Latest / She Speaks to Scale / 9. Speaking More Boldly to Grow Your Visibility and Influence with Leanne Davies
Transcript
- Sarah Collins: Leanne, thank you so much for joining me today. Leanne: Pleasure, lovely to be here. Sarah Collins: Thank you for listening to this episode of She Speaks to Scale. If you liked the episode or you think it will be useful for someone else, please follow and leave a review. If you've got any questions, do let me know via the social handles in the show notes. And remember to speak with intention, not hesitation, and let your voice be heard. What a pleasure it was to interview Leanne and hear about her own journey with using her voice. If you would like to join us for Unmistakable, our one day workshop, on Tuesday the thirtieth of June, I will pop the link in the show notes. We'd love to see you there. ⁓ today Leanne Davies, a marketing and visibility strategist. With over 15 years of experience in the industry, she is also the founder of Run Mummy Run, a thriving online community that grew to more than 100,000 women through connection, inspiration, and support. Hello and welcome to She Speaks to Scale with me, Sarah Collins. The podcast that empowers women in business to own their voice, be heard and create impact, one communication insight at a time. I'm a media trainer and communication coach and a former senior television producer. It's my mission to bring the communication skills we need to thrive in today's world of business to the generation of women who simply weren't taught them. I can't wait for this conversation to delve a little bit more deeper into your incredible journey to date and to talk a little more about something we are working on together. But firstly, I ask all my guests, can you share the moment when you realize your voice truly mattered? Alongside her marketing career, Leanne also trained as an ICF certified life coach, bringing a deeper level of understanding and support into her mentoring and coaching work. Today, through Leanne Davies Marketing, she helps female founders build clear, sustainable visibility through strong foundations, clear messaging, and personal branding so they can show up confidently, grow their business, and ensure they are impossible to overlook. Leanne: Yes, have a community called Run Mummy Run ⁓ and for a period of time when I was ⁓ not very confident didn't believe in myself I wasn't really showing up the way I should ⁓ and I was having a chat with some of my team behind the and Sarah Collins: Whether it's scaling your voice to step into thought leadership in a media interview, speaking with confidence on camera, on stage and beyond, or scaling the way you communicate when it really counts. This podcast will help you use your voice to be heard in the moments that matter. Leanne: asking how I could connect more with my audience. It was a bit of a problem and I didn't know what to do and one of my team just said to me, Leanne, you've just got to show up and talk to your audience. You know, it's not just about writing a post and posting it. They want to hear from you. So that point when I started to show up and talk to my audience, talk to my community, my women, that's really when things started to change for me. Sarah Collins: Let's dive into the conversation. We'll go on to talk about this. I know there were so many incredible things you had to do as the founder of that community. Was there ⁓ one ⁓ opportunity perhaps you given where you were just like, wow, ⁓ pinch me now. ⁓ Leanne: I think it would have been I was asked to go on Sky Sports to talk about the community, which was a huge wow moment and was really nerve wracking. I had awful imposter syndrome, ⁓ but went on there and I to be interviewed on camera can't remember when it actually came out but watching that moment of me on TV on Sky Sports speaking on camera ⁓ my community, ⁓ was a huge wow moment you know and knowing that I did it and proud that I'd actually done that on live TV, it fantastic and I've still got the picture now where I took the picture of the telly of me talking ⁓ to camera so yeah it was amazing. Sarah Collins: That's incredible. I mean, to have built up a community to the point when you're actually on TV talking about it. Let's go back a little bit. Tell me about the inspiration behind Run Mummy Run. Leanne: Yeah. Yeah, I became a mum for the second time and ⁓ have been running for 20 years, keen runner. ⁓ because I had two little ones, I couldn't get out to my running club as as I wanted to. And I was really missing that connection and meeting other women runners and mums. And it was quite a lonely period of my life. Obviously I was at home a lot with the kids. ⁓ And said to my running friend, really miss just connecting, talking about running, being inspired. feeling motivated by mixing with other mums that run and she said well why don't you set something up where you can just talk to people if you can't get out and I went home and I set up a Facebook group for me and just two friends and I thought that's all it would be and I left it there and then I came back to it after Christmas and people started joining the group, friends started bringing friends onto the group and we got 20 women. And I thought, wow, this is massive. And then more people joined, then it grew into Surrey. And then my friend in Newcastle joined and that's when it went nationwide. Everyone was joining. But I think at the time there was nothing around like it, which is why I started out. I couldn't find one for myself. And we hit a time Facebook groups weren't really a thing. So when it started, it just grew exponentially ⁓ and it was a that no one really had at the time. So it grew so quickly with mums everywhere and it was just such a lovely community to be in. It was just what was needed at the time. Sarah Collins: what was the kind of ethos or premise behind it? so women would join this community and then what would happen? Leanne: to be honest, I never meant to start it as a business. it was born out of personal need from me as a mum who felt lonely, loved running, wanted to talk about it. And, and the other women that came on were the same. It was conversations, it was connection, it was support, empowerment, making women feel like they could great things with the support of, of like-minded women around them. ⁓ And we championed each other. was no other sort of vision for it at the time, ⁓ than that. pretty much ⁓ up to that still is the ethos and ⁓ everything we do with It's about support, encouragement, motivation and helping women lead healthy and happy lives through running. Sarah Collins: So you mentioned earlier about having to have that connection with your audience. So what changed for you at that point? What did you potentially have to start doing then? Leanne: Yeah. Well, I had initially been just showing up doing posts mean you go back to some of my posts in the really early days, I wouldn't even show my face. I was that embarrassed ⁓ and lacking confidence. ⁓ So, but as started sort of out of that, I'd start with pictures of myself and selfies and things and then it grew and then... ⁓ As the business started forming and I started feeling like there's something here, I need to be the founder, I need to lead them. had to ⁓ of step over the worry and the imposter syndrome and step forward and just think, you know, my purpose now is bigger than the fear or I need to make that purpose bigger than the fear itself ⁓ start ⁓ the founder and the community founder that everyone wants me to be. They want to see my face, they want to talk to me, they want to connect, they want to hear the vision, they want me to lead them. So I had to do that and that's when I started doing more videos and saying yes to more media opportunities. Sarah Collins: want to touch on something there because the Leanne that I know and we met about 18 months ago at networking event, you've always been absolutely brilliant on social media. And if anyone's already not following Leanne, you have to go follow her because she's great. I can't believe that you had a time in your life where you felt imposter syndrome and didn't feel like you could show up on the camera. What do you think? Leanne: ⁓ Sarah Collins: was the fear really behind that and how did you overcome that? Leanne: know that the fear was what other people thought. It always past colleagues, friends from the past, family, maybe more family I'm not in touch with. ⁓ My immediate family fantastic. ⁓ So it was what other people thought or who does she think she is kept coming into my head. ⁓ And I suppose Run Mummy Run started as a hobby, ⁓ It wasn't that people knew me as a business woman or I'd sort of stepped into this world of business and hadn't intended it to be. And it did feel quite alien doing something that, I mean, it naturally grew into a business. So I was sort of being taken down this road that I never planned to go down. Never would have thought I would have had a business or been a founder of something so big. So it felt really alien and I had to try and move past the uncomfortable or embrace the uncomfortable and do it anyway. But the more and more Run Mummy Run was becoming successful, the more I was enjoying the opportunities. And even though they really scared me, I wanted to get to the next step. It's like I say, I had this purpose that became bigger. It was starting to pull me more than the fear was pulling me back, if that makes sense. So yeah, it was definitely a purpose that that sort of saved me from the hiding from it all. Sarah Collins: I find that fascinating. Now you mentioned there about media opportunities. What kind of things did you have to do in your role as the founder and how did you find them? Leanne: ⁓ asked to podcasts, ⁓ would be asked to be on panel discussions and give opinions. I was asked to go to London Marathon and talk on big panel there, which was ⁓ very because it's massive there at that event. ⁓ I did charity campaign for the RNIB. another campaign for the This Girl Can government campaign that they do. I mean they were fantastic but I really, really had to ⁓ on my confidence ⁓ and ⁓ work on calming myself down before went and did it. I say no to the opportunities. ⁓ but I really had to work on my self-esteem and my mindset and strategies around how I would do that. I went in there, I wasn't perfect, I was learning as I went. I did find that certain situations I was better in than others and I still find that now when I'm talking to Cameron things. But yeah, I just found my way and just said, I'm human. That was one of my mantras, I am human. we're not all perfect, we just have to go with it and those people that matter, they will accept that, we trip up, people make mistakes, people are human, and try keep that mantra in my head. Sarah Collins: It's that authenticity piece, isn't it? It's about actually, we don't need to be perfect. We can be ourselves and people will be okay if, We just come across as us. ⁓ And I know that's a big kind of value of yours, it? That authenticity piece. Leanne: Definitely. Yeah, it really is. I find the easiest way to show up, talk to the camera and be visible is when I am absolutely myself. When I put myself in a situation that's bit more scripted and structured, I start to feel slightly more uneasy. And I know we have to do these things. But when you have a choice, I feel as if you can be as aligned as yourself as possible and show up as you. It does make that part. ⁓ much easier when you feel you're being true to yourself, ⁓ it comes much more naturally. Sarah Collins: you mentioned in your notes, and this can happen, you were put on the spot at the last minute and kind of given a microphone in one of these media opportunities with no preparation and just had to kind of go for it. I mean, you can't be anything but yourself in that situation, can you? How was that for you? Leanne: No that was, ⁓ gosh, was scary. I didn't have any time to think about it. I was standing around and someone rushed over to me and said, we want to talk to you, we want to talk to you on the stage, can you come now? And I was scurried along and I went on the stage and I had to answer some questions but I hadn't, you know, prepared or thought about them and I just thought, right, this really is me going to be me. on the stage, I can't prepare for it, I can't do anything scripted or I can't think about what I'm saying, I had to trust in myself ⁓ and went brilliantly, went absolutely brilliantly, I came off buzzing, I felt great but it was one of the times I really had to just trust in myself and be myself Sarah Collins: And you're so passionate about it as well, I can tell just in the way that you speak about it. And that trust in ourselves is such a big part, isn't it, of actually how we come across. And I know that's a thread in both of the work that you and I do. Leanne: Yeah. Yeah. Sarah Collins: So you're a published author as well. Can you tell us a little bit more about that? Leanne: Yes, I was very lucky to work on a book that I co-authored with another person, Lucy Waterlow, was launched in 2018, ⁓ and since then sold internationally. It's been seen on bookshelves in Abu Dhabi ⁓ and ⁓ in ⁓ is amazing, it's now been made into an Audible book, which you can buy on Audible. ⁓ And yeah, that came out in 2018. It was probably the pinnacle of my career to have a book. My husband came through Waterloo on the way home one day and went into one of the bookshops there and it was on the shelf and, you know, such a moment to see that when he sent me the picture. So, yeah, it was amazing and people still buy the books and that's how they find the community now. They buy the book and then there's details in the book about it. And it's... everything from beginner running to elite running and everything in between, ⁓ everything to do with women's running. Sarah Collins: That's absolutely brilliant. I what a moment that is. I imagine having your, I know you said you co-authored it, but having a published book, is that not just the ultimate act of trusting in your voice? The fact that what you have to say and what you have to share is actually in a book. Leanne: Yeah. Yes, it was. It's quite a thing when you have a whole book where you have, I I co-wrote it with Lucy, who's a fabulous writer, but I had to go through every single paragraph, sentence. I had to read the whole thing, obviously, ⁓ and make sure I'd weaved everything that I wanted of me into it. So, you know, she gave the structure, ⁓ weaving that in my opinions and my thoughts. and advice, it was a great thing to do, but the day that it launched, ⁓ the absolute nerves that people would receive it, okay. ⁓ And you do always, when you're giving opinions, there is you know, you're nervous that someone will pick up an opinion and maybe criticize it or... So there's all these worries about, you know, this is me, these are my opinions, my thoughts, my feelings going into a book and they're going out into bookshops, ⁓ internationally, got great reviews. We number on Amazon beaten by Gordon Ramsay, damn, because he had a book out at the same time. ⁓ It did really well, so it was really well received. The reviews, I was looking at the reviews on it the other day, they're fantastic. So it was greatly received, but that was such a scary moment. yeah, I had to just trust that, trust in the process, trust in what I built, trust in who I was as a person and just go for it. Sarah Collins: the ultimate fear of rejection, weaving its way in again. I said, I know you as this kind of confident human being. ⁓ ⁓ the work that you do today as a marketing and visibility strategist ⁓ helping women in that way is, ⁓ imagine, of based on from that experience within that community, how did you then come to ⁓ your own business? ⁓ Leanne: Yes. all Run Mummy Run I loved empowering them to show up, be themselves, be the happiest version of themselves that they could be and within the community ⁓ one of the biggest, most popular that they talk about is mental health, confidence, showing up as themselves ⁓ and ⁓ I was so passionate about that. So I trained to be a coach in 2022 because I wanted a deeper understanding of how to help women in that area. And it was such a transformational period of my life learning to be a coach and learning, you know, about emotional intelligence and how to listen to people properly. And I absolutely loved it. And I was at a period with Run Mummy Run where I've been running for a very long time, I'm getting aches and pains now and not able to run as much. So I was looking for sort of other things. I wasn't in the community for myself anymore. It's there for the women that join, but I was looking for other things and I was being asked questions about social media and visibility and marketing. And I just thought, well, I could use this coaching that I've done. ⁓ and weave it into mentoring, so training people, but also coaching them with their confidence as well. So having sort of a really nice blend between helping them with the practical sides of visibility and showing up, but also the emotional side as well and the mindset of being visible. Sarah Collins: When I was researching what ask you, ⁓ I love kind of opening on your website, it really describes kind of you do. helping female founders create simple, sustainable visibility so that they are clear, confident and impossible to overlook. I just love that description. Tell us a bit more about actually what it means to work with you in the role that you do now. Leanne: Yeah, I'm really keen on helping women find a way to be visible that connects completely with who they are as a person. And it's not about being performative or super professional or over-polished, so much so that there's a barrier in front of them and that the people that are watching or following feel like they can't access the person behind them. because they're covering up with this mask. And I also want to help women find a sustainable way because a lot of the women I work with are mums, they're busy, they're just like me, busy trying to juggle it all, fit it all in, and they haven't got time for everything that they, people say they need to be doing on Instagram or social media to succeed. There are so many simple, sustainable ways that you can be visible in your business online. or in person, a blend of the two that is so much easier and less overwhelming than all of the tricks, the trends, the tips, ⁓ the that do burn people out. you don't have to be posting daily, you don't have to be following all the trends. You don't have to be, doing the things like singing and miming and, of the things that make some people feel uncomfortable, including me. The people that do it are great, don't get me wrong, but it's not for some people. And I want to help people find their thing, find what helps them do it in a simple way that's not overwhelming, doesn't give the burnout and makes them feel like they're actually true to themselves. And when they show up, it's just like kind of they're talking to their friends as opposed to, I've got to be really professional and talk to these people. that's what I'm trying to calm it down a bit for people and just make it simple. Sarah Collins: breathed a sigh of relief then internally So you said posting every single day. Well, that's, ⁓ don't do that. ⁓ Not singing and dancing ⁓ social media. Definitely don't do that. What was third? ⁓ Leanne: Thank you. No, it was the point, the pointing, the pointing. Sarah Collins: pointing. No, we don't do the pointing. We don't do the pointing. love that though, because I think there's this pressure, isn't there, when we see other people do those things, and especially if they're talking about being successful in what they do, ⁓ you immediately assume that that's what it takes ⁓ to be successful. And I know that sort of thing really puts people off. If Leanne: Yeah. Sarah Collins: Someone's listening and they're thinking, I know I need to be more visible. What's kind of one little tip that you could give them that they could perhaps start doing today? Leanne: I would say comes from actually taking the action and starting ⁓ and it doesn't to be big. I think ⁓ when you start something regularly, even if it's in small steps, you will gain the confidence and it will grow and then it will grow into something bigger or you'll do it, a bit longer or, so Having the confidence will come, but you have to start first. if people are worried about doing, the talking to camera, ⁓ real or video, I would say just start with a really short clip first, talk to the camera. but just say to yourself, for the next four weeks, every Monday or whatever, once a week, I'm going to show up and I'm going to talk for 20 seconds on the camera. And that's it. My guess is what you will find is 20 seconds will not be enough and you'll go longer, but set yourself at 20 seconds and then do it the week after and the week after. I guarantee by week three or four you are going to start to feel so much more confident because it's starting to become normal and that's what you want to get to. Sarah Collins: brilliant. That's a fantastic tip. I would add as well, just speak as if you're talking to a friend. And actually, that's what I do every single time I go into a reel or an Instagram story or anything you're addressing kind of one person. And it helps take that fear away Now, Leanne: Yeah. Sarah Collins: You've said yes to a few challenges this year, haven't you? To do with using your voice in your business. Tell us a bit more about that. Leanne: Yes, I wanted to challenge myself, as you said, and try and do what... ⁓ the tip I just spoke about, try and follow that. So ⁓ I started yes to more speaking events ⁓ and I to... ⁓ feel more confident speaking and I knew the only way to do that was to do it. Sounds obvious, but that's how the confidence was going to come. So I've said yes and so far I have done, I can't believe I've done seven, but I've done seven speaking events this ⁓ year, which is crazy because it probably than I've done in the last decade. ⁓ You know, this type of speaking. So up in front, of a group. and speaking about a certain subject. So it feels great and from starting earlier in the year to the one I've just done last week, you know, at the beginning I was practicing and I was nervous and I wasn't sleeping and I was really, really knotted up. mean, public speaking has been my nemesis for my life really. So to come through that, speak at seven events and now look at where I am last week and one of the ladies at the event said to me because she saw me a few months previous, you have come so far in that short period of time so it's really nice to feel that there has been progress and I feel it in myself you know I'm not preparing as much I'm trusting in my knowledge and what I know and yeah it really has helped but that again that's the repetition that has got me here, the consistency of doing it again and again, so it starts to feel more natural. Sarah Collins: that's part of it, isn't it? Is actually putting yourself in those situations. And you're right, that's where the confidence grows. And another thing that you have said yes to this year, which I am really pleased because we are going to actually be working together. And we are hosting, aren't we, an in-person workshop for female founders to up-level their voice and visibility. You're bringing the visibility, I'm bringing the voice. Leanne: Yes. Sarah Collins: And that's going to be taking place Tuesday the 30th of June at the Devere Halls, the estate in Surrey. And as this podcast goes out, there's going to be just two days left to grab an early bird ticket for the price of one for nine before that increases. And now this workshop is a blend, as I said, of voice and visibility. So if you're unsure of your message, perhaps you're disconnected in how you want to show up or unclear in how you communicate what you do, then this workshop. is for you. We're going to be covering all of that, aren't we? And you're going to be leaving ready to show up, be heard and remembered for being unmistakably you. And I just love this idea because it really blends what you do and what I do so beautifully. So you'll be the elements of visibility on the daily. And can you tell me a little bit more about what that's going to entail? Leanne: Yes, so I will be covering what I call the core visibility foundations. So this is really important and it's what I teach everyone I work with. You need to understand your foundations before you go out on social media so that you've got a purpose when you go out there and you're aligned with your message, what you're talking about, you understand what you want to be known for and the type of client you want your messaging to attract. We'll also be talking about the personal branding side and how you can use that to gain authenticity and talk to your audience and resonate with them. the second part, be helping the people at the workshop sustainable ways that they can show up so that it's simple also aligned to who are so that they can feel when they show up, it's true to themselves. and it doesn't feel awkward, it doesn't feel like it's not them or too polished, they can really show up as themselves and I'll be giving them some tips, some tricks and ways that they can do this. Sarah Collins: Fantastic. And that's only part of it, isn't it? There's so much more that we've got planned. And then just in terms of what I'll be bringing, we've about trust, having trust in your voice. And actually ⁓ the first part that I be delivering will be about that trust and that confidence. And there'll be some kind of tools and techniques that I will teach in that part just to really raise your confidence in terms of your voice. ⁓ Leanne: us. Sarah Collins: When you speak, lands and it lands when it matters. then my second section will be all about communicating with confidence. So providing those tools and techniques so that when go out there, You really know how to speak with credibility clarity when it really matters. And I think it's such a beautiful blend. ⁓ And I that the attendees are really going to get so much value from the day, aren't they? Leanne: They are. It's going to be a lovely day. think what's also, mean, the fact that we're bridging voice and visibility together, which are so important in two different ways. And we're bringing that together in one space, giving the the time to actually carve out space to think about their business and how they want to show up. ⁓ We don't always give ourselves the time to do that for our business. So in such a beautiful setting as well, I think it's going to be a really lovely place for them to reflect and think about what they want their business to be and how they want to show up. Sarah Collins: that food is important at all. However, it is a beautiful venue and they're also going to be feeding us really well throughout the day. So that is also something to bear in mind, which I'm certainly looking forward to. Leanne, we've got to know each other, haven't we, quite well over the last few months. And I know at the heart of what you do now, but also obviously the community with Run Mummy Run, it was all about encouraging kindness and self-belief. Why are those things so important to you? Leanne: think it comes down to how I perform best and how I live kind of my best life. It's when I feel encouraged, when I'm surrounded by people that are kind to me, that support me, particularly women who empower me. And throughout Run Mummy Run, I wanted to give that same empowerment, kindness, self-belief back to them because I could see... the impact when you treat, well, everyone, but in the community, I saw when I treated my women with that same respect, kindness, self-belief, you know, I empowered them to believe that they could do anything. The impact that came from that was incredible. And I really believe that if you've got a good network, a good group of people, like-minded people around you who all have a shared interest to... cheer you on and help you do well and cheerlead you, you can achieve so many great things with that behind you and that's what I want to do for other women, not just with Run Mummy Run but also with Leanne Davies marketing as well. It's just a real passion of mine to help women thrive and succeed so it carries on. Sarah Collins: How can anyone find out more about what you do? Can you tell us where we might go for that? Leanne: Yeah, I mean my main space that I hang out and talk about everything is Instagram, so that's LeeAnne Davies Marketing. I am on LinkedIn as well as LeeAnne Davies and you can look at my website as well which is leeandaviesmarketing.co.uk but if you want to come and have a chat with me and see what my daily talks are about then come and find me on Instagram. Sarah Collins: And do check out Leanne's Instagram stories because honestly, they are brilliant. Leanne: Thank you. Sarah Collins: Leanne, to wrap up every episode, I ask my guests to complete the blank. So if you could encourage listeners to speak with and then either complete the blank with a word or a phrase, just a little nugget of inspiration they can take away with them after listening to this episode, what would you say? Leanne: speak with belief in who you are so that comes from trusting who you are, trusting your quirks, trusting your ⁓ don't away from that who you are makes you so and it makes you so unique so ⁓ absolutely believe in who you are Sarah Collins: Brilliant, I love that. Thank you so much, Leanne, take care. Leanne: Thank you. Thanks for having me.