Tech Entrepreneur Nathalie Dorémieux Says You Can Achieve Anything If You Leave Your Comfort Zone Are you willing to do what it takes?
In this series called Member Showcase, we publish interviews with members of The Oracles. This interview is with Nathalie Dorémieux, co-founder of New Software Marketing, an online marketing company.
Who are you?
Nathalie Dorémieux: I grew up in Grenoble, France, and graduated from the University of Pau with a computer science degree in 1982. Then I moved to the north of France to pursue my master's degree, which is where I met my husband and business partner, Olivier. When we graduated in 1995, we decided to take our chances and go live the American dream. Everyone in France thought we were crazy, but we quickly found jobs and got married in Reno, Nevada — "the little Las Vegas."
Ten years, three kids, two dogs, and a cat later, we decided to quit our jobs in biotechnology. We sold our home in downtown San Francisco and our cabin in the mountains and moved back to France to start our own business, living and working on our terms. I never intended to become an entrepreneur, but I did it for my husband, who always wanted to have his own business.
What are you more skilled at than most people in the world?
Nathalie Dorémieux: I'm skilled at helping women entrepreneurs leverage their expertise to have a bigger impact and serve more people. I specialize in helping coaches, speakers, and experts build membership sites that bring in six to seven figures of predictable income. I help them create a recurring revenue stream that brings more financial stability, so they can change more lives without sacrificing their personal time.
What are the core values that guide your business, and why did you pick them?
Nathalie Dorémieux: Our core values are respect, connection, and accountability. Mutual respect is critical in life and business. People do business with people.
We thrive on creating real connections with our leads and clients. We want to understand why they want to achieve their goals so we can better support them. We're all in business to achieve goals. But we're also human and need accountability to ensure promises are fulfilled. We love to over-deliver, which is one of the things we're known for.
What's your favorite quote?
Nathalie Dorémieux: "You get out exactly what you put into your business." Being an entrepreneur and running a business takes consistent — and sometimes imperfect — action. You have to put in the work to get the results.
What was your biggest challenge starting up? How did you overcome it?
Nathalie Dorémieux: My biggest challenge was not knowing what to do. I didn't even know I needed help. I failed to do the deep work that's required when you build a business: getting clear on why you are doing it in the first place (because it can't be just about money). That led to frustration, a lack of clarity about what to do, and changing plans too often.
We overcame that obstacle by hiring a business coach who was able to pinpoint what wasn't working. We reached six figures a year later and nearly doubled it the year after that. I learned that I learn every day — and it's ok to fail. In fact if you don't fail, you're not pushing hard enough.
How do you define great leadership?
Nathalie Dorémieux: I believe the number one quality of great leadership is being a great listener. Capacity to give your team undivided attention goes a long way in earning respect and trust.
Integrity is another important leadership quality. You build trust and confidence by doing what you say you'll do. You also need to be competent in your field so you can add value to conversations and make decisions with confidence.
How do you identify a good business partner?
Nathalie Dorémieux: I define a good partner as someone who shares the same core values and vision for the business. I would also ensure their mid-term and long-term goals align with mine.
Partners should complement each other. A good business partner adds a competency that you don't have so you can provide a better solution together than you could if you were alone.
How do you prevent burnout?
Nathalie Dorémieux: I have several strategies up my sleeve to prevent burnout. First, don't overcommit; focus on one main goal at a time. Burnout often comes from overwhelm, putting too much on your plate, and setting yourself up for failure.
Second is self-care. Take time for yourself. You can't serve others if you can't be completely present.
Finally, delegate. You can't do it alone. Focus on tasks that require your expertise and delegate or outsource the rest.
What would you like to be doing in three years?
Nathalie Dorémieux: I am setting the foundation to create a movement. I'm building a community of world changers who are going to take e-learning to the next level, with a big focus on student experience and support.
What is the most exciting question that you spend time thinking about?
Nathalie Dorémieux: The question that keeps popping into my head is, "How can I do better?" For the past four years, I have been pushing myself and getting out of my comfort zone on an almost-daily basis.
One of my favorite quotes is, "If you want something you don't have, you're going to have to do something you've never done." This is a constant reminder that we can achieve pretty much anything we want in life if we are willing to do what it takes to make it happen.
Connect with Nathalie on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn or visit her website.
