Designing a business you’re stoked about starts here—welcome to The Monday Muse, your weekly guide to business, branding, and creative strategy. 🤸🏼‍♀️

Welcome to the Monday Muse ─ your weekly dose of marketing magic to kick off your week right! 

I’ve been told I’m “brave” several times over the past 14 days (including by my mom, who will read this, and I love her and her support of me).

When I started telling people I was going to Morocco by myself it was often met with “wow, you’re so brave”. Everyone means well, but the compliment left me perplexed.

What’s there to be brave about? I’m going to another country where the people still live, exist, eat, work, etc? What’s the big deal?

I started questioning if I was being naive as I got in the taxi with two guys who didn’t speak a lick of English (and I didn’t speak a lick of Moroccan Arabic or French) and headed to my little surf town.

It finally hit me, it’s not nativity and it wasn’t bravery – it was expansion. From the time I turned 16, I’ve spent several weeks, months, and trips expanding my comfort levels in ways other people living in western cultures have yet to. Of course it looks like bravery.

My first four international trips were to rather ‘impoverished’ locations in the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and eventually Nepal between the ages of 16-19. Don’t get me wrong, those first few trips had a lot of bravery, there was a lot of discomfort but also a lot of core memories made that got me to where I am today – comfortably walking the streets of Morocco.

I got wicked comfortable being in unfamiliar places and cultures because I spent so much time exposing myself to different environments.

I don’t even think twice about it now, I know how to adapt, act, and engage in different cultures. And if I come across something new, I’ll figure it out. I put a lot of time into expanding my comfort levels to get to this point where I don’t even think twice about where I am and how to live there. It’s actually fairly easy now.

It’s not bravery, I’ve just spent a lot of time expanding. And the same is true in business.

When taking the first steps to market yourself, film a video of yourself, create an offer, and sell it…sheeeessshhh. Now that’s brave. It’s new, scary, and tends to provoke reactions and transform relationships.

It takes being uncomfortable so that, eventually, doing the things that makes your business work really dang well, are comfortable and easy because you took the time to be brave and expand.

But you don’t do this alone.

This part is so important.

You need support, encouragement, and someone to laugh with when all of a sudden the train is no longer going the direction you need to go and you have to figure out where it all went wrong, where you are, and how to get back to the hostel.

My first few international trips were with groups. I shared the good and the bad with friends and had them to learn with about living life abroad.

At no point in my business have I not had a mentor, coach, community, or support. I’ve shared the good and the bad in business and learned with them about how to navigate life as a business owner and how to build and scale my mission. 

You need someone to expose you to the environment you want to be in. 

I think one of the biggest lies in business is that it’s a journey of loneliness. The truth? You have to have that first ounce of bravery to expand, talk to, invest in, and engage with the people you want to share orbits with. Not only to build your business but build your support system (and that’s what gets you where you wanna go).

So that’s nice and all but how are you gonna be brave?

I got cha covered, here’s your next step: book a free 50 minute strategy session with me! We’ll have a powerful conversation together about where you’re at and brainstorm some ideas on how to get where you wanna go.

No strings attached, no brainer, I just really like having powerful conversations with people because it expands me.

Well, I just finished my chicken burrito bowl (which, by the way, is one of the best I’ve ever eaten), so I’ll leave you with this:

Taking the first scary step is what gets you to expand, which is what makes running your business easy, joyful, and profitable. Butttt you don’t get to where you want to be alone, so let’s do it together.

Stoked to see ya on Monday,

Bri