Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dana Gartland. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Dana, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Parents play a huge role in our development as youngsters and sometimes that impact follows us into adulthood and into our lives and careers. Looking back, what’s something you think you parents did right?

My parents made it safe to fail. Encouraged it in fact. I watched them start businesses and adapt even when the business didn’t survive. They were constantly examining life and opportunities from different angles. They were always supportive of my endevours and choices. As long as I was willing to put the work in nothing was off the table.

Dana, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a writer and comedy performer. I began my career as a professional dancer, retrained as an actor and then worked in advertising when I was an out of work actor. I fell in love with short form and began writing on small projects which escalated to bigger projects. At the moment I am very fortunate as I am able to combine my work in the advertising and movie marketing industry with creating my own work in live theater.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

This is something that is relatively new for me and I asked friends who had experienced success in this area, what their formula, secret, was. It was a wide range of people, from professional gardeners and chefs to actors, models, and an artist that carves bowls out of stone.

Every single one of them had the same answer. People want to invest/spend time with you before they buy into your brand. Get your face on camera, talk about who you are and what you’re doing but most of all talk directly to them, authentically with a view to connecting first. Selling comes later.

People want to feel like they are part of the journey. Also – and this has been crucial in both my work as a writer in the advertising space and as a performer, the online arena is noisy. Everyone is shouting (metaphorically and sometimes literally) and it’s easy to get swept into that, but if you can find a way to whisper your story, or just tell enough to get your audience to actively seek out more, that’s when you have them. It’s hard, but I am always asking clients and myself, “Can we say less?” and build more of a proactive, rather than passive audience. In the postcard I have attached as an example, we took a big swing with just a single image and a QR code, in a space that traditionally tries to deliver as much information as possible in a small space. I’ll always take the risk, because if you don’t succeed, you’ll learn and that can often be more valuable in the long run.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Having self doubt or felling nervous, is not the same as being under qualified. Just because you feel a little out of your comfort zone it does not mean that you shouldn’t be there, or that you can’t do the job equally as well (or better than) someone else who shouts their abilities from the rooftops.

As a recovering perfectionist there were a lot of rooms I had access to that I simply wasn’t going into because I didn’t feel like I was perfect yet, which is a waste of time. If you are honest with yourself, you genuinely know the difference between not being ready in terms of your ability and not being ready in terms of your nerves and self sabotage. If it’s the latter, get out of your own way as quickly as possible. And when it’s genuinely the former, work hard to close the gap. When it’s your time don’t stall.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.foxhawker.com
• Instagram: dana.gartland
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dana-gartland-178a5027a/