Sara McDaniel of Simply Southern Cottage: Why True Growth Only Happens When You Embrace Fear and Do It Scared

It feels most comfortable to stick with what we are familiar with. But anyone who has achieved great success will tell you that true growth comes from pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. What are some ways that influential people have pushed themselves out of their comfort zone to grow both personally and professionally? As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Sara McDaniel.

Real estate entrepreneur, home renovation expert and tastemaker Sara McDaniel shares business, life and home inspiration on her popular Instagram and Tik Tok with her adventures in the friendliest city in the South, Minden, Louisiana. After a devastating turn, her latest journey began with the transformation and rebuilding of the 1926 Louisiana cottage paralleling her life being rebuilt by faith, hope and determination. Today, owning and managing twenty plus doors including several Airbnbs, her latest project is the renovation of 1940s/50s Creekside Apartments as future affordable housing in Minden, LA as well as co-founding P.I.N.K. Creatives business retreat which helps propel and equip creative women with their business and life goals.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we start, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?

Growing up in Springhill, Louisiana, I was the only child of divorced parents. My mother remarried and raised my two step siblings and me helping foster great relationships still strong today, a somewhat atypical situation. With only a high school degree, my mother worked her way up through the ranks of a local bank to manager. My father was a photographer, and my stepfather wore many hats including guidance counselor and youth pastor. As a child, I definitely had entrepreneurial nudgings responding to work from home ads from my granny’s Grit Magazine! Believe it or not, some of those things actually were legit and paid. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had hustle in me. On a fourth-grade field trip to Jefferson, Texas, I fell in love with old houses and a seed was planted in my heart. I had no idea all these years later this small

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

I once heard someone say, “I’ll work 80 hours a week, so I don’t have to work 40.” For me, I’ll definitely work for myself all day, so I don’t have to work 40 hours for someone else. This is part of the heart and drive of an entrepreneur, and you work so much harder than you would at a nine-to-five job. Freedom and flexibility is everything to me and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?

The book, “The Circle Maker,” by Mark Batterson changed everything for me. The basic premise is to draw circles around your prayers until answered one way or another. The story behind my 1926 Louisiana cottage, which propelled my career, was one of struggle for 22 months. I had NO idea why I was supposed to have this property, but I felt it in my bones it was supposed to be mine. Now, I know it was sent to me to alter the course of my life and inspire others!

Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. Let’s start with a basic definition so that all of us are on the same page. What does “getting outside of your comfort zone” mean?

While I am not a fan of fear, I am a fan of “doing it scared” which pushes me out of my comfort zone. This is going big or going home! I’ve been this way my whole life. My mother often says she has no idea where I came from because this is totally the opposite of her. Most of the time, I don’t play it safe. I take lots of calculated risks and so far so good! I’m currently wrapping up the renovation of eight historic villas into a short-term rental property and it’s been the scariest thing I’ve ever done in my entire life. I still wake up every day scared and definitely out of my comfort zone. This has also been the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.

Can you help articulate a few reasons why it is important to get out of your comfort zone?

You can’t grow as a person and play it safe. Shortly after my divorce was final, I went on a trip to Guatemala with 25 strangers. It was scary traveling to a foreign country knowing no one. But, some of these people are my best friends today. Once I also flew to Spain alone and met up with friends that were arriving the next day. I was in Madrid for about 24 hours by myself knowing no one in the country. On the back end of the trip, I was in Rome, Italy alone which was scary, but, my goodness, the rush was incredible. I truly grew as a person in my confidence and skill set navigating a country and language I didn’t know. It forced me to learn new things and interact with new people. This is so important in helping grow in knowledge, empathy and understanding while challenging yourself.

Is it possible to grow without leaving your comfort zone? Can you explain what you mean?

Personally, I don’t think it is possible to grow without leaving your comfort zone. I suppose you can learn safely. However, it’s outside of your comfort zone where you grow, learn and then apply that knowledge. When you have to sink or swim is when you find out what you are made of. Until you are forced into an uncomfortable situation, you have no idea who you truly are or what you can do.

Can you share some anecdotes from your personal experience? Can you share a story about a time when you stepped out of your comfort zone and how it helped you grow? How does it feel to take those first difficult steps?

The daughter of a Baptist minister, I was brought up in the church which led me to believe the only path to life was to graduate high school, go to college, get married, start a career, have children, retire and die. I followed the path for twelve years until my marriage was suddenly in shambles and ended in divorce two short years later. Suddenly, I began to question everything. At first, I was ashamed of my divorce and story, hiding it as much as possible. Slowly, as the days passed, I realized it was a gift and I had an opportunity for a do over and a second chance at life. It took me pushing myself out of this narrative to accept life and the challenges ahead. Accepting this new path was hard at first. There were many difficult days, but, once I saw the path unfolding in front of me, I embraced this journey and started to grow in ways I could never imagine. My new normal opened so many doors and opportunities which I would otherwise not have experienced.

Here is the central question of our discussion. What are your “five ways to push past your comfort zone, to grow both personally and professionally”?

1. Seek out new friendships and be kind to everyone!

Opening yourself up to new people, especially those different from yourself, is really important. I appreciate the opportunity to meet and understand different perspectives and cultures. Many times this is uncomfortable especially when values and belief systems are different. I wholeheartedly believe this makes us a more well rounded and better person. Meeting and learning from someone different from us can push you into an uncomfortable situation but it is one of the best ways to grow as an individual.

2. Explore new experiences!

Seek new experiences and challenging activities like finding a new skill, traveling, trying new foods or taking a class to develop something you’ve never done before. I once traveled to Madrid alone. The friends I was meeting with had work during the day so I set out and navigated the countryside for a week by myself. It was a scary, wonderful experience and opened my eyes to the impact of solo travel.

3. Embrace failure!

Don’t let fear of failure hold you back. Embrace the opportunity to learn and to grow from your mistakes. After my divorce, I was terrified for the world to know that I had failed and my marriage had failed. Being seen as someone who couldn’t hold a marriage together crippled me for so long. But after realizing the incredible opportunity I had been given for a do over, I began to embrace this perceived failure and ended up with the life of my dreams.

4. Be vulnerable!

This is a really hard one for me. I want to appear strong. I want people to think I have it all together. But, one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in the last few years is that people need us to be vulnerable. Others need to know they are not alone. Your influence will grow by showing others your weaknesses.

5. Get outside your comfort zone regularly!

Stepping out of your comfort zone should be a regular part of life. Keep it real. There is always a bit of fear in the unknown. However, the more you do it, the more rewards you will reap, and, the easier it becomes. Make a habit of getting uncomfortable.

From your experience or perspective, what are some of the common barriers that keep someone from pushing out of their comfort zone?

Fear is the number one barrier that keeps a person from pushing out of a comfortable zone. I’m also guilty of this with the fear of what might go wrong or what someone else might think. Worrying over whether it could ruin your life is also a big fear. It is easy to stay safe and comfortable. However, the reward lies in the risk.

There is a well-known quote attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt that says, “Do something that scares you every day”. What exactly does this mean to you? Is there inherent value in doing something that pushes you out of your comfort zone, even if it does not relate to personal or professional growth? For example, if one is uncomfortable about walking alone at night should they purposely push themselves to do it often for the sake of going beyond their comfort zone? Can you please explain what you mean?

The benefits of doing something that scares me every day far outweighs the fear I may experience. It takes a lot of living to get to this point in life, but the rewards I’ve gained from doing scary things (intrinsic and extrinsic) are so worth it. Most recently, I attended a retreat in West Virginia. I was late getting in one evening. I parked at the main house and had to walk ½ mile through the pitch-dark woods to meet up with friends at a nearby cabin. My iPhone flashlight wasn’t adequate. I had never walked this path and had no idea where I was going and I was terrified. Once I arrived at the cabin, I quickly realized, yes, it was scary but my adrenaline was pumping and I was proud of myself. This real-life story is a great analogy for life!

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?

It is very simple. Show others grace and love them well. Be quick to forgive and slow to speak. I dare say that many of the problems in our society and world could be solved by simply loving well. We don’t always have to agree with everyone we encounter, but we can choose how to respond. Do we respond with kindness or disdain? Disgust or sympathy? While I am far from perfect, I try to do this in all aspects of my life with all people I meet. A perfect example is the time a homeless woman asked me for panties. A lot of the times people simply need to be heard, feel loved and appreciated.

Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!

I would love to have lunch with entrepreneur Joanna Gaines because I have so many questions! As my influence and businesses grow, I would love to sit under her mentorship and learn how she navigated similar waters. To me, Joanna is the epitome of success. As I find myself diving headfirst into more real estate investments, trademark opportunities and media attention, I would love to learn how Joanna juggled so many similar balls and made it all work. If I could soak in even a few minutes of her knowledge, it would be one of the greatest honors of my life.

How can our readers follow you online?

Simplysoutherncottage.com and across all socials @simplysoutherncottage

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!

About The Interviewer: Maria Angelova, MBA is a disruptor, author, motivational speaker, body-mind expert, Pilates teacher and founder and CEO of Rebellious Intl. As a disruptor, Maria is on a mission to change the face of the wellness industry by shifting the self-care mindset for consumers and providers alike. As a mind-body coach, Maria’s superpower is alignment which helps clients create a strong body and a calm mind so they can live a life of freedom, happiness and fulfillment. Prior to founding Rebellious Intl, Maria was a Finance Director and a professional with 17+ years of progressive corporate experience in the Telecommunications, Finance, and Insurance industries. Born in Bulgaria, Maria moved to the United States in 1992. She graduated summa cum laude from both Georgia State University (MBA, Finance) and the University of Georgia (BBA, Finance). Maria’s favorite job is being a mom. Maria enjoys learning, coaching, creating authentic connections, working out, Latin dancing, traveling, and spending time with her tribe. To contact Maria, email her at angelova@rebellious-intl.com. To schedule a free consultation, click here.