Nina (00:14.823)
Hello everyone and welcome to the very first episode of the Makers Business Tribe podcast. I am Nina and I have my really good friend, Kim, with me here today because for any seasoned podcast listeners out there, you know, episode number one is of course sort of the setting the foundation of…
what a podcast is all about, who’s the crazy person behind the microphone. And of course, I would love to share with you why you should listen, what is in it for you? Why subscribe, why share, why wanting to binge, listen and watch to all the goodness and magic that I would like to share with you in this podcast with you. And because I…
feel it would kind of be awkward for me to read out my own questions and then answer them. I decided to do this with my friend Kim. Kim is an amazing storyteller and producer in the environmental space and she will take over right now and guide me through this conversation. Hi Kim!
Kim Ingles (01:31.506)
Yay!
Kim Ingles (01:35.374)
Awesome. Hey, hey everybody. And thanks so much, Nina. I feel so honored to be on your first podcast episode. Nina and I have been sort of working together for about maybe six months just supporting each other in what we do. And, and so yeah, a bit about me, as Nina mentioned, I’m a storyteller, I’m a filmmaker, and also working in story coaching. So I love to help
Nina (01:51.335)
Mmm.
Kim Ingles (02:05.488)
their own personal story or messages that they have with the world and so there’s so many alignments with what Nina and I do in terms of Nina supports product business owners that is it about sorry can we start again
Nina (02:23.246)
Yeah, where do you want to start again?
Kim Ingles (02:23.766)
That was my first time doing my intro aloud and I’m just going to keep it so much shorter. Can we cut that from where that was? Okay.
Nina (02:33.074)
Yep.
Kim Ingles (02:34.882)
Thanks so much Nina, I’m so excited to be part of your very first podcast episode and ready to dive in and find out, I know how wonderful and amazing you are, so I can’t wait to introduce you with all your podcast listeners and hear a bit about your story. So yeah, Nina and I have known each other for a while and what I love is that we’ve both been able to really support each other in what we do. So Nina’s been supporting me and starting my own business, my story coaching business
I’ve been working with Nina on story coaching and all things storytelling, which I love to do. So Nina, let’s dive in. Who are you? What is your jam? Who is the girl behind the microphone? Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Nina (03:21.122)
Yeah. First of all, I have to say I am, I feel a little bit nervous about just sharing about me personally, just because I’ve had this dream of creating a tribe for first-time product-based business owners that really want to leave a positive…
impact on this planet for a long time. But I used to be in, I used to work as a consultant in the tech industry and helped numerous companies such as Bike Exchange, MadPars, worked with the Department of Agriculture on numerous projects to build and grow their business and help them move all the way to IPO. So
That was where I was good at and known for, but for a long time I had this dream of leaving the planet a little bit better than I found it. And I just could not see that really happening or come to fruition in my previous business. So about a year ago, I decided that I am clearly
walking up the wrong mountain and that I had been building a business, my first business, set to growth on the foundations of I am good at that and I am known for that. But I missed out a very critical part and that is do I really see myself leaving a legacy here?
Am I truly in love with what I’m gifting to the world every single day? And most importantly, the humans that I’m serving are those the humans that I want to create a change for or a build a foundation for that I can be truly proud of. And when I got the chance to step back,
Nina (05:48.358)
which was when my baby, now toddler Teo, was born, I realized more and more that I cannot say yes to any of these questions. And because of that, and me realizing my life is not going on forever, and if I keep going and walking up that wrong mountain, this situation is just gonna get worse and the voices are gonna keep getting louder in my head.
that I decided last year, I got to stop. I need to walk down this mountain, which felt like a very humbling experience because it stripped me pretty much off my identity of being that woman in the tech space that helps tech companies scale and grow. And start again. But this time, I started with following my dream.
following what I feel like I’m really here to do and want to do in my lifetime. And that is support, impact-driven, earth-conscious, product-based business owners to get their product out to the masses and help make the biggest difference that they can. Because to me, ultimately, these are.
the front row is, if you will, of positive change for this planet because if we can create more joy, more love, more health, more connection and more peace through the magic that you guys can bring to the table I feel like my life is well lived.
And so who am I? I am a mom, a partner, a lover for life who really wants to see this planet, our humans, our animals and all life flourish and help remove any waste.
Nina (08:07.554)
and anything that makes us sick and some people feel. But I got a degree in business and I’m very passionate about all things business growth and numbers and strategy and direction. And I’m not even though I’ve ever wanted to the most creative person when it comes to creating and making life enhancing products. So for me, I really see myself. I found my sweet spot staying in my life.
focusing on business and helping people that have an awesome product to get that out and to not just do a little bit of side hustle and seeing can it work but actually then putting strategy and structure behind whatever they are building and turning that into a profit generating business that then to me ultimately can serve as a vehicle
for you as a human being so you can live your best life. So you can create a life of more flexibility, of more time with your family and to ultimately.
enable you to live the life that you want to live whilst making the biggest impact that you want for anybody else on this planet and gifting your magic to the world.
Kim Ingles (09:35.454)
And I love, Nina, that you always started… That’s you, thank you. That I love that you also start at that point of, you know, within your own journey, kind of coming back and resetting and starting at that point of dreaming and dreaming really big and opening up the box of what’s possible so that you can peel back the layers of what it is you really want and set those clear goals and then have really practical ways to do it. And that’s what I experienced in doing that two-day workshop with you, that space to dream and to be heard
Nina (09:36.826)
That’s me.
Nina (09:51.302)
Hmm.
Kim Ingles (10:05.348)
hone in on those really pertinent questions. So what I’d love to know from you, because I know about your journey and I know quite a bit of your story, but for those who don’t, what was within that journey that you went through, what was maybe one of like the biggest obstacles that you did come up against and how you overcame that to this biggest learning that you now share a lot that sort of permeates throughout all the work that you do and to support people.
Nina (10:15.11)
Hmm.
Nina (10:34.987)
I think the biggest obstacle was the identity that I used to have. Because I studied business, then I moved into the tech space, and that’s where I had my people and my tribe, and I was respected there, and I was successful.
and I was good at it and that of course created a lot of safety for me because I’m like cool I know how to play this game yeah I know the steps I know the ingredients if I keep putting these together I keep making beautiful cakes and everybody is like yay she’s awesome yeah I was like cool okay I’m doing a good job good job that felt good but that did not feel
Kim Ingles (11:21.51)
Yeah.
Nina (11:31.962)
like everything when my mind, when I didn’t hear those voices, because I felt like I kept, I kept needing that external validation to stay in it, because I didn’t have an internal driver for it. And every time my mind got quiet, and I wasn’t, I wasn’t on this highway.
of doing the thing and getting the feedback and doing the thing and getting the feedback, which really was when my baby was born because as all the moms out there know, when you nurse all the time, oh man, there’s a lot of time that you can spend in your brain, right? And in, inside, within your soul and a lot of battles that you battle with back pain and no sleep and all of that stuff. But I kept asking myself, like,
Why am I doing this? Who am I doing this for? And you know, with the little energy that I had, I was like, do I really want to spend that on tech companies? Do I really? It doesn’t matter. Does it really matter? And I couldn’t answer that question. And that created a lot of fear for me, because the longer this was dragging on and
Every time I was nursing, the same questions kept coming up and I couldn’t run away from it because all you do when you’re nursing, you just have to sit on your butt. So it just keeps playing in your brain. I did not know for a long time how to proceed and I feel like that is probably the case with a lot of…
people out there who might have this silent dream or this small dream or this product in the making or this dream in the making but are stuck in a full time job.
Nina (13:41.766)
That’s why I was sad. I was like, cool, okay, the money keeps coming in. This feels safe. This feels comfortable on the one hand. But my heart is calling me to something else. But the heart’s calling, of course, that was the big unknown, the big fear of, can I do this? Is this needed? Like, what are all the implications if I stop this thing that’s already working and functioning for me in my life and generating an income?
Kim Ingles (13:53.774)
Hmm.
Nina (14:12.258)
and now having a family of course there’s even more at stake because I’m here too, also I need to look after my baby, I can’t do anything reckless. So that was my biggest fear of can I do this and of course losing my identity already and a space that I’m known for, what is that going to feel like?
Kim Ingles (14:37.71)
It could be a scary thing.
Nina (14:38.47)
without that. It was so, it was so scary and so I call it humbling. Okay. Because you know, when you’ve worked in an industry for like 15 years, there’s that 15 years of identity and I kind of like literally had to cut the ties to open myself up for this new thing. But what got me through that
was the dream of knowing there are millions and millions of millions of women out there that are in the exact same situation. And I felt really alone and really scared in my situation and I could not find a tribe that could catch me and guide me through the darkness to where I want to get to.
And that was my biggest hold back. But I decided, okay, well, then I’m going to be first. I would jump. I will make this work because I got the skills. I got the knowledge. I actually, I know how, how I need to build this business. But I like to also have someone to hold me by the hand at times. I didn’t have it, but I was like, cool, I can do it because then I can pave the way and I can build a tribe that now these millions of women.
Kim Ingles (15:55.618)
Yeah.
Nina (16:04.966)
who have the same dream, but haven’t found a path yet to move from where they are today to turning their business into a full-time income and beyond. And I will create that container and I will create the path, I will create the structure, the strategy, the processes, and turning the madness into a method. Because there is a method to building a business. There are a bunch of stepping stones that you need to, you know,
sort of skip over one by one in order for you to climb your own mountain and to get to where you want to be. And to me, somehow I pushed through that because I do not, once I have a dream, I have to pursue it no matter how scary it is. Um, but that has been
Probably the first six to nine months a really scary and nerve-racking time that made me feel overwhelmed every single day and Make me lay awake at night every single night, and I had to have my partner putting his hand on my heart to help me come down and to help me find peace and To be able to get up the next day and do it again
Kim Ingles (17:11.494)
Hmm.
Kim Ingles (17:28.066)
Hmm.
Nina (17:29.158)
because the very first sort of building blocks to build, for me personally are the scariest ones. And that’s why I believe so strongly into this wonderful makings business tribe that I’ve been building with all of our clients that we already have on board and seeing them how they can let go of that fear of the unknown. And I sort of able to replace it.
with clarity and confidence and strategic actions taking towards their goals. Yeah. And at the same time, sort of being able to let go of all the shiny objects and the things they should be, they should be doing, they could be doing and they’re really able to let go of.
Kim Ingles (18:07.094)
Hmm.
Nina (18:25.294)
of the things that don’t matter that maybe that keep coming at them because social media is so good, right? To just like you open your phone and they’re just like a thousand ads and a thousand ideas. And you always asking yourself, oh my gosh, should I be doing this too? And should I be dancing on TikTok? And should I, should I, should I, should I? But really with the Make It’s Business Time and what we’ve been creating.
Nina (18:54.586)
We’ve been able to boil this down and just help everyone to create a really tight strategy, aligned to their goals and now being able to step by step by step, little tiny mile steps, we’re working our way towards where we are to where we need to be. And that’s my personal formula to keep my fears at bay, to just make things really, really small.
Kim Ingles (19:14.718)
Yeah, beautiful.
Nina (19:23.59)
that a little mouse can complete it. Yeah. And always anchoring it back to my big goal, to my big dream. That’s pretty much the same thing that we are now doing. I just, this is, this is the, so the secret sauce behind the Makers Business Tribe, which is a long-term container, but also behind this podcast. Because I truly believe with
Kim Ingles (19:25.57)
Small and manageable.
Kim Ingles (19:30.199)
Yeah.
Nina (19:52.602)
this podcast now every single person, everyone who decides to, hey, I’m going to give this a shot and I’m going to listen to this to get really small bite-sized snippets and tips and tricks for them to move towards their next goal in business, whether that is to turn your side hustle to a full-time income or moving it beyond to a seven-figure business.
or just entering a specific channel or solving a problem that you are standing in front of.
making things really small, practical and actionable. I think it’s really the secret to turning fear into confidence and fear into clarity. And once you get confidence and clarity, to me, if you put those two things together, taking action is just so much easier, you know? Exactly. It’s just like, sort of like Pac-Man eats the fear right up.
Kim Ingles (20:47.594)
You’re off. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Just one fight at a time. I love your method in breaking it all down and because you can also recognize that overwhelm in other people because you’ve been there. You’ve been through that whole journey. So in terms of breaking that.
Nina (21:00.259)
Exactly, exactly.
Nina (21:13.71)
Not just being, like I go there all the time. I go there all the time.
Kim Ingles (21:16.207)
Oh yeah, and it’s yeah, it is, yeah.
Nina (21:20.174)
You know, when things are too big for me, immediately it’s like overwhelmed, you know? So I have to eat my own broccoli every single day. I have to make it small for me because otherwise I’m an overwhelmed.
Kim Ingles (21:26.334)
Yeah, that’s true, because life…
Kim Ingles (21:36.806)
Yeah, that’s it. It’s not something we just get over and move on. It’s life, isn’t it? You’re always going to have those moments, especially when you’ve got big goals and big dreams and things that you’re working towards. And so is that how, and so with the following episodes, you’re going to be breaking it down into different bite-sized chunks for viewers? And also, before you answer that,
Nina (21:49.229)
Mmm.
Nina (22:03.436)
Yes.
Kim Ingles (22:05.859)
Let’s also talk about who this podcast is for. So when you set out to make this podcast and the Makers Business Tribe, who did you have in mind?
Nina (22:18.246)
Her name is Sarah. And Sarah is a person, is a woman that I am envisioning, that I…
Nina (22:34.406)
that I serve, really. And maybe Sarah is past me now. And Sarah is certainly a woman who might have had or still is in some type of corporate career. But her dreams are much bigger than that. And probably she had…
conversations with herself, maybe because she was becoming a mom and had some time to step out. There was something else that kind of really made those voices in her mind a lot louder to see what else is actually out there. And she has a really big dream. She has a really big dream to wanting to make an impact on this planet. And she has a big dream about a product
that she feels can really serve either as humans or animals or the planet in itself and make it and leave it a better place. But she hasn’t built a business before. And she’s a really good maker. She loves being creative. She loves to make, she loves to touch, she loves to experience and she loves to connect with other humans and build relationships.
and she has a really big car.
But this whole side of, well, how do I make that profitable and turn it into a profitable business venture and turn it into something that I can live off, that I can serve my family with and also maybe create more financial flexibility and more flexibility in her life because she doesn’t want to work, keep working full time until she retires.
Nina (24:32.134)
but she has a bigger dream of life that she wants to live. And I’m this, this was this podcast and the Makers Business Tribe, the regular container that I’ve built is for her to take her by the hand, is for her to help her to break down this huge Mount Everest that she might be.
standing in front of and has no idea how to climb. She has no idea what to pack, how to equip herself, and she has no idea what steps to take and when to take.
but she’s standing at the bottom of that mountain with her big dream and with this magical product that she knows people want and need. And she’s looking for a guide, a cheerleader, people in her court to guide her up a mountain, her way at her pace and help her find her path.
And the purpose of this podcast is first of all to honor her. It is in response to her, to her needs and wants. And it is my attempt that every week and every episode, I’m breaking down one of the core fundamental steps that she needs to take to get up her mountain. And it is my biggest dream that if she listens, if you listen because
I truly believe whoever listens to this today has been called is the Sarah that I’m naming her because of course we all have different names. But I truly believe that’s you. If that’s you, it is my hope that you get to this podcast every week and you take one small step away that gives you more clarity and more confidence so you can.
Nina (26:40.274)
keep taking action and slowly but surely climb up your mountain. And it’s my attempt to not at any fluff or talk about some crazy strategy that makes you rich overnight, but actually helps you to really build out your foundations of your business so that you can first of all turn that idea into a business and then help you find the channel that…
you really feel most comfortable in order to grow and scale your business. The white channel that you see, well, how do you sell it? How do you sell that product? Right? And there are lots of channels out there. And if I just open my phone right now, I probably can find 10 ads that all talk about the one thing. Ecom, TikTok ads, Facebook ads, Google ads, just do the thing.
But not everybody loves that one thing. And I truly believe if you want to build a business over the long run, you need to find the channel that you feel like you can fall in love with. The channel that you want to master and the channel that fits you. Yeah. You can’t just, yeah, you can’t just buy a pair of shoes just because everybody else wears that pair of shoes.
Kim Ingles (27:53.622)
And I suppose that feels most authentic, yeah.
Nina (28:05.034)
if it doesn’t fit you, if it makes you feel awkward, if it drains you, if it gives you continuous blisters, the more you wear it. Because that is one of the biggest reasons why business owners fail and stop because they get completely burned out because they’re trying to do something someone’s different way and they can’t make it their own.
So for me, as part of anything that we’re doing, I’m always trying to help you find a way to fall in love with whatever I’m introducing. Because once you figured out how to fall in love and you love doing that, you will want to keep doing it. And you don’t need to see an end. Because when we do business, there’s no end. It’s marathon after marathon after marathon.
So we’re gonna need to love it. We really need to be like, oh my gosh, I want it. I’m waking up and I’m like, heck yeah. There’s nothing else that I’d rather do. And I really hope that, but whatever I’m introducing you, whatever I’m talking about, I can help you fall in love with it. Even if that’s a fricking budget cheat or cost of goods calculations or.
market exit strategies or whatever you feel like, oh my gosh, I’d rather want to paint the house from the outside than delve into it.
But I’m gonna be real serious to see how we can make a work for you. Because if you can add some swagger to your stride and do love it, I think we can conquer any mountain together and overcome any hurdle.
Kim Ingles (29:54.354)
I love that. So yes, that makes, well, to me it makes sense.
Nina (29:55.482)
Does that make sense?
Nina (30:00.454)
Ha ha ha!
Kim Ingles (30:02.11)
I love that main message of falling in love, you know, being really in love with what you’re doing and then breaking it down and doing it in a way you’re not going to burn out, you’re not going to get into that overwhelm. And I think you’re such testament to your method, Nina, because every time I talk to you, you always have the energy and you can tell that you’ve found that thing that you really have fallen in love with. So thanks for, yeah, this awesome conversation and for sharing your story and how you got
here. And I know that you’ve recorded a few podcast episodes already that you’re launching at the same time. So there’s lots of juicy goodness for people to kind of dive straight into in a couple of podcast episodes. And all thank you for all of your wisdom and experience and the way that you package up those takeaways and practical things so people can dive right in and feel really supportive on this journey, which as you say is an ongoing marathon.
And yeah, there’s lots of stuff there for everybody to dive into, so… Tune in and have a listen to episodes two and three!
Nina (31:08.731)
Yeah.
Nina (31:13.198)
Thank you, thank you so much for that Kim. I feel so honored that we had this conversation today and I hope everybody who listens to it gets heaps out of it. And of course I would love, so number one, okay, here are the actionable steps. Yeah. I’d love for you to subscribe if you feel like that sounds like you. Check out episode two and three.
which are going to be released at the same time with this one, because I want you to get some actual juice. Yeah. That you can squeeze out of this lemon because if you’re investing time in listening, I want you to, to already walk away with, with some actionable steps and, and number three, please share this podcast, share this with the Saras of the world, with your friends, with anyone who you feel like could, could benefit. Um,
Nina (32:11.931)
from my tips and stories and all the magic and knowledge that I’m gonna share, yeah? Because, you know, otherwise I would just be talking to myself, it would be kind of sad. And of course I would love to, for millions and millions of Sarah’s to enjoy this every single time. And lastly, hey, also, if you feel like you would like to and learn a little bit more about what’s
Kim Ingles (32:25.526)
Yeah.
Nina (32:39.094)
the art of storytelling because in all honesty, I’ve been working with Kim for, I think, four or five months to help me really craft and refine my story. And it’s been so invaluable, not just from a storytelling point of view, but also to refine my business model and my bigger why. And the more you listen to my podcast, you will understand why this is so important.
But if you want to connect with Kim because maybe something resonated with her, we’ll put her LinkedIn details and her email in the show notes. And there will also be another episode where I interview her because she has so much magic to share. It will be invaluable for you guys to listen to help you find your business story because humans connect to nothing more than a really good story that we feel like we want to live every single day. So yeah.
Thank you so much for interviewing me Kim, and I cannot wait to connect with you guys again on podcast episode two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10, and all the deuce that will come. Bye for now.
Kim Ingles (33:39.223)
Thanks!
Kim Ingles (33:50.582)
Thanks, Nina. Bye.
Podcast Episode:
START HERE - Welcome to the Makers Business Tribe Podcast & Meet Your Host NinaAbout this Podcast:
Description:
I am officially putting my love child – the Makers Business Tribe and its big mission to ‘leave the planet a whole lot better than I found it’ out to all health-conscious, product-based, business owners.
And we do that through helping health-conscious, product-based business owners get their products to the masses through entering brand aligned retail stores.
- But who is Nina?
- What’s her journey & experience?
- Why I founded the Tribe and left a 7-figure business in the tech industry behind?
- How I finally found my purpose after 37 years of searching
So if you are a first-time business owner who is following their calling to get their product to the masses and are looking for practical, actionable & no-fluff advice to grow your business, then this is your weekly Podcast.
Make sure you subscribe & share, share, share with other business owners,
Much Love
Nina 🙂