Join Toni and Lesley as they chat with Laura Wilkes, the coach behind Communicating for Impact. Laura shares her inspiring journey from rural UK to living in China for 12 years, before embarking on her entrepreneurial adventure in Switzerland. Packed with valuable insights on overcoming fears, finding your authentic voice, and leveraging podcasting for business growth, this episode will leave you motivated to take bold steps in your own journey!

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Stepping out of your comfort zone and taking calculated risks can open up incredible opportunities for personal and professional growth.
• Building confidence in public speaking and on-camera presence is a skill that can be developed through practice, starting with small steps in your comfort zone.
• Authenticity and relatability are key to attracting your ideal clients and building a loyal audience through podcasting and other media.
• Regularly checking in with your values is crucial to ensure your business aligns with your purpose and passion.
• Experimenting and pivoting in your business is a natural part of the entrepreneurial journey - embrace the learnings and evolution.
• Evergreen content that addresses your audience's common questions and challenges can provide long-term value and attract new clients.
• Saying no to projects that don't align with your values and ideal clients is essential for sustainable growth and fulfilment.
• Seeking out inspiration from diverse sources, whether historical figures or modern-day leaders, can provide valuable insights and motivation.

BEST MOMENTS 

"It really opened up my world and seeing people like learn and grow and the sense of fulfilment they got from that is, it's really addictive actually."

"People are craving authentic relatable content and also by being yourself and just showing up as you are and obviously providing value to your listeners."

"If you want something, I'm a real believer in this. If you want, if you really want something and it, and it's, it fits what you want, even though maybe you've not got the budget for it or the timing is not right or whatever it is, is to go and explore the opportunity because you never know."

"It's about just trying it. You can't make decisions for the people without asking them first. It's just about what's the harm in asking you'll get the feedback and whether it's a yes or no, you won't know unless you ask."

"I took the risk to pivot and things just started to slot into place. And it felt better because things like writing my newsletter. writing content online. I knew who I was talking to."

ABOUT THE GUEST

Laura Wilkes

Laura Wilkes is a video and podcast coach who helps educators in business use media creatively to build stronger connections and grow their community. Before becoming a coach and establishing Communicating for Impact, Laura taught English, trained teachers, and led academic teams in Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Lucerne for fifteen years. Laura is also the co-founder and producer for the TESOL Pop podcast, which provides bite-sized and practical episodes on teaching tips, trends, and careers for English Language teachers. 

Website here.
LinkedIn here.

HOST BIOS

Toni C. Eastwood OBE, MBA, (Business Transformation Coach and Facilitator)

Award-winning entrepreneur, who knows exactly what it’s like to start and scale NFP Business, raising multi-millions in funding. She has served as a non-executive board member and Chair of several charities and NFP organisations. With 30 years’   experience in SME, Business startup and growth, as Director of a FTSE 30 Company, starting and growing two businesses over the last 12yrs. Toni knows what it’s like to leave the familiar behind, to personally risk  everything to follow your passion for service and importantly to handle the inevitable obstacles along the way. 

Lesley Craven MA – Programme Director – (Business Transformation Coach and Facilitator)

Lesley has spent 30+ years leading public and social sector delivery, and as a CEO of numerous NFP organisations. She is an accomplished bid writer, facilitator, and business coach leading our delivery to 1000s of Small Business Owners and Leaders over the last 4 years.

PODCAST DESCRIPTION

The Women On Purpose Podcast is where we keep it real, have fun, an authentic and entertaining platform for individuals seeking personal growth, purpose-driven living, and the full range of emotions that make life an adventure.  We share some laughter, and yes, there might even be a few tears along the way. We want the conversation to flow and will be chatting with our guests learning more about their successes, challenges, and how they have navigated these sharing the tools and techniques they may have used alongside us sharing our tips and techniques from our ASPIRE Model.