We were lucky to catch up with Natalie Micale recently and have shared our conversation below.
Natalie , we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
The best way to develop your confidence and self-esteem is to keep your promises to yourself, even when things are hard. Even as a kid, if I signed up for something I would stick with it (my dad taught me this) and I’d become completley obsessed with it until I could actually be halfway decent at whatever it is I put my energy into. I did this 100% with musical theatre and dance and joined a traveling children’s choir, attended a performing arts high school and even got into a BFA program on a full ride for musical theater. I experienced tons of ups and downs in this musical theatre journey of mine but it really developed so much of my confidence and self esteem because I didn’t give up, learned everything I could about how to develop my natural skills. This has contiued even to now. I’m huge into fitness and I’ve been teaching pilates, spin and lifting classes for almost a decade. While yes, you have to choose something you’re naturally passionate about, the point is to always keep going, keep progressing and stay consisstent. Having this piece of my life that no matter what I’ve never given up on? That’s what’s built my self-esteem and confidence. I know I can ride the wave.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I’m the founder of Oh Hello, a creative agency that helps overlooked brands—especially blue-collar, legacy, and family-run businesses—become impossible to ignore.
Right now, some of the most exciting work we’re doing is with older, often second- or third-generation businesses in the trades—construction, manufacturing, logistics, agriculture—you name it. These are companies built on grit, loyalty, and long-standing customer relationships. But historically, marketing hasn’t been their strong suit. They’ve relied on word-of-mouth and reputation, which works…until it doesn’t.
We’re flipping that script.
The truth is: tradespeople are needed now more than ever. And when you combine that rising demand with a sharp, emotionally intelligent brand strategy? Game over. These companies have an opening to not just keep up—but to lead. To become the voice of their industry. To attract talent. To drive loyalty. To go from local to legendary.
That’s where our Say Hello Framework comes in. It’s our proprietary branding process that helps businesses clarify who they are, what they stand for, and how to communicate that in a way that resonates—internally and externally. We build the brand from the inside out: positioning, messaging, voice, identity, and everything in between.
From there, we layer in visibility—getting that newly clarified brand seen through media, digital content, PR, and social. And we do it in a way that feels deeply human and never performative.
What’s special about Oh Hello is that we don’t try to make these brands look like something they’re not. We lean in. We honor what makes them real, scrappy, and enduring—and then we package that story in a way that gets attention.
This year, we’ve expanded our offerings and are launching new brand + visibility bundles specifically tailored to entrepreneurs who want to grow their credibility online. And with our recent acquisition by The Big Smoke, a global communications group based in Australia, we’ve unlocked international scale. We now offer our clients the storytelling and strategy of a boutique agency with the global distribution power of a media company.
So, if you’re a business with a big story and no idea how to tell it? That’s what we do. We build brands that people believe in.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Looking back, the three most impactful skills I’ve developed in my journey have been deep focus, sales training, and learning how to scale through systems. None of them came naturally—I had to intentionally seek them out, invest in them, and learn how to apply them in the real world.
1. Deep focus
Learning how to block out the noise—mentally and operationally—changed everything. I had to unlearn the hustle culture of doing everything and instead train myself to protect my time and focus on creating things that actually move the needle. Cal Newport’s work on deep work helped me understand that distraction isn’t just a productivity killer—it’s an execution killer. Most people don’t realize that building something meaningful requires long, uninterrupted stretches of mental energy. If you’re early in your journey, teach yourself how to focus. Read about it. Practice it. Because if you can’t think clearly and deeply, it’s hard to build anything that lasts.
2. Sales training
I made a $20K investment in a sales coach, and it was one of the smartest decisions I’ve ever made. As an entrepreneur, if you don’t know how to sell, you won’t grow. Period. You have to understand how people think, how they make decisions, and how to build trust in a way that feels real—not pushy. Sales isn’t about scripts; it’s about emotional intelligence, curiosity, and knowing how to guide someone toward clarity. I now have a sales process that works, but it took serious coaching and intentional practice to get there. Hire a coach if you don’t feel comfortable with sales and get comfortable real fast.
3. Scaling with systems
Finally, I took a course on building SOPs—standard operating procedures—and it blew my mind. You cannot grow, hire, or even think about being acquired without documented, repeatable processes. You have to be borderline obsessive about them, because if there’s wiggle room, people will take it. The best thing I did was get clear on documenting what works, updating it regularly, and treating SOPs as living assets in the business. They’re what allow you to step out of the day-to-day and still keep the quality and momentum going.
My advice?
Don’t just work in your business—work on becoming the type of person who can lead one. Educate yourself. Hire experts. Protect your focus. Sales, systems, and strategy aren’t glamorous, but they are everything.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Yes—we’re actively looking to collaborate with bold, interesting founders who are ready to build their business by building their personal brand.
At Oh Hello, we recently launched a new visibility division focused specifically on founder media strategy—getting high-integrity entrepreneurs into the press to shorten sales cycles, build digital credibility, and position them as the voice of their category. It’s not fluff. It’s strategic, values-driven storytelling that creates trust and momentum.
This is a new offering for our U.S. team, but one our parent company in Australia has been refining for years. Now, we’re bringing that global media engine stateside and we’re in full build mode—building case studies, building momentum, and most importantly, building relationships.
We want to partner with founders who have something to say—people who care about what they’re building and the impact it creates. If you’re growing a company and believe your values and voice should be part of your growth strategy, we’d love to talk.
You can connect with me directly at natalie@oh-hello.co for a visibility strategy session. Let’s make you unignorable.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://oh-hello.co/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nataliemicale/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliemicale/
Image Credits
Amanda Leise photography
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
