Less than three years ago, Michelle Poler was balancing a full-time job as an Art Director at Young & Rubicam with studying for a Masters in Branding at the School of Visual Arts. Now, she’s the voice behind Hello Fears — a movement that aims to make the world a braver place.
“When Hello Fears was born, I was [pursuing] a Masters in Branding at the School of Visual Arts. After graduating from my masters I had the option to continue building this movement or going back to advertising, or branding,” explains Poler. “Going back to advertising would’ve been a decision based on fear and comfort. So, given the movement I already started, which revolved around the topic of courage, I chose growth. I owed that to myself and to those who believed in my message.”
During the class project Poler chose “Hello Fears”as the name for her process of facing one new fear every day for 100 days. At the end of the project, she decided that she wanted to help others do the same.
“I say I have the best job in the world, I get paid to inspire people, travel the world and do what I love [and] create valuable content that connects with people,” shares Poler. “This job has given me the opportunity to speak in front of over 50,000 people since 2016, many of those being students. These are the things that fill my heart with joy and pride.”
As a Latina, Poler found that some of her own fears were rooted in her upbringing.
“The way I was raised put a glass ceiling on top of my head,”says Poler. “People around me expected me to marry young, have children and take care of the house. I married young, because of love, not expectations, and then, we invested in our future, so one day, we can set a better standard to our kids, with no glass ceiling. I’m proud of other Latinas who also defied the status quo and are crushing it in the states and all over the world.”
Poler’s Instagram community boasts over 20k followers alone and each post feeds the movement’s mission to inspire others to face any fears that may be holding them back.
Below Poler shares tips she has for Latinas who are looking to start their own movements, insight on how to face your fears, and why documenting the process was important for her.
Vivian Nunez: How did you go about beating your own fears and documenting the process?
Michelle Poler: Since 100 Days Without Fear was a class project that I developed while getting my masters in Branding at the School of Visual Arts in NY, I decided to treat it like a brand. To create a brand you need a unique selling proposition, you need to define your values, your tone and have a set of guidelines. I decided to brand the emotion of “fear” in the most positive and uplifting way, to match my bubbly personality.
The toughest part was that, contrary to popular belief, the project was not my thesis, and it was not the only thing I was doing during those 4 months. I was working full time as an Art Director in Advertising (Y&R) and I was doing my masters in Branding, all at the same time. I was basically sleeping about 3-5 hours a day.
Nunez: What have you found to be the most relatable to others part of your story?
Poler: When people look at me they see themselves. They don’t have excuses like “but she is a Harvard graduate, I’m not!” or “but she survived the Everest, and I didn’t”, or “but she went through that trauma, and I haven’t”. There is no “but”. I’m just a girl with lots of fears and the willingness to change my life by facing them, one at a time. I’m an immigrant, I’m a woman, I’m 30 years old. I have no superpowers. So when people hear me speak the comment I hear most often is “you are such a real person” and that is my unique selling proposition (USP). That is what empowers others to take action, no but’s, no if’s.
The one part people love to hear in my presentation is when I talk about the difference between “fearless” and “brave”. Humans are not supposed to be fearless, and if that’s what you’re aiming for, good luck, you will need it. But, we can all be a bit braver every day.
Nunez: How do you encourage others to overcome their fears?
Poler: My ask is simple — choose growth over comfort. By listening to my message people are more aware on their day to day to identify growth decisions. So I share with them every time I’m in front of a growth choice and I decide to take it.
Nunez: What questions should those who want to overcome their fears be asking?
Poler: First, we need to identify if the fear is worth facing or not. The reward will give you that answer. If the reward will not positively influence your life in one way or another, maybe it is not worth your time and energy. But, if facing that fear can make you a better version of yourself or get you closer to your goals, there is no doubt you should go for it.
Now, intention is key. Do you want to face your fears for external reasons like satisfying others, proving others wrong or showing off in front of a certain group of people? Or, do you want to challenge yourself to grow, seek personal fulfillment or personal success? When we do things to please others, we will not find the fulfillment we are looking for. I would only face a fear that can help me get closer to the best version of myself.
Nunez: What advice do you have for Latinas who are looking to start a movement based off their own personal experiences?
Poler: Own your story, all of it. Don’t keep things to yourself. If you are afraid to show the world who you are, where you come from and the struggles you have gone through, there’s an even bigger reason you need to share those.
I realized that the times I’ve been scared to post are the times I’m most successful. Fear is an indicator of emotion, of vulnerability, of raw, real material. Use it. Your story is unique, beautiful, empowering and only you can share it. Take it or leave it. I honestly hope you have the courage to take it and run with it.
This interview by Vivian Nunez was originally published on Forbes.
Michelle Poler is a creative and passionate social entrepreneur, keynote speaker, fear facer, and branding strategist. She is the Founder of Hello Fears, a social movement empowering millions to step outside of the comfort zone and tap into their full potential. Michelle is also the creator of the project 100 Days Without Fear. In 2017 she started speaking to the younger generation. Since then, she has empowered over 20,000 students at schools and universities around the world to live with courage, find their authenticity and embrace their growth paths.
