A leap of faith
Rachael sarra is a contemporary aboriginal artist from goreng goreng country. we chatted to her about being brave in business, learning her way around the account books, and finding the confidence to say ‘nah’.
Hi Rachael! What do you do? I’m an artist and designer making work that connects to my culture through art and storytelling.
Why did you decide to start your own business? I’ve always known I wanted to run my own business, but it took some time to build up the confidence and skillset to do it. I worked full-time in a creative agency, doing my art on the side and sharing it on Instagram. It really resonated with people, and I found there was a hunger for artists’ unfiltered voices and the stuff I was making. My business grew from there. I felt I’d achieved everything I could in my fulltime job creatively, and it was a good time to try something new.
In the past year, you’ve committed to your business full-time. What has that been like? It felt like everything aligned for me to take this huge leap and really show up and invest in myself. I think that’s one of the hardest decisions a business owner will have to make, especially when leaving behind a comfortable job, but I’m proud I took the leap. It was time to step away to something that aligned more closely with my own values. I just remember feeling a huge pull in the direction of my business – call it gut instinct or intuition. I haven’t looked back. It felt right, and it still feels right.
What advice would you give to others looking to make the jump? Be prepared to take ownership of your financial literacy! That’s one thing I really struggled with, but am becoming better at, because I have an amazing accountant. You should be able to have an open conversation with your accountant and keep track of what’s coming in and out of your business.
How has Xero helped you with the financial stuff? The program takes the stress out of doing things manually, and it’s a strong foundation to support your financial literacy journey. It helps me make sure I’m not losing invoices, and tells me when people have paid them.
Was there ever a time when you thought your business might not work out? When I was doing it as a side hustle, a lot of outside sources gave me the idea that I wouldn't be able to do it, whether it was because I'm female or Aboriginal. I think there's that conversation that happens externally, but internally, I've always believed in myself. Ultimately, ‘failing’ is just a wrong direction that you learn from, but it’s never the end of the world.
A lot of your work is about connecting folks to Indigenous culture through art. What’s the most difficult part of what you do? For me, the hardest thing about having a creative business is the fact my job exists because there’s racial and gender division within Australia. There are still structures that exist that continue to oppress us as women and women of colour in business. That’s hard when you wake up every day and face that challenge over and over again.
What boss moves have you made as a business owner? Building relationships is huge. It’s one of the most underrated aspects of business, whether it’s working on a contract deal for a big collaboration or forming relationships that will ultimately benefit the welfare and justice of First Nations people. Every move has a flow-on effect. You might not know a move is big until you’re three more moves forward.
Tell us about the challenges of being your own boss. One of the biggest challenges is going from being in a team to working by myself. I really miss the banter that comes with working in a team. But as my business grows, there will be opportunities to bring people in.
When business gets tricky, what’s something you do to stay motivated? I really take the time to reflect on my emotions and make sure I’m able to recognise certain triggers, and when things are becoming too overwhelming. I can’t do everything, and I don’t want to do everything. Having the ability to say ‘no’ can be really therapeutic.
What are you looking forward to this year? I’m making an effort to push my creative boundaries and explore different mediums that are still self-expressive, but bring me new and exciting adventures. It’s important, because I’m a Gemini and get bored easily!
We chatted with Rachael in collaboration with Xero, online accounting software that lets you do business beautifully and simply. Visit xero.com/boss-moves for insights and inspiration you need to turn from a dreamer into a doer.