#awinewith Lucinda Bayly
MEET Lucinda
Lucinda is the Founder of Bayly PR.
Find Lucinda here:
Transcript
Danielle Lewis (00:10):
Amazing. Lucinda, welcome to Spark tv. Cheers.
Lucinda Bayly (00:15):
Cheers. I'm so embarrassed of my goblet. It's enormous. But don't worry,
Danielle Lewis (00:20):
I did pour the entire piccolo into this, so I'm with you.
Lucinda Bayly (00:24):
So we've probably both got about 1.6 standards.
Danielle Lewis (00:26):
That's right. That's right.
Lucinda Bayly (00:29):
In it together.
Danielle Lewis (00:30):
Yeah, exactly. We're on a journey. I'm so excited that you're with me here. It's not just me alone. So thank you for your moral support.
Lucinda Bayly (00:38):
You can always rely on me for that at any time.
Danielle Lewis (00:41):
Well, I might have you as a repeat guest then. Yeah,
Lucinda Bayly (00:44):
That could be dangerous, I think. Totally
Danielle Lewis (00:47):
Amazing. Well, look, the way I like to start these off is by sharing your story. So obviously you are the owner, founder, all things amazing at Bailey pr, but how did you start that? Is there a backstory? Did you have a career first? Have you always been in business? Tell us how you got here.
Lucinda Bayly (01:08):
Yeah, for sure. So it's still pretty early days of BPR, which is kind of crazy because it's just gone gangbusters really quickly. But yeah, I've been in pr, marketing comms, a lot more PR comms side of things for a decade. So started my career in Brizi. I went to uq, I did the whole UQ thing, studying in the library every night.
Danielle Lewis (01:38):
Very studious of you. Good. I
Lucinda Bayly (01:40):
Know. Oh god. Fours open doors is all I can say. I'm not sure how much studying actually got done. And so I started my career in on Jane Street in New Farm. So I started with their PR and comms office and the department that runs the precinct. After a couple of years, I moved to London. I worked in the startup world over in London. I loved that. Got kicked out after two years because of my visa and a startup who wasn't one of those unicorn startups that's going to sponsor me. It was like bootstraps startup. It was
Danielle Lewis (02:18):
Startup. See you later, startup
Lucinda Bayly (02:21):
Like, cool, we don't even need to give you a raise anymore. Move on and we'll get someone else. Who's you two years ago. Oh my God. And so I came back and then I started actually working in the healthcare space, so the pediatric healthcare space. So I kind of darted between there and agency, and that was my first time that I got agency experience, which I loved. But yeah, also really loved that pediatric healthcare. So I ended up going back there because it was really nice doing something with meaning. And I was pretty much there until a few months ago because I started BPR at the end of last year-ish as essentially a side hustle freelancer. My friend would constantly get requests from friends and family asking, can you help me with this press release? Or Hey, how should I do this? Or What do I do on social media here? Or how do I run this campaign? And obviously I was just like, yeah, sure. Give, give, give, give. And then I figured out, okay, if I actually put a framework around this, then I can charge. Even though my friends and family, I can't just keep going and going,
Danielle Lewis (03:36):
You're not running a charity here.
Lucinda Bayly (03:38):
Exactly, exactly. So yeah, I just put a kind of framework around it, put up an Instagram, very organic. And then next thing I know, I was getting inquiries from people I didn't know. So I was still working and doing it on the side. So I'd kind of get home from my job, sit at my computer until 10:11 PM and then couldn't do that anymore. So then I asked to go part-time at my previous role, which was at the Children's Hospital Foundation, which was amazing. And I just loved it so much. And my boss there was amazing and supportive and said yes. And then about two weeks after I went, I handed in my resignation. So I dunno how happy she was with me then.
Danielle Lewis (04:26):
No, you are fabulous. But I'm leaving. Yeah,
Lucinda Bayly (04:28):
Yeah. I was like, thank you so much for the support. It's so great that it's allowed me to actually piss off now.
Danielle Lewis (04:36):
So cool though. Amazing that you made it happen in two weeks.
Lucinda Bayly (04:42):
Yeah, yeah. Well, it took a bit for me to go, obviously because it was four weeks. You can grab part-time. But yeah, it's just all moved insanely quickly. I kind of decided in January that, okay, I'll actually give it a nudge. I've started this thing, but I wasn't really putting any energy into it. Okay, I'll give it a nudge now. And then in September, it's five days a week, nine to five. So that's kind of how it started and it just kind of snowballed really.
Danielle Lewis (05:13):
That's so cool. And I guess the thing is it was very clear that people needed help. If people are reaching out organically going, Hey, I know you're an expert in something, can you please help? Seems like a good idea to build a business around. Yeah.
Lucinda Bayly (05:28):
But you think that people ask you or I felt like people would come and ask me, then I'd give them my help. And I would always be like, that was probably the worst advice. They're probably never going to come back to me. Why would they ever Actually, I could never do this as a business because I'm probably not actually very good at it. I mean, that's the classic imposter syndrome. So that took ages to get over still. How
Danielle Lewis (05:54):
Did you get over it? Do you have any secrets
Lucinda Bayly (05:58):
Secret? I was actually speaking to my therapist about this the other day, love that. And I was saying, you just have to realize what the facts are and what's fiction. So what is your brain telling you? But what's the outcomes? What are the outcomes telling you? And the outcomes are that I'm getting repeat clients, I'm getting good feedback. So if that's the feedback that's coming to me, my brain can't keep telling me that I'm not good at it or I'm doing a bad job because if I was, the outcomes would be different. But then my brain is still like, but it will happen. They'll stop coming back. Just
Danielle Lewis (06:35):
Wait, just
Lucinda Bayly (06:36):
Wait. I'll be right this one day. It's like just when you are nice and comfortable and you got this, I'm here to wipe it all out. So yeah, I think that's something that doesn't really ever go away, especially in women. Yeah. Yeah.
Danielle Lewis (06:53):
So talk to me about PR then. So we hear about PR and that we all need it, and it seems to be a bit of an art in a lot of people's opinion. So I'm keen to understand what it is and why we need it first. And then I'll ask you another question.
Lucinda Bayly (07:15):
I mean, I really should have my sales pitch for this more nailed down because it's like, why do I need pr? And I'm like, lemme think because it's great. Yeah, because you get to hang out with me. So yeah, I think people have this perception of PR as very similar to marketing or just social media influencers, or you've got characters on sex in the city, like Samantha Jones is that? Yeah. And it's like this fabulous lunching, blah, blah, blah. But it's really, I think it's the reason that most people and businesses need PR is for that kind of steadiness and that reliability is because when you're building your brand, if you don't have PR there to compliment it or you don't have someone guiding where it's going, who it's going out to, then there's no point in really doing it. So I just think it's really about strategically aligning your brand or your business or your personal brand or whatever it is to the places that you want it to go and to the people that you want it to be in front of.
(08:30):
Because there's only so much that digital marketing can do. And from my perspective, I find PR as more authentic in a way. There's this saying, and it's like advertising is telling people that you're good, and then it's like PR is making them believe it or having them believe that you're good or seeking you out as opposed to you seeking them out. But yeah, I think it's just a lot more holistic for a brand. And I think it encapsulates so many different arenas. And I love the traditional side of pr. I love writing a press release and getting it in print media or getting it on an online blog or whatever that might be. But then there's stakeholder engagement, there's copywriting and engaging with your customers, there's coming up with internal comm strategies. So yeah, it's very multifaceted as well. It's not just, Hey, here's your name in print, give me some money.
Danielle Lewis (09:36):
Yeah, I mean, I love that too, because when I think about it, I always think anytime I've talked to PR people, it's always been about what story can we tell? And that doesn't happen in advertising. Like you said, advertising's usually just shouting at people going, Hey, this is what we're awesome at.
Lucinda Bayly (09:54):
Yes, exactly. And this is how much we'll charge you for it, and it's 20% off. Oh god, yes. Free storytelling is one of my favorite things to do. I love brand storytelling. It's something that I fell in love with even more in the pediatric health care space because obviously I was working with a lot of families and a lot of kids who were going through these unbelievable journeys. And yeah, I think everyone has a story and everyone, every brand has a story as well. I'm working with small businesses that are working out of their garage just trying to push a product that they really believe in, and that just makes me really happy working with them and then being able to see results because it means a little bit more.
Danielle Lewis (10:46):
Yeah, totally. And interesting, I love you being able to tell these brand stories. What do you think the value is of getting someone like you to do PR versus me as business owner to try my hand at pr?
Lucinda Bayly (11:03):
I mean, I think there's advantages to both, because sometimes you do find that journos are like, get this PR chick out of my face. And then you might go and pitch and they might be like, oh, what a lovely little brand story. But then there is the flip side of that where the journalist is like, why am I getting all these things from these small business owners? I dunno, any of them. They're sending me eight page essays instead of three sentences. So yeah, I think if you're a small business, you're always going to want to try and do everything yourself. I know that because I have been trying to do a lot of things myself, which I've quickly learned I'm not good at. So I think honestly, it's more just something that could take a small business owner with no experience in pr. Eight hours to do could actually take me one hour and what's important, where are you investing your money?
(12:07):
Where are you investing your time? And just doing it really smartly. I think it's also realizing the moment that you need it, because you don't necessarily need the second that you decide to create a business. You might, but you might not need it for two years. You might not need it for 10 years, but it's kind of at one point thinking, okay, well actually this acquisition's coming up, so maybe we get some PR around that. Or, Hey, I actually just can't do it all myself. Or actually, I'm going to hire a digital marketing person in house and then outsource the PR side. Sorry, my dog has a squeaky toy outside, if you can hear.
Danielle Lewis (12:46):
I thought it was a bird.
Lucinda Bayly (12:47):
No, no. That's my dog. Gerie. Love it. Yeah, she's like, hi, woman. Go mom. Awesome.
Danielle Lewis (12:53):
I know. That's it. We always need cheerleaders.
Lucinda Bayly (12:56):
Exactly. But yeah, I think it's just about finding the right time and then also prioritizing it is with any business or any investment that you make as a small business owner, it took me so long to invest in an accountant, I can tell you that was desperately needed because I am in communications for a reason. So I think once you kind do it, you're like, oh, this is, oh, I've see
Danielle Lewis (13:22):
Now.
Lucinda Bayly (13:23):
Yeah. And I think PR is one of those things as well because it's like, oh, that's what you do. So yeah,
Danielle Lewis (13:30):
No, I love that you are so spot on. As business owners, we think that we're amazing and we're usually hyper optimistic people as well, so we kind of think we can do everything.
Lucinda Bayly (13:42):
I'm
Danielle Lewis (13:42):
Like,
Lucinda Bayly (13:42):
Why would I spend, even if it's like $300 a month, even if it's super cheap, I'm like, why would I spend $300 a month and that could be in my pocket and I could easily do this, and then two months later I'm only $600 richer. But I've actually spent way more hours doing that that I could have been charging out. It is just ridiculous.
Danielle Lewis (14:01):
It's so funny, isn't it? We just have this such short-term view of things, and women do this too. Don't invest in themselves and their business as much.
Lucinda Bayly (14:11):
Yeah, that's something I'm really, really struggling to do, is actually invest the money into expanding it. And I think that also ties in a bit to the imposter syndrome as well, because I'm like, if you do this and it doesn't work out, what will happen? Oh my God, what will happen? And it'll be really embarrassing, but yeah, I think, yeah, you figure it out along the way, right? Hopefully. Yeah.
Danielle Lewis (14:36):
Look, I'm with you. I'm 10 years in and I'm still crossing my fingers, so
Lucinda Bayly (14:40):
Knows in 10 years time we'll catch up again and we'll see how it all works. We'll, trade
Danielle Lewis (14:44):
Notes amazing. It'll be an in real life wine next time. So how did you find the transition from being an employee in PR to running your own business in
Lucinda Bayly (15:00):
Interesting and kind of easier than I anticipated, but I guess there's a lot of backstory, and I guess obviously there was the pandemic. We have all been used to working from home. I think that would've been a huge shock to my system if I hadn't had these procedures and routines in place working from home for a period of time, and then still until the end, I was still doing two days at home a week. So I think that made a huge difference because that wasn't something super intimidating for me or something scary. And then obviously the biggest challenge for me ongoing is managing my own salary and managing my own finances, because my brain does not work with the numbers. It's not even a joke. It cannot numbers. Sometimes I'll say to my fiance, he'll be like, oh, we owe Hannah $30. And I'm like, oh, and I actually a 20 from the other day, so I'll just transfer her 70 now. And he's like, no, what? Don't transfer her $70. So that I think is the biggest struggle in finding that time to actually, I'm doing client work,
(16:24):
When do I actually do the BPR stuff? And then I think it's also been difficult, just managing my own time and switching off has been probably the most difficult thing because especially in the past few weeks, I've had a lot of weddings on, so I'm out of the office on a Friday and all of a sudden it is not just that I'm on annual leave, it's that I'm a sole trader. I'm the only one doing it. This works, holding up whether I like it or not. So if I have to have a Friday off, generally that means I'm working on my Sunday. And I kind of hate that. I was like,
Danielle Lewis (17:02):
Where's my annual leave? What a crap boss.
Lucinda Bayly (17:06):
I'm like, whatever happened to me, just putting me out of office on and not giving a shit. So I miss that. But the pros definitely outweigh the comms. What do you
Danielle Lewis (17:16):
Love about it?
Lucinda Bayly (17:19):
It's just satisfying, super satisfying. I love running my own race. The flexibility, just being able to answer to myself. Obviously there, being accountable to yourself is within that. And I think it's just, it's really rewarding seeing myself achieve things that I didn't think that I could necessarily achieve. So I mentioned before, obviously it was a bit of a backstory between going from to business owner, but I like so many women across Australia, about two years ago was diagnosed with A DHD, so I'd been undiagnosed my whole life, and this was before anyone was talking about A DHD. So when my psychiatrist or my psychologist suggested that maybe this was what it was, I was like, that is the weirdest thing. Yeah. I was like,
Danielle Lewis (18:14):
You kind of think about kids, right? When you hear a adhd, you just think about kids that,
Lucinda Bayly (18:19):
Yeah, well, because I've got a little cousin who has it, and he's just like, he was this little boy that just bounced off the walls and just had all this energy, and it just shows up in such a different waiting room. And so when my psychologist told me that, I was like, sweetie, back up. I'm pretty sure that you're going to tell me that I had bipolar or whatever. And so then I've recently become medicated for that. And it's just like the change
Danielle Lewis (18:46):
Has, it made a difference.
Lucinda Bayly (18:47):
The most astronomical difference. I wouldn't even be sitting now if it wasn't for that, because now I've always been creative and I've always had, I think, drive, but I've just never been able to channel it. And all of a sudden my brain is just apparently operating in my normal people's brains do. Wow. That
Danielle Lewis (19:04):
Is so cool.
Lucinda Bayly (19:05):
Yeah. So I think the transition would've been way more overwhelming if I hadn't figured this part about how my brain operates. So yeah, it is pretty cool and it's pretty gratifying to know. So
Danielle Lewis (19:19):
What were the big flags for you? What were you struggling with that made you talk to a psychologist about it to even get to that diagnosis? If anyone's listening, I'm going, can we look out for anything? Anyone?
Lucinda Bayly (19:35):
Yeah, for sure. And I'm really candid and open about all of this stuff, so I really like being able to speak about it. But honestly, I was just feeling really, it was during the pandemic, I was just down. I just couldn't regulate my emotions. I've always kind struggled with depression and anxiety throughout my life. It just kind of felt like it was all a pressure cooker. And my GP was just like, look, I think we can do better than this. And I was like, same. I know we can do better than this. And it was just really this, I was just overwhelmed all the time. Things that wouldn't overwhelm a normal person apparently, and really sensitive. So I just get really, really sensitive, really overwhelmed at things that shouldn't have been stressing me out or shouldn't have been these spirals. And it all just turned around and wow. Yeah, so I think so cool. The whole thing with all these women coming out with a DHD now is just, it's going to be really interesting to see, oh my God, we're
Danielle Lewis (20:49):
Finally going to take over the world.
Lucinda Bayly (20:51):
I really am interested to see if there's going to be a rise in female led businesses, a rise in female CEOs, a rise in female bosses, because it's just like all of a sudden my brain can work in a normal way. And I was even reading today, Mia Friedman from Mama Mia, she was diagnosed at 49, so she'd just written this whole thing for Mama Mia. And quite often women who have it are really high performers, but they can't balance or they have a million other things going on. So I'm going to be watching the stats closely. That's
Danielle Lewis (21:27):
So cool. I just love that. And I love that you're open about it as well.
Lucinda Bayly (21:32):
So open about it.
Danielle Lewis (21:34):
And I'm just so glad people are open about it because I know there are so many people that are just sitting behind their desks, banging their head against the desk going, why? What is it? What is up with me?
Lucinda Bayly (21:46):
Yeah. And what is stopping me? I've always thought that I knew that I could be a business owner and start my own business. And my parents have always said, do you think you'll ever go out on your own? And my partners always said it, and my friends have always said it. And I've always been like, no, no. It's the worst idea in the world. I could never do that. Horrific. Strike it from the record and move on. Wow. So yeah, it's really nice to have gone through this journey and then had this really amazing thing at the end. And my psychologist actually went on maternity leave for a period of time, and when she came back, I was like, so much has happened. I'm engaged. I've started a new business. I was like, last time I spoke to you, your life was falling apart. And I'm like, honestly, it couldn't be better. That is so
Danielle Lewis (22:37):
Cool.
Lucinda Bayly (22:39):
I love it. That's really nice. That's a breakthrough. We call that a breakthrough. Yeah. Literally. I think they call it a breakthrough. So yeah, I was like, kudos to you, my psychologist. Well done. This was you.
Danielle Lewis (22:53):
Oh my God, that is awesome. That is so cool. And I just love as well though, that you were brave enough to talk about it and ask questions because I also, so I lived with a partner who was very anxiety, depression, but wouldn't fix it, wouldn't do anything. And I know it's hard and I can,
Lucinda Bayly (23:17):
And it is a monster that feeds itself, and it's really difficult being in a position like that when it's someone you love because you want to kind of slap them across the face and be like, get your fucking ass up and work in the words of Kim Kardashian. Oh my God, love it. Yeah. Unwanted our girl king. But obviously there's the other side that has this deep empathy and understanding that it's completely out of their control.
Danielle Lewis (23:44):
And I think what I am really, I guess impressed with you is that I know how, but because I've seen it firsthand how hard it is, I'm like, I also know how hard it is to talk about it and ask for help. And the fact that you did that and then got to a resolution, had a solution, and now thriving is just awesome. I absolutely love
Lucinda Bayly (24:07):
That. Thank you. And yeah, that's just why I want to talk about it all the time, and I want to shout it from the rooftops. I want to be like,
Danielle Lewis (24:15):
You can do it guys,
Lucinda Bayly (24:17):
And chat to one another, guys, speak to your friends and ask for help. And I think that resonates through so many different facets of our lives in business as well. When you ask for help and you just overcome that, fear changes.
Danielle Lewis (24:32):
Oh, totally. Because business can be so lonely. I mean, you mentioned the pandemic. We all got used to working from home, blah, blah, blah. But it's still really hard. It's still super hard to get up in the morning, super
Lucinda Bayly (24:45):
Hard.
Danielle Lewis (24:46):
I walk downstairs, I get a coffee, and then I just go into another room. I'm in the
Lucinda Bayly (24:50):
Office. Do you get dressed every morning? Do you put on clothes that
Danielle Lewis (24:56):
I am really bad. I only get dressed if I have to do podcasts or
Lucinda Bayly (25:00):
Maybe stuff. Okay. Yeah.
Danielle Lewis (25:01):
And also only half dressed. I have practic beds on and sleeves on.
Lucinda Bayly (25:06):
I'm just exposed to
Danielle Lewis (25:08):
You. I have makeup on, but also slippers,
Lucinda Bayly (25:12):
Well, I mean, I have no shoes on. I've got socks on, so it's kind of similar, but I am wearing jeans. That's something that I'm trying to do, and let's see how long it lasts. But I'm going to wake up every morning and getting dressed in clothes that excite me or make me feel good because I just feel, and especially as someone who has dealt with mental health problems as well, I can imagine that could be a slippery slope too. But I mean, this is still the campiest thing. I'm like, it's practical. It's
Danielle Lewis (25:40):
Still in Loungewear.
Lucinda Bayly (25:42):
Yeah, yeah, exactly. I'm like, it's the new uniform.
Danielle Lewis (25:45):
I'm into it.
Lucinda Bayly (25:46):
But I think getting up in the morning and putting clothes on is often a struggle because you're like, I don't need to.
Danielle Lewis (25:54):
Yeah. Who's going to know? My partner leaves to work at 6:00 AM He doesn't know.
Lucinda Bayly (26:00):
You'd be like, I've just already showered. And That's
Danielle Lewis (26:02):
Right. I looked amazing 10 minutes ago,
Lucinda Bayly (26:06):
And I think this morning I had a shower at 10:00 AM and I'm like, this is weird. I think a bit of routine will set me free, but
Danielle Lewis (26:16):
Yeah. Well, I mean it's interesting as well. I think that is important for as much as I joke about the fact that I'm only half dressed, I think it is really important to understand what is important to you, what routines get you into the zone, whether it's getting dressed, whether it's the shower, whether it's makeup, whether it's, I know some people have their home office, so then when they're finished for the day, they close the door so it's physically shut off. I kind of do think you need to be a little bit self-aware in business and try and figure out the things that work best for you.
Lucinda Bayly (26:48):
For sure. And I think, yeah, I've got girlfriends who can happily work all day from the couch, and it's no problem for them. And I'm like, go off sis, that's awesome. I wish I do that, but I can't, makes my neck work. It makes my neck. I just am like
Danielle Lewis (27:04):
Ergonomic chair.
Lucinda Bayly (27:05):
Yeah. I'm just like, this is comfy. I might just have a nab.
Danielle Lewis (27:09):
Exactly.
Lucinda Bayly (27:09):
That's not where I'm my most productive self, whereas some of my girlfriends are like, I'm genuinely so much more productive sitting there. So yeah, I think it will just be a bit of a learning period as to how I figured that out. The one thing that I realized that I need to start doing, which I've started doing, is putting in a meeting free day, at least a no meetings out day. Because obviously the nature of my business is I'm constantly meeting with clients. I'm constantly out at events or talking to people for whatever reason or on BD meetings. And then it might get to Friday and I'm like, I haven't done anything. Oh crap.
(27:52):
So I need to make a computer day and I can obviously do a few zoom calls and stuff. But just saving that travel time, driving around everywhere, I think that's really important. And I think just because I'm working for myself and just because it's my business doesn't mean that I can't afford myself luxuries like that. Because at first that was a bridge that I had to get over. I was like, well, no, I've got to hustle. I've got to do it. I've got to build it. And I'm like, okay, no, this is what's going to work for you and this is how you're going to get longevity and this is sustainable. So yeah, I think it is affording yourself that flexibility. And I wanted to go out on my own to have a bit more flexibility and to run my own race and control my own life a bit more. And so if I wanted to do that, actually do it.
Danielle Lewis (28:44):
Totally. And it's like if you want to run yourself into the ground, you could do that for somebody else. You could work in a hundred
Lucinda Bayly (28:51):
Percent,
Danielle Lewis (28:52):
Get paid lots, have no responsibility.
Lucinda Bayly (28:55):
Switch off when you get home, go on annual leave,
Danielle Lewis (28:59):
Go on annual, take Fridays off.
Lucinda Bayly (29:01):
Have somebody else there to do your job when you're, oh
Danielle Lewis (29:04):
Yeah, when you're out of office where you get to tag the other person, please see Sophie, she will be looking after all my people
Lucinda Bayly (29:11):
I know now. I'm like, please call me
Danielle Lewis (29:16):
If something's on fire. Call me anyway.
Lucinda Bayly (29:18):
Yeah. Literally, I almost want to start listing out this is what constitutes
Danielle Lewis (29:25):
An actual emergency.
Lucinda Bayly (29:27):
I'm like, please see this list for emergencies. Please see this list for non-emergencies. It's not on that list. Don't call me.
Danielle Lewis (29:36):
That is the best. You have to do that. Yeah.
Lucinda Bayly (29:38):
Oh my God. Hopefully none of my clients listen to this. They'll be like, that's
Danielle Lewis (29:41):
Right. Oh my God.
Lucinda Bayly (29:44):
I'm like, I'm service first, but only to a certain point
Danielle Lewis (29:47):
And only on laptop days. Otherwise I'm been probably in meetings and can't really talk back anyway.
Lucinda Bayly (29:53):
No, I would say it all to their faces.
Danielle Lewis (29:57):
And that's why they hire you because you, you're you. Oh, that's so good. So how have you, I mean interestingly because at Spark we're all about sales and marketing and business growth and blah, blah, blah, have you found anything that's actually worked to get new clients for you?
Lucinda Bayly (30:17):
Honestly, just social media has been huge and word of mouth obviously. But that's not really something that you can buy or
Danielle Lewis (30:30):
I think that just comes when you do good work for people. Yeah,
Lucinda Bayly (30:33):
Exactly. But honestly, shameless self-promotion,
Danielle Lewis (30:37):
Love that
Lucinda Bayly (30:39):
Shame. And there was this speech that I watched the other day from, and I'm going to expose myself here, but Taylor Swift,
Danielle Lewis (30:49):
I am so happy right now. Keep going.
Lucinda Bayly (30:52):
Good, good. I was like, here we go. No, you're
Danielle Lewis (30:56):
Speaking my language.
Lucinda Bayly (30:57):
Important that we're shameless. And when she got a doctorate of music from N nyu, and she said this thing, and it was like everything that you've ever wanted is on the other side of being afraid to be cringe or something like that. And then it's like the second that you stop worrying about being cringe, so many doors open up. And I remember thinking, and I was like, I'm so scared to be cringe.
Danielle Lewis (31:21):
Same, same.
Lucinda Bayly (31:23):
And I'm cringe me do. That's okay. I'm super freaking cringe. And so the second that I stopped worrying, okay, people are going to think that I'm such a loser for promoting my business everywhere and putting a face to it, and they're going to think that I'm lame or talk about me behind my back or whatever. The second I stopped caring about that is how things started moving more because I was more visible and I just didn't care. So I just plugged the crap out of myself essentially. That's so good.
Danielle Lewis (32:02):
I think everyone needs to write this down because I think you're right. So anyone listening, take out a pen and paper, write now and write down Shameless.
Lucinda Bayly (32:11):
Yes. Plug the crap out of yourself.
Danielle Lewis (32:13):
I think that's a better phrase. Plug the crap out of yourself. That's going to be the title of this podcast.
Lucinda Bayly (32:19):
I feel like that could sound like something.
Danielle Lewis (32:22):
Well, maybe we'll get more views.
Lucinda Bayly (32:25):
Maybe we'll get an interesting sponsor.
Danielle Lewis (32:28):
That is the best.
Lucinda Bayly (32:30):
What
Danielle Lewis (32:30):
A talk TV take off.
Lucinda Bayly (32:33):
You don't even want to know. Oh my
Danielle Lewis (32:35):
God.
Lucinda Bayly (32:36):
But yeah, I honestly think that's because I haven't done much in the way of, I've done some booster posts on Instagram or I'm really focusing a lot more on LinkedIn and building my personal brand on LinkedIn. And again, that's such a cringey saying small brand, but it's important. And I think as women in particular, it's really hard to do and it's hard to overcome. And I don't think that you would be so worried about being judged if you were a man. I really don't. And so I think it is scary, but once you do the first four posts, all of a sudden you're like, well, whatever. Keep doing it. You should see my friend's dms, honestly, the poor girls, every time I post something on Instagram, I send it to all of them and I say this, share
Danielle Lewis (33:33):
It. I love that so much.
Lucinda Bayly (33:36):
I'm running a pyramid scheme,
Danielle Lewis (33:40):
New sales strategy pyramid.
Lucinda Bayly (33:44):
You're like, maybe we don't publish this episode.
Danielle Lewis (33:48):
No, it's so good. I love it. But I love you used a word, so if we want to dial it into something, you use the word visible. And I'm like, that's what it's right. We are dealing with a sea of lots of competitors, lots of content, lots of stuff. You've got to be in it to win it, man.
Lucinda Bayly (34:07):
For sure. And I think as well, that is my bread and butter. What I do is pr. Yes.
Danielle Lewis (34:14):
Oh no, you really do need to walk the talk. Talk. I
Lucinda Bayly (34:17):
Know. It's like if it's not looking good, then why would anyone hire me? But yeah, it is that visibility. It's just making sure you're out there and doing things like this as well. And meeting people since I've started BPR or since I decided to really dive into it, the people that I've reconnected with has been amazing. I've reached out to people I haven't spoken to in 10 years since I was at the beginning of my career. I caught up with them for coffee and they're so great and supportive. There's one woman I'm working with at the moment, Alex Graham, I'm not sure if you know her, but she's like,
Danielle Lewis (34:56):
Is she a stylist?
Lucinda Bayly (34:57):
Yeah.
Danielle Lewis (34:58):
Yeah. I'm pretty sure that I went to high school with her.
Lucinda Bayly (35:01):
Oh my God. Hilarious.
Danielle Lewis (35:02):
Yeah, pretty sure I see her on Instagram and I don't even recognize her, but I'm like, I swear to God, I went to high school with you. I'm like, she is just like everything. Yeah, she's amazing.
Lucinda Bayly (35:13):
She's the big, I hadn't spoken to her in 10 years, I think she sent me a message being like, congratulations, this looks great. I was like, I'd love to pick your brain and talk sharp. And she just has been such a support, has connected me with so many people. And so I think that can't be understated either, is the power of connection, making connections, speaking to people and forming those relationships if you are in that kind of business because yeah, that's how you meet people. That's how you get clients.
Danielle Lewis (35:50):
Well, I And I has to just say that everyone's in that business.
Lucinda Bayly (35:55):
Yeah, exactly. I'm
Danielle Lewis (35:56):
Sure it doesn't matter what product or service that you actually sell, you need to be networked in your industry.
Lucinda Bayly (36:03):
100%. And I like it. I like meeting people. I want to hang out with people. I mean, I am an introverted extrovert, so I love being at the parties, I love doing the things, but then I'll get home and I'm like, I'm going to sleep for 18 days. But yeah, I think the power of connection is just so vital when you're in the infancy of a business. And that's also where word of mouth comes in as well. Because I had a call with someone yesterday who was saying, oh, I was over in New Zealand with your best friend's mom.
Danielle Lewis (36:44):
Oh my God. Wow.
Lucinda Bayly (36:45):
Yeah. And she was saying, I needed to get in touch with you, so here I am getting in touch with you. So it's like find the people that are on your side, and when people boost you up, it makes you feel so good as well. And yeah, I think if you give that back and if you reciprocate that respect and that, let's use one another to empower one another instead of trying to step on each other. Competitors, I don't think of competitors as competitors. I'd like to work with them. How do we collaborate on, and that's
Danielle Lewis (37:22):
It. We all bring our own niche superpower to our businesses. I love that thought of collaboration and connection and yeah, it's interesting. I feel like competitors bring on a whole new meaning now. In the old days, competitors were bad. And I remember being in my early sales career, being in some meetings where people would talk badly about competitors. And I've made it my personal mission to never speak badly about a competitor for sure. I think
Lucinda Bayly (37:54):
Everyone has a seat at the table. I mean, unless you're ripping somebody's work off or doing something that's malicious or greedy, well, not greedy, not even, that's a whole different thing. But if you're not intending to actually take someone's business, be harmful, then yeah, I think everyone can have a seat at the table.
Danielle Lewis (38:17):
Totally. There is enough to go around.
Lucinda Bayly (38:19):
Yeah, just don't copy small businesses things. Totally big, large corporations, if you're listening.
Danielle Lewis (38:26):
Yes, please, please.
Lucinda Bayly (38:28):
I'm sure they're listening. I
Danielle Lewis (38:29):
Think they are too. Look,
Lucinda Bayly (38:32):
Listen to Bailey told me this, so I'm going to stop it right now.
Danielle Lewis (38:36):
You are an influencer.
Lucinda Bayly (38:38):
Yeah, clearly.
Danielle Lewis (38:39):
Clearly.
Lucinda Bayly (38:40):
I act like one online, that's for sure.
Danielle Lewis (38:43):
Shameless self-promotion. I got to do it. I just learned that that is the key to success. So do that.
Lucinda Bayly (38:50):
Yeah. Until my friends stop talking to me because they're so sick of it, but
Danielle Lewis (38:54):
Oh my god. No. And that's why friends are so great. They do. And share your stuff,
Lucinda Bayly (38:59):
For sure.
Danielle Lewis (39:00):
Yeah, it's amazing.
Lucinda Bayly (39:01):
It's a free way to support your friends. Small business. Not everyone I know or love is going to have something that they need my services for or be able to afford my services or not be able to use them for any kind of different reason, whether there's a conflict of interest or whatever. But the one way that you can support someone who's got a small business is by sharing their posts, leaving them a review. There's so many free and easy ways to support small businesses. So do them if you can't actually put your money behind them, because not everybody can.
Danielle Lewis (39:38):
Totally. I love that so much. So last question to wrap up this episode.
Lucinda Bayly (39:44):
Yes. Otherwise I'll blubber on forever. Sorry.
Danielle Lewis (39:47):
No. Otherwise I'll need to pour another wine. So is it really
Lucinda Bayly (39:50):
A good way for you to track time, because
Danielle Lewis (39:53):
That's exactly right. No, I actually have to slow down to have a podcast this long. Okay. So last question to wrap it up. We have listeners who are a little scared about taking the leap, so they want to start their own business. Some of them may have an idea, some may just want a business. What would be your piece of advice looking back on your journey? If someone was like, how do I just get started? What would you tell them?
Lucinda Bayly (40:24):
I'd probably tell them two things. One, reach out to people that you admire and reach out to people that have done what you want to do and you think have done it seemingly successfully. I guarantee you it hasn't been a smooth road for them to get there. And what you're seeing isn't the full story, and it will hopefully not terrify you, but hopefully make you feel like you can do it. So reach out to those people and find a good mentor. And then the other thing I would say is don't believe everything that your brain tells you.
Danielle Lewis (41:00):
Oh my God, I love that so much.
Lucinda Bayly (41:03):
That is something that I've had to learn. Just because your brain's saying it doesn't mean it's real or doesn't mean that it's a fact. So don't listen to your brain sometimes. Just do it.
Danielle Lewis (41:14):
I love that so much. I know I'm supposed to be rubbing up this episode, but it just reminds me, we started the last intake of the live Spark program this week, and the biggest thing that came up for people was that they didn't feel worthy of making sales and this idea of worthiness. And I was reflecting and researching and listening to all the things, and I was like, worthiness is literally made up. There's no manual, there's no bench, there's no list. Yeah. It's crazy. You're
Lucinda Bayly (41:45):
Worthy to what? And I think as well, and before when I said the word greedy and I was like, oh, no, no, I don't mean that because I think that's another thing as well as women in business, we're always taught not to be greedy or not to be driven by money or whatever. And I think that's a big thing for business owners and women going into business. That's a huge hurdle that you need to get over to. You can be driven by money. You can want to pay the cash, you can want to bring it in. I've been literally gaslit in roles or in salary reviews where people make me feel bad for being driven by money or wanting more money because I should be doing this for the love of it. You're allowed to want to make money, you're allowed to want to use that money, however the hell you want to use it. I want as much money as possible so I can have a good life, and so I can help people.
Danielle Lewis (42:39):
Totally. The more money you have, the bigger impact you can make.
Lucinda Bayly (42:42):
But even if you don't want to make an impact, even if you just want to go to Lake St. Japan, buy yacht and
Danielle Lewis (42:47):
Then please invite me. Yeah, as long as
Lucinda Bayly (42:50):
I'm your
Danielle Lewis (42:50):
Friend. Yeah. Then you're allowed to want that.
Lucinda Bayly (42:53):
Yeah. I mean, it would be nice if you did some good, but I just think, yeah, don't be afraid to be greedy. Don't be afraid to be motivated by money just because we've been told that that's not what we're meant to do. Again, I don't think that there's ever been, well, I'm sure there has been, but I think it's a lot more rare for men to be embarrassed about being. Totally. And that is something that took me a long time to get over to actually admit, you know what? I actually am motivated by money. That is it. That is a motivator for me amongst a million other things. That is one of them. And yeah, women shouldn't be afraid to admit that.
Danielle Lewis (43:33):
I think there is no better way to end. You are absolutely amazing, Lucinda. Thank you. Cheers.
Lucinda Bayly (43:40):
Cheers. By 1.6 standards.
Danielle Lewis (43:43):
You did well at 1.4 hours on it. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom and your story with the Spark community. You are incredible. Thank you. No,
Lucinda Bayly (43:54):
Thank you for having me on. It was so nice chatting and yeah, let's do it again. IRLI
Danielle Lewis (43:59):
Love it.
