What if the dream you keep talking yourself out of is the one that keeps finding its way back to you?
In this episode of Creative women, leading change, hosts Mirjana Arlaud and Shea Karssing sit down with Özlem Tuskan, brand and business innovation leader, coach, keynote speaker, and CMO of Female Founders Rise.
Özlem's career has taken her from media, marketing and advertising to strategic foresight, brand design, entrepreneurship and coaching. Along the way, she's built businesses, worked with some of the world's biggest brands, and become passionate about helping women founders grow with greater confidence, clarity and financial freedom.
The conversation explores what it takes to build a business with purpose, why women need to become more comfortable with money, and how asking for help and surrounding yourself with the right people can change the trajectory of your journey.
And for anyone with a dream they're not sure how to act on, her advice is practical: believe in it, break it down into steps, ask for help and start where you are.
Episode highlights
-
How Özlem's childhood obsession with running a bank and creating an airline foreshadowed her career
-
Why she took the huge risk of starting her own brand design consultancy without a single client
-
Why asking for help can save you months of time
-
Why women need to become more confident managing their money
-
How to distinguish between a fact and the story you're telling yourself
-
Why creativity needs time, space and the chance to percolate
-
How her mother's entrepreneurial story shaped her own mission
-
Why women need to become more visible if they want to lead change
-
How to turn a big dream into a three-month plan
Quotes by Özlem
“You have to lose everything to see when everything's gone and all you have is yourself.”
“Financial freedom gets you choice. It's as simple as you get to choose the life that you want to lead.”
“If you are being unkind to yourself, you will not reach your dreams.”
“To lead change, you need to be visible.”
“Let everything serve you in your creativity.”
Resources and actions from this episode
-
Listen to Female Founders Rise Show, the podcast Özlem recommends for stories and insights from female founders and changemakers.
-
Read Letters from Leaders by Henry Dormann, which Özlem turns to when she needs perspective and inspiration from leaders who have navigated difficult circumstances.
-
Read Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg, which Özlem recommends as part of her exploration into neuroscience, habits and rewiring the mind.
-
Explore Female Founders Rise, the community Özlem works with to support women entrepreneurs through community, resources, funding support and visibility programmes.
-
Get visible. Özlem encourages women to build a personal brand, even if they already have a company brand, and to make their expertise and achievements easier for people to discover.
-
Break the dream down. Rather than being overwhelmed by the big picture, create a three-month tactical plan and work through the next step in front of you.
-
Ask for help. Find people who are further along, learn from them, and let your community help you move faster.
