Join us for the very first episode of Women on Purpose! Toni and Lesley chat with Jo Burford, Head of UK Community at TikTok. Jo shares her fascinating career journey from a traditional marketing role to working with influencers and creators at companies like Twitter and TikTok. She offers valuable insights on networking, staying true to oneself, and leveraging social media platforms like TikTok for business growth and personal branding.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Networking is crucial for career growth; all of Jo's jobs have come through connections made at events or online.


• Stay authentic and true to yourself, even when working for big brands; your personal brand matters.


• Video content is king on social media; get over your fears and start creating to educate or entertain.


• TikTok favours creators who consistently provide value through educational or entertaining content.


• Business and entrepreneurship, especially for women, is an unsaturated niche on TikTok with growth potential.


• Embrace your journey and share your struggles. People connect with relatability more than perfection.


• Maintain boundaries between work and personal life to avoid burnout and preserve mental well-being.


• Continuously learn, adapt, and explore new platforms to stay relevant in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

BEST MOMENTS 

"TikTok actually loves authenticity, a true character. It's a very entrepreneurial place."

"You've got to put in the work to have the talent, to have the skills. And I think in today's such fast world, people want things immediately. And they don't realise that actually things are hard."

"I think if you are out there as an entrepreneur, TikTok is a fantastic place to teach, to learn, to teach people."

"Most people want more of real people. They want less of the perfect life. I think that's over."

"I think people are so used to now quick results because of the internet, the way we work, the likes, the shares, the immediate gratification. But it's not really quick results, is it? And there's this whole thing about talent actually is, and I think that, you know, all the talent competitions and seeing influences is you don't realise the 30 weeks, 30 years of work that went into their 15 minutes of fame."

"Particularly if you've got a niche, a passion, and it doesn't have to be that niche, it doesn't have to be crazy niche, but something that is a spinoff from something, let's say it's gardening, you know, if you're doing something particular around a certain style, then you're going to grow."

"When you are least feeling it is when you need to sort of tune into that, I don't know, that superhero version of you that says actually she would go out whatever the weather and knowing that, and concentrating on the feeling you're gonna get after."

ABOUT THE GUEST

Jo Burford

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.