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Advice vs Opninion
65 Plays1 year ago
In this episode I share my experience of learning to discern the difference between ‘Advice & Opinion’ after many years of having numerous people offer their ‘opinion’ packaged up as ‘advice’. These experiences span over 25yrs of business experience and from my post graduate university studies which really opened my eyes to the difference.
Now as the Owner/Operator of a unique retail store offering which is ever evolving, and a Dharma Coach I hope to facilitate and support others in realising their dreams of creating a life they truly love, doing work that aligns with their values & unique skills.
Book an immersive shopping experience at Creators Nest, a space showcasing handcrafted wares of professional creatives locally & beyond.
https://creatorsnest.com.au/pages/about-us
Events & Workshops at Creators Nest
https://creatorsnest.com.au/collections/workshops-events
Dharma Coaching service
https://creatorsnest.com.au/pages/dharma-coaching
https://www.instagram.com/creatorsnestyass/
https://www.instagram.com/bymarienicole/
Intro & Outro Music: Shaman Dance by slavamusic
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By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Marie-Nicole Roberts, or used by Marie-Nicole Roberts with permission, and are protected under AU and international copyright and trademark laws. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including, without limitation, reproduction, retransmission or editing, of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of the Marie-Nicole Roberts, which may be requested by contacting
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Transcript
Introduction and Personal Journey
00:00:00
Speaker
Do you desire to turn your passion into income? Connect with other creative souls who also dance to the beat of their own drum?
00:00:08
Speaker
I'm Marie Nicole and I'm devoted to combining beauty, uniqueness and connection in everyday living experiences. As a creative professional and Dharma coach, I help people connect to the truth of who they are and facilitate them in embodying their uniqueness. It is my hope in this podcast that I inspire you to live your life on your terms and earn your income
00:00:31
Speaker
through being uniquely you. After all, it's the unique thread that we each contribute to the collective tapestry that creates the whole.
Navigating Business Challenges
00:00:48
Speaker
So you've taken the plunge, you've registered your business name and you're ready to start trading. You find yourself talking to anyone who'll listen because you're so excited about the journey you've just begun.
00:00:59
Speaker
But then everyone starts giving you advice, which starts to make you question the decisions that you've made. And it makes it difficult to make decisions because you're receiving conflicting opinions and perspectives, which just fuels that fire of self doubt, which you've managed to keep at bay. But now with all this advice you're receiving, you're not really sure you're on the right track anymore. So what do you do? Well,
00:01:27
Speaker
This dilemma is not going to be something you'll be faced with just at the beginning of your business. You're going to have advice thrown at you all the way along this path. Even as an established business owner, you'll have people offering their take on what you should or could do.
Creating a Winning Business Plan
00:01:44
Speaker
When I opened Creators Nest, I just didn't one day decide to sign a commercial lease and see what would happen next. I had a pretty clear vision for what I wanted this business to look like, feel like,
00:01:56
Speaker
how I wanted it to operate and who I wanted it to serve. I had written a pretty comprehensive business plan with steps and stages for the growth and evolution of the business. I did this partly because I was studying collective entrepreneurship through Torrens University, and they offered students from our course, as well as the MBA students, the opportunity to take part in a global business plan competition. And I had decided to give it a go.
00:02:24
Speaker
I'd written business plans before but nothing like this one. My vision for Creators Nest was so big that I thought
00:02:32
Speaker
I'd make the most of the resources I had available to me through the university. Not only were we given assistance from the lecturer who was our lecturer, she was also the lecturer that was the professor who wrote the program we were taking. But we were also given assistance from the professor who headed the MBA course. So over the summer break, I effectively took summer school with these two lecturers, providing one-on-one tutoring time to refine my plan.
00:02:59
Speaker
Now, they didn't write it for me, but they offered advice and made suggestions and asked questions that made me think deeper about what I was creating. After working with them and submitting my business plan, myself and one of the other students from the course that I was doing actually made it to the national finals. And we won. They could not decide between our two business plans, so they gave us both first prize.
00:03:26
Speaker
Another part of this process was to sit in front of a panel of judges and present our business plan. The panel was made up of academics from the university. We're talking all the head honchos. Now, I have never considered myself an academic, so getting through this grueling process for me was a huge feat. Winning the national prize against MBA students and making it through to the global round was even bigger.
Advice vs Opinion in Decision Making
00:03:53
Speaker
The reason I share this with you is that what I learned through the process was that there's a big difference between advice and opinion. I was used to having all manner of people offer me advice on what I should or could do when it came to operating my businesses, but experiencing truly useful feedback, not only from the entrepreneurs who were brought in to share their journeys and learnings throughout the course that I was doing,
00:04:20
Speaker
but also the academics who really challenged my ideas to get me to think deeper, to dig deeper, to establish a concept that went beyond the surface level thinking. Six years in, operating creator's nest, I still have people walk into the space and tell me I should open a cafe. Great idea, yep, it's just not aligned with my vision.
00:04:43
Speaker
Because I often take time to speak to people and hear their stories, I have come to understand that the people who say this are often employed, they've never run their own business, and they only see the value that the building itself has to offer, being a beautiful heritage building overlooking the main street of our town with this stunning balcony. And so that's why they see a cafe.
00:05:07
Speaker
in their mind, which is a great idea. I'm not discounting that, but it's not my vision. And what they're not considering is that our town already has nine plus cafes and staffing is a challenge that they're faced with constantly being a small town, not far from a city, meaning that a lot of people commute to the capital to earn money or more money and enjoy the rural lifestyle on the weekend. So how would me opening a cafe fill a gap in our community's needs?
Filling Community Needs
00:05:36
Speaker
My business, however, was established on supporting creative women like myself who were new to the region, moved here based on their partner's work opportunity, have children in tow and still wish to maintain a professional identity outside of motherhood and home duties, doing what they were passionate about to contribute to the family household income.
00:06:00
Speaker
and not waiting tables. I don't think waiting tables and making coffees is necessarily every mother's dream. They already do that at home. Now I'm not saying there aren't mothers out there who don't desire to work in hospitality, of course there are. But there are also others who have creative skills that they wish to utilize to earn an income while still being available for their families. And they were the women I was catering to and basing my business on. Now that filled a gap in our community.
00:06:30
Speaker
On top of that, it provided shoppers an opportunity to buy quality crafted wares from our town and beyond through a unique shopping experience in this beautiful heritage building. It's not a co-op, it's heavily curated. I keep the customers front and centre in my mind when selecting professional creatives to sell on behalf of. Because again, there's a good reason behind my decisions. I'm not against co-ops at all.
00:06:58
Speaker
They have their place. But this business was not established just for the maker. It was established with a customer in mind, a customer that I wish to serve. And that's the difference.
Valuing Experienced Insights
00:07:12
Speaker
So bringing all this back to the difference between advice and opinion. When you start your business journey, I encourage you to be very discerning about who you take advice from and which is actually advice and which is actually opinion. And how do you know the difference?
00:07:28
Speaker
Well, if someone is in the arena and they themselves have established a business based on their vision and passion, solving a problem for their ideal customer, then I would lean in and listen carefully. Even if you don't agree with everything they share, I guarantee there'll be gems in what they say. But the person on holidays who gets paycheck week to week for being a cog in the wheel, when they give you their opinion, I'd listen, but take what they say with a grain of salt.
00:07:58
Speaker
Unless they are your ideal customer, then I would be asking them specific questions about the product or service that you provide and how you could serve them better. Now that's difference. That's market research. And that's got value in itself. But if they're trying to tell you that you should or could do something that does not align with your vision, then just let it wash over you.
00:08:23
Speaker
You do not have to absorb everything everyone offers you packaged up as advice, when in reality, it's actually opinion. And if a family that are trying to talk you out of following your dreams, keep in mind that they're just scared for you. They don't want to see you get hurt, lose out or fail. But that will only come from those who have not been, who have been afraid to step outside of their comfort zone themselves.
00:08:51
Speaker
Those who have stepped outside of their comfort zone won't view failure as something to fear, but rather something to learn from. And they will ask you thought provoking questions or offer you advice based on their experiences. Learning to see the difference between advice and opinion, being discerning with who you take advice from will be the key to you continuing your journey in an empowered way
Finding Supportive Networks
00:09:16
Speaker
or not.
00:09:16
Speaker
If you don't have anyone to share ideas with without feeling like they just don't get it, then that's where a coach, a mastermind group, a women in business group, or your local business chamber can come in really handy. Find people travelling the same uncharted waters as you and take advice from those who have paved their way through the unknowns in business before you.
00:09:44
Speaker
Thank you so much for your time. I know how valuable it is, and I hope you got value out of listening to this podcast. If you are looking for a coach to support and guide you through your own unique journey of creating a life you love, then reach out for a connection call.
Engagement Opportunities
00:09:59
Speaker
And if you'd like to connect with other creative souls in person by joining us at a workshop or retreat, or to book a unique shopping experience here at Creators Nest, I run those by appointment. So check out the website for more details. The link is in the show notes.
00:10:14
Speaker
Oh, and please leave a review. I'd love to hear any insights or inspirations that were activated in you from this podcast. And I look forward to drumming, dancing or soaring alongside of you.