Welcome Aboard Natalie Franke

hat are you inspired by?

Take a moment and think about it. Have you ever really taken inventory of what or who inspires you the most? Are there certain people that you look up to, aspire to be, or style your own life after? It’s something that happens a lot for entrepreneurs… and photographers in general. Many photographers will find a person or photo which they really like and try to emanate it in their own work — and voila! It’s now a part of their own style.

Like most of you, the places I gain inspiration from go a bit deeper. If it’s a person, I have to really value their story, persona, character, integrity, and relationship with me. Many people can gain real respect for professional athletes — and while I can’t argue with obvious greatness in athletics — I myself can’t find real inspiration there because I don’t know any professional athletes. If I don’t really know their story, or who they are behind the scenes, I just can’t get there.

People that I respect provide value to others, and often have a message that improves the lives of others and spread positivity — all while remaining humble themselves.

Natalie Franke, Co-founder of the Rising Tide Society happens to be one of those people. I’m using the word “happens” here quite loosely, because Natalie’s message hasn’t become an international story out of nowhere. This girl hustles, and her creativity and positivity are second to none. And I’m so very happy to announce that Natalie Franke has joined CloudSpot as a brand ambassador!

But even calling her a “brand ambassador” is selling her a bit short. Natalie believes in the team over at CloudSpot (aww….shucks!), and our values are so aligned it’s pretty crazy. Respect and love abounds on both sides as our hearts both beat to help others succeed.

What people generally don’t recognize is that photographers spend about 20% of their time behind the camera, while the rest is spent sleeping (not!), marketing, in business meetings, editing, and building relationships. It was through this process that Natalie noticed just how lonely entrepreneurship could be. With husband by her side, she still felt as though there wasn’t the sort of business support she was looking for. And with that, she had an idea- an idea that turned into an international movement for creative professionals and entrepreneurs.

The Rising Tide Society “focuses on building community locally and transforming not only the creative industry, but also the world.” Their site is packed with information to assist creatives with building their business, keeping positive, and a variety of topics including business workflow, understanding personality types, e-mail marketing, and client experiences.

But the thing I really love about RTS is that they’re not just a website — every second Tuesday of the month, local RTS communities gather in person to discuss and share about a certain business-related topic. Now entrepreneurs are encouraged to get out and meet others who understand each other’s daily struggles and feelings of loneliness. Creatives are making friends with other creatives, and people who were once in need of support are now the ones giving advice.

And the best part? It’s all totally free. No memberships, no premiums, no expectations. It’s a community that is stronger with you — so why not join? Oh and did I mention how big it has become? In just a few years, 100,000+ members are a part of 350+ chapters around the globe. Incredible.

We’re really excited to see what the future holds Natalie this year and where her heart for the photography community takes her. Go get ’em, Natalie!