One day, while helping her husband work on their farm, Nicky McMillan received a stroke of inspiration when she realised that she wanted to earn a living by helping other people look good, feel good and feel confident with their image.
So, in a decision to pursue her own dreams and ambitions, she left a parliament sitting in Canberra and started her Image Consulting business, What’s My Style.
With her background in politics and communications, Nicky saw how Image Consulting could establish a better connection between politicians and constituents. She knew that if these public servants improved their skills in presenting and communicating their visions, they’d be able to perform better at their jobs. She was inspired by this idea, and focused her business on catering to the professional and political sector with workshops and presenting opportunities.
Nicky became even more confident as she began to receive opportunities to present and speak to various groups of people.
As a business owner, Nicky especially enjoys the freedom and flexibility of her work. She loves being able to work around her life, rather than live around her work.
Since day one, Nicky has never lacked inspiration. She cited the following as her favourite entrepreneurs:
Lisa Messenger, Michelle Bridges and fellow HerBusiness member, Natasha Vanzetti.
The advice Nicky wishes she had when she started her business is…
- Brush up on the presenting skills….being an active member of the Chamber of Commerce is providing such opportunities.
- Have plenty of capital for start-up costs, branding and website, and mentoring.
- Thoroughly research and prepare a marketing plan so you can hit the ground running.
And the advice Nicky would give to someone thinking about starting their own business is…
- Learn everything about the industry and business in general
- Have a business plan but don’t get bogged down with complex detail which can overwhelm….Be flexible enough to pivot your business direction if you need to.
- Learn everything about you, the person – your strengths, vulnerabilities, personality, traits – because that’s who you’re working with. It’s much easier to like and believe in yourself.
- Determine what your point of difference is from others in the same industry and stick to it.
- Don’t compare your ideas to others – self doubt isn’t helpful.
- Know your WHY/purpose and let that guide you, especially on those crappy days or if uncertain about something.
- Make personal growth, learning and self care a priority.
- Make sure your mentors have your best interests at heart.
- Join Her Business and tune into their podcasts to learn everything you need to know!
For Nicky, these skills are essential for anyone wanting to build a successful business:
- The basics to running a business
- Marketing and social media and best programs to use (and where to get reliable help)
- Personal development for the confidence, strength and positivity you’ll need on the rollercoaster ride!
We asked Nicky about the benefits she gets from her Premium Membership:
I stumbled across HerBusiness when researching social media for my marketing. I found all four podcasts – Social Media For Small Business, Content Sells, Her Business, and Booked For Lunch – and became addicted from learning so much. I highly recommend these podcasts to those I meet starting a business or who already have one.
The private Facebook group is incredibly helpful when needing advice and reading other posts from the membership.
The webinars and resources are also valuable – the summer webinar library and planning calendar were gold.
Attending the Roundtables and meeting other members is next on the list.
Ultimately, whatever info or inspo I need at the time, I know I’ll find it here. Having this support is reassuring when you’re solo in business.
This article was co-authored by Cara Albert. She is currently completing a journalism internship at HerBusiness and pursuing a degree in Creative Writing at the University of Central Florida in the United States.
