Perls of Wisdom

I Was the Product. Then I Built Something That Wasn't Me.

• Isobel Perl • Season 1 • Episode 4

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This episode feels like sitting down with someone who’s actually in the thick of it.

I sat down with Lauren-Nicole, founder and creative director of LND Studio, to talk about what building a creative business really looks like when you’re in the middle of it, not at the finish line.

From the outside, it’s easy to look at a beautiful studio, a strong personal brand, and a creative career and assume they all came together seamlessly.

But this conversation tells a very different story.

Lauren talks about starting young, navigating the transition from blogging into the creative industry, and figuring out her place in a space that constantly evolves. We get into what it really took to build LND Studio, the vision behind it, and the gap she saw in the market that pushed her to create something of her own.

But more than that, we talk about the reality behind it all.

The pressure. The uncertainty. The constant feeling of having to “figure it out” as you go.

At one point, she says, “I feel like I’m constantly in a cycle of figure it out,” and honestly, that sums this episode up perfectly.

Because this isn’t a conversation about having everything mapped out, it’s about building something in real time, making decisions without always knowing if they’re right, and continuing anyway.

We also get into the emotional side of running a business. The parts that are hard to articulate. The moments where you question things. And the feeling that, sometimes, it shouldn’t be this hard… but it is.

This episode is for anyone who is building something, juggling multiple paths, or trying to turn a vision into something tangible, while still figuring themselves out at the same time.

It’s honest, it’s candid, and it’s exactly what the messy middle actually looks like.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure you follow Perls of Wisdom, so you never miss a conversation about what it really takes to build a business.

This podcast is all about the messy middle. The part nobody talks about. The lessons, mistakes, and breakthroughs that happen while you are still figuring it out.

If this episode helped you, I would love it if you could share it with a founder friend or tag me on social media so I can see you are listening.

You can find me here:
 Instagram: @itsisobelperl
LinkedIn: Isobel Perl
YouTube: Isobel Perl
Website: perlsinbusiness.com

If there is a founder you would love me to interview, or a topic you want covered, send me a message. I read more than you would think.

And remember:

You do not need to feel ready; you just need to decide to start.

Love Isobel x

Introduction

SPEAKER_00

Sacrifice in terms of freedom. Sacrificing also in terms of financials. I felt like I was constantly having battles.

SPEAKER_02

Welcome to Pearls of Wisdom, the podcast where we talk all about the messy middle of starting a business. And today I have on the founder and creative director of LND Studio, Lauren Nicole. And if you don't know what LND Studio is, it is the place where we are recording our podcast today. And I cannot wait for you to hear about Lauren's journey of starting a blog at age 12 through to becoming a model, an editor, as well as creating this beautiful studio space. So please enjoy this episode. And if you have any questions at all, drop them in the comments below. Also, do let me know any other founders you'd like me to get on to interview. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and follow along on the journey.

Meet Lauren Nicole

SPEAKER_00

I'm so excited to be here. I feel like it's very rare that I've sat here.

SPEAKER_02

Is it weird that you're No, it's not weird.

SPEAKER_00

Kind of. No, I'm thinking it's so cute. I'm so excited to be on.

SPEAKER_02

And for context, this is Lauren's studio. So that's why maybe it's a bit weird that she sat here today. Yes. Um, so to start off, I want to ask you what's the most chaotic thing that's happened to you this week? Oh. This week. Or last week, if something chaos happened last week as well.

SPEAKER_00

Chaotic. Do you know what? I just feel like life is just chaos right now. I don't I can't necessarily pinpoint one thing, but I think, and you'll probably understand this as well, with like juggling a business, juggling yourself and all of the like life admin that you've got going on. I just feel like I'm constantly on a cycle of like figure it out, figure it out, chasing my tail. Yeah, yeah. So I would say that's like just life chaos.

SPEAKER_02

I I'm in an era of chaos. I agree. Yeah, I can get I can get I can get on board with that. I feel like it's so funny because as business owners, we have so much to do, and then when it comes to my life, I'm like, I've got no energy for this. I don't know if you find the same thing.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, 1000%. My room is an absolute mess. Every day I'm like, I'm going to clean this, I'll keep this space, spick and span, but home.

SPEAKER_02

No, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Um, so yeah, it's just life.

SPEAKER_02

It's just life, it's just life as a founder, it's life. Um, so can you give me a quick elevator pitch to LD Studio and also I guess everything that you do outside as well?

SPEAKER_00

Sure. So the the way I would start is hi, I'm Laura Nicole. I am what I like to call a multi-hyphen at creative. So I do a plethora of things that all kind of fit within the creative space. So I have a studio called LD Studio. I also create digital content and work with various brands to essentially kind of uplift and show women that they can be their bold authentic selves. Um, I also write for Cosmopolitan, I'm the contributing curve editor at Cosmo, so I write a lot of their digital uh pieces and print pieces about curvy fashion and size inclusivity and things like that. Um, but in terms of LD Studio, I really felt like there was a gap in the market in terms of London having spaces that would provide creatives with homes that they would be able to shoot whatever their vision is, um, but it to be a space that was bold and colourful and full of personality. I really wanted something that would essentially be a space that I would be able to use rather than having to use my home or having to go and seek out a day use hotel room or something like that. So LD Studio is essentially just like a creative playground for colour-loving creatives.

SPEAKER_02

And I love it. It's got every time we come in here, Paige and I are like, wow. I'm so glad.

Blogging at 12, modelling & Cosmo

SPEAKER_02

Every time we're just like, wow, I'm so scared. It's gorgeous, honestly. Yeah, like the vision is just like it's like copied and pasted. It's incredible. Oh, thank you so much. That means a lot. Of course. So can you take me back to I guess the Lauren before LD, before the influencing? Um, what was what what were you doing? What was life like?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, of course. So we're gonna have to go back quite a little way simply because I started a blog when well I first started my first ever blog when I was 12 years old.

SPEAKER_01

Incredible.

SPEAKER_00

Um, I was so obsessed with the blogger sphere at that time. So this is like probably 2014, 2013. Um, and you had the likes of Tavi Jeverson, who was this 14-year-old young girl sitting at Fashion Week, pissing everyone off with her elaborate hats that she was sitting in front of editors, and she was literally just a blogger, just a blogger. And there was like this stir that was happening in the blog blog sphere essentially. Um, and I wanted to be a part of that, so I first started off with a teen blog, um, and then transitioned over to having a fashion-related blog. Um, and that was when I was 15.

SPEAKER_02

Incredible.

SPEAKER_00

Um, insane to be quite fair. But I really wanted to be like a fashion journalist, and the mentor that I was working with at the time, he was like, you should really start something now, um, simply just so that if you do want to go to university, at least you've already got some sort of portfolio essentially. Um, so yeah, I did that, then Instagram came around, and then I started posting on Instagram, and then I ended up doing a um like ambassadorship with an independent plus size brand when I was 18, which was called 113. Um, and then that started my modelling career. So it's all just kind of very much been quite authentic in the sense of it's just been one foot in front of the other, in front of the other, but then essentially landed up in me then joining Cosmo. We then went into kind of lockdown, or should I say the other way around? We went into lockdown, I joined Cosmo. Um, my kind of influencer career took off a little bit more in the pandemic as well, and then that's how we got to LD. So yeah, it's been a fun but very interesting transition, I think.

SPEAKER_02

Incredibly interesting to start a blog at the age of 12. I mean, wow, what was I doing at 12? Like it's so funny because even you saying how you had your mentor who suggested like moving into like the fashion space because that's what you wanted to do. It's so incredible to be like 15 years old and to have someone to help you navigate that world. Because I just remember my friend going to do an um internship between school and uni, and I thought that's so random. Yeah, like who does that? Obviously, a lot of people do that, and I was just like so uneducated, and I just look back and think, wow, if only I'd had someone to help like guide me into doing that, and I guess like that's a beauty of social media now, is that there are so many people out there that you can you take inspiration from that can almost like help guide you, but that's mad. Where where would you even start a blog at 12 years old?

SPEAKER_00

No, I know it's so odd. I think as well, because I'm an only child, so there was a lot of kind of like not go off and figure it out yourself, but I didn't have siblings to play with, so it was almost like okay, I'll play with the internet. Um, but yeah, it was just like a really interesting time. I feel like it was the that era was like the perfect version of the internet. Yes. We've gone in an interesting direction now. Oh yeah. Um, but yeah, it it felt like a tool that you could connect with people, and in some ways it still is like that today, of course. That's true, but the connection was quite a lot more authentic. Like when you think of my space, when you think of the early days of Facebook, it's so much more about connecting with people and building friendships. You wouldn't necessarily look at the people that you're following on the internet in the same vein that you did then today. Um, and so yeah, I think it was a really unique time of me being able to write and connect with people, but also just having fun with it, yeah. Um, and yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Honestly, yeah, I love it. And did you think, obviously, maybe not, maybe not at 12, but as you were getting a bit older, that the blog would slowly turn into like a career? Or no, it was just a passion project.

SPEAKER_00

I I I think it's it's quite interesting, and you might have a similar experience. I think when you're quite young and you're trying to think about what your next steps are, you can almost maybe think about like two years' time, a year time maybe. Um, but to have the foresight to be able to envision life beyond the next school year is often quite difficult. So even though I was kind of quite adamant in the fact that I wanted to go to like get into uh journalism, I didn't necessarily have the insight or knowledge onto okay, so what courses do I need to be taking? What should I be doing? Like it it sounds like maybe I did, but in reality I very much didn't. Um, I think it all just kind of happened in a really organic way, yeah, which I don't necessarily think can be 1000% replicated. Like I don't think my experience I could tell another person to do the exact same thing and they'd get the same outcome. Um so yeah, but I think it's just an an interesting interesting time, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

So it's so interesting. And did you go straight into I guess like modelling and work, or did you did you go to uni? Did you yeah?

SPEAKER_00

So I went to uni. Um so once I came out of sixth form, I went to uni, but I was actually modelling at the same time that I was at university. So for the first two years, so year one and year two, I was doing a lot of modelling for brands like Dorothy Perkins. So I was actually heading to Leeds and then coming back because my uni was in London, um which was interesting and really difficult at times. Um, and then in my third year, because of my dissertation, I was like, I will pause the modelling because at the same time my influencer career was kind of taking off as well, and I was also working in retail, so I had a lot of things that were going on at the same time, um, which quite honestly I don't know how I was doing all of that, but yeah, uh it was all going on simultaneously.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, honestly, that's I what did you study at uni?

SPEAKER_00

Journalism, yeah, yeah. I studied journalism at uh University of Westminster. Nice, and then you still you write, don't you?

SPEAKER_02

So it's still part of like your career now. Yeah, yeah. I get that. I feel like it's one even doing a university degree is hard enough as it is, to then be like modeling and influencing on the where did you find the time?

SPEAKER_00

I don't know. I honestly don't know. I think I had a lot of breakdowns en route to work. Um uh but it was it was fun, kind of. There were moments where I was like, what am I doing? I need to stop. And I to be fair, the retail I only worked in retail for like maybe 10 months max. I didn't reach a full year. Um character building. It is, it's it's the stories I have of being in the fitting room, the stories I have of being on the tills. I'm like, wow, people are very interesting, but I actually think it prepared me for dealing with like clients in the space. So actually, it all works out.

SPEAKER_02

Honestly, I feel like anyone who's not worked in retail, I'm just like, wow, you don't know you've missed out.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I feel like retail and any sort of hospitality. The general public, yeah, you've got to have experienced it at least once.

SPEAKER_02

You actually do. Um, and I feel like we've touched on it already. But what was that light bulb moment into being like, okay, I'm you know, I'm an editor, I'm a creator, now I want to create my own space in which to, you know, explore more in like what when was that light bulb moment?

SPEAKER_00

I'll be honest, I think there

Why Lauren wanted a studio

SPEAKER_00

were a few different things that were happening at the same time. So, one, I was creating a lot of content at home during the pandemic, and I really felt like I wanted something that was separate from my home. One, my home is nice, but it's not very Instagrammable. Um, and I wanted somewhere that I would be comfortable to shoot in, I can leave my things there, and then I can go home and I'm just in homework mode. I'm not in work mode. Um, so that was the one thing that I really was thinking about. The next was, and this is quite honest, but I think influencing and the the ability to stick in that job for the long term. Yes, there's I think unless you've got sort of like maybe the right backing behind you, or you're able to really pick up on the momentum at the right time, it could be quite a humbling experience when maybe your numbers start dropping, your engagement starts dropping. So I really felt it was important for me to have something that was aside from me being the brand um and influencing. So yeah, it was kind of like a mixture of the two. And to be fair, I started looking for spaces in 2021.

SPEAKER_01

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_00

Didn't find a space till 2024.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

So it's been a really long period of like looking for spaces, trying to find the right fit um in terms of location, building, etc. Um, but I'm really thankful that we we managed to do it because it it was a long time coming. What what were you? I guess what why do you think it took so long? Um, to be fair, the main thing I think that was difficult for me is that I was looking for a space in West London. Um, if I was looking for a commercial unit in East London or South London, I would have found something so quickly. Yeah, because I feel like this is very East London vibe. Yeah. Yes, but in West London, a lot of like commercial units are in industrial estates or are in the middle of nowhere in Brentford or Park Royal, which is completely fine if you are maybe a kitchen or something like that. Yeah, a Shisha spot, I don't know, anything random, but for what I wanted, I wanted a space where also personally for me where you can walk out and you could still create street style content. That's amazing. Yeah, you can come in the space, you can shoot your content, you can go to a nice cafe down the road. Um, I didn't want people to be leaving the space like late at night and feeling like uncomfortable because of the area that we were in, and just also me feeling uncomfortable. So there was a lot of factors. I viewed countless spaces. I was gonna ask, how many did you view over the two, three year period? I'd probably say like a good 30 spaces, and not all that I went physically to see. Ones that I went physically to see, I'd probably say is like 15, 18 spaces. Um, but in terms of like searching and looking up online, probably a good 30 plus. I probably know every single commercial unit in West London, so if you need a space, let me know. Um I would be taking commission.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Um, but yeah, it it was a really a labour of love. Yeah. And um at the beginning of 2024, I was kind of like, if I don't find the space, then it's maybe it's not meant to be. Um, I don't know if you've ever heard this saying, I think it was Michael Jackson. He used to say that um when he had a song idea, he would either act on it straight away because he felt that Prince would come in and take the idea. And I was almost, it's not exactly the same thing, but I was almost at a point where I was like, okay, maybe this isn't my idea to hold. Like maybe this is supposed to go back out into the universe and someone else is supposed to take it and look for and like find the right space. Yeah, maybe I'm just not the person to carry it. Um the fact that I use Michael Jackson for that, but anyway. Um but yeah, no, I I really felt that. So I was kind of like, if I don't find the space, I I don't find the space, we move on. And we ended up signing the lease. I say we, me, I ended up signing the lease in May of last year.

SPEAKER_02

Wow.

SPEAKER_00

So yeah, it was meant to be, it was meant to be, and I'm really thankful. I think this the the building is is gorgeous as it is, like taking out all the furniture and everything. I think we found a really like gold mine of a space, and then we're able to create a really fun, eclectic space to go with it. Yeah, um, so I'm really thankful for that, but yeah, it it was a really long journey.

SPEAKER_02

I think it's important to note though how it's you know, not giving up almost because like a year in you could have been like, No, like this is exactly like it's it's like very labour intensive to use so much brain power to be like trying to get this idea off the ground, and you feel like every time it's like a knockback, a knockback, and knockback. But I think it's so important to also like you know, it's I think there's a a moment where you're like this isn't for me, but also I feel like for you there was that fire in you, and you were just like, I'm not giving up. Like, I know something's around the corner for me.

SPEAKER_00

I think also because ultimately, and we can also discuss this, but the the way that the studio has come about isn't exactly how I envisioned it.

SPEAKER_02

Um tell me more, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

So I never envisioned having the podcast space at all. Oh, no way, yeah, which is quite interesting because it's become our like main part of the studio. Um, but that wasn't the vision. The vision was solely just having like a content space. So I think it's it's beautiful that it took as long as it did because it then meant that the business was able to become something more than what I had originally planned.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Um, but yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, that's so interesting. Because I was gonna ask, I was gonna say like why um why has for us it seems as though the space is focused around podcasting, which I guess now it is because it's like your popular offering. Yeah, that's so interesting. It was never a thought process.

SPEAKER_00

It was not it was never a thought process. I think once I came in, I had a few I had a lot of ideas for how downstairs was going to look.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Um, which is our our content kind of school lifestyle space. So we've got a kitchen and we've got um a a proper like living room area, um, and I had a lot of ideas for how that would look. But then when we came up here, I was like, okay, could I change it into like maybe a bedroom or a YouTube room or a beauty room? And there were all these ideas of what it could potentially be. Um, and then it almost just felt like, well, of course it would be a podcast room. Yeah. But how do we make that yeah? How do we make that really a thing? Um and yeah, it just it

Opening LA Studio: the reality

SPEAKER_00

just kind of became its own thing. But yeah, this was like literally the last room to be designed. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

And I guess what steps did you take to well, one, what steps did you take to actually open a studio and to like get it all set up and functioning and running? How what did that all look like?

SPEAKER_00

A lot, a lot of tears. I am a crybaby, and business has taught me I am seriously a crybaby. Um, yeah, no, it was a lot of tears, it was a lot of having to lean on um my kind of like support system. Um, I'm so thankful for my assistant Abby, who you've met, who she was really able to kind of like create and help and move and and build and do all of the things when at times I was just like, I I can't think about it right now. Um it was a lot. I mean, from from the moment I found the space and trying to understand, well, what are the capabilities? What are we able to do in this space? Because I think it's different when you're when you're kind of like looking at spaces and having an idea in mind, but what is the reality? Like, are we able to host events here? Are we able to host ticketed events? Are we able to have music playing? Like, I wanted to know all of the intricacies to understand what is actually capable. Um, but also was quite like I'm a young black girl from West London who does have an education and can stand on my own foot feet, but I'm meeting with a lot of like older white men um who own these properties, and they're looking at me like, what are you doing here? Yeah, why are you interested in renting my space? And what is a content studio? Um, and I'm like, it's gonna be really good. It's gonna be it's gonna be great, and and the clients are gonna be amazing, and there's not gonna be any issues, but like for people that don't necessarily understand content or anything like that, it's like what are you what are you talking about? Um, so there I felt like I was constantly having battles and a lot of battles with men, um, from dealing with real estate agents to then contractors and then coming into the space and building things because I don't know how to build certain things. Um it was it just felt like a lot of yeah, headbutting. Yeah. But eventually we got there.

SPEAKER_02

You did, yeah. And you've smashed it. Thank you. Do you do you think being like a young black woman had an impact on how people I think so, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

And I I I mean I hate to I hate to like act as though how what's the right word? I hate to present like look at it in the sense of well that is the reason why I'm being treated maybe a different way but then also the reality is is that there are a lot of prejudice and a lot of biases. Let's even remove like racism or anything like that, but there are a lot of biases in terms of people's capabilities, just on a wider, wider stance, in terms of women, in terms of race, in terms of age.

SPEAKER_02

Um even in terms of like being an influencer, yeah. I feel like people look at you and think, oh that's not a real job, that's a hobby.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, um, and so I think it's really difficult to then go into a space where people don't necessarily understand everything that you're laying out and having to really like advocate for yourself, and sometimes feeling like, oh, they're not getting this. And is it because of the influencer work? Is it because of my age? Is it because who knows? I can't necessarily say that's the exact reason, but there is a feeling, yeah. Um, yeah, and yeah, but I also think that that has never held me back in anything else in life, and will never hold me back, so I just try my hardest to push through it, yeah, um, as much as possible. But yeah, it definitely it definitely felt as though that was a that was an issue.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, it's I think it's tough, like you you say, even taking race out of it, just being a young, a young female, people don't take you seriously, and it's like I really like I just I feel like you can just look at those people and be like, look at me now.

SPEAKER_00

We we're doing great, exactly um, and we're meeting incredible people. I'm on your podcast, um, but yeah, it's it's it's challenging at times, but I think I try my best to not let it get to me, I think. Yeah, um, and just push through.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, you have to.

SPEAKER_02

And what was the moment like when you signed the lease and got the key? So scary.

SPEAKER_00

So so scary. Um it was exhilarating. Um, I was I was just so excited for what was to come next. I had no clue about what was possible, but just knew that it was the beginning of something really incredible. Um, and it has been, it's been an incredible journey, and yeah, I was I was just so excited.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I honestly I feel like I can just imagine, and I because I've seen the video as well of what the space looked like before. Like I just feel like the excitement of being like wow, like get rid of all of this like yucky crap and like put my mark on it, and what inspired the decoration of like the inside, the decor and the vibe?

SPEAKER_00

Um, I mean, one second, let me move on. Okay. Um I think I had already had like a really extensive Pinterest board simply just because of how long it had been from looking for the space, like having the idea, looking for the space, finding the space. So the Pinterest board was thick and serious. I knew that I wanted it to be colourful. Um, I knew that I wanted hints of pink, it turned into very pink, um, but pink is my favourite colour if you can't tell. Um, and I knew that I just wanted it to feel feminine, but also very quite modern and fun. And I hope that we've been able to create that, but yeah, I mean the inspiration really was just kind of born from that, and also born from my love of like New York and loft living, and yeah, I took a lot of inspiration from that as well. It's gorgeous.

SPEAKER_02

I feel like my literal Pinterest board of like Dream House is this.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, in I mean, I am racing you to that. Um, unfortunately, commercial unit, no one can live

From creator to founder: the fear

SPEAKER_00

here, but if I could, I really would.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I feel you on that one. Um, and so in terms of I guess stepping from being editor, influencer, creator into a founder of a I guess a service-based business, what did that look like?

SPEAKER_00

Scary, yeah, so scary. Um, I would say obviously, as I said, like working in retail did prepare me for some of it, um, in terms of you know that client customer relationship. Um, but I don't other than that, I don't think I had really any idea of really what we were doing, to be quite honest with you. It has really just been a case of trial and error and trying our best to make sure that the the people that walk into this space leave here feeling happy, feeling like they've had a great experience. Um and yeah, but it's it was scary, especially because, as well, with like content creation and even writing, it's a very much kind of solo gig. Yeah, it's just me. Of course, with brand work, I have to worry about what the brand likes and whether it conforms to the brief. Yeah, but again, there's extractions with that, so you know what you're doing. I know what I'm doing, I'm being told what to do, it's just that I've got to provide my own creative idea, and I guess it's like a path that's been well trodden. Yes, yes, um, and there's lots of other people who have done it as well. So if I need any advice with anything, I've got so many friends that I can lean on that are in the influencer creator industry that I can do that with. With this, I didn't necessarily have that. Yeah. Um, so it was really difficult. There was a lot of having to Google and understand what certain terminology meant. Um and yeah, just getting to grips with that. But it as I said, it has been like a really amazing learning experience, and I think also for myself, just being able to come out of my own comfort zone as well, because I think sometimes we can get stuck in this loop of doing the same thing over and over, um, and especially with influencer work, can it be difficult? Yes, but difficult in comparison to someone who's you know doing surgery or something like that, it is not, it is not it's not stimulating the mind in the same way, um, or providing challenges in the same way. Whereas this was really a challenging experience for me. Um, so yeah, we've come up against a lot, but it's it's been it's been part of the journey, it's been part of the plot. I always think like when someone makes a film on my life, I highly doubt, but when someone makes a film on my life, we're manifesting, the plot is gonna be so interesting. Oh my god. We're doing it all for the plot. Yeah, we're doing it all for the plot.

SPEAKER_02

The whole reason, just for the plot. Exactly. Um, first thing I have to say, the experience of being like the user of the space is impeccable. Like honestly, like every time we walk away, we're like, that was that was such a nice. You just you're so welcoming, you're like nothing is too much of an ask. Like, yeah, very like just so yeah, you're doing a fantastic job, I have to say, as a customer. I'm so glad. Um, and then I think one other thing I want to ask is just like what I guess like when you sign a lease, that's a lot of pressure because how long is a lease?

SPEAKER_00

So our lease is actually quite shorter than what usual commercial unit leases are, simply because the landlord was switching. Oh, I don't know all the terminology. I should something is changing, okay? Um, so my lease, typically leases for commercial units are like five to seven years, ours is three. Um, so it kind of also felt like the right opportunity as well. Because if it doesn't work out in those three years, okay, I did it, I tried it, I can move on. Um, but yeah, it it yeah, I was scared.

SPEAKER_02

It is this big, it's big and it's legally binding. No walking away from that. Um, so you've mentioned some of the challenges that you faced. Can you dive into any of them on the podcast?

SPEAKER_00

Sure we can. Um, some of the challenges that we face. I think the the one of the most recent ones I would say is that we have a new employee. And as someone who has, you know, I've had Abby with me for the last four years, I want to say. Three, four years, and in some way she just feels like a part of me. Yeah, so I almost speak gibberish to her and she understands what I'm saying, sort of thing. Um, but having someone new in Sarah who is amazing and she's got a great energy, and I'm so glad I found her, but um, having someone new where you've got to do the training and like understand and uh verbalize exactly what the business is to them, I find that to be quite challenging. I don't know if you've had that similar experience, definitely. Um, but it's I'm almost just like if I could just remove the contents of my brain and just do a little transfer AI, can we can we make that happen? Um, but yeah, if I could just do that, that would make my world so much easier. Um, and then I would say also, as you know, we're we're a client, we're like a service provider. That at times can be difficult. People have expectations of what they want, and if sometimes they're not able to meet those expectations, even if we provided them with the guidance on it and something goes wrong, for a long time I was taking it very personally. Um, and like, oh, you didn't have a good experience. Okay, this is because of me, this is my fault. But like, if you don't hit record on the broadcaster, and I've told you to read the guide and hit record, but you don't, and you have a four-hour booking, what can I do if I only find out at the

Boundaries & difficult clients

SPEAKER_00

end? So that is something that has happened that was really oh my god, you know what?

SPEAKER_02

I'm like, are we recording the sound?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, we are, we are, we're read, I can see. Um, but yeah, that was something that was very difficult. And goodness, yeah, it was a learning experience for me. But it's just one of those things. I think you have to you have to have those experiences to know what you need to change or what you need to implement. All of our terms and conditions have really come to fruition because there's been something that has been learned, and then you're adding it in. Yeah, and I'm like, okay, now we need to make sure that we've got that because we don't want this to happen again. Yeah, so yeah, it you've just got to be adaptable, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

And boundaried as well, I feel. Yes, because I feel like people could. I mean, we maybe took the mick on our first booking because we were overran. It's okay. But remember, thank you. Um but I feel you've got to be so boundried as well with these things because you give an inch, and maybe some people might take a mile, and you you need to be up, you need to be confident enough to be like, actually, no, like, and that's tough.

SPEAKER_00

And as someone who is a people pleaser and in therapy, um that was really difficult because as I said, I was taking a lot of it quite personally because also all of my other work is personal, all my other work is me, so and ultimately this is. This is a reflection of you as well, exactly. So to have that separation, yeah, challenging, but I think you have to, you have to, no matter what the the business is, you have to be able to create those boundaries um and separate yourself from the business.

SPEAKER_02

And how have you managed to do that? I know you said you're in therapy. Is there any practical things that you do to separate yourself?

SPEAKER_00

You know, we just have to pray. I'm joking. We're not joking. Um, what have I done to separate? I think it's really just trying to develop that like inner self-voice of having trust in what you are doing and what you are providing, and there are certain things that you cannot control that are external. Um, and while it can be like really difficult to make those things right and switch them or whatever the case may be, um working with what you've got. Yeah, I can only do so much with what I've got. I think that's really one of the things that I've just been trying to tell myself all the time. You can only do so much with what you've got. I know what my intentions are. My intentions are to create a space that allows people to bring their visions to life. I love that because it also has meant that it's a space that I'm allowed to bring my visions to life as well. Um, and everything else, we deal with it how we can. That's literally it.

SPEAKER_02

It's it's true, and I think as well, it's ultimately as long as you know that you're sticking to your values, yes, you're being a good person, you're being kind and you know, just true to yourself, it's sometimes like other people's reactions to you is ultimately actually nothing to do with you. It's it's it's a whole they've got something going on, and it's nothing to do with you, but it's so hard to take yourself out of that and not actually be like, wow, like what have I done wrong? And it's actually well, no, I've done I've told them exactly what they need to do. Like, everyone, everyone loves to blame someone.

SPEAKER_00

1000%, and I think you can only do so much, you know. Yeah, um, and so yeah, I've I've really just had to be like, okay, this is what it is. I can't necessarily change this in this present moment, but I'm going to try my utmost. Um, and and what we get is is is what we get essentially. Yeah, but yeah, it's difficult. It is difficult.

SPEAKER_02

I feel it, and I feel like the general public, like most of them are great, but I sometimes you get some and you're even in our inbox. I sometimes go through my customer service inbox, and I'm like, why are these people being so rude? Like, it's you know, what did I do to you? Like, okay, I get that we mispacked something, but like the world has not ended, okay?

SPEAKER_00

The world is still okay, and we can solve this. There's there is a solution. This is fixed, there's always a solution. I mean, unless you're dealing really with life and death situation, there is always a solution. Might it be the absolute best thing that you like the best outcome that you were looking for? Perhaps not. Yeah, you might have to wait a little bit longer for your parcel. Um, but at the end of the day, there is a solution. I am a solution-based person. You come to me with a problem, right? Let's talk about all the ways that we can solve this, and that's how I move in this in this business. So, you know, there's always a solution, but dealing with people is just hard. So it's tough. It is hard. And I don't know if you have the same experience because I wasn't in a a service kind of base business then. But since COVID, I feel like people have lost their mind. Yeah, literally.

SPEAKER_02

They have they've lost their ability to communicate like person to person. Person to person, person behind the mind. There's a human behind the phone, like there's a human behind the Instagram page. Like, it's not AI just yet.

SPEAKER_00

I think that we've all got too comfortable with like being a little mean.

SPEAKER_02

I cannot agree more. Like, where's the kindness and the compassion as well? Do you know what I mean? It's it's all our first times on this planet. Like, let's just be a bit nice. Yeah, I'm just a girl. I'm just a girl. I literally use that far too much in my life.

SPEAKER_01

Anything goes wrong, and I'm like, I'm just a girl.

SPEAKER_02

Um, and I guess like on on that kind of notion of everything we've spoken about, what what have you found the biggest challenge since opening the studio?

SPEAKER_00

Honestly, myself, yeah, fair myself.

SPEAKER_02

Um I'm the problem, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

I think I I mean there's a lot of things that you want to get done, yeah, and it's easy to have a lot of ideas, but how are you going to execute? And sometimes it's a battle between the Sagittarius in me and the Virgo in me. One wants to be free, one wants to be stable. Those two things don't don't work together. Um, there are internal battles. And it's sometimes just a journey of like, okay, we need to get up, we need to get these things moving, and you you have to do it. Yeah, there's no other person that I can rely on to get the things done. Yeah, um, and I would I would genuinely say that's probably my biggest battle.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I I honestly can wholeheartedly relate, and I feel like a lot of people will relate as well. I'm like, I am my own biggest problem.

SPEAKER_00

No, 1000%. I'm the problem, it's me. Yeah, um, and yeah, I I mean I will also say that our ability to have achieved the things that we have achieved also means that we are are capable of doing amazing things, but sometimes it's just hard to find that discipline to be like, okay, we're going to now tackle the next thing and tackle the next thing and keep going. Um, so yeah, I'm the problem, it's me.

SPEAKER_02

I think we can also, as well, like what you touched on earlier, get just too comfortable. Like me starting this podcast, I've been talking about it for honestly over a year now. Really? And I was just like, I need to just do it, I need to just do it. And like it's it took me a year to just do it. And it's like I preach about just take messy action. I mean, like, and this is very messy action. I think each episode of the podcast will hopefully get better. But um, it's uh you just fall into that trap of oh, but I'm you know, I'm happy behind my laptop, doing my emails, filming my content, like, but I I feel like we we need to step out into that fear zone and push ourselves because otherwise we just we get trapped in just the comfort, and nothing happens in that zone.

SPEAKER_00

I think the other thing is that it's it's difficult to be a beginner.

SPEAKER_02

Oh my god, yes. And so especially like you say, especially as like a high like a high achiever and you've achieved so much already to then go to the start and learn it all again.

SPEAKER_00

It's like this is a humbling experience. Um and you almost just want to be perfect, yeah, to begin with. Yeah, and that's part of the journey though, like you've got to you've got to be bad at the beginning, or maybe not bad, but average. A beginner, yeah. Yeah, a beginner. You've got to go through that, and eventually you will get better and better. But and I think that's the beauty of it. But sometimes

The podcast studio: a happy accident

SPEAKER_00

when you're in the thick of it, it's really difficult to see that. Yeah. Um and that has also been yeah, a serious challenge.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, yeah, no, can strongly relate to that. Yeah. So I want to go back to the podcast studio and how it was never supposed to be a thing and now is a thing. Were there any other elements of the studio that have kind of come about just by accident, or has everything almost gone to plan how you imagined?

SPEAKER_00

Oh, good question. I think everything has almost gone to plan how I imagined. Um I would say that we're still like in the in the process of like figuring out are there any other elements that we need to include? Are there any other ways that we can change the space and make it a little bit better? I think as well, because for me, I've been in the space longer than everyone else almost. So I've been sat in the environment that it's currently in, or the state that it's currently in. Um, and I'm the type of person that's like, okay, like how can we change things? Um and so yeah, there's there's parts of me that's like, okay, what can we do to make the experience better? What can we do to um make it more fun, make it more like I want to be in this space? Um so yeah, there's a lot of things that I want to change still, but um yeah, it's all yeah, it's it's it's all kind of it's all kind of gone to plan.

SPEAKER_02

I love that. And when you created the podcast space, did you did you expect it to be as popular as it was? How did actually how did it come about? But were people asking you? No, it came about because it you felt like it was right, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

It just kind of felt like it was right. So I actually I kind of was um tracking the journey on my socials, um, so I was doing like a lot of posts of like come with me, like I've got the keys, this is how the space is looking. But I don't think I want to say that I did like a post on how should the space look, but I don't think I actually did. I think I thought about it, but I actually didn't. Um, but the the podcast element kind of came in because I recognized there were a lot of people that were were filming podcasts, but the rooms generally look quite similar, yeah, yeah. But like maybe one or two studios, the rooms are generally quite the same sort of thing, um, and quite either very minimalistic or quite masculine. Yes, I found. Um, and also I came into this having no knowledge about podcasts. Me either. Yeah. Okay, we see each other. We're in it together. Yeah, we're in it together. Um, so I had I really had no knowledge about podcasts, but I knew that I just wanted it to be something where someone would be able to come in, have to maybe read a few things on what to do, but you can hit record and you can leave and you're happy sort of thing. Um I just it just felt like a no-brainer almost. Um and so yeah, that's kind of how it how it came about. But there's there's been quite a few different like variations of um okay, do we need to add in this equipment? Do we need to add in what else can we change in terms of sound? Groundproofing and installation that isn't kind of like structure related. Um, what else can we do to make this experience a little bit better? But ultimately, it's it's kind of just gone to gone to plan, just kind of fallen into place, I should say.

SPEAKER_02

Which and I think it's I I feel like it's so nice when that happened. Do you know what I mean? And it's so interesting because I feel like it everyone that I've spoken to is almost just like things just kind of like fall into place, and at the time it probably feels really tough and really hard and really horrible. But then looking back, you're like, oh no, like you know, that all happened for a reason. Use you spent four years looking for the space because you needed somewhere which had a studio for podcasting, which is like now one of your most popular like services that you offer. So I think it's funny how things just how it just works, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

It just works, and I think as well, the the beauty is that the space is so verse versatile, so that we've had TV productions come in, we've had creators come in, we've had podcasters come in, we've had brands come in, it's it's it served its purpose in multiple ways. Yeah, there's there's a way for the space to work for any sort of individual, and I think that's the real beauty of it, and that's really what I wanted. Yeah, um, and so yeah, I just try to make it work in however many ways I could potentially make it work.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, and can you explain what spaces you have available? Actually, that could be a lot of people.

SPEAKER_00

Of course, yeah, that would probably be helpful, wouldn't it? So we've got the social, which is our podcast room. Um, and within the social, we've got four different tiers. So you can either come in and be completely self-managed. If you're a solo podcaster, I would recommend coming in on like the social light tier. So that's two cameras up to three mics. Um, if you are a group, I would recommend the social standard. Oh gosh, this is gonna be like, does she remember everything? I would recommend the social standard because we've then got three cameras and up to four mics. Um, and then we've also got the tier where you can have a technician come in and they set you up yourself, or you can have our videographer come in and they can set you up and like handle everything, essentially, which has been really fun because we've had a few brands actually come in and and and have that service. Stunning. Then we have uh the playroom, which is actually the entire ground floor that's um about a thousand square footage of space to play around with. We've got a fully functioning kitchen, uh, we've got the playroom, which is kind of a really fun, creative playground, living room space with some gorgeous pink chandeliers, uh, which were an absolute headache. Anyway, we won't get into that. Um, and then we've got like our sort of like dining room situation, and then you can then get the loft, which is the entire space. Uh, so yeah, there's there's lots of different options. We also have services like editing, um, like a videographer. Uh, so yeah, that's pretty much L and D.

SPEAKER_02

Epic. And what's um what's been like the highlight? Who like I know you've mentioned some brands of cards? Yes, and like some brands. Has anything happened where you've been like, what the hell, what the helly?

SPEAKER_00

Yes, so my first what the helly, we had, I think I can say. We can bleep it out, maybe. No, I I think I can say, I think I can. We had um a TV production come in in I want to say it was November, so quite early on. Um, and the host was Laura Whitmore, and she did a uh interview for part of a documentary series, which is actually out now. Wow. I've actually not watched it yet to see to see L and D in it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, but that's probably one of the really exciting things um that has happened in this space where I was like, what the hell? Especially because it was so early on.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Um, I couldn't.

SPEAKER_02

Where do you reckon they found you from?

SPEAKER_00

So they actually found us rather than it being through our website. We're on a few other third-party websites, so like Peerspace and other location uh websites. Yeah, I think that's how you first found us. Sorry, Peerspace. Um, she then came directly. Uh anyway, then um they found us through one of those. So I think it might have been like one that's really kind of like related to film kind of productions, uh, which was really cool. So I'm hoping that we get like more TV because it's always like such a fun, so cool.

SPEAKER_02

Like, what are they doing? Right, and it's so cool to like be on the other side of it because like we're always the ones like in front of the camera, but to actually see what goes on. Exactly.

SPEAKER_01

I'm like, oh my gosh, okay, all these lights. Can I get a cameo?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, but yeah, that's super fun. So cool, so cool. Um now I want to go to I guess kind of what sacrifices you might have had to have made. So I guess, like you mentioned earlier, being being an editor, being a creator, it's very self-managed. You could do that from home. Like it's nice to have your own space to separate home and work, but you can do it from home and

Sacrifices of building a business

SPEAKER_02

it's in your own time, etc. Whereas I guess now owning a studio, you've got guests coming in, you've got clients to have you've got a team, a bigger team now than you had before. Have you had to make any sacrifices in order to bring it to life?

SPEAKER_00

Definitely tell me so many sacrifices. I would I would say to piggyback off of the first thing that you mentioned about how with influencing you can really set your own schedule. Um, and so yeah, I found myself waking up a little bit later, having a bit of a lie in in the morning, or going off and doing whatever I wanted to do. If friends wanted to meet up in the middle of the day, let's do it, sure, no problem. Um, there's definitely been like now a more grounding routine of okay, we're getting in at this time, whether we've got a client in or not, we're doing this, we're doing that. Um, which, yeah, has been definitely more grounding. Uh so sacrifice in terms of freedom, yeah, I would say. Um sacrificing also in terms of financials, like we want to make sure that people are having the best quality service, so that means getting the right cameras. These cameras I'm not necessarily using, but they're not cheap, right? So, yeah, there was there's there's there's definitely been a few sacrifices, but I would say probably the the scheduling is the was the most difficult one because what happens if you've got a client that's coming into the studio, but I've also got an influencer event that I need to be attending. Okay, I'm now having to either figure out staff situation, if my staff is all out, okay, what are we doing? I'm gonna have to be here, but what's more important? Is it the connection with the brand? Is it with my client? Of course, it's the client because I want to make sure that they have a great experience, but also we're a new business, so we need to make sure that we've got people coming through the door. Yeah, so yeah, there was a lot of like I generally do feel like for the first year, which we're coming up to, my influencer career has taken a hit. Um, but also part of me is like, well, this is ultimately what I wanted. I wanted to create something that was beyond myself. So in the the ability to do that is to to do things that are more yeah, less influencer, yeah, yeah, more external. So yeah, it's meant that this has become my priority in ways that I didn't necessarily think it would be. Yeah, I generally I don't know what I thought when I'd open up this business, but I thought that like we'd have a few bookings here and there and cover rent, yeah, electricity, and but it's more than that, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

You're like, oh shit, it's actually bigger than I thought it was gonna be. Which is incredible though. Like, I think it's so awesome to yeah, like you're like as long as we cover rent, that's it. Yeah, like we're fine. You got fully functioning business, girl.

SPEAKER_00

You're you're doing bits. Thank you, scary, but um yeah, it's just been uh interesting and a real kind of like uh personal development.

SPEAKER_02

It honestly, I say this time and time again that starting a business is the biggest journey of personal growth you will ever go on. Yeah, it's you know, it's it's testing, it tests every every time.

SPEAKER_00

Testing, and there would be times where I'm like, no, I've I've unpacked this, I've worked through this like tendency to minimize or tendency to want to please others before myself or go against my own boundaries or being shy and things like that, which maybe you wouldn't believe, but I can be, and um you I'm like, no, we we've got to do all these things, we've got to show up, we've got to speak with like yeah, and it's like I've worked on all this, yeah. Like I thought I've worked on this, but I'm finding this challenging right now.

SPEAKER_02

Um so yeah, crazy. It is, it is, but I think also as well, like you're so grateful for the experience. Do you know what I mean? Like, I think I look back at me starting my brand and I'm like, there's no way I would have turned into the woman that I am today if I'd just stayed in corporate and and done that, and it's you know, it's the lessons and the experiences that you're getting now, like, yes, okay, they're like fucking shit at the time, yeah. But they are literally building the woman that like you're gonna look back on and be like, I'm so proud that she did that. Do you know?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I hope so. I really do hope so.

SPEAKER_02

I know so.

SPEAKER_00

Because it's it is challenging when you're in the thick of it. I'm sure as you know, like it's it's it is, and it feels earth-shattering at times because this shouldn't be happening, or I didn't plan for this, or oh like it shouldn't be this hard. Yeah, do you know what I mean? Like it should be it. It should just be quite easy, yeah. Um, but I also think nothing that is easy is is is worth really mentioning.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, exactly. It's like like they say, if it was easy, everyone would do it. Yeah, so this is why there's only a few content studios in London.

SPEAKER_00

Exactly, exactly. Um, but yeah, no, I'm I'm so thankful for the the courage, I think, the self-belief, but also just like the the opportunity, and sometimes I I mean I don't say this all the time, but I do think that sometimes like the universe just aligns things in a certain way that like yeah, it was meant to happen. It was, and I'm so thankful for that. Yeah, not everything is always kind of like precisely thinking everything out, yeah. Some of it is just like universe and and chance, and tr yeah, trusting the process, yeah. And I I definitely have been doing that, so I'm really thankful for all of those things just aligning and falling into place.

SPEAKER_02

And I think like I feel like I say this many times without sounding too woo-woo. I think a lot of business is having that trust in

Faith, trust & navigating uncertainty

SPEAKER_02

something that like isn't quite there. Do you know what I mean? Like, I mean I am woo-woo, so yeah, perfect. I'm all over, yeah. Whether that's you know, a god that you believe in or the universe or your faith, I think you have to have you have to have that delusion in something that isn't tangible to get you there, because it otherwise where are you going?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, and I think you have to be deluded in what you are wanting to do or what you are wanting to create. Yeah. Because how else is anyone else gonna believe it's so in what you've got going on? It's so true, and you've yeah, because you've not got the tangible thing to be like, this is why this is going to work. Yeah, here is the evidence, here is the data, here is the the funds showing. Here's the balance sheet. No, it doesn't exist yet, it doesn't exist yet. Exactly. So yeah, I sometimes think Dululu is the Sululu.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, no, honestly, preach. Let's make it, let's make it happen and go with it. Loud and clear. Loud and clear. Yeah, you have to be slightly delusional, I feel like, to be a business owner. Because that's shit tough. That's shit tough. Um, okay, so looking back at and I guess this could be like across your whole career today. Have you ever made a decision at the time that you and you felt that this is definitely the right thing to do? And now looking back on it, you're like, why did I do that? Yeah, tell me more.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, so many, so many things. Um from saying yes to certain brand deals or even saying no to certain brand deals that at the time I thought was a good idea, but actually, in terms of the next steps that I ended up wanting to take, it might have been beneficial to say yes. Oh wow.

SPEAKER_02

Um why did you say no?

SPEAKER_00

Sometimes I'm just like, no, this doesn't feel yeah, this doesn't feel right. Or that style isn't necessarily in keeping with mine completely. I will say though, I've been quite in terms of like the brands that I work with, I'm quite strict about who I work with and if it works with what my because m I'm predominantly fashion. Yeah. So if it works with actually my style and where I'm at right now and all of those different things. But sometimes I do think maybe maybe we should have maybe we should have said yes, maybe we should have done this um a little bit differently or had like a slightly different outlook to it. Um but ultimately I think everything has kind of fallen into place. Um what else is there? In terms of yeah, I would mainly just say in terms of the influencer stuff. I will say also though, because I stopped modelling in 2022, maybe 2021. I wish I would have continued for a bit longer.

SPEAKER_02

Really?

SPEAKER_00

Um would you go back in? The landscape's so different now for curve models. Um so I I I would love to. Yeah, if the opportunity was presented to me, I would love to, but I think I was I was just hitting some good momentum, yeah, and then I kind of was like, no, I want to get out. And I and I mean for where I was at mentally, it made sense. It's a tough world, it is, it really is. There's a lot more rejection than there is um yeses to things, and I think if you're not in a place where rejection isn't a trigger point for you, yeah, then yeah, maybe maybe don't do it. Humbling experience. Yeah, it's a humbling experience, and rejection was a very much a trigger for me. So I kind of was like, I've been doing this since I was 18. At that point, I think I was 23 when I stopped. Um, and I just felt like, yeah, no, maybe we don't do this anymore. But I wish I would have continued for at least a good more like two years.

SPEAKER_02

Oh interesting.

SPEAKER_00

And then and then pull out, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

But then again, like you say, like you never know that if you'd have continued modelling for two years, would you have ended up here? That's so true. You that would that might have taken off, and then the career would have been modeling.

The vision for LA Studio

SPEAKER_02

And then you may never have created something outside of your personal brand. So true. So, yeah, everything for a reason. Yeah, 1000%. Everything for a reason. And then looking ahead with um LD Studio, like, what's what's the vision? What's the big plan? Like, do you have one? Because sometimes people ask me, and I'm like, I don't know.

SPEAKER_00

Ooh. Um, I would love to have a few more branches. I was gonna say, would you open up more spaces? Yes, I would love to have a few more branches. If that was to happen, this branch would be more just like a home.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Um and so we'd probably take the podcast out of this space and then put it to somewhere else, which could just solely be just podcasts, L and D podcast studio. Nice. Um, but yeah, I would love to have a few more branches, maybe like west, south, east, international, and yeah, yeah, maybe different cities that could be cool. That would be sick. That would be really sick.

The creator economy & AI

SPEAKER_02

Um, but yeah, I would I would love to branch out. I can definitely see that happening. Yeah. Um, okay, this is a question more about influencing. Where do you see like the influencer creator economy going in like the next five years? Because it's changed a lot in the last five years.

SPEAKER_00

It has, it really has. Um, I'm just super intrigued, I will say, to see how AI impacts the creator um industry. Because I've even been receiving emails, and I mean I don't know how real they are, uh, because they could like be like just dodgy random emails, but I have even been um receiving emails from like different AI companies talking about can we have your image so that we can then create various campaigns from it, and I'm like, that is wild the idea that that could become a thing. Yeah, because we have been seeing it like this, isn't new, like there has been AI models, um, there has been AI influencers, like, look at Sheer Lux and the influencer that they brought, the AI model that they brought onto their team. This isn't a new concept, but I'm just intrigued to see how it disrupts the influencer space because, in many ways, if we are looking to have AI used as a way to connect with other people, well then why yeah, why are real like human beings? Um where do they go?

SPEAKER_02

But then I also think someone's behind the Instagram account managing these AIs, yeah. So I'm like, okay, maybe like the person doesn't look like that, but it's a completely is AI managing the Instagram as well.

SPEAKER_00

I'm just I'm so intrigued to see how AI is going to shift things. Um, but beyond AI, I I do think that we are in a really economical like shift.

SPEAKER_02

Brands don't necessarily have the budgets that they used to have, there's less focus in uh you know before the the there was so only so many influencers, so budgets could be spread with five or ten people, whereas now there's so many creators, so many, so I wonder how that will have a have an impact, but um yeah, I'm just intrigued to see where the next few years take us, and I'm hopeful that it's in a positive direction, but you never know, you don't, and I think what's great that you've done is created something outside like your personal brand because we were talking about it today, Paige and I in the car, and we were just saying like how almost like soul-destroying it is to have everything pinned on how much people like you and how much they engage with your posts, and I think it's important as an influencer to to expand outside of just influencing 1000%, and I also just think on a creativity basis, I'm someone who is creative, I want to find different ways of showing that creativity.

SPEAKER_00

So for me, it really made sense to do something that was different from self, yeah. Um, and you know, if I had the funds, like more funds to do fashion or to do something like that, then maybe I would have done that. Um you start a fashion brand. It sounds it sounds really difficult though. It looks cool though, it does, it really does, but yeah, no, it sounds really challenging.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, um, it does sound challenging.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, uh, but I just wanted to find a way to be creative, and for me, this felt like the another another avenue for that. Um, but yeah, no, you're completely right. The conversation you and Paige had is completely right because it is it's difficult when your worth is in no other job, really, yeah, is the way that you look, the way that you talk, your personality gonna determine your worth. Like, we're always like, no, you you are beautiful and you are worthy, and nothing that you do is related to like do you know what I mean? Exactly.

SPEAKER_02

In this job, everything is related to how you come across, yes, and also the algorithm. Yes, you can be putting out the best content out there, but the algorithm just hates you, exactly, and why?

SPEAKER_00

We don't know. Um so yeah, it's it I had to find something different. Yeah, um, I had to find a different avenue, but I I definitely implore all of the the creators that are like you know, I'm riding this out and I'm making it work and I'm sharing and being authentic because I think it's beautiful like to really be able to show yourself show the world who you are in the most authentic way, scary but so beautiful and yeah, amazing.

Advice to younger Lauren

SPEAKER_00

But I don't know for how much how much longer that that that works for me.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, yeah. No, I I I feel you on that. If you could go back and tell younger Lauren a piece of advice or yeah, I guess a piece of advice, what would it be?

SPEAKER_00

Oh I would probably tell her to continue to be bold and brave. Um, I would also probably say maybe we asked to get therapy a little bit earlier. Might help baby girl. Um and I would also Yeah, I would just say to continue to be brave. I think that that is probably one of the things that has held me back, but has also been my biggest kind of like not weapon, but like the biggest thing that has also allowed for things to happen for me. So to be brave and just continue, and you know the path that you are on, so don't listen to the naysayers or the people who don't understand what you're trying to do, continue to stride. Yeah, that's probably what I would say.

SPEAKER_02

I love as well how you've taken

Redefining success: creator vs founder

SPEAKER_02

almost your biggest difficulty, like being brave, and made that like your superpower. Yeah, I'm obsessed with that.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, yeah. Well done. Well done.

SPEAKER_02

Um, what does success look like? And how's that definition changed from creator to founder?

SPEAKER_00

Yes, um, I was actually just speaking about this this week of not necessarily having a clue as to what success is now. Yeah, I think for so long I was so caught up in okay, success is once I reach a certain number of followers or once I've got a certain amount in my bank account. I think now for me, success is freedom. Yeah, freedom, the ability to be creative, um, the ability to connect with other people on a real authentic uh level, it not just being surface level, but like genuine connection. Yeah, um, it also just looks like being able to take care of myself. Um, and yeah, I would probably say that's what success looks like. But prior to that, it was very much have a certain amount of followers, look a certain way, um, make sure you're carrying X bag. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, that's what success was to me. I I think it's changed in the last year and a bit.

SPEAKER_02

And do you think that's changed from becoming a founder or potentially just like growing older?

SPEAKER_00

I think it might be from growing older. Um, obviously, there is probably like elements of becoming a founder as well, and also, you know, we still need to be hitting certain financial goals. I'm not saying no, don't need any we don't need any money or anything like that. Yeah, capitalism is is real. We're manifesting the money universe. Um, but I think that the things that I held so tight to me as this is what true success looks like, I don't necessarily know if that is important anymore. Yeah, um, and I I really just I want to be happy. That is what success really feels like to me now. I want to be happy, I want to feel connected, I want to feel loved. Um, and of course I want to have money, but yeah.

SPEAKER_02

And I think it's the realization that like money makes life easier, but it doesn't necessarily bring you happiness, yeah. And that happiness comes, I think, from within. Within, yeah, 1000%. That's why we go to therapy. Yes.

SPEAKER_00

Shout out to the therapist.

SPEAKER_02

And um, what's one pearl of wisdom that you would share to someone who is aspiring to be a founder or a creator or like just starting out on their journey?

SPEAKER_00

Um, I would probably say execute that idea as soon as you possibly can, in the words of Michael Jackson. Don't let the idea go to Prince. Don't let the song idea go to Prince. Um, that's probably what I would say. I would also say sometimes don't necessarily share that idea straight away with others. I think that sometimes we can get caught up in what that other person thinks once we share it. Yeah, and actually, there's a real beauty in having an idea and thinking about okay,

Rapid fire & where to find Lauren

SPEAKER_00

maybe I can execute this and just doing it rather than waiting for the validation of someone else or the disapproval of someone else. So, yeah, I would say execute and also keep it to yourself for a little bit. Um, I think powerful things.

SPEAKER_02

Solid advice, and I think it's it we can be so easily influenced by those around us that we trust, but also they can so easily, you know, take us along a path that also we're all operating from our own idea of things.

SPEAKER_00

So you could tell me about a new product, and because I don't understand that or don't see need for it, that doesn't mean there's not millions of other people who do see need for that or do understand it. So I'm just operating from where I'm at. Um, and yeah, oftentimes when people are disapproving of whatever idea it is that you've got, it's not because they don't necessarily believe that you can do it or anything like that, they're just operating from where they're at and they decide they don't get it, yeah, and that's okay. Yeah, um, your your business doesn't have to be for everyone because it isn't going to be for everyone, yeah, but um yeah, I would probably say those are the main things.

SPEAKER_02

Solid advice, I like that. And to wrap things up after this amazing conversation, um, I was gonna ask you what's your favourite podcast to listen to, but shall I ask? Yeah, why not? I mean it's kind of rogue, but sure. Well, I was gonna ask it because I thought the podcast studio was like the initial thing. Yeah, so I was like, oh, she's a clearly a podcast gal. No. Um maybe I'll ask you who's your who's your favourite creator at the moment?

SPEAKER_00

Oh, who's my favourite creator at the moment? Oh my god. You can't say me. I know you were going to. I know I was really going to. Who's my favourite creator at the moment? Um, I oh my god, I'm so bad with names. Why has everyone come out of my head? Okay, I know who. Skyla Marshall. I want to say that's her name, but definitely Skylar.

SPEAKER_01

Okay.

SPEAKER_00

Um, she is a New York-based uh creator, uh-huh, but her her content is brand, studio, production level content. Her creativity is beyond um, and yeah, I just love her vibe. The way she brings briefs to life. Yeah, I would imagine if I was a brand, I would be gassed. Yeah. Bowing down. Thank you. Um, yeah, I'm I'm a massive fan of her, and I just think that she's incredible. So that would probably be the person that I would say.

SPEAKER_01

Perfect.

SPEAKER_00

But I'm really bad with names.

SPEAKER_02

Me too, no, honestly. It's like when someone's like, What's your favourite movie? And you're like, I have never watched a movie in my life. Um what is the most underrated tool for running your business? AI. AI, yeah, nice, perfect. Just all AI, chat GPT.

SPEAKER_00

Not all AI, yeah. Chat GPT, I think it's helped a lot. Yeah. Um, I would also say Canva. Yeah, absolutely love Canva, especially for like our guides and things like that, our physical things that we have in the studio that has been really helpful. Yeah, um, I would say those are my main two.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, perfect. I mean me too. Um, and is there a founder that you would love to swap lives with for the day?

SPEAKER_00

Oh, yes, for Sayo. She is the founder of Kai Collective, yes, I know. Which is a brand that I love, which is what I'm currently wearing now. Um, I would love to swap days with her. Um, all Grace Beverly. Yeah, oh my goodness. Because I just want to know how she does it all.

SPEAKER_02

I think it's chaos as well. I think it's chaos as well. Yeah, honestly.

SPEAKER_00

And also planning a wedding at the same time. Girl, I can't even do it.

SPEAKER_02

She must have a team. There's a team. There's got to be a team, behind her.

SPEAKER_00

I just need to understand what is the what is the morning routine, yeah, all of that. So, yeah, those are the two. Sorry, you're not for one nine.

SPEAKER_02

No, I'm happy to have two. I'm manifesting that we can get them on and we can ask them, how do you do it? How do you do it? How do you do it? And then before we leave, how can people find you? Personal brand, where can they check?

SPEAKER_00

Well, so you can find myself at Lauren Nicole FK, and you can find the studio at the LD Studio.

SPEAKER_01

Amazing. Well, thank you so much. I really enjoyed it, really appreciate it. So fun. Thank you so much.

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Isobel Perl

Host