260: She Walked Away from the Biggest Podcast in the World to Bet on Herself | Brittany Bigelow
Brittany Bigelow went from professional dancer chasing Broadway to producing one of the biggest podcasts in the world. Then she walked away from it all to bet on herself.
In this episode, Brittany talks about the messy middle– the space between leaving a stable paycheck and building something of your own. We cover the midnight spiral that led her to seek coaching, why she chose to build something of her own, and what it’s actually looked like building her agency, Bigelow Creative, from the ground up. If you're in a job that looks perfect on paper but can't shake the feeling there's more, this one's for you.
What we talk about:
*️⃣ Why corporate stability is often an illusion– and why betting on yourself might be the safer bet
*️⃣ How dance training translated into entrepreneurial discipline
*️⃣ What it actually takes to lead yourself
*️⃣ Why you can't build a business alone, and how the right community changes everything
Chapters:
00:00 - Meet the Guest
02:02 - From Broadway Dreams to Podcasting
06:41 - The Pandemic Pivot to LA
09:09 - From LA to Windy Indy
20:43 - The Midnight Google Search That Changed Everything
26:15 - Investing in Coaching & Community
32:28 - The Decision to Bet on Herself
37:45 - Building Bigelow Creative from Scratch
40:22 - Leading Yourself First
42:30 - Why "Stable" Jobs Aren't Actually Safe
46:23 - Advice for Taking the Leap
49:29 - What She Wishes She Knew Before Starting
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Read the transcript
From the outside, I couldn't have been more successful. See title, running the number one podcast. If everything's
going so well, why are you crying so much? Brittany Bigelow is an award-winning content executive and
media innovator with a proven track record of launching top ranked podcasts and expanding brands across multiple
platforms. But I realized how much I was depending on other people to define my
worth. She's not here to give you the highlight reel. She's here to talk about the inner shift that had to happen
before the outer leap could. You know, I looked at myself in January of 2025 and
I was like, I can't keep doing this. But I feel like in the last 2 or 3 months, I have started to sit with owning my
choices and decisions and feeling confident. It was like, oh man, like I could really do this. Brittany went from
professional dancer to podcasting expert to chief content officer to now CEO of
her own agency, Bigelow Creative. Now I feel more in control in my life than I feel like I ever did. Brittany's a client
of mine and I've watched her transform from someone questioning whether she could do this to someone building
something powerful. How how would I be able to do this if I didn't spend the money to invest in myself? You're going
to make that money back. I'm Andrea Liebross and welcome back to She Thinks Big.
All right, Brittany Bigelow, take us back. Take us back to the day when you
were a professional dancer in the Big Apple and you moved from that into
creative ops and production. Tell us the story. How did that all shape who you are today? Basically, from
From Broadway Dreams to Podcasting
like the time that I could have a thought about this, you know, day one,
always wanted to be on Broadway. It was like as clear as clear could be. Posters all over my bedroom. Seeing every show
at our local, you know, touring house, if you will, where all the major musicals would come in in Florida, by the way, not
in South Florida. Yeah. Not in like the Big Apple. So, South Florida. Okay. No. And my family I have a lot of family
from New York. My mom's from New York. So, there was always this like pull there to go and move. move. My parents
were really, really great about cultivating an environment where I could be creative and they didn't want me to
go to school in Florida. They encouraged me to leave Florida and go somewhere. Um, now I think if they were to have
picked a journey for me, would dance have been the first choice? Probably not. And not because it's like frowned
upon or anything like that. It's just really hard, very unstable, and very
volatile, if you will, just like by nature, right? So, was still very lucky.
Ended up going to school for commercial dance in New York City with the caveat that I had to have a
minor. Um, not that it really did me any good. I don't know. What was the minor? I don't even know.
What was the minor? Arts and entertainment management. It was perfect. That was so different than
It was I mean, all great, but like it was totally useless. But it got me to go to New York
City and get my dance degree. And I jumped in head first. Like anything I do, I lived and breathed Broadway
musical theater for my entirety of my career. Was really lucky to do so many cool things in the space. But finally by
like 27 28 when you're washed up theater, you're all washed up.
Late 20s. Totally. I was like I started realizing like I didn't want to be the person on
the stage. I wanted to be the person bringing these stories to life in a different way. I wasn't motivated by the
applause. I didn't, you know, get all like, oh, it's all so worth it. It just started to like wear on me of, oh, I'm
just at the mercy of all these other people every second of the day for them to give me a job, for them to like me,
think I'm pretty, think I'm good enough, think I'm whatever. And I was like, I want to like be that person for other
people in a positive way. Um, I'd fallen into podcasting. I always say ask
backwards, but it was like a passion project at the time of sitting down with other women in theater. And I think I
was trying to come to terms with deciding to retire and be done with it and let go of this like lifelong dream,
you know, and so these conversations were really validating in it. And then co happened and it was like podcast full
time. Ah okay. So it really it like forced I feel like it forced us into a lot of
decisions that we probably wouldn't have made if the world was open and normal and all the things during that time. But
it definitely catapulted me in a direction that I've now been
living and breathing ever since. Goodbye Broadway. You started that podcast with these other women. I don't even I don't know
the story. So you started the podcast with the other Okay. So, I started this show called A Broadway's Way was my was
the title of it. Is it still in existence? It is um not a findable feed anymore, I
believe, but I still own it. Okay. All right. So, you started that and you were producing it. You were the
you were the brains behind it. Yeah. I mean, it's such a loose term because like it was so it was so much
more about just like connection. So, as many podcasters, especially then, do like I just bought like a $100 mic, a
Yeti mic off of Amazon. I went to rehearsal spaces that I could barely afford, like the hourly, you know, and I
it was like not high quality. But then I ended up joining a network that was entirely dedicated to theater podcasts
and started working for the company. And then we were using their space to record. And then when COVID happened, I
couldn't keep up with my own podcast. And honestly, like while it was really fulfilling and exciting, I was way more
interested in learning about how the sausage gets made. Like I was way more curious about like meeting other people
and directing their podcasts and guiding their like storytelling than doing my own. It just felt like that wasn't where
the impact was. So Gotcha. Yeah. But it did start with mine and brought me to a lot of amazing
conversations with a lot of amazing women in the entertainment space, which was really, really cool. So cool. I didn't know that little part.
Okay, so all right. So now you're sitting in New York City in your 4x6
room breathing in the polluted air
The Pandemic Pivot to LA
and you decide what what happened next. It's so interesting
because ultimately I had been in New York for 10 years. My husband had been there for 11 or 12 years and we had
friends of ours um who ended up marrying us. They're amazing. Um they were moving
back to California and at this point I'm like do I stay in podcast? Do I want to go television and film? My other love is
documentaries. Maybe I want to produce those. And also like being in New York with no
laundry and no balcony during CO is like pretty awful.
Um and so my love of the city kind of diminished to some extent. And literally we packed up we bought a car, we packed
up this little Kia with as much as we could fit. We sold everything and we moved to LA. I was working remotely for
the company that I was doing my podcast through and they I could do it anywhere.
I just would have to work Eastern time hours. So I was like, "This will be fun. At least in LA, we get a balcony. At
least the sun might shine. I don't know." Yes. Exactly. And I was like, "It's, you
know, March of 2020, like the worst time in New York anyway." And so we made that
leap. And then literally I worked in podcast, was making like, you know, good connections, but it it was co so like
you couldn't really do much. And then almost a year to the day of moving to
LA, like truly almost a year to the day, um we ended up I got an offer to
come in as a producer for Crime Junkie and I was a fan. I had listened to the content. I've always consumed True
Crime. Uh grew up with, you know, my mom and my grandma watching Court TV and all
of the trials and whatever. So I knew the content. Judge Judy. Oh my god. It was like Nancy Grace,
Judge Judy. Um, it was all like the Lacy Peterson trial was on our TV every day.
Like just all of that stuff. My mom's the OG. And literally, I just visited my 92-year-old grandma and she had Court TV
on the whole time I was with her. So, it was definitely I knew how to do it. And I ultimately wasn't interested in doing
it if I couldn't find a place that was doing it and giving back and doing it what is very hard to say the right way.
and I got an offer to go to Indianapolis and thankfully have a very supportive husband who while he didn't necessarily
want to move to Indiana a year after moving to LA was down but there was something telling me like this is going
From LA to Windy Indy
to be worth it like and everyone thought we were crazy without a doubt. Um they're like wait so you're in podcast
now full-time true crime like aren't you the musical theater girl and you're going to Indiana sounded absolutely nuts
and it was worth it. It was crazy but it was worth it. I mean, moving to Indiana just is nuts in and of itself. I mean,
right. Who moves here? It wasn't on my bingo card, that's for sure. I never thought I'd go to the Midwest. I'm
still here. So, hey. Exactly. Yeah. You're not from there either. No, I am not. I am not. So, okay. You
and I started working together when you were working at Crime Junkie in 2024.
Mhm. Um, and I guess what clicked at that point that said, what was what was going
on where you were like, you know what, I think I should invest in this coaching stuff. Tell us tell us the story about
midnight. Oh my god. Googling at midnight. I'm not known for my sleep patterns
or but what what led up to the Googling at midnight? I mean, maybe we should go back to the what led up to the Googling at midnight. What were you thinking?
It's a very good question and loaded for sure. But I will say I always played around with the idea of having my own
company. Like when we first moved to LA, it was like the thing I would think about at night. What would I call it?
What would I be doing? What would it like? It was always something there. But it was like I can't do that. Like
it was far away, right? It was far away. Yeah. Yeah. And I was craving stability. what I what I viewed as stability at the time coming
out of the gigging life that was dance of being a nanny, a fitness
instructor, then working as a dancer any chance I could on you know in general it
I was craving a 9 to5 to some extent which never actually it never was that but I wanted the I could count on a
paycheck monthly and so while I was there like it was such a rocket ride um
of growth for myself personally and professionally. And it got to a point
like towards the end when I was starting to think about leaving where truly like
my confidence was just shaky. Even though from the outside like I couldn't have been more successful from the
outside it's like you know “C” suite title whatever you know barf but it's like “C” suite title running the number one
podcast like all of this stuff. And from the inside it was like I had grown my confidence so much but I realized how
much I was depending on other people to define my worth still like a the dancer
mentality. Yeah. Yeah. Grade me on a scale of 1 to 10. Right. Like of all points in time. And I
didn't realize just how I think low my self-worth was in a lot of ways that
wasn't tied to work. Um I knew I could work really hard. I knew I could work harder than anybody.
how many more hours you want out of me. Um, and it wasn't bringing the confidence I thought it was going to.
And so it's like 3:00 a.m. I'm not known for my sleep patterns being very good. They're way better now. Um, but it's
like 3:00 in the morning and I'm just like I've hit my like bottom to some
extent where it was like you definitely can't keep figuring this out on your own. Like you need help. Like you need
support. And I was like do I go to a therapist? Do I go to a this? like I didn't know what the help was that I
necessarily needed cuz it didn't feel it felt like support that I didn't know
were was a resource to me and so I did something silly of like uh women uh in
business coaches like I had seen some post or something that inspired this but it was like
Indianapolis which was funny because then you and I started working together and we didn't meet for months later but it was like I thought it would be I
thought I was gonna Yeah. Exactly. And so your name was like the first name that popped up and I just like
scheduled. God, it'd be so interesting to go back to what my submission like what I put. I should do that. I should do that.
Yeah, that would be so fun. What I put in the more info box like you know. But I sent it you got back to me
like you know immediately or whatever it was. And it was such like a it was such
a validating experience, but also like you really saw me through the progression of thinking I was going to
stay in that world and not do my own thing. That wasn't even like a I don't I don't even think we talked
about you doing your first of all, you weren't thinking I'm going to leave. Like that wasn't when we first started
working together. That wasn't on the that wasn't on the cards, right? You're just like, "Help me work through what
I've got in front of me here. I know this could be better, and I know part of
it's me, part of it might be some circumstances, part of like, help me sort through this." Right? That was that
was where we were at. And I think so many women think that they should be able to figure
a lot of this out on their own. And the irony of it is in the end you are
the only one that can figure it out like right. However
you realize that you can figure it out maybe more efficiently or more
productively or so that it feels better with the support of someone else. So
like that was where we were at like okay I'm going to help you figure out where you're at so that you feel better
basically fair without a doubt and truly at some point like
I've always compared instances where it's like so much friction of like square peg round hole.
Yeah. And at some point like I think I was really trying to sort through like also the grief of like it was such a
positive experience but I really like I'm so I'm I don't know what the right word is
for it but like I would stay in that place forever right like just so
dedicated and love the work and when it start you would say that yeah I absolutely loved it and it was
like to feel like I was potentially outgrowing it was really painful I think to sort through and it shouldn't
be that painful. And so that was part of the work too of like you should like be
enjoying your life a little bit more. If everything's going so well, why are you crying so much?
Yeah. And that was definitely a lot of our conversations. Yeah. Yeah. Because I think what we sometimes miss is that
it's not necessarily about the goal or the external what it looks
like externally. It's more about internally and how do you want to feel and you weren't feeling great about
anything really. I mean you were it was it was wearing you down wearing you down in all all ways.
So okay so let's fast forward. So we had I don't know you and I probably at that point we worked together for maybe well
it was more than a year. It was less than a year. Can you believe it was less because it would have been
we started working together in March of 2024 and I gave my notice in February of 2025. Okay. So, love and
I blame you. Just kidding. But, okay. Now, let's be fair. I was not pushing you in in March of 2024, right?
To say you were like, you need to quit, right? So, that was not that wasn't on that was not an option on the table.
However, by the time we got to the beginning of 2025,
what do you think had changed? Me. Like, I think that was the work, right? Like the thing that changed was
like my mentality of accepting the circumstances for what they were and knowing I was finally at a place that I
couldn't I couldn't equate me working as hard as I was working with anyone valuing it, right? Like I thought if you
work hard enough it will be valued by everyone involved. And when that became
so not the case, I was like, what if I poured into myself
the way I'm pouring into everybody else's products? And you like taught me
like especially like the imagination side of it, which I'm like I can get pretty I feel like black and white in
some ways some ways where I'm like now now the post dance and like trying to build a much more consistent life um
than what I was able to have in that. But like I think I truly was like, "Oh,
you have to do it this way now moving forward." And it was like you would be like, "Well, what if you created a new role? What if you wrote your dream job
description? What if like what's your dream situation?" I was like, "We don't dream. We don't have time for dreams
anymore. I don't know. Is this really worth it? Should we should we spend time on this?" But and it was like so valuable. It stripped
everything down into like who I really was. And I feel like I had been pushing that person away in order to show up in
the environment I was in in the way that was only acceptable there. And then I think going into the new year it's like
we can't keep living living like this. And you had just made a casual I don't know if you remember this but it was
like such a casual off-handed comment of like you know have you thought about
doing your own thing? And I was like, well,
maybe moments, but no, why would I do that? I was still applying for full-time jobs. You were recommending me like to
different, you know, career services and whatever. And I really believed I was going to do that. Um,
yeah. You were all in on I'm going to find a new role in a new organization. Like that was where you were going. You
were all in on that, correct? Yep. And then it was almost like just slow and steady. And I think
like then through our conversations it was becoming more and more of a real
thing and then it was getting integrated in the group of women that you coach and then being like, "Oh, I think I'm doing
this now. I think this is actually happening." And then it's like to have that community that you've cultivated
like around us. It gave me more like courage. It made me feel more brave to
do it because I'm like everyone's so encouraging of each other and you're like you see something in me that I'm potentially don't even see in myself.
Like how many times like in conversations are we like you you need to do this for you and they're the other person's like oh you think I'm worth
that. And we're like how do you not see it? And then it gets to you and you're like you really think I'm worth that? And it's like weren't you just telling
me that like I was worth X Y and Z. You know what I mean? And so it was through our conversations of like building a
foundation that I didn't really realize I didn't have or was misplaced or just
positioned differently. I think it was through that and then meeting all of the other folks and having such like raw
open conversations about the challenges, the beauties, the, you know, hard stuff
where it's like, "All right, girl. You're betting on yourself now. You're doing this happen."
So, okay. So Brittany puts in her resignation. She start she But you were there for another good six weeks or so,
right? Eight weeks, I don't know. Yeah. Which I will say is definitely challenging, but yeah. Yeah, that was challenging. You started
to look for other roles out there and then it sort of evolved. I'm just kind
of giving this a little structure of how this all went down. So then it sort of started to evolve when I was like, are
you sure you want to do that for someone else or do you what if you just did that for you?
And then you got to a place where you're like, "Yeah, I'm just gonna go all in on me." And at that point, then I invited
Brittany to come into what I call Ascension now. And so now she's in this group of 10ish women who all own their
The Midnight Google Search That Changed Everything
own businesses. And that's where I think you start to see how important the
environment is to your ultimate success and commitment and belief, right, that
this can work. It's like if you're just out there on an island by yourself, you might have flashes of some of these
things that you did, but I don't know if it would have stuck as as quickly as it
did. Is that fair to say? Would you agree? I totally agree. And it like having it's
it's so funny because I wouldn't even say like we hold each other accountable like that doesn't feel like the environment, right? But it there is this
like we're all in it together. And you're right. It's like the lonely
side of it, which of course is just like humanity and life and you know, whatever. But it's like to think that we
can figure it out all on our own. And it's like the one of the most powerful things on the planet is community. And
so to be a part of a community where it's like we're learning from each other and also empowering each other, being
honest with each other, like yeah, it's hearing something so many times over and over again from different perspectives
that it's like it has to stick at some point, right? So the so this environment that Brittany immersed herself in was I think
crucial to you honestly like sticking with the cause we'll call it right and
and and pushing through round one we'll call it of messy middle
right round one so okay let's go to the
place of what does it what did it actually feel like or what still I would say what does it feel like to build a
business from scratch. What does it feel like? And what's that little voice inside of your head telling you? As you
know, I decided to go all-in where it was like I moved to Indianapolis for the job. There was no reason for even though
we loved our life in Indie. We had a great experience. There was no reason for me to stay in Indie if I was going
to continue moving forward in producing. Um it just didn't have the media
presence that I needed in order to scale. I think the way that I believe that this can. And so it's like we left
our jobs, decided to sell our house, got a puppy, moved across the country, moved
into a rental, then moved into another rental. And so so much was in flux all at the same time. And it's actually
really interesting because one of like the only things now looking back obviously my family, but the business
was kind of the only consistent thing I had to pour into. Yes. And it required that of course too.
And it's crazy like the feeling of like you don't have another choice. Like this
has to go well, right? Like there's just like you have to. And if it's square, peg, round hole,
like if I find myself in that again, the right thing will appear. But is that what my inner voice was saying at the
time? Probably not. It's saying it today. Probably not. um with a whole lot of
growth. At the time it was like you can't like any person who says like they don't deal
with imposter syndrome like has to be lying. Like it just like I feel like it's absolutely normal of like is this
person going to trust me the way I think they should to do this and like they're going to spend their hard-earned money on my services? And then you start being
like feeling like a fraud and then you look at your historical like experience and you're like no it is worth this like
this is something people need or this like you know I just really wanted to make sure that I was bringing the value
that I was promising. Um but it also helped me rebuild my confidence. All
right. So, you're saying that the the we'll call it the the doubting, right?
The scare and also scary like it's the Sunday scaries of is anyone going to want to work with me?
And the am I bringing enough value to the conversation? So, those feelings you're saying we're s
we're we're normal, right? But now you're saying you kind of also
need to have that in order to build a new almost like a new chapter of
confidence. Yeah. Like and it goes into like I had to
I had to go through and we talked about this so much of like the feeling of like I'm trying to prove my worth again and
that I didn't like that. That feeling was really not my favorite in the beginning because it would be like a lot
of conversations with a lot of folks who saw the value but weren't ready to invest in that type of value. And so
then you're selling yourself right to like these people and now I
feel like I'm doing exactly what I've been doing my entire life which is that external validation. So it's a
roundabout way but like somehow it made me believe in myself more as I started to talk about my work started to talk
about my services get the positive feedback whether they could invest or they couldn't and then from there it was
like when I started having success it was like oh man like I could really do
this like it was truly even though it came from external to some extent like it just was like almost like building
blocks of confidence for myself. I always say that you can't create
Investing in Coaching & Community
confidence without taking action. Right? So as you started to take some
action, you did see externally, right? That that you were getting yeses and
people were writing checks to you, we'll call it, right? But what really had to
what that allowed you to do is almost shift internally. I think it's like
right. All right. So, um, tell tell us a little bit about the fun journey across
the United States where Britney left me oh, I'm going to say
I don't know five hours of boxer messages. A lot of I listen to every minute. Every
minute. But I think during that time you like almost like shed in a sense like
shed this layer. It still can be there. Not I mean it can be there with me too
that a layer of self-doubt is that like you kind of it was like a catharsis like almost like I feel like a like a snake
shedding a skin. Yes. It was intense. It was a test
as the amount of boxers because keep in mind too like when we first moved to LA we had one car. We packed up everything
and we drove out to LA. This time driving back to LA almost four years to the day of leaving LA. It all happened
in August. Every crazy thing happened in August. We had separate cars. And so now
I'm by myself sitting with my thoughts. You can only listen to so many podcasts of music.
It's like staring on the open road for 5 6 days and I was not expecting to have
the emotional reaction that came out of this body during this road trip. Um, and
I think it was like it truly like I was literally driving away from everything
that I had found so much joy in, right? Like, and also I was scared like I'm
making a big leap again. I'm moving back to LA. I know that's where like there's going to potentially be more offerings,
but it was like I was literally driving away from a version of myself that I couldn't take out here. Like I couldn't
be her anymore, nor did I want to. Like, you know, I looked at myself in January
of 2025 and I was like, I don't even recognize who you are anymore. like you
are making yourself so small and you're taking so much and believing that stuff
to be true about you. Like what is wrong with you? And so I felt like I had a lot to unpack during
that drive. I think too you were like things that we had been talking about now for well over a year were starting
to almost gel and click and and I remember you leaving some messages like I know you've been telling
me this and you've told me it 62 times but I just listened to a podcast and you
said it in the podcast and now I really get it without a doubt. Yes.
Yeah. So there's something to be said too for having that space and time. I
mean, no one wishes to drive across the country, I don't think, but to have that to to let it all kind of
simmer. It had been simmering and now you were ready to boil. Like it was in a good way, right? You were ready. It was
ready to You're ready to cook. Let's go. Without a doubt. Yes. Yes.
Yeah. So, all right. So, now you're in LA. She's there. They're in a house. and
tell us about shifting from being and
I'm I'll put this in air quotes being led or being in a leadership role right
where there are other leaders and sometimes you were still being told what to do in a sense to leading your own
business I mean what's been different about leading yourself that's been what's been surprisingly
specifically over the last like couple of months I'm like I feel like it was
almost harder being led by someone else than it is
stepping into this like like mentally and physically and like
this should be the scariest like time. You know what I mean? Like to some extent like this is what we have talked
about so many times of like I thought stability was one thing but then it's like I've never felt more unstable in my
life towards the end of like I can't keep doing this. I can't keep riding the roller coaster ride. And then now it's
like I only have business
if I can go chase it and get it. And I it should be when I'm the most like oh
no, right? Like this most unstable. But I feel like in the last two or three
months, I have started to sit with like owning
and owning my choices and decisions and feeling confident in my decision-
making. And I'm sleeping better at night,
showing up differently in a lot of situations. And I still am being led by people,
right? Like I still like I don't want to be a one-man band. I don't want to not have a community around me and advising
me and all of it, but I feel like I see why I had this like there's something
you have to offer and you need to go do it and chase it and you and other folks just saw it before I did and now I'm
seeing it reflected back more. So, yeah. So, I think it it's surprising. I
mean, I I hear this from a lot of women that we think that having stability, and
I'm putting that in air quotes, too, and structure in a corporate role is going
to be easier. It it's it fakes us out. We
think that's some like it could never be I could never have that feeling anywhere else. or if I were doing my own thing,
it would feel more unstable or it would feel um harder.
The Decision to Bet on Herself
But what you're kind of telling me is that it's risky, right? You're telling me that it's actually been the opposite in a sense.
Yeah. And it's like I'd be like crazy to say like it has um been easy because it
hasn't. No. No. So that doesn't mean easy. Okay. So that's another thing, right? Like this doesn't equal oh it's been easy and
it's easier. That's not what we're saying, right? But it's just a yes, it's an interesting conundrum where
we trick ourselves into thinking, "Oh, it's way better working for someone else
than it is for ourself or it's going to be scarier working for ourselves than
someone else." And I don't think that's always the case. I think you're right. And it's so wild, too, cuz like keep in
mind like to get health insurance when you're part of a union and theater like is such a process. and such a challenge
of like what you have to create and like work and then you know you're g no
matter how successful you are you're gig to gig and so in my mind I was like and there was no universe you can afford to
buy anything in New York City right so now I'm in Indianapolis making a very good salary with health insurance and
benefits and I bought my first house and everything was actually falling apart
right like it's so crazy looking at it Um, but I think it's like you pick the
hard that's worth it to you. Like is it harder? Yeah. You get to be in that.
Yeah. And I'd rather the hard be like for it to depend on me. I'd rather
that hard be me and the community that I've built around me building this
together than being in a place where I maybe am forced to be smaller than I
believe that I can be. So sometimes I like to say if you're not going to bet on yourself, then who are
you going to bet on, right? So when you're working for someone else, you're betting on them
to make things happen and to pay you, right? And whatever else, provide you benefits and all the other stuff. You're
betting on someone else to do that for you. But it's interesting that when we hesitate to do our own thing, start our
own business, whatever it is, invest in ourselves, right? that we question whether or not it's worth the risk or
worth the money or worth the time. We we like question should I invest in that is that but if you're not going to invest
in yourself then who are you going to invest in? Right. It just seems to me sometimes like a
double-edged sword. Yeah. And it's so funny too cuz like thinking in my head right now like this
would be the time I should be pulling back all of my resources, right? Like this is
the moment where it's like, okay, I'm committed to knowing that like my job now here on out is finding new clients.
You could have the most incredible month of your life followed by the worst month of your life financially, hypothetically.
Yep. And this is where it would make sense for me to go, "Hey, Andrea, like financially, I just can't do it this
month. Like, I can't do the commitment." And it's like so counterintuitive at the same time. And then you look at it,
you're like, "Well, what do you think? How do you think this is all going to come together if you don't invest in you
building something and being better? How how would I be able to do this if I
didn't spend the money to invest in myself and learn from people like you and the women who all are doing the
same? It's like you're going to make that money back. Totally. By investing it in yourself.
Yeah. And I would say like this is the work worth doing, right? the work working on you as a human and as a
leader is worth way more than whatever else you're want wanting to invest in
because you can't lead effectively and it's going to feel a lot harder if you
don't have the support or the opportunity to grow. I don't know.
It's so interesting. Yes. Yes. All right. So, tell us about
what you're doing right now. what you do, who lights you up to work with, how do you how do you bring structure to
creative chaos, as you like to say? What where did what's that all about? What are you doing on a daily basis?
Thank you for asking. Um, I think what I love about where I
found myself now, and it's what made me, I think, successful in my past like environments was that I really do thrive
at the intersection of creative and technical or operational. that to me it's like nothing if you're creative
without knowing how to make the thing happen and knowing the process and structure needed and none of that
matters if you don't understand the fluidity that is creative like those two energies working together is where I
think like has made folks more engaged and excited about the work that I'm doing um and so right now it's been I've
been very open because while I'm like everyone I know I've been in podcasting for a long time I know I was in true
crime for a while, but I haven't only only done true crime podcasts. Um, and
so I've been very open, right? Like we produced a book tour for a fitness
Building Bigelow Creative from Scratch
influencer. Um, helped elevate a YouTube series and then redirect and also build
out a podcast feed for that. Then I'm having conversations with folks around
um operational support and building out their podcast teams because they have folks in there who aren't maybe as
efficient as they need to be. And so I really have considered myself now a builder. And that's a builder of
content, a builder of brands, and a builder of teams. Oo, I like that.
That's been like the thing. That's been like the Oh, I just want to build like I want to build something
for myself and for others. It's funny. I'm kind of I haven't thought about this actually. It's like I'm I'm kind of
doing for them what I'm doing in my own. You are like you are 100%.
Yeah. And I think I think a lot of a lot of
women who go into business are doing for their what they're doing
for their clients is what they are doing for themselves or have done in the past. Right? So, so then that kind of also
goes back to that feeling, right? Creating a feeling of
security or a feeling of confidence or a feeling of excitement. And you have to
take keep taking actions yourself in order to keep doing that for those
you're serving. Right? So, we're on a journey, right? The journey isn't over. So, this is why doing this work
continues to be important because you're continuing to build. Like, you're continuing to figure stuff out. And I I
don't think that ever ends. I just don't think that ever ends. And it's I remember once a client said to me
like, "Didn't we just didn't I just figure that out?" It was about hiring. Didn't I just didn't I just figure that
all out? It's like, "Yeah, you did. And now we're going to figure it out again." Right. So, yeah.
Yes. I think that's such a good point, too. And I think that's been the major change of mentality. I think there's
been two major changes of mentality. I think at the foundation of everything that you I think coach with is and
you've heard it on podcast or your book or anything is like this idea of belief. And it can sound so woowoo and so silly,
but there is like there's not a successful person in whatever field it is that will not say like and at the end
of the day like probably a lot of people could have their own businesses and they just decide not to, right? And that's
okay. That's totally fine. It's not that doesn't mean more successful, less successful, whatever. But at the end of
Leading Yourself First
the day, the most important thing is this like undeniable belief that you are going to be successful. Because if you
don't believe it, what you're asking people to spend their money on you like how and why do
something that makes you feel like you don't believe in yourself to that. Like I feel like that is the truly the thing
where it's like you have to be delusionally convinced of your own success and have enough people around
you that will course correct you if you were too delusional, right? Like you need people who go like, "Okay,
you've lost your mind, but like it can't be because you're dreaming too big." Um, and that's been like incredibly
life-changing. And then I think the other thing with all of the stuff, you know, that's gone on
over the last year, it's like we all got Like every day is it's like
shouldn't this be easy by now? Or like do we have to do another whatever or it's another bill you weren't expecting
to pay or another like, you know, whatever it is. And it's like you have to be if you take the lows too heavily
like you could really sink pretty quickly and you have to be able to like
to be malleable to like what the unexpecteds are thrown at you. And
though that was really hard for me for a while because I felt like I was carrying so much that when something would go
sideways I was like can you just give me a break universe whatever's there.
You start to doubt your you start to doubt that belief right. you start to doubt and you and you start to think
small like I'm just gonna I'm just going to do this right now because this is what I kind of have to do right now and you start to lose focus
or lose that that big thinking or that I am building something amazing is hard to
hold on to if you're not in a I always call it a container that is going to
believe for you or sometimes I like to say like I believe in you more now than you believe in yourself right I'll that's my job right So holding all of
that in your own head is so hard. And I think that's where a lot of people fall
apart cuz they can't do it. They can't do it. Yeah. And then also then it turns into like the people that you're going
Why "Stable" Jobs Aren't Actually Safe
to for their opinion are looking at you like in a totally different light,
right? Like if you go to your parents who I'm very lucky like you know been very supportive but they're also
thinking like we need our daughter to be okay right like if you go and say I want to take this huge risk I'm going to quit
my job I'm going to move across the country I'm going to get a new job I'm going to do this whole thing all in the
same like couple of weeks they're like you're gonna die like we want to protect you at all costs versus it's like when
you go to someone like you or any Like it's like you're not neutral cuz you're
so invested and so like emotionally like aware. So it's not like whatever. But it's more like well you'll figure it out
or why can't you do that? What's standing in the way of you doing it? It's like you should be think what if you actually did this and you're like oh
I wasn't planning on all that but now it's like it's starting to build an actual road map for this to be the life
that you want it to be versus making decisions out of fear or scarcity. Um,
and it's like if you have the privilege to be able to think that big, if you will, of like why wouldn't you take
advantage of it? And so that's where also that dialogue with you and to like the folks like who are also being
coached by you like that's where it's been so intensely valuable of like oh I'm making I'm almost making this way
more painful than it needs to be or like I'm not making the space I need to make for this or I am doubting myself or I am
leaning on old behaviors or whatever it is versus the people who are really close to you in your life are thinking
about you just personally right like like why wouldn't wouldn't I why wouldn't I ask for more? Why wouldn't I
um move across the country? Why not get a new dog right now? Like, why not, right? Whereas the people that really
love you are like, I don't know. That's going to be really hard. We don't want to we don't want to see you kind of go
um on this mental roller coaster that we know you're going to go on. So, let's just stay down here. Let's not
even get on the roller coaster, right? But then if you're someone that's saying like the roller coaster is so
worth it because at the end yes you might get it might be like a water roller coaster too. You might get wet along the way but in the end you're
going to be so cool and it's going to be so it's so worth it. So worth it in the end. Totally.
Speak to I mean you are not um you are you are a young
Brittany. You're a young I'm a baby entrepreneur. You're a baby entrepreneur.
I mean, so what? Like, right. So what?
So what? Without a doubt. Yeah. And also like it's so wild because there's like you
can go to like polar opposite examples. Like you see all the quotes where it's
like this, you know, major singer didn't record their first hit until they were 48. And then you could see on the other
side where it's like the CEO of Red Lobster is 27. Like you see like on both sides where it's like the inspirational
the more you the older you are the wiser you are. Maybe maybe not. Maybe you're really wise when you're 28.
I'm like I you know I feel like a cat with nine lives like with all the like different versions of you know the
reinventing of myself that I've had to do and have chosen to do also like yeah
sometimes it's a little like when do you when do you consider yourself successful?
What's the thing? And is that time? Is that money? Is that age? Is that
external validation? Like I don't know. That's kind of I mean, of course, like
I'm definitely early in the journey, which makes me excited and also a little tired already.
Advice for Taking the Leap
Totally fair. All right. But if someone's out there listening and thinking, I want to do this. I want to go do my
own thing, but I don't know if I can. And I certainly don't know if I can
afford to invest in the support. And not just my kind of support, like there's so many different ways that you need to be
supported in starting your own business. What What would you tell them? And let's
throw in that they're only 33. Let's pretend. Oh, I think what I will say, and this is like, you know, there's so
many situations and there's all the inspirational quotes that are like um if people say you can't like do it anyway
and all of that, I don't know. Like, I think that's really hard. If you go if
you go to everyone you love and you say you're going to do something and all of those people say like, "I really don't
know about it." Like, there's a good chance like maybe you shouldn't do it probably. Okay. All right. Fair. Fair. You know what I mean? I'm I'm very lucky
that there were no folks that I went once we like made the decision like oh I
think this is like actually where you're going to thrive and find happiness and success and all the things on your own.
I didn't have many people in my circle saying don't do it. So I think that was that gave this like okay I've learned up
until this point at least like I could take rejection pretty well like I have received more nos than yeses without a
doubt in my life and like I think people would be honest with me and so I think
that was a general just like I was doing it but I think that gave me like the
someone my husband my best friends my parents my coach the community of women
around you would have said at some point like this is a very bad idea
and that didn't really happen. So then I was like, "Oh man, I think like people
actually think this is like a good idea." Um, and so I say all that just with like that I think being very
helpful. Um, and doing something that felt so insane and scary and
challenging. And so I do think like if you think you have like some special superpower that
you're not getting to tap into because the environment that you're in the suffering that you're putting
yourself through versus the suffering of getting of being brave and like taking risks and all of it is far worse. It's
just a little bit more like for whatever reason the way that we have managed to
define stability. It can be counterintuitive to making some of these decisions and then you
realize you could get laid off at any point. You get fired at any point. Like totally
the like floor could get pulled out from under you. And so now I feel more in control of my life than I feel like I
ever did over the last four years. 10. Love that. 15. More in control of your life now than
you ever did. I love it. All right. What's As we wrap up, what's one thing you wish you would
have known before you took the leap?
What She Wishes She Knew Before Starting
I say it to my Oh, do you want me to go first or you want to go first? I'm going to say something funny and
then you're going to tell the truth. Um, you wish you would have known that one dog would need two surgeries.
that I just you wish you would have known. Okay. All right. But now, what's your
answer? Because you're gonna have I would have had an emergency fund. Um, yeah. If you got anything from this conversation, make sure you have pet
insurance. That's the most important thing. Okay. We got that going for us. But when you're done with that and you're
thinking about starting your own business, I mean, it's such like a I I would tell myself this, but whether or
not I actually believed it to be true is a different conversation, but it's like when has it not worked out
for you? Like in the sense of like it doesn't mean everything goes well, but like in what universe like is are is
this not going to go the way it needs to go? So, if I'm gonna like be so like
holding on to everything and like so intense about it and so scared and so sad and so whatever, it's like when does
it not happen how it's supposed to happen? And no one's going to die in the making of this business.
No, it's not the business. Life and death. It's not life and death, right? And I mean, what's the worst thing? What's the
worst thing that could happen? Okay, maybe the worst thing that happen is like it doesn't quote unquote work.
Okay. Well, then you know how to have you've already you know how to get a job, right? We can go do that, right? So,
there's always failed businesses too people have before their successful one is
incredible. It's exorbitant. So, it's like what do you consider the fail? Was it successful? Was it not? It just was
the pivot. Just a pivot. Just a pivot. A pivot if you watch Friends.
Oh, there you go. All right. Well, from all accounts, I think that you have found some success. So, thank you. Where
can people find out about all of this success? Where should they go? You can visit our website
at www.bigelow-creative.com. I'm on Instagram,
Brittany Bigelow or at Bigelowcreative. It's an option.
It is an option. And so, that's probably your best bet to see what we're up to over here in the Bigelow Creative world.
We should do this again next year. I want to see where you are then. So fun. I think we can put it in the calendar now.
Let's do it. Couldn't have done it without you. Couldn't do it without you now. Well, you are very inspirational.
Oh, thank you. All right. Here's what I want you to hear.
The leap isn't about having it all figured out. It's not about being fearless or having a perfect plan. It's
about trusting yourself enough to try. Britney's still in it. She's building,
learning, doubting, leading, and that's the point. You don't have all the
answers to start. You just have to start. So, if you're sitting on the edge
of something big and the voice in your head is screaming, "Who are you to do this?" This is your reminder. You're
exactly the person to do this. Doubt doesn't disqualify you. The fear doesn't
mean you're not ready. It just means you're human and being brave enough to
try anyway is what matters. Thanks for tuning in to today's episode
of She Thinks Big. If you enjoyed today's episode, follow the show and
leave us a review wherever you're listening. And if you're watching on YouTube, give us a thumbs up and
subscribe. For more, you can also follow me on Instagram at andrea.liebross.coaching.
And if you're standing on the edge of your own leap and needing support to make it happen, let's talk. I can help.
Head over to andrealos.com to book a call with me. And by the way,
I send a personal note via email twice a month. I know you're probably ruthless
about inbox clutter, as you should be, but I promise you this one earns its
spot. You can subscribe at AndreaLiebrosscoaching.com.
That's AndreaLiebrosscoaching.com.
I'll see you next Tuesday for a brand new episode. Till then, think big.
