We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Natalie O’Sullivan Hamilton a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Natalie, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.
My optimism stems from a place of gratitude and a good sense of humor as well as a grounded but hopeful outlook on how things can shake out. Gratitude was one of the ethics that I was raised on – my parents and family as a whole have always been very accommodating and welcoming folks, emphasizing the goodness in what we have in the present and what there is to look forward to rather than the downside of things. In that way, their gratitude has been as infectious as their smiles and laughter, another foundation of how I was brought up. You just have to laugh at things sometimes! Having a good sense of humor has allowed me to maintain resilience in situations that otherwise can feel impossible to work through.
I can also attribute my optimism to my husband and creative partner Ian. Ian has always been able to be the devil’s advocate and see the brighter side of things when others may just see what’s wrong – being solution-oriented and a creative thinker with the ability to pivot quickly is such a strong set of skills. I admire his ability to work through things in a calm and collected manner when I can feel so frazzled and stuck. He’s made me want to be a better writer, actor, comedy partner, wife, all the categories I can wiggle my way into – Ian’s always had my back and encouraged me to keep doing what I love to do, and not back down when I feel discouraged or intimidated.
Having a solid foundation of realistic expectations and a hopeful outlook of, “I will do what I put my mind to – and if it doesn’t work out, at least I tried. It’s not the end of the world.” has really opened my eyes to saying yes to what feeds my soul and saying no to things that do not gel with what makes me happy. Obviously there’s some things I’d love to say no to that I cannot (very adult things like doing my taxes and paying my bills, for example!) but if I can reframe that by saying, “Hey, I’m lucky I’m working at a job that allows me to still have creative freedom outside of work and it pays those pesky bills!” then it makes the whole situation seem less fraught. I think we could all use a world that feels a little less fraught these days.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’m doing a lot of things these days! At the moment, it feels like there may be a few too many items on my plate, but I’d rather be a little more full. I’m an actor and writer first and foremost – I went to school for theater and acting and have been able to scratch my itch here in Austin performing improv and sketch comedy at Fallout Theater. I’m so happy Austin has a wonderful comedy scene and a strong community of funny women I’m lucky enough to perform alongside! I met my husband and creative partner Ian doing comedy in Chicago, and lucky for me, we get to work together on lots of projects. Currently, we’re in pre-production for a short film and with our production company Lack of Hustle Media, I’m proud to say we’re signed on to direct and produce our first commercial. It’s intimidating for sure but so encouraging that we’ve come this far together! I can’t wait to see what other creative projects come across our desk this year.
I’m super grateful I’ve been able to get my small business Cottontail Nest off the ground! Since last summer, I’ve been working on establishing a home organization and “zshuzshing” business that where I can help people spruce up their space and make their homes feel more like home to them, and it’s been such a wonderful adventure! I’m proud to say I’ve been able to work with clients both in their homes and virtually, helping folks move out of and into new homes, bring about a more organized atmosphere, release objects they no longer need, and establish sustainable organization systems for closets, bedrooms, office spaces, and more!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Three areas of knowledge I think are crucial are: 1. Knowing how to say yes to great opportunities, even if they don’t seem very convenient in the moment – if your gut is telling you go for it, listen to that instinct!
2. Learning to listen to your gut! Knowing how to say yes is great, but on the opposite end of that spectrum, if something is off or doesn’t feel right from the jump, make your boundaries clear.
3. Learn that it’s perfectly valid and reasonable to allow yourself to rest. I think a lot of folks idolize the hustle culture/mentality and it can cause burnout and exhaustion. Normalize taking breaks, recognize your limits, and remember to breathe.
What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
I quit my big girl job and now I have a handful of part-time jobs! It’s funny, I used to think being a grown-up and reaching adulthood meant you worked one (1) job for as long as you can until you retire. I think that’s a perfectly valid way to live but I don’t think that’s the way for me. I am making what I cheerfully refer to as “income salsa” – a little bit of everything all mixed up together. On any given week, I am working for clients in my small business, submitting a handful of auditions, taking an acting class, having production meetings for our film or commercial, writing sketches for a comedy show, and picking up a shift at a local cheese shop (yes, I also work at a cheese shop! A fairly recent feather in my cap – I wanted something lowkey, part-time, and walkable from my home. Mission accomplished!) – but this time last year, I was working from home wishing I had more time to do all the things I loved and more. I can’t believe I’ve gotten to do the things I get to do on a weekly basis now – I’m busy but it’s awesome working 50 hours a week on my passions and priorities.
Also, a huge step is getting this small business off the ground. I felt so much when I first started that I was making a huge mistake. I often felt that way because it was scary and intimidating – nothing was guaranteed. I left a secure job to kickstart this home organization business, and I knew I wasn’t going to make as much money as I had been. The risk versus reward was obvious though: I had so much more free time to work on what really makes me happy, and being able to help people was such a wonderful goal. I just had to at least try – if all else fails, I can always make people happy selling cheese and performing on stage!
Contact Info:
- Website: natalieosullivan.com
- Instagram: @cottontailbandit & @cottontailnest
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/osullinat/
Image Credits
Sarah Uftring
