Episode 55: Find Your Hustle & Be Loud | Natasha Dressler | Marketing, PR & Event Pro
Natasha Dressler has built a career across marketing, PR, and event management in the entertainment and podcasting world, proving that a broad skill set can be your greatest niche. From cosmetics to tech gaming, agency work to talent relations, Natasha’s path shows how saying “yes” to opportunity and leaning into your unique experiences can open unexpected doors. She shares how to identify the clients you’re drawn to, why PR is critical for every business, and how to turn a side hustle into a thriving career. With practical tips you can implement today, Natasha inspires you to embrace your own expertise, be bold about what you offer, and take the leap into your next big venture.
“People get lost in making goals for themselves. Goals need an action item to make them happen.”
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Chapters
00:00 Meet Natasha Dressler
04:15 From Cosmetics to Tech Gaming Marketing
08:30 Transition into the Agency and Entertainment World
12:10 Why PR Is Essential for Every Business
16:40 Finding Your True Client Base
21:15 Building Multi-Pronged Skills for Career Growth
25:30 Lessons from Talent Relations in Podcasting
29:45 The Role of Optimism in Taking on New Opportunities
34:20 Turning a Side Hustle into a Business
38:55 Learning from Mentors and Industry Leaders
43:15 Why You Should Be Loud About Your Skills
47:40 Natasha’s Call to Action for Future Entrepreneurs
I look at what's going on in the world and I think, gosh, I'm lucky. I have a roof over my head. I have an amazing family, an amazing boyfriend, an amazing set of friends, and I'm doing what I love right now. And if I fail, but at least I can say I tried.
That's Natasha Dressler and this is The Powerful Ladies podcast.
Hey guys, I'm your host, Kara Duffy, and this is The Powerful Ladies Podcast where I invite my favorite humans, the awesome, the up to something, and the extraordinary to come and share their story. I hope that you'll be left, entertained, inspired, and moved to take action towards living your most powerful life.
So often we're told that having a broad skillset means that we are a master of none, and that we should spend more time becoming an expert in finding our niche. To me, having a broad background means you're more positioned to be an awesome asset to a team, and you're able to learn and be resourceful.
Your unique skillset and experience is your niche. More and more people today are looking for multiple entrepreneurs, people who can do more than one thing and level up with you. Natasha is one such incredible person. She has a broad and varied skillset, and as such, she's able to support her clients in more ways than a niche down person could do.
On this episode, we talk about how to look at all your things and see the value they can be to somebody else. We discuss why PR is so important and so underutilized by most people in their business today. And why. If you're thinking about starting a side hustle or business, you should go out and do it.
All that and so much more coming up. But first, if you're interested in discovering what possibilities and businesses are available for you to create and to live your most fulfilling life, please visit the powerful ladies.com/coaching and sign up for a free coaching consultation with me. There is no reason to wait another day to not be living your best life when you instead could be running at full speed towards your wildest dreams today.
Welcome to The Powerful Ladies Podcast. Thank you for having me. Of course. I have so many questions and so many things I know that we'll get to cover. Let's just begin by saying who you are, what you're up to. And don't hold back 'cause I know you got a big list, so drop it all on.
My name is Natasha Dressler.
I, whew, I do a lot. I'm in marketing, I'm in public relations. I have a background in event management and planning as well. And right now I'm have a list of clients, but primarily I'm in the entertainment space and in the podcast world.
Awesome. Fellow, you know the hashtag Ladies Who podcast?
Yes. Absolutely. What do you do in the podcasting world? So I'm more of a behind the scenes role, so I take on the role of marketing. So I am the person who helps get them to the next level as far as being seen with PR as well. I do a lot of copywriting. And then I also do a lot of structure. Going back to one of my clients was doing seasons for example.
And when we started season two, I was like, alright, let's reevaluate what worked during season one. Let's evaluate what didn't work, and then let's go ahead and collaborate on some new segments and things that we can do to really take the podcast to the next level. And then another piece is talent relations.
So I reach out to the talent, I book talent, schedule them prep my podcasts that I work on for who's coming and give 'em some backgrounds and questions and all of that fun stuff. Very cool. Yeah, it's really awesome. How did you end up in the podcasting
world?
It honestly, I fell into it.
I was working with someone and was like, Hey they need a copywriter. They need someone to write their copy. I'm like, okay. So I started coming around and then they all realized I had a Rolodex of skillset and that person's no longer around, but they kept me on the team. And so I've had to like, wear many hats with them.
But it's been really cool 'cause I wasn't a huge podcaster before that, but then I've just delve into it. And I love it now. Yeah. So much. So I'm like, should I start my own?
I love podcasting. Like I. I knew that I wanted to tell all of these amazing women's stories. But I didn't realize how much fun I would have doing it.
Right Now if you ask me, write something down, like I'd rather talk about someone than have to do a traditional interview.
Yeah. With,
Not even pen and paper, but keyboard and screen.
Yeah. And my background's actually journalism, so I'm used to being the person who interviews and then writing it up.
Yeah. But I also love to talk, so I totally get where you're coming from on that. Yeah.
And you brought some fun materials today. We were eyeing your book. I did. And you walked in? I did.
I have a book that I am obsessed with. I found it in a little tiny local bookstore near my parents' house in Riverside, and it's by Eric Newsom.
And he is really the pioneer for podcasting and putting structure behind them and, taking all the lessons he's learned from, 'cause he had a big background in radio and TV and the book's called Make Noise, a Creator's Guide to Podcasting and Great Audio Storytelling. And once I started reading it, it became like my Bible.
I started tabbing pages and highlighting, the viewer or the, sorry, the listeners can't see right now, but it's highlighted, it's tabbed and there's so many great pieces of information for anyone that wants to start a podcast. Or even is already doing podcasting because.
Continuous learning is so important. So I love this book so much. I literally go back and reference it all the time.
What was the biggest takeaway for you? I know there's so many, but is there like one thing that you're like, I can't believe we weren't doing this or didn't know this?
Yeah. Wow. It's a great question.
I would say having a mission statement for your podcast and having your why. And two of the podcasts I work on, we didn't have that and. I did an exercise that he had in the book with one of the podcasts and we're very family-like. Yeah. And we all sat around and I gave everyone a piece of paper and I was like, what would be a way you would describe this podcast in no more than 10 words?
Write a sentence. It can be no more than 10 words. And it was a, and it, he says it in the book, it's going to be a struggle. But let's try this. And everyone sat around and they were like, I have 12 words. I'm like, sorry, it has to be 10. And then what was cool is we, I read 'em all aloud and I didn't have anyone put their names on it 'cause it's a pretty big group of us.
And after I was done, I was like, alright, which of these statements can you not say why after? And everyone's what do you mean? I'm like, because if you can ask why then that's not your correct mission statement. You need to be able to clearly and precisely. Ex explain what this podcast is about without asking why, because there's over 700,000 podcasts on the market right now, and we need to know why we are different from X, Y, and Z.
So that was one of my favorite takeaways for sure. And then it really helped us like start to evolve and pivot this client's podcast. They are amazing and they are probably like the hardest working, like Gorilla marketing. Success stories as far as podcasts goes without having super big fame and notoriety behind them.
The. So it's a duo. They're married and they're both on their third marriage to each other. They're super cute. The Jimbo and Jackie Show, and their tagline is Third Time's the Charm and the most Positively Pod positive podcast on Planet Earth, which I love, but I was like, but that doesn't describe who you guys are.
And so we went back again, and then I realized look, you guys are about talking about marriage. You guys love drinking and you love talking about sex, so that is your shtick. Yeah. And then it's evolved now. They're doing a morning Facebook live every morning, the morning quickie, and then they're doing their weekly podcast and it's really taking off for them.
So I'm really proud of them. That's awesome. Yeah, they're great.
One of the things I find so fascinating about you is how much your career has been a rollercoaster of itself.
Yeah.
But your career path on your own has been like, up, down, lift, squirrel, go over there. So I would love to talk about that, like what's your, resume been like and how did you end up in the, all those different places?
Yeah. So I have had a quite a resume and I'm sure people look at it and go, wait, what? I was in cosmetics for 10 years. That was what I thought my true passion is, and I do love cosmetics. But my goals I had a list of goals. I checked 'em all off, and then once I got to the top, I realized.
I don't wanna do this anymore. I wanna go back to school. I wanna finish school. So then I went and started in the tech world and I worked at a medical software company and I was like, I'm gonna be a receptionist and go back to school. Within three months I was promoted to office manager and three months after that executive assistant and I had a really big hand in company culture and building the company culture and just really evolving the company.
I was, I think employee number 13. And when I left after four years we were at like 500 employees. Then I went to a mobile gaming company, another tech company, and I was executive assistant, but I moved into the marketing team and did marketing and then, my dream had always be in my head, oh, I want to go agency.
I want to go agency. And a position presented itself and I was like, I'm taking it. And everyone was so sad, but happy for me because everyone thought I was going to die at this gaming company. I was like the biggest cheerleader. And then I got into the agency world and quickly realized it was not for me.
It was a very harsh environment. It was also, traumatizing in a way in a lot of different ways. I've always suffered anxiety, but really it ex accentuated my ex anxiety to another level. And I was always sick and I just realized I can't be at a place that doesn't support me.
Or is going to let me grow and thrive. And that's when this was actually a year ago that I started thinking to myself, I, and I think I need to do my own thing. And I had seen friends around me that had given up these amazing corporate jobs and were, quote, poor and making their dreams come true. And for me, I was like, you know what?
If so and so can do it and so can do it, I can do it. And, it was a blessing in disguise. I got laid off and the company started restructuring and I was like, not mad about it. And I then started really focusing on marketing and networking and getting myself out there. And then that's where I came to today, working for myself as a solopreneur.
And it's been a big roller coaster in itself, as working for yourself is a big struggle, but it is also so rewarding and so amazing and empowering at the same time. Time. I wouldn't trade it for the world right now.
Yeah. It's its own rollercoaster ride of victories and excitement and drama.
Yeah. And what did I do? And then like it really is up and down. Yeah. But. I know it's what I'm supposed to be doing.
And I
think if, like this is the thing I'm supposed to be doing right now, all that other stuff, like it's not a big deal.
Yeah. I have friends who've reached out to me and people that, we're friends but we're not super close, and they're watching my journey on Instagram and Facebook.
They've reached out to me to tell me I'm so proud of you. I always felt like you were capable of more, you've always done so well at building others up. It's now your time to shine and build yourself up. And I can't tell you how many times that's come through on a day that I'm like, ready, like Britney Spears 2007 to shave my head and have a meltdown.
But it was, it's always so refreshing to hear, and especially from people that I admire and respect. When you called me to be on the podcast, I was having such a horrible week and such a horrible day. And when you asked that of me, I literally got off the phone with you and started crying.
I was so crying. It just totally made my day because, people don't realize they see the happiness and the, edited photos and sometimes they don't get to see the lows and I wanna change that. I want people to see the real and raw side of being, not only. A solopreneur, but a woman that's trying to put a name for herself and be, and break the mold out there.
Yeah. And I my boyfriend's always big on like me telling the behind the scenes more. And I'm like, yeah, but like I can have a day that's bad and I still wanna talk about something fun or it's all happening at once. So like, how do we choose? And I think he would just say put it all up, but then it's like a little excessive.
But it's true. There's not I'm surprised how many people aren't talking about you make the leap, you have no idea what you're doing. You figure it out along the way. Like everything is figureoutable. Thank you Marie Folio. Write like it's true. That book is awesome. But when you're in it, it's like you're on a completely different planet, at least for a little while.
Until the groove happens. Until oh look, I can do this. And you start building your confidence points and you have proof, and all of a sudden you're like, oh my gosh, this is a hundred times bigger than. I initially thought about,
right?
And I'm like, how did I get here? And you're like, wait, what's happening?
Like the train's going and you're like trying to run to catch up. Absolutely.
And I have those weeks too where I'm like, oh my gosh, I have all these like clients and referrals coming in, and I have these 14 hour, 16 hour days. And I'm like, how do I juggle all this? And then you have those weeks where it's just more of a downtime and I think setting correct expectations for women that want to become their own boss and want to establish their own business is going to be very helpful and set them up for success in the long run too.
Yeah. And obviously full self-promotion, like having a coach, like changes everything.
Like once I went through a couple of coaches, I was trying people out, and then when I found the coach, I have right now, like within weeks difference dramatic difference. Like literally had my best months. Last year from, after working with her from before. And you're like, what?
That's amazing. All I needed was a coach this whole time. Dammit. Yeah. 'cause it's like when you're, especially solopreneur, when you, it's you and you brainstorming and doing and deciding and pumping yourself up and, wiping away the tears. Like when it's all you, it's hard because.
It's hard to make things by yourself. And it's who can I talk to? Who can I trust? And after a while, like your partner doesn't like, they're like, okay. Like you can't either can't hear it from 'em anymore, or they don't wanna hear it anymore either,
right?
Yeah.
Yeah. And I want to attribute some of my thick skin to being an executive assistant, especially for a startup.
Gone, full fledge, like I said, 500 employees because I had to work with VCs. I had to work with a legal team. I had to work with a very tough CEO. And an entire leadership team of C levels and VPs, and it was so demanding. I was the only executive assistant, and when I left, they had to hire four backfills for me.
And they didn't realize you did all of this by yourself. Yeah. I did have an admin assistant who thank God for, I would say now that experience molded me to who I am today because I developed thick skin from it, it takes a lot to push me to a breaking point. Or to cry. We all need 'em, trust me.
But yeah. It's those days that I'm like, all right, I'm gonna brush this off. I'm gonna move forward. It's just a hiccup. It's just a little ripple on the road. I'm gonna keep moving.
No. And you got to see behind the curtain Yeah. That a lot of people don't see. There's, I've always been surprised in my corporate life how many people don't know how to make something from nothing.
Absolutely. It's easy to like plug and play into a role and have people that will train you and you just, oh, I just do it this way. Okay, perfect. But when everyone's I don't know, we're figuring it out. We're making it up as we go. And that everyone at that level can be in that place.
I I wish more people knew that it's actually easier to make things than we think it is.
Yes.
Not that only in the sense of it's possible, but then all the hard work starts.
Yes. But it's absolutely,
it can be done. Like we don't need to copy another mold. We don't need to have, there's not a person missing or a thing missing.
It's just just. Do it.
Yeah.
Just start
and it's also just being true to yourself and being authentic, and I think that's why I'm different and I have a hard time explaining my services and myself to people because I'm not. A traditional cookie cutter marketer. I'm not going to come in with my power suit.
That's not who I am. Yeah. I am casual. I'm laid back. I love to refer other people. I love to network. I love to talk. I'm not going to come in and be like, here's your PowerPoint, and here I am in my power suit, I'll be there in my denim jacket and beanie, yeah. But I think that's important because then you connect with, you attract your tribe then, right?
Your vibe attracts your tribe, and I love that. And I think, I've actually had to turn clients down because we weren't the right fit. And yeah, I have a background in tech, but I had to turn down a potentially large client because it just wasn't the right fit for me. And I was like, why?
Right now I'm figuring everything out. Do I bring on a client that's not my ideal client. And I was happy to refer that client to someone else that I trust and know. And I, at first, I was like asking my boyfriend like, oh, should I feel bad? I feel bad. And he's no, you stick to your guns. You want certain clientele, go for it.
It's okay. Another job will come your way. And I was like, all right, I'm gonna take a deep breath on this one. And I emailed them and let them know, and I thanked them. But, I think that's something else too that's very important for women that are starting out is figuring out who is your client base, who are you targeting, who do you wanna go towards?
And sticking to that, yeah. Because yeah, money's money and we all need money to pay the bills, but at the end of the day. Are you selling your soul just for some happiness and for some money or, what's the trade off?
Yeah. And it can ge it can be really confusing when you start taking on clients that aren't your ideal match because it can muddle the services you're, you offer, it can muddle your confidence and your ability to like really do this and enjoy it.
Yeah. I'm a full believer in not only being clear on who your target customer is, but like working with your like ideal people.
Absolutely.
I've had clients that are like, can we, can I hire my cousin or my, some family related person or my friend. I'm like, do you trust them? Can you be honest with them?
Are they coachable? If you have yes for those things and you can, then why not? I'm building a business so I can work with all the people I like, not. Random people I've never met that might fit a profile. Absolutely.
I've been burned by referring people. And just to come work at places I had been employed at.
And I'm like, oh yeah, my friend is great. 'cause I knew them on a personal level and then they came in, I'm like, oh my God, they have the worst work, work ethic ever. And now it's a reflection on me, that was a big life lesson when I was at the tech company because I did bring in a lot of people I knew.
I would say there was a few that I probably wouldn't have ever referred if I had known. Everyone else thankfully worked out. But I've always said that moving forward, I will never refer to someone or hire someone if I don't personally know their work ethic. And how it is to work with them, because you just never know.
Yeah. And you need someone that you vibe with and you get, and you have about the same kind of passion and work ethic. Because if not, it's just, it's a recipe for failure.
Yeah. Ex Especially to your point of like when you're starting out, because there's no room in the boat for people that aren't a yes and aren't ready to pivot and move and, we can't, things don't work on a regular system when you're starting out.
So Absolutely. Who is okay with doing phone calls at 8:00 AM 8:00 PM during lunch, like having a Saturday brainstorming session and like doing the things so that it can all work together. And knowing that you, like everyone on your team needs to be as. As a diverse and willing to give them their whole selves whole, absolutely.
Their whole
selves. Absolutely. And if it, if you are someone that's listening and you want to set up a very strict schedule, and these are your office hours and this is when you're gonna work and you have teammates that work for you, that follow. Yep. Perfect. But if you are someone like me that I'm gonna work at 9:00 PM 11:00 PM 8:00 AM 5:00 AM it just, I'm all over the place, depending on what my client's needs are, I need people to work with me on my team that are gonna be just as flexible too.
And we're making businesses. We have fun.
Yeah.
Yes, we're, the goal is to be profitable and we're in it for the, the hustle of it. But really it's like, how do I have a great time, work with good people and make money? Absolutely. It's they're, and yes. Not buts.
Yeah. And I completely agree.
I have another client of mine it's a podcast feeling good with Ddy, and Ddy is in the dirty heads and everyone loves Dirty Heads and everyone loves Ddy. And it's funny because I wasn't a huge Dirty Heads music fan. Oh, not that I didn't like their music. I just wasn't, I knew the stuff that was on the radio.
Yeah. And so when I started working with him because being in cosmetics 10 years, because I worked for Smashbox, I had always worked with celebrities. And it just, for me, I'm not that person that goes, oh my gosh, and. I think that was how we clicked because we would have these high profile like guests come in and I didn't get fawn over them.
I've never asked for photo. I'm not that person. And but we have people come in and it is just so fun and so collaborative. And they just have crazy funny segments and their audience loves the fact that they can just get lost for that hour. They can just listen to someone talk about shitting themself.
Literally that's a segment on the show and they eat it up. They think it is the best thing ever. And I sometimes am in the green room like crying laughing as I'm taking notes. I'm like, gosh. Like sometimes, that segment really wouldn't work on this show. It wouldn't.
Totally different audience.
Oh, so I'm sure there's a time and a place when there will now be a story like that. I think you may have jinxed us, but Yes. Yeah.
But yeah, it's it's like I said it's fun. It lets you relax. So sometimes I'm like, I don't feel like I'm working, but I'm working. And I'll re-listen to the podcast when I write the copy and I'm like, man I didn't remember that joke and I didn't hear this, and I didn't hear that.
And I, and it's great because then it gives me ideas to craft the content for social media for them. Yeah. And it's just, oh my goodness, they're just a great, and this is an interesting story with them. When I came on, they had about 3,500 Instagram fans, and I was like, okay, how am I gonna grow this audience?
A lot of them know him, his brother his co-host who's hilarious, and I'm like. I know community engagement. And I just started writing the, writing them back and doing contests. And now we're at like 14,300 fans and Wow. That was within like a seven month span. And it has been great. They've grown, they've post pictures, they tag us.
Every time the podcast drops, it's oh my gosh, I'm new. I'm gonna get slammed on social because they're gonna be posting and I'll be reposting. And they just love that we actually recognize them because this is someone they look up to. And he does see all of the posts. He does actually read all of the comments.
And I think sometimes the fans think oh, it's a rock star. He doesn't care. But he cares so much. He cares so much about the content, so much about what's going in. And we have these brainstorm sessions and he's very vocal and he is, he really wants it to succeed because for him it's a nice outlet from just doing the music thing.
Yes. It's a different, it's nice having that community and connection.
Absolutely.
Sure you can get it when you're on stage. You can get it after, before, but it's different when it's like right here, like we're having a conversation right now.
Absolutely.
And doesn't matter where you are in the world.
And the fact that you can do that now is, it's just cool.
Yeah. It's so cool.
If you like people, it's cool. Yeah,
absolutely. It's super fun. It's super cool. When
you think about powerful ladies, like what comes to mind for you? What does that mean?
Ooh, that's a great question. I feel like a powerful lady is someone who's unapologetic.
She is someone who is paving the road for others after someone that is. Very strong, and I love the word powerful. I've been fortunate enough to have powerful ladies in my life, my mom being one of them. I called her on my way up here and I was like, mom, I'm so nervous and I'm, I do public. I've done public speaking.
I'm not one to get in her. I was so nervous for some reason, and my mom was like, you know what, honey? Suck it up buttercup. You wanted this. You're accomplishing things. I'm proud of you, but you know what? I'm busy. I'm gotta go bye. And. Oh wow. Moment of truth with Mama Renee. And then she texts me right after, and she's I love you.
I'm so proud of you. Like I said, suck it up buttercup. And I, my mom is just such a strong force and I have always just admired her because she has worked so hard in her life and she rarely complains, and she's really giving me my work ethic and my drive. And my like, want to succeed to show them like everything you did for us and all the sacrifices you made, I can do that as well.
Yeah. It's so powerful when you get to see someone doing it and you're like, okay, I got this. Yeah. It's why we do this podcast. There's so many amazing women that don't get recognized at a pop level,
That are kicking ass and doing it their way and making it all work. I'm like, we have to talk about these women, like other women and just people need to know that they're there and they exist.
And everyone's story, I really believe is waiting to be heard by someone else that needs to hear it. Absolutely. Who's the person that needs to hear your story and how do we get it to them as fast as possible?
I don't want anyone hanging out in the, I'm not powerful space any longer than they don't have to.
Absolutely. Like
it's, it breaks my heart every time I call someone and they say, thank you, I'm so honored, but I'm not powerful. And I'm like, girl, this is why I'm calling you. Yes, you
are. Yeah. I, gosh, I would say, a year ago when I was at the agency was probably the lowest I had been in a very long time.
Personally, professionally, I was just so depressed and so miserable and I would go home and sometimes I would lay on the couch and just stare at the ceiling. And I. Just one day started journaling again, and I hadn't really been journaling and I started just sobbing as I was writing. And I was like, you know what?
I don't feel valued. I don't feel like I'm good enough. I don't feel like anyone cares. And then I closed my journal. I put my hair in a bun, I put some hip hop on and I started cleaning my house. Yeah. And I, it was something I wanted to do and accomplish. And I started cleaning the house. Cleaning the house.
And when I was done, I felt so good and it was so therapeutic. And that was my breaking point. That was when I snapped and was like, you know what? I got this. I got this. And I'm gonna go in there and show them why I'm valued sh at other companies and show them what I can bring to the table.
And they can either accept it or not. But I know that I'm giving my 150% every day I walk in that door.
Yeah.
And. I also think that when I look at my own business, I take that too. Like I want people to realize I have my bad days, I have my down days, but at the end of the day, I know I'm a force to be reckoned with and I wanna help others realize that breaks my heart too.
Like I'm not powerful enough. Yes, you are. Like dig deep. There are things in there. I read Girl Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis and I was like out loud, like Preach. Yes. I love it as I'm reading it. And it was so funny because I'm like, oh girl. I'm like, lemme get my highlighter. I'm like highlighting things in the book because, there were so many things in there that hit home.
And I, once I was done with the book. I had a handful of girlfriends that had been going through things and I reached out to them and said, I want you to get this book. I want you to read it. And all of them at different times, once they finished it, were like, thank you. This is exactly what I needed.
I needed to fill important, again, I needed to stop apologizing for my actions, my behaviors, or feeling like I needed to feel sorry for myself.
Yeah. And even, feeling like you need to apologize for what you haven't done yet.
I feel like the number one reason people say no thank you to being a guest on the podcast is 'cause they don't think they're powerful yet.
They're waiting for this thing to happen this shoe to drop the, to get the accolade to whatever they think will equal power for them.
And I'm like, you don't need to apologize for not having your thing yet. Like you got all sorts of other things. Absolutely. Yeah, there's, we are. Most of us every day are so lucky.
Yeah. We really are. I look at what's going on in the world. And I think, gosh I'm lucky I have a roof over my head. I have an amazing family, an amazing boyfriend, an amazing set of friends, an amazing set of, female entrepreneurs that I surround myself with an amazing set of male entrepreneurs I, or surround myself with.
And I'm doing what I love right now. And if I fail. But at least I can say I tried. And I think that's where I. Want people to know, like it's okay. We all fail. We all fail. I failed many times in my many careers, it's okay to fail, it takes a lesson to learn from.
And without that lesson, you're not gonna learn. You're not gonna grow, and you're not gonna realize what you can do better next time.
Yeah. At a minimum, go try things. Absolutely. Just go, try start. You don't have to finish. Absolutely. I'm not saying you can't quit. I'm not saying once you go, you're stuck there.
Go try it out like you. It's dating. Yeah. If you pick the first person that walks in front of you and you're like, all right, I'm hitched up here. Yeah. There's, how do you know? There's so many things out there and we know that the dating game is going to be like breakups or marriage.
Those are like the options. So it's gonna be 99% the first.
So
It's, everything in life is the same way. Yeah. Where you live, the clothes you like, the jobs you have, the food you like.
Yeah.
It's like, why wouldn't you try a new flavor of ice cream? Like, why wouldn't you try a new hobby or job or,
absolutely.
I don't know what else to say, to motivate people to like, start trying yeah, just do it. Nike nailed it with that slogan of just do it. 'cause it applies to so many things like. Just go be awesome. Yeah,
Just making a list for myself of things I wanna accomplish, but saying I have X whatever I've done, yeah. I have a home, I have X amount in my savings account, and that's a Rachel Hollis technique. And that's really helped me and that's really helped clear up some goals and make, made me realize, okay, I wanna buy a house. How am I going to buy the house? So that's my goal, but then what are my, a high impact items to get there?
And I got a lot of check off, but I know that's my goal and I know that's what I wanna do. And so with all of my goals, I know, okay, hit all of these. What do I need to do to get there? And I think sometimes when we feel lost and confused, just taking a breath and writing down what you're thankful for.
Like a list of things you're thankful for. Could be you're thankful for your coffee that morning, you're thankful that you can breathe, you're thankful you can walk. I'm thankful for my cell phone, whatever it is. And then writing down what your goals are. And I think people get lost in making goals for themselves.
They're like, I wanna lose weight. Okay, we all do. So how will you lose weight? Is it, I wanna go back to yoga, which is one of mine. I wanna go back to dance class. I wanna go try Zumba, I wanna go try CrossFit, whatever it is. Having that action item to your goal is really gonna help you get there.
And not being afraid to have goals that are big. Absolutely. And audacious. Now are you gonna have to break 'em down? Like you were saying is something that you can actually take on right now? Sure. But. This, we have this one life to go and do all the cool shit we can.
If you are not doing cool shit right now, like just stop, make a left turn, go for it.
Absolutely.
Like it's there's a part of me that almost doesn't understand people who are okay with just having an okay life.
Yeah. Complacency.
Yeah.
I don't get it either.
Especially, it's one thing if you're like, this is my life and I love it. Go. That's what I want everyone to get at. But if you're at a place of, this is my life and it's eh,
what?
Yeah. I'm gonna, how is that not keeping you up at night? And I'm in, there's a Facebook group that I'm in and a lot of these women come in, they're like, I work full time and I have kids, but I really wanna work for myself. How do I get there? Advice. I'm like, girl, what? No one is gonna give you the magic potion.
No one is going to give you it. This is how you do it. A, B, C, D, et cetera. You really have to sit there and think, what is your passion? What do you wanna do? There's so many friends of mine who've come to me and they're like, I wanna do what you're doing. I'm like, so do it.
You're an amazing web designer. Start your own web design business. Do it on the side. 'cause that's what I would do. For me, I started making connections and I knew once, and when I did get laid off, I was like, all right, I know I can go in this path. Am I taking a giant pay cut from what I used to make and not having health insurance?
Yeah. But it's what I'm passionate about. It's what I wanna do. For people that are still having to work the nine to five, that's okay. Do it in your downtime. But I think a lot of people get complacent and they start to make excuses on why they can't do it. And that's when it's not your time. So when it, you're ready for it to be your time, you're gonna go all in and you're gonna have less sleep, but you're gonna feel so much better about yourself and it's gonna be so rewarding.
It is. And I'm so excited because our February meetup conversation is all about l living the life you love and like how to make that happen.
We're gonna be doing literal exercises with the group of, I love that. Going down the y path, going down the purpose path. 'cause there are so many people who are like. I know, like in Rachel's words, like I know I'm made for more. I know I want more. I don't even know where to begin. 'cause I haven't allowed myself to even dream lately.
So like those are, I love that. Yeah. Like we're working through my new website right now and they're like, what type of coach are you? And I'm like, Ugh. That's like the worst question. And I know I need to answer it. It's am I a possibility coach? Yeah, I'm a business coach. Like I'm a definitely empowerment's in there somewhere, but just being in the space with people to generate new possibilities.
I can do that all day. Who wants to like, get in line? Let's go. Because it's yes. Like the life that you don't even know you want is like knocking on the door like you wanna play.
Yeah.
Wanna come hang out,
Yeah, I do. Absolutely. And you can do it. And that's what I wanna stress to everyone listening.
You can do it. I promise you. It's not easy, it is not for everyone. But if you are dreaming about it, even if it's to, do you see all of your friends doing an MLM, partnership, and you're like, I wanna do that. Reach out. Find out what their struggles are, what their successes are, and go for it.
Just try it. 'cause you can always back out, if you want to become a lifestyle fitness coach, then go for it. Start reading about it. Get your books. I'm all about continuous learning, so reading is so important, watching webinars. I also think people really miss the boat on networking.
Yeah. And going to events and going out and meeting others. You might not be in that field yet, but. At least you're surrounding yourself with people who are, they could have been in it for 30 years. They could be in it for three months. You never know. And you can meet someone that you attract to, and you guys really can build a strong connection and then you can move forward.
Yes. There's so much between networking and planting seeds that you've spoken to that I think are so important. Everything you're doing, you're planning a seed when you meet people, when you take a different course, when you, hey, like I can do that. Oh, let me help you. Even, you're doing it for free to start with people, but you're planting these seeds to see what starts to grow.
Like which of these options are gonna be the one that light you up? Absolutely. And so many people are nervous to try a new career or they're like, I don't know exactly what it's supposed to be, but I like these things. I'm like, just you gotta try one on. You'll never be able to tell from the outside if you like it or not, or what it really entails.
'cause you and I both know that. 90% of the job that you really do is nothing that's written on the job description. No.
Ever. Yeah. There's so many things I do in my day to day that I'm like, I was actually just doing my website phase one. It's very basic. And I'm trying to explain my services.
And I'm like, gosh, there's so much. And people don't know all the back, like the back work you do, there's so much back work. And that's the webinars, that's the phone calls, that's the, Hey, can I have a favor? Can you do this for me? From a connection you've made reading and just sitting there.
Sometimes I get inspiration from watching tv. Yeah. Like ideas. I'm like, that'd be a funny segment. Oh, that would be like, funny to talk about. Online, on Reddit. All of those type of things give me inspiration and then I shoot it off to the clients and see what they think and if they like it, we go with it.
If not, okay. I tried I love pitching new ideas.
When you look at the women who have been in your life, or, and men as well, who are the ones that have really guided you to be courageous and bold? You mentioned your mother earlier. Who else has been people that have lit the path for you or put a fire under your ass if that's what you needed instead?
Yeah. Definitely my mom and dad. So my dad is an immigrant from Germany. I am definitely first generation. I'm 50% German, 50%, I call her California Mexican. But my mom cooks better German food than she does Mexican. But my my Oma and OPA from Germany decided they wanted a better life.
And my OPA actually came over first. And something that I learned as I got older, and this was never told to me as a child, was that my OPA would work during the day at a family restaurant bakery that he was building to bring my oma, my dad and my aunt over from Germany. And at night he would clean restrooms and he was like a janitor.
And my aunt, when I was telling her about me wanting to work on my own, she was telling me about my opa. And she's OPA always said money's money. And Opa never complained. He always worked hard and he would take, he would have sometimes three to four jobs and he saved all his money. But when we moved here from Germany, we had a brand new house with brand new furniture.
And we were so poor in Germany that we saw what hard work could do. So my entire life, I've had just this amazing family that. There's no excuse for anything. You wanna try it? Go for it. If you fail, you failed, but at least you've tried it. A huge support has been my boyfriend. There's so many days I'm like, I just dunno if I can do this.
I don't know if I'm good enough. Maybe I should go back and get a, a, a job in house. And he's no, this is what you're meant to do. This is what you're meant to do. And I have to sit there sometimes, and he is so passionate about me moving forward. It's just. It's been so amazing to have that support system because it's hard, it gets lonely at times and sometimes you're just like, I don't know what I'm doing yet.
Where am I going? And then I have some really amazing friends that just really light the fire under me as well. And they've just been trailblazers. One of them you worked with Janelle? Yeah, Castro. She actually was one of my biggest inspirations for going out on my own. She two years ago we worked together at the gaming company and we were both on the marketing team and she quit.
She's I'm gonna do my own thing. I've been saving up money. And I thought she was nuts. I'm like, what? You make great money. We get all these perks here. We have free snacks and a rock wall, and then, company trips. And I'm like, why? And she's it's my time. And then a year ago. I was like checking in with her 'cause we stayed in contact and I was like, Hey, so how's it going?
And she was telling me all these wonderful things and she called me one night, she's you've been on my mind. And it was, I was, and this is probably about, I would say eight months ago. She's you're on my mind. And I'm like, oh my gosh, it's so funny. I've been thinking about you lately.
And she's yeah, have you started your business yet? And I'm like, no. But that's funny. 'cause I'm literally sitting here writing out like my business plan. And she's I want you to know, I love you, I support you, but you need to do this. Like you are meant for greatness. You're meant to do more.
And I just wanna tell you, I love you and I appreciate you. And I was like, oh my gosh, we have a nickname for each other. I'm like, craw. Oh my gosh. And it's an old inside joke, but I just was so grateful for her. And all of her men, we're, we have a big age gap between us, but she is just this young spitfire.
And she is so determined, and she takes every bit of feedback and she keeps her head so high. And I'm like, man, she is someone I admire and truly look at look up to. I,
this, everything I've created is a fully selfish. Position powerful ladies, my coaching business, like I just get to pick and choose awesome women to surround myself with for me,
right?
It just happens that like we get to give a lot away in that process, but I would never, who you spend time with is so important, right? The top, top two things are who are the five people you spend the most time with? And we're the five last books you just read, they're gonna determine what's next for you.
And I really believe that absolutely. It's your people and your continued learning that are going to see what is available to you. I feel so lucky that the community that I have around the world is so giving and generous and supportive that, like when I called you the other day, like we're looking for, to get, this guy a job.
Do you know anybody? All of a sudden everyone's sure, I got this p, this person, let's go. And to have people that are up to things and in motion, like it's more fun that way.
Absolutely.
It's just fun.
I don't think I could just sit at home and just not do what I do.
No. People talk about, what do, like, how do we do business and do motherhood or how can I have both?
And I think about the fact of being a stay at home mom. I'm like, I think I would be one of those, high energy mothers. I would get bored. Like I would end up being on PTO and volunteering and like doing 18 side hustles, and I'm like, no, I need to be doing something right. If I'm bored.
It's dangerous for the world.
Yeah, no I'm in the same boat. I I look at my sister who is a stay at home mom and that was, she wanted to do it. She had a great corporate life and her husband and she decided once that she had the kid, she was gonna stay home. And I go over and help with my nephew at times and I'm like.
Girl. How do you do this? And I think to myself, I don't know, like I have so much respect for women who are stay at home moms and then also have side hustles. Like girl I don't know how you do it, but, kudos to you or the moms that go out and work corporate jobs and, come back and have their kids too.
Being a parent is hard. I don't have any kids, but I have three nephews another on the way, and they exhaust me. I'm like, oh, here. Now I'm handing back I can't do it anymore.
Yeah. It's amazing. We never know what our capacity is. Absolutely. There's always room to take on more. It's just how do you do it smarter?
Like what's, what are you letting go to let more things in?
Yeah. And my sister's really nailed that down. She's also a very powerful lady. She is amazing. She is that person that. Again, she's younger than I am and I really look up to her because she has done a great job of raising my nephew. She also is a great, mentor for a lot of us in our family.
She, we always used to call her little mom when we were younger because she would act like the mom of all of us. But she was the youngest and she just really, when she was done with college, she was my advent assistant for a little while, and then she had a government job and she just thrived and got promoted super fast and she just knew what she wanted and had that clear path for herself.
And now being a mother, she's just doing great. And it's so funny, she is, she joined a mom's club in her city and. Right away, like within the first three months, they were like, do you wanna be the president? And she was like, oh my gosh. I'm like, come on, you know you want to. And now she's like calling me or FaceTiming me, I need to do this on the Facebook page.
Oh, can you design this for me in Canva? Can you do this? And I'm like, oh my God, girl, can you hire me? She's, she's doing great with her, like resources, and it's, so I'm saying like, you don't have to just be a stay-at-home mom. You could do so much more with that. Yeah. And if that's what you wanna do, that's what you wanna do.
But I, she, for example, like she's just, now president of her, mom's group and her city and loving it, going to Gymboree and making friends with all the moms and having little play dates and meetups and breakfasts at her house,
girl, you're just connecting everyone too.
Yeah. There is so much happening all the time. All the time. When we look at PR and how that impacts businesses, what do you think are some of the mistakes or things people aren't thinking about where they could really use PR to their advantage?
Oh, wow. Yeah, that's a great question. I think people overlook PR because they think it's just someone standing beside you as your publicist telling you yes or no.
What they don't realize is that PR is branding, PR is storytelling, and PR is getting your name out there and not just to media outlets. For me. I think PR goes hand in hand with so much, whether it's sponsorships, whether it's getting you a speaking engagement and not having to be by your side, copywriting for you for that speaking engagement.
A lot of companies just think that the news is going to come to them or if I apply for Orange County Business Journal, best places to work, everyone's gonna wanna work here. No, that's not true. You need someone on your team that knows what it's like to tell your story and to get you out there.
And it's, like I said, influencer marketing, it is having an event. I think events are so powerful, whether it's a meetup or it's a music event or it's a seminar. When I think of events, I think. Along the lines of doing something that is either a corporate event, which people are brought into your company, where they're doing, a educational seminar, whether it's someone from your team or you bring someone in to do that.
It's also philanthropy based. I'm huge on charity, and I think that gets your name out there and Yeah, it's a little selfish because you're using charity to get your name out there, but at the same time, you're also doing great. Yeah. And you're doing good. And I think that people really miss the boat on that.
And they really let that ship sail. And it's so sad because there's so much need and the need is never going to stop. When I was in the corporate world. I did, I guess I would say PR quote unquote, by doing a lot of these things without the title. But PR is so important to you and your brand and I can't stress that enough.
I have, I had a potential client contact me for PR services and I put together this proposal. And in the proposal I was like, I also think your social media management needs a lot of help because your branding is nice, but your social media is really off. You guys really need to get into the event space and lifestyle and affiliate marketing and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
And then for pr, this is what I would do. And they came back with a no because they just wanted to pitch to media companies. And I sat there and I was like, what? Okay. And I didn't take it personal and I was like, all right, I'm gonna thank them and it's okay because I'm looking at it from the big picture.
I'm not just seeing pitching to news outlets and pitching to magazines because that's not just going to work. Sure, you can have a beautiful spread, but that isn't telling your story and your story needs to be told.
I couldn't agree more. I have so many clients come to me wanting something really specific in the marketing space or in the sales space, and I have to say no.
Either you don't know your why yet or your product isn't clear. But then is it the right move for you now? Like the worst thing that can happen to a business is you get a huge push and there's nowhere for people to go. Nothing for them to do. You're not ready. Absolutely. When all the people show up, it's it's such a waste of money and time to invest in a big marketing push.
And then you're like, then what? Do you have customer service set up? Do you have follow up set up? Do you have a community management plan in place? What are you doing it for? If it's just to boost likes or follows or awareness from that level, like it's really not worth it. It's not driving sales, it's not creating a relationship.
There's so much to it, and you don't need to do it all at once, but it's, you have to do it fully. Absolutely. It can't just. Be a splash and then okay, what's next?
Absolutely. And I think people get lost in that. And they don't look at the bigger picture and they're like, Nope, we just need traditional pr.
I need to do this. Okay, that's fine. I can send out 75 emails if you'd like, but that's not going to take you to the next level.
Yeah.
And because I have such a broad skillset, I like to say PR goes hand in hand with so many other facets of marketing. So I'm not going to be the traditional publicist.
I'm going to be the one that kind of takes you to the next level because I'm gonna utilize all my other skillset to help take you to that next level.
Yeah. And being, making sure you have a plan before you launch all this stuff. We have a online community coming for powerful ladies, and it's been, you can't wait.
It's gonna be so great. I'm really excited about it. And it's been in demand for. Five years now.
Because we're a global community and everybody wants to connect and everyone wants to know each other. 'cause they, when they do meet, they're like, we love them. I'm like, I know everyone in this group is incredible and I've been so slow to launch it because I know that it needs to be done.
We need to make sure it's worth the community coming to. It needs to be, we have to have the structure in place so that once we, strike the match, it's gonna go.
Yes, absolutely.
And I don't wanna let this group down, the people we have in the powerfully. This community means so much to me.
And I'm, we're making this for the community. It's not, we're not making it for me. We are partly 'cause I love it, but it's really making sure that we're delivering on our promise to empower people to live their best life.
Absolutely. So
if we deliver something out into the world that's not fulfilling that it's a failure.
Like it's not worth us doing.
And I think sometimes. Businesses create things for the sake of creating it and checking the box versus it tying back to your mission and your purpose. And once you make it, then what?
And I can't tell you how many businesses I've seen, I've come across my emails that don't have a why, and they don't have a purpose, and they don't even have a mission statement.
And that's when I'm like whoa. We need to go back to the drawing board. Yeah. There's no reason because I have nothing to publicize for you guys. There's just a product or a person. It's, yeah. There's no story. There's no why. And that is so important.
Because then why would someone invest in you as a person or a product when they don't know what why they're investing in it, or what they're investing in?
Why and what. Absolutely. Yeah.
There's, you need to answer all the questions. All the questions. When you look at how you make sure that you're operating at your best for your clients and yourself, what are things that you've put into your structure to, to be at your best before you even begin?
I've already spoken about continuous learning.
I think that's so important. I'm also because of my background being an executive assistant, really organized. So my emails are very organized. I set reminders when to call people back. I make sure I do follow ups. I live in still a paper planner. I'm still a planner person with colored pens and highlighters.
As you guys saw with my book. Everything's tabbed and highlighted. But making sure I'm organized so that if I have a client who isn't organized, I can help them. And I think that is very helpful because one of my clients, they're great, but they're not very organized. And I have to be that person for them, be that mini project manager.
I think that's very important. And then I also als allow myself downtime, and I think that's so important and something we forget to do. Is allowing yourself an unapologetic day off. And I did this recently and I felt guilty for two seconds and I was like, okay, I'm over it. And it was such a nice day to just do whatever I wanted to do.
And that day was lay on the couch, read a book, and just hang out with my dog. And I was happy as a clam and took a shower at 4:00 PM but doing that kind of helped me reset. And I thought that was so important because sometimes I just keep working. And then I'm at the burnout phase and I'm like, oh no, I need to stop.
I need to reset and I need to take some time for myself. And be unapologetic about it.
What are you excited about for this next year?
Oh, I'm excited for so much. I'm really excited to see where. My business is going to take me. I am so excited to see my friends thrive too. I'm very big into cheering all of my friends and family on.
I'm really excited to see how the Powerful Ladies group turns out. I'm so excited for all of that and working with you and I'm really excited to take my clients who are like second family to me, to the next level. And I know in my heart of hearts that they are going to get there because they invest so much of their own energy and time to, to make it.
I just can't wait to see that. Just them. Them blow up.
Yeah. Another reason why it's so important to pick amazing clients because you dedicate so much of yourself to it that you wanna also make sure that you are screaming at the rooftops about how awesome they are.
Yeah
I love my clients love them.
Yeah. Jimbo and Jackie are the cutest people ever. She got gold sheep leggings with their logo on it. She wears them all the time. And then they have this drink they're known for called the Shamsky. It's champagne with whiskey. And I had helped her design some gold sheep leggings and they're gonna sell 'em.
And they go out and they go to every event where their target demographic are, and they are just their best publicists on their own. They kill it. Their gorilla marketing is another level, and it's because. They are so driven to succeed and I want them to succeed that much more because they put their heart and soul into what they do.
And that makes me work extra hard for them as well. So whenever they text or FaceTime me, I'm on it. Pick it up, let's talk. I'll call me on the phone. I don't care what time of day it is. Oh, I had this idea. They run it by me. We collaborate and they just take all feedback so well, and then they execute and they just execute, execute.
And the team behind them, we just all want nothing more than to see them succeed because of how much they love what they do.
Yes. Being around people who are awesome and up to something I love what they do is so invigorating.
It is. It makes me step my game up. Sometimes I'm like tired and it's been a long week and we film on Thursday nights and I'm like, all right.
And then I get there and they're like hey. Like they're just there's so much energy and they bring snacks and I'm like, oh, you guys are great.
We ask everyone that we have on the podcast where you rank yourself on the powerful lady scale, zero being average, everyday human, and 10 being utmost powerful lady. Where do you put yourself today and where would you put yourself on average?
I'd say today I'm feeling pretty powerful. After this podcast, I'm feeling a solid 10.
I would say on average, because I'm still growing and because I'm still figuring things out probably an eight. Yeah, I feel that. I can get to a 10, but right now I'm probably about an eight. I'm, I have times of weakness, but for the most part, I keep my head high and I work as hard as I can and I just keep trying to move forward.
I love it. Is there anything else you'd like to share with our guests that we haven't gotten to speak about yet?
I have a quote Yes, please. That I love from the Make Noise Book by Eric Newsom. And I think that this is a powerful quote and I think that this is so amazing and beautiful in a crowded world to make the biggest sound you could be loud, refuse to be overlooked.
You have something to say. And if you don't do everything you can to be as loud as you can, you will be lost. Don't be polite. Don't settle for what's handed to you. Make the loudest noise you can be impossible to ignore. Doing so deliberate and purposeful and focused. I like that. I love that quote. It just, it gave me chills again reading it.
But I think go out there, be disruptive, make some noise, and pave your path.
Be big. Go be big. Yes. Loud and bold. Yeah. Thank you so much for being a guest on the Power Ladies podcast. Thank you so much for having
me. This was so amazing, so nice to be on the other side. Thank you.
Thank you guys.
I love Natasha's energy, her optimism, her ability to be a yes to taking on the world, and whenever opportunity crosses her path. I hope you're left inspired and motivated to see where you can lean in on being you and making a leap into your next big venture or adventure. I love that. In this episode, there are great practical tips you can implement into your.
And your plan today so that tomorrow can be different. To connect, support and follow Natasha, you can follow her on Instagram at Natasha is legit, and visit her website natasha dressler.com. All the other ways you can connect with Natasha are available in our show notes@thepowerfulladies.com slash podcast.
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Without her, this wouldn't be possible. You can follow her on Instagram at Jordan K. Duffy. Thank you all so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a brand new episode. Until then, I hope we're taking on being powerful in your life. Go be awesome and up to something you love. This episode of The Powerful Ladies is Made Possible by our Patreon subscribers.
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