Podcast Summary
Leveraging LinkedIn for Small Business Hiring and Personal Growth: LinkedIn is a valuable resource for small businesses to find candidates and access a large pool of professionals. It's also a platform for personal growth and resilience, as shown by Steph Claire Smith's story.
LinkedIn is an essential platform for small businesses looking to hire professionals. It offers access to a large pool of candidates, many of whom may not be actively seeking new jobs but could be open to the right opportunity. LinkedIn's popularity among users, with over 70% not visiting other leading job sites in a given month, makes it a valuable resource for recruiters. Additionally, Steph Claire Smith's story serves as a reminder of the importance of self-care and resilience, particularly in industries that can be toxic and detrimental to one's health and wellbeing. Despite facing challenges in the modeling industry, Smith was able to pivot and create a successful business, Keep It Cleaner, which resonates with a large audience. Overall, the discussion highlights the power of social media, both for personal growth and professional success.
From unhealthy modeling habits to promoting wellness: Former model Steph turned her negative experiences into a business promoting healthy living through her ebook, podcast, and food products.
Steph's early experiences with modeling and the pressure to conform to certain beauty standards led her to develop an unhealthy relationship with food and her body. This continued into her teenage years, but her passion for modeling stayed with her. After graduating from high school, she signed with an agency and began modeling again. However, she eventually recognized the negative impact of her unhealthy habits on her physical and mental health. With her business partner, Laura, she launched Keep It Cleaner in 2015, aiming to promote a healthy lifestyle through their ebook, podcast, and food products. Steph's story highlights the importance of self-care and the need to challenge societal expectations of beauty and health.
Discovering unexpected opportunities through following passions: Following passions can lead to unexpected opportunities, even in toxic industries. Stay focused on goals to overcome challenges.
Following your passions can lead to unexpected opportunities. The speaker initially planned to become a PE teacher but discovered a love for photography and modeling. She took a gap year to explore these interests and was fortunate enough to succeed in modeling, even amidst the industry's toxic culture. Her determination to become an international supermodel led her to go overseas and continue her career growth. It's essential to be aware of potential challenges, such as size standards in different industries and countries, but staying focused on your goals can help overcome them.
Struggling with disordered eating in a new environment: External pressures and unrealistic expectations can lead to unhealthy relationships with food and bodies. Valuing past experiences and being mindful can help in recovery.
The pressure to fit in and succeed in a new environment, coupled with external influences, can lead individuals, particularly women, to develop unhealthy relationships with food and their bodies. The speaker's experience in the US, where she faced size discrimination and unrealistic expectations, led her to lose touch with her balanced approach to health and exercise. The impact of her upbringing, where she was shielded from diet culture and negative body image, was crucial in helping her recover. However, the old thoughts and habits can resurface, making it essential to be aware and mindful of them. The speaker emphasizes that it's a long journey to break free from disordered eating patterns and that it's important to value the hard-earned relationship with food and one's body.
Strict dietary restrictions and food avoidance can lead to binge eating: Overly restrictive diets and avoiding loved foods can result in unhealthy eating patterns and a strained relationship with food and one's body.
Strict dietary restrictions and obsessive avoidance of certain foods can lead to binge eating and an unhealthy relationship with food. This was the experience of a model who spent 10 months living abroad for her career. She became overly restrictive with her food choices, avoiding foods she loved and perceived as "bad," which led her to overcompensate with excessive consumption of "healthy" foods. This pattern continued until she felt homesick and lost, pushing back against her agency's demands for size and type of modeling. Her experience shows the importance of balance and self-awareness in maintaining a healthy relationship with food and one's body. Additionally, the model's use of social media, starting from her teenage years, highlights the potential impact of digital platforms on body image and self-perception in the modeling industry.
The Early Days of Instagram: A Time of Learning and Adaptation: During the early days of Instagram, influencers faced challenges in monetizing their influence and dealing with clients, but also found opportunities for collaboration and growth
The early days of Instagram, around 2012, were a strange and confusing time for those who started gaining a following. At the time, influencers were primarily public figures like musicians or artists. Being an influencer meant being in the public eye. But as social media became more prevalent, things began to change. People who weren't already famous started gaining large followings. This was a confusing time for those in the industry, as it was unclear how to monetize social media influence or how to deal with clients who wanted influencers to post about their products. It was also a time when influencers had to beg for gifting in exchange for posts, and it was years before they started getting paid for their influence. Despite the challenges, this period also brought about opportunities. For example, two influencers, Laura and the speaker, met through their struggles with food and launched an ebook together, which was funded by brands they had worked with. Overall, the early days of Instagram were a time of learning and adaptation for influencers and the industry as a whole.
An early influencer's shift towards promoting realistic healthy eating: An early influencer used their platform to promote whole foods and affordable ingredients, offering an alternative perspective to unrealistic health goals and expensive solutions, paving the way for more authentic and relatable health content.
The influencer marketing landscape has evolved significantly over the years, with influencers selling their own products becoming a norm. This was particularly evident in the case of the interviewee, who had around 400,000 followers in 2015, a huge number at the time. The influencer wanted to use this platform to promote a more realistic approach to healthy eating, contrasting the fad diets and quick fixes prevalent in the industry at the time. With a focus on whole foods and affordable ingredients, they were able to offer an alternative perspective that resonated with their audience. This early influence of influencers in promoting a more sustainable and accessible approach to healthy living was a significant shift from the media's portrayal of unrealistic health goals and expensive solutions. Overall, the interviewee's efforts helped inject a dose of reality into the industry and paved the way for more authentic and relatable health and wellness content.
Staying true to values and offering unique solutions: Incorporating core values and providing unique solutions can help businesses build a successful community and thrive in any industry, even amidst trends and fads.
Staying true to your core values and messages, even when faced with trends and fads, is essential for building a successful business and community. Paige and her cohost have remained committed to their message of promoting healthy and sustainable fitness practices, despite the allure of quick-fix solutions. Similarly, LinkedIn offers access to a unique pool of professionals who may not be actively seeking new roles but could be great hires. In the world of fitness, the pandemic led to an influx of new participants and a shift towards quick-fix solutions, but the hosts have continued to provide valuable content and encourage long-term growth. The success of Olive and June lies in its ability to provide high-quality manicure tools and instructions for an affordable price, resulting in salon-worthy nails at home. Overall, staying true to your values and offering unique solutions can help businesses stand out and thrive in any industry.
Discovering New Ways to Prioritize Health During the Pandemic: The pandemic led some to become overly focused on health, while others found new ways to maintain it despite limitations. Kik, a health and wellness business, started as a dream to share recipes and grew out of personal experiences and struggles.
The COVID-19 pandemic led many people to prioritize their health and wellness, with some becoming overly consumed by it, while others discovered new ways to stay active and eat well despite limitations. For those who found the idea of living a healthy lifestyle unattainable due to perceived barriers, the pandemic opened up new possibilities, such as working out at home and trying simpler, more accessible fitness routines. Kik, a business co-founded by Laura Henshaw and Chontel Duncan, started as a dream to create an ebook of favorite recipes and grew out of their shared experiences and struggles with health and fitness. The duo met during Melbourne Spring Fashion Week in 2013 and bonded over their mutual interests, eventually creating Kik as a way to help others overcome the challenges they faced in their own health journeys.
Creating a Passion Project into a Successful Business: Believe in your project, secure funding, delegate tasks, and maintain control to turn a passion project into a successful business.
Starting a successful business often begins as a passion project, without the initial expectation of grand success. My friend and I created an e-cookbook, shooting over 37 recipes in one day with the help of a friend and a fashion photographer. We didn't know if it would sell or not, but we had enough faith to secure funding from brands and believed in the potential reach of our social media presence. The project sold over 7,000 copies, and we were surprised by the community's demand for more content. We then revamped our blog into a subscription model and learned the importance of delegating tasks to experts while still maintaining control as the face of the business. It's essential to understand the boundaries of outsourcing and maintaining quality when representing your brand to customers.
Managing Customer Service and High Demand in Tech Businesses: Expertise, autonomy, collaboration, transparency, and learning from mistakes are crucial for managing customer service and high demand in tech businesses.
Running a successful business, especially in the tech industry, comes with its challenges, particularly in managing customer service and handling high demand. The speakers shared their experiences of dealing with customer issues and the importance of having a dedicated team to handle these matters. They emphasized the need for expertise and autonomy while also recognizing the importance of collaboration. However, they also acknowledged the risks involved, such as the potential for human error and the need to cater to a large customer base without a trial run. The speakers highlighted the importance of being transparent with the community and learning from mistakes. They also discussed the challenges they faced when starting their own business, including losing all data and content and having to start from scratch. Despite these challenges, they remained optimistic and focused on the benefits of having a passionate and collaborative team.
Transitioning from agency to in-house team leads to growth: Control over product and vision leads to business success, continuous learning and collaboration essential for growth, trust instincts and build a strong team.
Taking control of your business, even if it means leaving a comfortable agreement or partnership, can lead to growth and success. The speaker in this conversation shared their experience of transitioning from working with an agency to building an in-house development team. This change was initially anxious, but ultimately rewarding, as they were able to have more control over their product and vision. Additionally, continuous learning and collaboration with talented individuals are essential for personal and business growth. The speaker emphasized the importance of being open to new experiences and learning from others, even if it means stepping out of one's comfort zone. Starting their business without traditional academic backgrounds, they learned to trust their instincts and the value of having a strong team.
Starting a business with instincts and calculated risks: Understand customers deeply, recognize unique strengths, delegate clear roles, and trust instincts for business growth
Running a business involves taking calculated risks and trusting your instincts. The speakers shared their experience of starting a business without formal training and learning valuable lessons along the way. They emphasized the importance of understanding your customers deeply and recognizing your unique strengths. They also discussed the importance of clear roles and delegation to build a strong team. Despite starting as a small team with undefined roles, they were able to grow and develop clear directions for their team members. Trusting your instincts and taking calculated risks can lead to great success in business.
The Importance of Trust and Communication in Business Partnerships: Effective communication, trust, and respect are essential for a successful business partnership. Building a positive team culture and understanding each other's emotions are crucial for overcoming challenges and making good decisions.
Having a strong, trusting relationship with a business partner is crucial for success. While friendships or romantic relationships can provide similar challenges, entering into a business partnership with someone you don't fully trust can be risky. Communication, respect, and the ability to give and receive feedback are essential in a business partnership. It's important to remember that co-founders or founders and CEOs share many of the same challenges as romantic partners, including working through issues and understanding each other's emotions. Finding a business partner with whom you can communicate effectively and build a positive team culture is vital, as you spend more time with your work colleagues than with your loved ones. Trust, respect, and open communication are key to overcoming challenges and making good decisions.
Embrace challenges for personal growth: Challenges can lead to valuable lessons and new opportunities, even if they're tough at the time
Even when faced with difficult experiences, such as struggling to make it as an international supermodel and dealing with industry pressures, it's important to remember that these challenges can lead to significant personal growth and unexpected opportunities. If I could go back in time and speak to my younger self during that tough period, I would encourage her to persevere and trust that the experience, despite its difficulties, would ultimately lead to valuable lessons and a path better suited to her. It's essential to recognize that our goals and dreams may change, and that's not a negative, but rather an opportunity to discover new possibilities. The journey may not always be easy, but the growth and insights gained along the way are invaluable.
