordinary and committed to your businesses and to making the best life you can for you and everyone you love.

But I know that like anything, it can be easier to say than do. Coaching clients ask me a lot how to do it, and the key is that Being Bold requires a new mindset. Here’s my top two ways you can Be Bold as of right now.

Step 1) Rock A Big Vision

Being Bold requires you to have a big vision for your life.

I was lucky to have a Mum who constantly told me I was capable of anything I put my mind to. More than that, she showed me how to do it.

Helen was a single mother who taught high school typing in the Perth suburbs. Despite her modest life, she decided she was going to build an authentic Italian villa in our backyard.

She had two obstacles: no money, and she wanted the leading architect who designed mega budget homes for Perth’s elite.

No problem. Mum invited the architect over for champagne to pitch her idea. Within an hour, Louise Kennedy agreed to build a small budget property and Helen worked out she could get finance by subdividing her land.

We had no blinds for six months or carpet for 12, but the villa featured in many leading home magazines and Helen still lives there. Seeing a dream become reality had a big impact on my 12-year-old thinking.

At 14, I was desperate to go to New York. My aunty had moved there in her early twenties and had a fabulous career in the media. I got a job at Kentucky Fried Chicken and for two years worked every shift I could for $3.28 per hour. At 16, I was in New York for the first time. 

I know as we get older dreaming big can get more difficult. We have mortgages and financial commitments. We are the primary carers for our kids. Our dreams seem to get diluted.  I want you to consider reclaiming that big vision.

Step 2) Get Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable

Being Bold won’t happen without you getting out of your comfort zone. 

In 2015 my mentor, a well-known international author, told me it was time I wrote a book about my passion for marketing to mums.  

I felt super uncomfortable and like a complete imposter. I didn’t see myself as a writer. But I stepped outside those limiting beliefs and wrote that book.  It became #1 on Booktopia’s Business Best Seller list. It generated tons of client referrals and press in Australia, and still does.

Because of the book, I was invited to speak at the world’s leading learning event for people who market to mothers, first in Paris and then in New York, where I shared a stage with Google and Johnson & Johnson. 

Since then I’ve been asked to speak several times at the New York M2Moms conference. In 2018 I took out their Best Speaker Award and in 2019 gave the opening keynote address and launched my second book. I now have a monthly column communicating with senior marketers across the US about all things marketing and partnerships.

I’ve learned time and time again the magic happens when we are challenged to find new ways to get something done. This always involves getting outside our comfort zone.

My challenge to you is to commit to Being Bold over the next 12 months by rocking a big vision and leaving your comfort zone.

You don’t have to build a backyard villa. You don’t have to wear a weird outfit to your next big occasion. You don’t have to dish up fried chicken to earn an airfare either.

But you do need to know the responsibility to build success lies with you.

So shake things up. Stop playing a quiet game and start Being Bold. Let me know how you go. 

Be bold enough to reach out and tell me, even if it feels uncomfortable!

Be bold is one of 13 of my Marketing With No Money strategies. You can download my free report with all the rest here: https://www.katrinamccarter.com/marketingwithnomoneystrategies/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Katrina McCarter is a business wingwoman and coach giving you clarity, confidence and commercial success. She is a best-selling author, international speaker and marketing maven who works with small business owners and entrepreneurs to accelerate their path to success. Connect with Katrina at katrina@katrinamccarter.com

WEBSITE: www.katrinamccarter.com

FACEBOOK: Katrina McCarter

INSTAGRAM: Katrina McCarter

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