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As a part of the Morning Lazziness sequence highlighting empowering girls who’re making a exceptional impression with their concepts, I had the pleasure of interviewing Leigh White.
Leigh White is a media skilled with over 20 years of expertise empowering leaders, specialists, and changemakers to amplify their voices, construct authority, and drive significant impression by means of strategic public relations. She is keen about equipping thought leaders and innovators with the boldness and expertise to share their tales successfully, serving to them construct model affect, impression, and revenue.
Since founding her media consultancy in 2004, Leigh has designed coaching packages, led dynamic workshops for audiences starting from 25 to 300, and coached 1000’s of shoppers one-on-one throughout the USA and Asia Pacific, together with Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Her ardour lies in reworking even hesitant audio system into assured communicators, able to pitch and land media interviews.
Leigh’s experience extends to guiding high-profile executives, entrepreneurs, and advertising professionals in aligning PR methods with enterprise targets, making certain constant media publicity that builds model belief—with out ever needing to rent an company.
Identified for her participating presentation fashion, Leigh additionally consults on authorities advocacy campaigns to attain constructive social impression. With post-graduate {qualifications} in PR, Advertising, and Enterprise Administration, mixed with hands-on business information, she empowers shoppers to safe significant media protection—no fame required.
On this interview, Leigh White talks concerning the obstacles she’s overcome, the milestones she’s achieved, and the knowledge she’s gained alongside the way in which.
What impressed you to start out your personal PR company, and the way did you get your first consumer?
My transfer from being an Asia-Pacific Model Supervisor in excessive tech leisure publishing (video gaming) into creating my PR consultancy selected me, fairly than me selecting the trail.
After I began a household, I found lots about myself together with that household is my primary worth, and on the time versatile work wasn’t as out there as it’s at present.
I branched out as an unbiased advisor and located that PR is in excessive demand as a result of all manufacturers need to construct TRUST with PR exercise like a media characteristic, visitor talking or visitor writing.
I started organising conferences with the CEO’s I already knew in my community and learnt most had in-house PR! Happily, my first consumer got here by means of my community of mates and colleagues, and it continued that manner with work being referred from shoppers and my community for the subsequent twenty years. I started hiring different advertising and PR girls who needed versatile work and that’s how the workforce grew.
What distinctive challenges have you ever confronted as a lady entrepreneur within the PR world, and the way did you overcome them?
As a lady, we have a tendency to hold a disproportionate load {of professional} and at residence obligations, the considering, planning, organising and nurturing, abruptly. To keep away from burnout I like to recommend letting your personal values information you when prioritising your week.
But, whether or not you’re a lady or not, being in enterprise will increase a mixture of inner and exterior boundaries to success.
The interior ones could be not feeling prepared, and having no alternative however to take motion, or it may be what we consider about our personal potential and the way we think about we’re perceived by others. That is at its worst once you’re a newcomer in enterprise, and also you get to know the acquainted voice of questioning your subsequent transfer as a result of it by no means goes away, regardless of how profitable you grow to be.
Exterior challenges could be concern of all of the uncertainty, will it work, will it fail and possibly that we gained’t be taken severely. Fortunately, when you begin taking motion within the enterprise you both study a lesson otherwise you win!
How do you keep forward of developments in an business that’s continually evolving with media and know-how?
It’s vital to have a small community of trusted friends and to learn business info from material specialists.
I don’t get on each new fad however I have a look at the place efficiencies could be created. Having skilled large technological change in my profession beforehand, I’m very open to testing and studying.
Now that I’m a PR educator, I train research in my packages how one can embrace time-saving applied sciences and likewise, what to keep away from.
What’s your go-to technique for constructing robust, lasting relationships with shoppers and the press?
From the very starting in my enterprise I all the time remained the purpose of contact for my shoppers, whereas the workforce labored on supply, so there has all the time been a deep stage of open and clear communication, the nice and the unhealthy days. This excessive stage of belief is especially vital in PR.
Are you able to share a marketing campaign or media second you’re particularly happy with—and why it stands out?
There have been so many proud moments of enormous scale world launches within the leisure and e-book publishing worlds throughout my profession, however what actually modified my view about impression is seeing long run social advocacy campaigns pay dividends.
With my longest standing consumer, CREATE Basis, we campaigned for over a decade to advocate and agitate for change in transitioning from the out-of-home care sector and in 2022 we succeeded! The 1000’s of younger folks residing within the care system (foster, kinship or residential care) have the choice to stay with a carer or placement til 21, not have to depart at 18.
I do know this impacted so many lives to have stability and now the legacy I maintain is that I train change makers, specialists and advocates how one can have the boldness and expertise to get their very own PR and never want an company.
Which platforms or ways have been simplest for rising your personal model visibility?
To construct your model, the primary tactical transfer is that it’s key to outline what you stand for. What you’re recognized for, resembling what folks consider when they’re speaking about or referring to you, is essential to articulating in your communication channels.
Be clear and per the model message – I educate change makers to impression the world with their voice.
What position has mentorship performed in your journey, and the way do you pay it ahead to others within the business?
After I left my steady job and went out alone, I want I had understood the ability of mentors. I solely knew two individuals who had been unbiased enterprise homeowners (not partnerships) and even simply understanding they may succeed and have a sustainable enterprise saved me going.
I went on to rent coaches and to search out mentorship in studying books, podcasts, and listening to leaders interviewed to encourage and problem me to go additional. If you happen to’re beginning out don’t wait to discover a mentor, learn, pay attention and watch!
How do you deal with high-pressure conditions or crises, whether or not for a consumer or your personal enterprise?
Any excessive stakes state of affairs requires cautious evaluation earlier than taking motion. That is the second to succeed in out to trusted colleagues or mentors and do your greatest to maneuver rapidly and ideally take management of the state of affairs.
What’s one piece of recommendation you’d give to girls coming into the PR or communications business at present?
Don’t take heed to the voice of your interior critic, you’ll by no means really feel prepared, simply begin at present with what you’ve got and study as you go! It labored for me and you are able to do it too.
Right here is our signature query: “What Are The 5 Issues You Want To Overcome Self-Doubt and Construct Confidence?”
Journalling – by doing this you acquire an goal view of your personal ideas, actions and emotions, in addition to experiences. In simply 5 minutes a day, or longer as soon as per week, you may see it extra clearly for what it’s and study or be accountable. Personally I journal every day.
Preserve guarantees you make to your self – If you happen to don’t even preserve guarantees that you just’ve made to assist your targets and ambitions, you gained’t have the ability to belief your self when it counts. On tough days, you want that self-trust. Your sense of confidence and self-reliance gained’t develop till it comes from inside.
Community – That is like planting seeds that can bear fruit later. Cease evaluating the return on this effort within the brief time period.
Newbie Mindset – undertake a versatile outlook the place you view each step ahead as a studying alternative, even should you’ve by no means accomplished it earlier than. If it doesn’t work out, you’re not failing. Redefine the way you see failure totally as a result of we solely grow to be nice by small increments at a time.
Drop the dearth mindset – create a way of abundance, be prepared to present earlier than you ask and cease fearing issues gained’t work out. There’s sufficient work for everybody. Get used to going outdoors of your consolation zone, talking up, setting charges you deserve and investing in relationships for the long run.
Is there a quote, mantra, or philosophy that guides your decision-making and management?
Do or Don’t, there isn’t any strive. Yoda
Okay, we’re almost accomplished. You’re a individual of nice affect. If you happen to may encourage a motion that might convey probably the most quantity of fine for the best variety of folks, what would that be? You by no means know what your thought can set off.
I’ve impressed others to pursue their ardour, no matter evokes them, and switch it into an impact-led enterprise or service to create constructive change on the earth. I consider we’re creating sustainable change by means of giving a voice to 1 purpose-led chief at a time.
How can our readers additional observe your work on-line?
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