#22 Giving Wings To Magnificent Dreams with Maree Cutler Naroba

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This week we interview Maree Cutler Naroba – What an incredible inspiring lady…

Maree's Story…

My journey in to business came as a result of my teaching and law careers – I have always been entrepreneurial, teaching secondary school business education, economics, and accounting, and then when doing law specializing in business law and family law. Two passions – one around business education that is real, relevant and produces outcomes and child protection advocacy work that creates safe nurturing environments for children and young people to grow up in.

Have been Australia 7 years. Last 8 years in NZ I had a business, education and law consultancy with project work that varied from business plans, writing business courses, and running workshops on child safe environments, child protection policies. When we moved to Australia I did teaching for a couple of years until I gained an understanding of the Australian business market and grew my networks and connections.

2013 started Ideas 2 Propel U business strategy – implementation plans (marketing, finances, vision/mission etc) to start, develop and grow businesses, particular businesses for women wanting to move out of a corporate career and those wanting to do a business for a purpose or cause, social entrepreneurship (profit for a cause). For example I have a business which I founded in 2015 called Child Protection Down Under – research, training and consulting work on CP and with the profits from that business, use them to do child protection training work in disadvantages communities, eg India try and go up there every 2 to 3 years, Fiji, Papua New Guinea.

When you are in business it’s important to be flexible and you have to be the master of reinvention – what is happening in the market place, as I worked with clients I saw an increasing need for education marketing – using content to express thought leadership and expertise; hence I started Mind that Gap Studio in 2016. Saw the gap between what the expert was saying and what the audience was hearing; how to break that down, how to explain, how to start at point a in order to get to point b.

3 businesses – business strategy, writing and child protection advocacy – and I have one in the wings (Boomers Biz Gym – boomer business education): core that runs through them ideas, action, implementation.

5 Tips on your Craft

Create a vision for your business – WHAT is it that you seeing your business doing – eg my vision ‘giving wings to magnificent dreams’, but then move on to your mission – HOW are you going to fulfill the vision – eg business strategy, education marketing, etc
Don’t be in a hurry with your business – a business needs to be sustainable, you are in this for the long haul; growth and success come through momentum. Momentum comes from taking action: what are your processes, what are your projects, what are your marketing tasks – break it down and then break it down again, 90 day plans or Term plans.
Content marketing is about expressing your craft in your voice. People find it hard to write – do an audio, interview yourself! Keep it conversational and be genuine – what has worked for you, what has not worked for you. People buy YOU not the product or service., so tell them your story Eg Handiskips SA practical way to outwork her passion for a clean environment and living a more minimal lifestyle
You can’t be all things to all people – hone in on your target market – and direct all you do at them, might feel slow at first but then the tribe will build. Eg business strategy – professional women, wanting to transition from work/career role, as an employee to an entrepreneur.
I am what is often termed a multi-potentialite – don’t particularly like that term as it makes me sound as though I am full of myself. But why I wanted to bring this point up is to say its okay to want to put your hands to many business streams/areas, ie have different businesses. Some are comfortable with one or two , others with more. As an entrepreneur, it is about being YOU, expressing how you are gifted and wired, sometimes it can feel it’s not the norm. But then why be the norm?!

How do you incorporate God into your business?

God is my everything, I don’t separate God and my business. In Him I live and breathe and have my being. My faith flowing in and through me and expressing that in whatever aspect of business I am doing. As I work on business plans and marketing plans, as I write website content, social media posts, courses, as I run training and workshops: that I would have an ear to hear what the Spirit is saying, that God would give more wisdom, insight, patience, ideas – drawing on the filing cabinets of heaven. When clients are talking hearing beneath the words, hearing into their heart – what God has planted there. Doesn’t mean I say to a client thus saith the Lord xyz, no its just practical conversational warm engaging language, love on people, seeing their potential, believing with them, championing them.

I want to help in particular Christian women give wings to their magnificent dreams they have as a business owner: I want to be one who God uses to champion and encourage them. He put on my heart a couple of years back to found The Deborah Conference – called as Christian women in business to change the course of history just as Deborah did. First conference in February, and partnering with CWIB as one of their conference partners, next one Brisbane in November; hold twice a year – one in Australia and one overseas (NZ March 2018). The conference heart: God cares about and wants to be in every aspect of our business from clients to numbers!

Your bible verse for this season and why

Been a challenging last 12 months – first 6 months husband health issues with a heart stent and then last 6 months my health issue with womb cancer, plus 12 months ago shifting to a new state and we are living//working in 2 different towns. Yet in that time turned 50 and started The Deborah Conference, businesses have had to go on ‘go slow’. Felt like I have been in the fight on my life – and it is the season to declare the winter is past and the rains are over and gone.