Katrina McCarter says investing in your network and your mindset will reap huge dividends.
The successful author and founder of Marketing to Mums knows firsthand how you can transform adversity into opportunity, and the value of working hard for your goals, no matter what obstacle is thrown your way.
Katrina told Bushy on the Get Invested podcast that the first step to maintaining a successful business is to surround yourself with a reliable and knowledgeable network.
Trustworthy partnerships can allow for enhanced growth and productivity, especially when working from home is required.
“Invest in your network … when I hit roadblocks, there were people that I could reach out to to help solve them,” Katrina said.
“Because I work in isolation, it’s really important that I’ve got really good people around me and that I surround myself with very positive people.
“If you’re coming up against roadblocks all the time and struggles within your business, you need to make sure that there’s no naysayers in your life that are going to bring you down.”
But according to Katrina, building your network isn’t a one way street. It also includes giving back to clients, colleagues and partners in some way.
She said this is even more important in times of uncertainty, because your behaviour and attitude will set the tone for the future of your business and its reputation.
“Now is the time to be supportive and show your human side,” Katrina said.
“This is the opportunity that as marketers, as business owners and as professionals, we can show that we’re human.
“Consumers will remember those brands that did the right thing, and they have a long-term memory for those that don’t do the right thing right now.
“Invest in being really supportive of people. I’m making a point of calling all my clients. I’m calling them far more regularly than I normally would just to check in and check their mindset … that’s what they want to hear, that they’re being supported.”
Today, Katrina owns the only marketing and research consultancy in Australia that specifically works with companies that market to mums.
This is no easy task, and Katrina faced many challenges in the development of her business, especially with breaking down the stigma attached to being a mother.
But ultimately, she says building these collaborative partnerships and achieving any business goal comes down to three critical processes – managing your mindset, understanding your budget and marketing (otherwise known as M.U.M).
She says managing your mindset is essential in making decisions to create beneficial long-term results. This includes three different aspects – yourself, your employees and your customers.
“The decisions that you make over the coming weeks are really going to have an enormous impact on your business and your organisation for months and possibly years to come, so you need to make sure that you are in a really good headspace,” Katrina said.
“Stop watching the news, get out into nature, surround yourself such that you’re only speaking with positive people. You need to be managing your headspace first and foremost.
“If you’re in an organisation, it’s about the mindset of your employees. What are you doing to manage that? They’re out making decisions for your business or within your organisation. What are you doing to help them with their emotional well-being in this new world? That’s super important.
“Also think about the mindset of your clients and your customers. The would has changed and their pain points have changed. The problems that you solve now could be quite different and you’re going to need to adapt.”
If you’re in business, Katrina said your reaction to uncertain times should not be going dark with your marketing. Instead, review your marketing calendar and make suitable changes.
“Be really careful about messaging, I think that the businesses that will be successful now are those that can react with speed and those that demonstrate really strong empathy,” she said.
But in good times or bad, Katrina said the secret to long-term, sustainable success comes down to simply following your passion.
“I make sure that I’m investing my time in doing activities that I really love,” she said.
“It’s really about just following your passion. Because work doesn’t so much feel like work … there’s a really strong part of me where even if I didn’t need to work financially, I would still actively choose to because there are things that I want to leave as part of my legacy.”
Listen to the full interview here.
Want to Know How you can build wealth with the help of leading, qualified experts? Talk to the team at KnowHow, now.
