How the Rising Tide Society Elevated My Hustle

The San Francisco-based group proves that it’s possible to build a brand on community over competition

Joining The Rising Tide Society has helped me think about the next steps for my blog and personal brand as I prepare for my move to Paris, France. Since I joined the Facebook group, I have learned what it means to be a part of a digital community and have made real connections with several members.

What initially drew me to The Rising Tide Society was how their Instagram account beautifully radiated positivity. I fell in love with the lightness in the photos, the soft colors and the gentle way the brand asserted “women run the world” with pictures of happy women doing their thing.

Also, the name. I’m a Rhode Island girl at heart. Being by the ocean has always made me happy—I guess a digital community with a summery, beach town mentality works!

I didn’t waste time when I saw the first post for The RISE Summit—this was clearly a real community willing to cultivate real connections.

The RISE Summit was technically “free,” but any donations benefitted Pencils of Promise, a nonprofit dedicated to providing education to children living in underserved populations around the world. By the end of the day, the group raised over $61,000, which means we raised money to build one school and were on track to build another school!

During the first session, Jasmine Star said that if we can take away at least one thing from each speaker, then it would be at least 9 new things added to our entrepreneurial tool kit.

I live-tweeted as much as I could—if you want more takeaways and tips from speakers, search #theRISEsummit on Twitter to find tweets from other Tiders.

I miss three afternoon sessions to run errands, but I’ve put together the tips and words of inspiration from the RISE summit speakers that impacted me the most:

Jasmine Star, Marketing & Branding Strategist

• Get a clear picture of who you want to engage with! Create an ideal client profile before determining marketing strategies and brand development
• Do you know what your followers want to see? Put yourself in their shoes!
• Think about what your clients looking for. Keep in mind that people look for five different types of content: entertainment, escapism, education, aspiration or inspiration. What drives your client?
• If you want followers to engage, you must be engaging!
• “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” When you create your content, how often are you posting? How many promotions do you share? Who are you attracting?
• Be stronger than your doubts! Refuse to let yor life be dictated by your insecurities.
• NOTE: If you don’t like taking the time doing Instagram, then you should stop doing it! Followers see negativity

When to Make the Leap: How to Know if You’re Ready to Take Your Creative Business Full-Time

Grace Gulley, Founder, CYL Collective

• Entrepreneurship comes with its own set of problems and responsibilities
• Have a clear vision of what you want to do. Dedicate time for your side-hustle alongside your full-time job to build your tribe
• Set financial goals! Consider multiple streams of income while you’re moving from side-hustle to full-time
• Take action BEFORE you are ready! Let the process refine you

How to Stand Out in a Saturated Market

Jacqueline Nwobu, Founder, Munaluchi Bride

• What makes Christian Louboutin shoes so special? Think about how to make your brand stand out like the rest
• Making money is amazing, but it can’t be the main driver behind your business. Work towards making a difference in your industry
• Ask the right questions about how to improve your business
• Ignore EMPTY criticism
• Pay attention to people’s actions rather than accept what everyone believes
• Create products and experiences for your customers instead of finding customers for your products
• Be willing to be wrong and find a solution when issues pop up

The Ultimate Q&A

Gary Vaynerchuk, Founder, VaynerMedia

• There’s no “one-size-fits-all” solution for hustlers seeking a healthy work-life balance. Work with your loved ones to figure out what that means for you
• The decisions you make as an entrepreneur already have risk attached, so if you become seriously afraid, you’re already in trouble.
• Stay motivated by delivering your work with gratitude and your best talent
• Patience is practical. It’s not an option.
• Love the foreplay of entrepreneurship!
• Grow your audience by giving more valuable content in more places at a higher than everyone else

Shifting Thinking from Running a Business to Owning a Company

Ami Price, CEO, Aisle Society

• Use your strengths! Leverage what you do best among the competition. Know your inherent strengths to take a deep dive to making a difference in the market
• The difference between running a business and owning a company? You are recognized as a resource
• Give back to your social communities
• Become a mentor and share your knowledge with others!
• When you become a business owner or influencer, you know how to challenge the traditional way of doing things in your industry.
• We all fail. We don’t have to be complacent with it, but we have to be comfortable with it, then move forward
• Cultivate a culture of meritocracy with your team, but always be ready to be a resource for everyone
• Set clear expectations with your team. “Expectation management” is the best skill you can have as a leader
• Get comfortable wih change! The market changes and you need to know when your approach must change
• Empower your team by listening to their input! Not all ideas are good ideas, but each opinion deserves to be heard and considered.
• Constructive criticism is not easy to give or receive. Be considerate and aware of your delivery
• Collaborate! It can be hard to let go of control, but be willing to make group decisions for your brand
• Without competiton, there is no innovation! Get out there and be loud and proud about your competitive advantage in your market
• Always strive for more, because it only makes yourself more successful and your company more powerful
• Comparison, complacency and conformity will kill your brand. Don’t let those things get in your way!
• FYI: There’s a difference between knowing your competition and comparing yourself. Get inspiration, but stay with your vision!
• Take the leap and reach out! You may get no’s, but ask for information and be able to offer something in return

0 to 100K: Build Your Platform, Ignite Your Community + Make an Impact

Natalie Franke, Co-founder, Rising Tide Society & Head of Community, Honeybook

• Running your own business is HARD
• Know where your clients are spending their time and be there!
• Dive deep to know their core values. Who are they?
• Commitment is everything when you’re hustling to build and ignite your community. Stay persistent and don’t give up
• You can’t control social media algorithms, but you can control your email list! Convert your followers into email subscribers
• Metrics matter! Track contacts and the customers’ journey to see what works and what doesn’t work for your tribe
• “A person’s name to that person is the sweetest and most important sound in any language”- Dale Carnegie
• Build trust and authenticity with each member of your audience
• Build a business with impact ❤