Pushing Past No and Changing the Industry

Let’s face it, when it comes to our blogs and businesses, most of us take our cues from what other people are currently doing. From using photos that look a certain way to writing posts that are on-trend, we’re usually afraid to challenge the current status quo.

Because, in business, it’s SO easy to just go with what you know works.

But what if changing how you do things is actually a smart move, both financially and socially?

Katie Driscoll thinks so. My guest for Episode 22 of the Do It Scared™  Podcast, Katie is the founder of Changing The Face of Beauty, and one of the most determined people I know. She explains how including the disability community in advertising is a win-win for both the community and small business owners.

When Katie’s 6th and final child was born with Down Syndrome, she and her husband realized that people with differences weren’t represented AT ALL in advertising. So, she decided to start doing something about it. Seven years ago, Katie pulled out her camera and took promotional pictures of her daughter. She then went to small vendors and asked them to use her pictures for their advertising. This was ultimately the beginning of her non-profit, Changing the Face of Beauty.

It was Katie’s determination to have her daughter represented in the media that fueled her passion to branch out to larger, more national brands, but the journey to scale up her business and its mission was not always easy.

In this episode, Katie talks about why all businesses should embrace inclusivity and why failure was not an option for her. Her story will absolutely inspire you that anyone, even a mom of 6, can enact change from their kitchen table.

Get the synopsis below or listen to the whole podcast on iTunes or on Google Play. (Or just search for “Do It Scared” on your favorite iPod app!)  Never miss a new episode by subscribing on iTunes. You can also find the full show notes at https://doitscared.com/episode22/.

Here are my 3 favorite takeaways from Katie’s interview:  

REFRAME FAILURE

Each “failure” offers a gift, whether it’s creating connections, teaching you that you need to do something differently, or even making you a stronger person and a better Leader. Click to Tweet

Katie used to think that if something didn’t go the way she wanted or expected, it was a failure. Recently, her perspective has completely changed. Life, she points out in our conversation, is about failing forward. Each “failure” offers a gift, whether it’s creating connections, teaching you that you need to do something differently, or even making you a stronger person and a better

Leader.

Ultimately, failure can be the catalyst you need to try something new or different to get you closer to your goals.

DO IT ANYWAY

Just because you don’t know how to do something, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. So many people can relate to this idea of not really knowing what they’re doing. Whether you don’t know how to start a business or take what you’re passionate and excited about and turn that into something real, the key is to just take small steps forward.

Katie didn’t really know what she was doing either but took one step forward, that led to another step that led to another. And gradually she was able to build up this really successful non-profit that is not only making a difference in her daughter’s life, it is making a difference across the whole disability community.

STAY IN YOUR LANE

When you find a why that is much bigger than your fear, then nothing can stand in your way. But it can be easy to take your WHY and want to tackle all.the.things. Katies states that “one of the things that I did well was I always stayed in my lane. You know, there’s a million things that I could advocate for my daughter and for the community, but Changing the Face of Beauty was 100 percent about media and advertising, and that’s where we stay.”

When you define what your why is, you can narrow that down into a specific focus, like changing the status quo in advertising. By keeping in her lane, Katie was able to channel all of her energy into one goal, which helped her continue to build momentum and fuel her passion. You seem, she didn’t get burnt out by trying to advocate for everything aspect of the community.

When you find a why that is much bigger than your fear, then nothing can stand in your way. Click to Tweet

It doesn’t take wealth or supreme intelligence, or family connections-by reframing failure, doing it anyway, and staying in your lane, you too can make a difference!