Questions Answered in this Episode
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- What’s the most important thing when creating an online community?
- How can you differentiate yourself when there are other people doing something similar?
Show Notes
This week, I’m speaking with Tatiana Hill of Teal Eagle Boutique! I’ve known Tatiana for a long time – in fact, she was one of the very first weddings I photographed – and I’ve always suspected that she was going on to do great, creative things. Last year, she opened up her clothing store Teal Eagle Boutique. It started out as an online store and she’s getting ready to open her first brick and mortar store! Today we’re talking about her transition from working for another clothing company to owning her own business and her success in creating her online community with her Facebook group, the good kind of fear, and creating a unique brand.
Create An Online Community: Show Up Consistently
“I really believe in community. When you’re online, you can miss out on that feeling of working with somebody 1-on-1, in person. By creating an engaging community, I get to know a lot of them. A lot of my followers show up consistently, every week. But so do I! I think if you’re going to be on any platform, I think you need to be consistent and show up every day, in a consistent manner. It shows a level of credibility.”
Figure Out What Makes You Unique
“It’s so important to figure out what makes you unique. There are a lot of online boutiques and a lot of online retailers. I’m a part of a network that has hundreds of them! I really try to find a way that allows me to stand out from the crowd. My customers know that when they come to my little community or one of my pop-up shops, they’re going to find something that they will not find anywhere else. I really do pride myself on that!
“It takes time to build and it takes time to find your niche, but in doing that you will have a lot more success if you’re a little different from the rest of the pack. Find a way to stand out and the right people will take notice and start to follow your community.”
Brainstorming: The Good Kind of Fear
“I would love to have a business where I can help some women get off the floor with whatever business they’re trying to start, whether that’s fashion or something else. I just really like helping to inspire people and motivate them and keep them going.
“Public speaking has always terrified me, but I had the experience to start doing it a couple years ago. I realized that while it scares me, I love it. It’s the fear that you’re terrified to do it, but when you’re done, the adrenaline is so high and you feel so good. I realized that that’s the good kind of fear. That’s the fear that you have to explore a little bit to continue to tailor your craft.”
There are more people rooting for your success than your failure.
It takes a lot of courage to put yourself out there, especially on a platform like Facebook and a live video, but the feedback you’ll get is amazing. It’s taken me a while to learn that there are more people rooting for your success than they are for your failure. Even though it’s kind of weird to put yourself out there, if you don’t put yourself out there, if you’re not your biggest fan, nobody else is going to believe it. You have to believe that you’ve got it and you know what you’re doing, even when you don’t. Most of us don’t! We’re learning as we go. But you have to believe in your power to figure it out. Then, you give other people permission to believe it too. I have to believe it first and then everyone else will.
Takeaways
- Your followers in your online community WANT to hear from you. Don’t be afraid of sharing what you have to say.
- Figure out what makes you unique in your world, whatever that is.
Important Links
Teal Eagle Boutique | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Shopping Group
Tatiana Hill Instagram
Join the HR Creative Network
Are you interested in starting an online business? Do you have big crazy goals?
We would love to hear from you over in the Messy Squad!!! Tag Tatiana with your questions about this episode!
