E5 Taking Pivotal Turns - How Creative Entrepreneur Cassidy Wendell Built #GIRLGETAFTERIT 🤩 🏄♀️

Pollen: For Creative Entrepreneurs with Diana Davis

The hard part of being a creative entrepreneur is that you are so much of your business. Your identity and values reflect the mission and core values of your brand. In this episode of The Pollen Podcast, #GIRLGETAFTERIT founder Cassidy Wendell joins us to share her creative entrepreneurship journey. We also talk about the pivotal turns Cassidy took before she finally learned her ‘niche.’ She also builds on her experiences in the hospitality and restaurant industry and how they taught her the value of self-trust and personal boundaries.

If you want to take the leap into creative entrepreneurship, listen to this episode and let Cassidy's story inspire you!!

Create your own creative entrepreneurship story of clarity, professional confidence, and profit. Join Diana’s 90-day group course Camp Clarity and learn everything you wish you already knew, like how to land dream clients, harness the power of social media, and make the money you deserve. Learn more here. We kick things off on June 9th!

🔥Here are three reasons why you should listen to this episode:

1. Learn how the best course of action as an entrepreneur is to dive into what lights you up and let the rest unfold.
2. Understand the importance of self-trust and self-love in making big, bold moves.
3. Why having a solid support system - like a partner, coach, or community – is a non negotiable.

📘Resources

• Achieve the life, career, and clients you’ve always wanted (and fully deserve!). Sign up for Diana’s Camp Clarity Course
• Access other courses from the Diana Davis Creative
• Sign up for Diana’s free 90-minute masterclass on May 16 here.
• Get The Numinous Tarot Guide here.
• Visit Outdoor Voices.
• Find hip athletic wear by Ty Haney at Get Joggy!
• Find out more about Training 2XL by Elena Luciani.
• Read Cassidy’s blog, The Wellness Rookie.
• Listen to what Cassidy’s listening to: the Sword and Scale Podcast.
• Visit #GIRLGETAFTERIT and learn more about what Cass is up to! Or connect with these amazing women in person in your city: #GIRLGETAFTERIT - IN REAL LIFE
• Connect with Cass on Instagram: @girlgetafterit or @cass.wendell
• Connect with me: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram

🎧Episode Highlights [06:26] Cassidy’s First Job

• Cassidy spent her childhood in rural Montana, where she grew up loving and playing sports. She believes that the team aspect of sports helped shape her.
• Her family owned a steakhouse and bar. Her first job was to stock the cooler for a week.
• Since then, she has worked in every single position in the restaurant industry — from a dishwasher, grocery runner, bartender, to manager.
• Her experience in the restaurant industry made her a customer service-oriented person and a people pleaser. But eventually, she learned that customers are not always right.

[09:02] Navigating through College

• Cassidy went to college at Washington State University. She describes this as the best and most challenging time of her life.
• At 23, her dad died after suffering a severe stroke.
• During this time, her mental health deteriorated; Cassidy felt isolated, lost, and depressed. According to her, this was the most unhealthy period of her life.

[11:58] Pivotal Turn to Wellness: Beginning of Girl Get After It

• Cassidy worked in the hospitality and marketing sector but then proposed a wellness event hosted by her blog, The Wellness Rookie.
• Around 40 to 50 women attended the event, opening Cassidy's eyes to the health and wellness community.
• The event started her current career, #GIRLGETAFTERIT. It is a wellness community that brings women together through sweat-working events and gear.
• Cassidy describes #GIRLGETAFTERIT as 'Bumble BFF' because it is an inviting space for women to meet new friends and try new things in health and fitness.

Diana: “Sometimes pivot means crumbling at all and restarting.”

[15:13] Lessons from the Creative Entrepreneurship Journey

• Never put yourself in a box. Cassidy never thought she would land in the fields she ended up in — from marketing to health and wellness to personal training.
• You can ignore what other people are doing to some extent.
• Cassidy describes herself as a connector: someone who brings people together for a cause.

Cassidy: “It wasn't until I really tuned in to what it is that I wanted out of all this, and how can I make that my life. And I just like started saying yes to things and take chances in order to get there because the path was never clear. It was never like a straight line that I knew exactly where I was going.”

• Entrepreneurs often think they should focus on what they're good at, but we can always take leaps. Dive into two things: what you're good at and what you enjoy.

[27:48] Creating Boundaries as Creative Entrepreneurs

• The hard part of creative entrepreneurship is that you are your business.
• Cassidy came from the hospitality industry and was used to people-pleasing, so setting boundaries is challenging for her.
• Setting boundaries will help you and, consequently, your clients. Set the scene and have an open conversation with your clients.
• Hustle comes from a lack of boundaries. It's not about how hard you work. You can still work hard and smart while maintaining boundaries to prevent burnout.

[14:06] The #GIRLGETAFTERIT Journey

• #GIRLGETAFTERIT began as a side hustle with a monthly meetup series in Bozeman, Montana. They started by giving away stickers and then turned them into shirts.
• The COVID-19 pandemic catapulted the business because of people’s sudden need for online socially connected friendliness.
• #GIRLGETAFTERIT was a Facebook group for years before transitioning to its own platform. Joining the community now requires a paid membership.
• The business landed its first full marketing client at $400 a month.

[36:12] Cultivating Self-Trust

• Cassidy attributes her self-trust to her entrepreneurial parents.
• She doesn't have a checklist for cultivating self-trust — it's purely a gut feeling.
• Do not be afraid of leaving things behind. Give yourself space and time to work through processes.
• Understand that you have yourself. No one else is going to catch you but you.

[41:21] Generating Creative Solutions for Businesses

• As a wellness brand, #GIRLGETAFTERIT places a big emphasis on community. It believes that you are only as good as how supported you feel.
• Research brands you look up to or even brands in unrelated industries. Take inspiration from how they solve problems, market products, and reach their audience.
• Examine your mission and core values through different lenses.
• Don't get stuck in a niche. Your niche can be as broad or narrow as you want. It can be as grand as "empowering women" and everything that idea entails.

[46:43] Customer Is Not Always Right

• Create conversations instead of being a “Yes, Master” or “I’m Sorry” person.
• Stop apologizing so much — only say sorry for things you regret.

Cassidy: “Self-trust is: I know exactly who I am and what I believe in and what I stand for, what type of a human being I am, what I put forth into my business and what it exudes.”

• We all have toxic tendencies, but it's our job to filter that out or break off the relationship. Have boundaries. Do whatever you need to do to make yourself safe.

[50:14] Learning to Take Compliments

• Women have a hard time taking compliments.
• Instead of hesitating, take the compliment. Say ‘Thank you. That’s true.’ and then it becomes a ripple effect.

[57:46] Cassidy and Diana’s Humble Beginnings

• Cassidy and Diana both used to have full-time jobs. Eventually, they took leaps to enter creative businesses.
• Creating and cultivating takes time.

[1:02:47] The Lightning Round

• When you feel stagnant, look back and see how far you’ve come. Zoom out.
• Creativity is building a life on your own terms.
• Only join and promote things you are obsessed with.

About Cassidy

Cassidy Wendell is a wellness lover, adventure seeker, and community builder in Bozeman, Montana. She is also the founder and lead community builder for #GIRLGETAFTERIT, a women's wellness brand and small boutique marketing agency that brings together women through sweatworking events and gear that gives back.

Before her work with #GIRLGETAFTERIT, Cassidy also did digital marketing consulting for brands and businesses wanting to create 'online communities that matter through thoughtful strategies that work for your schedule, resources and community.'

Cassidy recently launched her podcast, The Highlight Real, where she shares her take on health and fitness, what it's like running #GIRLGETAFTERIT, her journey as an entrepreneur, interviews with the baddies who inspire her, and everything in between.

Learn more about Cassidy: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook

Enjoyed this Podcast on Creative Entrepreneurship?

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