Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lia Lobello Reynolds. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Lia, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about the early days of establishing your own firm. What can you share?
In the spring of 2021, I found myself at a crossroads. I was working 70-hour weeks at my corporate job with two kids under the age of four and zero work-life balance. I was struggling to find even a minute for myself, my husband or anything resembling self-care – and I knew I had to make a big change. I had long wanted to work for myself and the time felt right to potentially take this leap.
In order to take this calculated risk, though, a few things had to fall into place. One, my hyper-supportive husband was my biggest cheerleader and could fortunately carry the very important financial benefit of our healthcare coverage. Two, I called a couple of trusted friends and advisors who assured me the market was ripe and helped me hone my value proposition, giving me the confidence I needed to start the process.
The first thing I did based on great advice from someone who had successfully taken the jump into solopreneur life was to set up an LLC and a business bank account and make sure those were established before putting in my notice at work. I know that not everyone can do this (I’ve been told some companies monitor for LLC’s in employees’ names!) but that wasn’t the case for me. Keeping your business separate from your personal identity is critical for both legal and tax protections, so I advise others to know their options.
In my field of PR, the biggest challenge has been finding the right support for backend office functions that aren’t my skillset – such as bookkeeping or legal contracts. A successful friend once shared with me that anything taking critical time away from the work or business development should be outsourced to those who can do it better and faster. Once I had the cash flow to support this, I put these professionals in place. This has been one of the most important lessons in my growth – I have gained untold amounts of time back by creating a small team to manage these tasks so I can do what I do best – which is communications.
The second great piece of advice I received is to never take your foot off the gas when it comes to new business. In the worst case scenario, you find yourself with more work than you can handle and you have to bring in partners to help manage. No matter how healthy you are, keep networking, keep promoting yourself and stay creative. You don’t want to find yourself flat-footed if a client suddenly has to pause.
Last but not least, continually develop your network. My initial network yielded the first clients that signed on board, but since then, it’s been new acquaintances that have fed my pipeline. Attend mixers and events, join affinity groups and keep your name out there. It does pay off and practice makes perfect!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I was in college at the University of Florida (Go Gators!) when I took an introductory public relations course and felt the puzzle pieces of my life click together. I knew I wanted to do something in the larger news space, and while courses in production, advertising, and journalism were interesting, they didn’t quite ignite a spark. When an adjunct professor working locally in the field shared that PR was the intersection of news, reaching audiences, being creative and identifying news angles for discussion I immediately knew I was in the right place.
After one year working in South Florida, I moved to New York City where the opportunities and clients were bigger and more robust. I worked in different agencies in positions of increasing seniority for 15 years before being recruited in-house to run corporate communications for a multi-billion dollar manufacturing company.
Throughout many jobs, and clients spanning nearly every industry imaginable, one core has remain the centerpiece of my work: telling a great story. Twenty years ago when I started in PR, social media wasn’t as prolific as it is now, websites were basic, and there were countless newspapers and magazines. As platforms evolved and media changed, one thing never did – finding interesting companies and people doing newsworthy things. It’s the part of the work I’ve always loved and what the centerpiece of my work still – highlighting things that people should know.
Whether that’s sharing the incredible work of an employee inside an organization for the company newsletter or having an executive appear on a broadcast network, my job is to help find the nuggets that matter. After this, it’s also being strategic about matching that story with both audiences that will appreciate it and help it find new audiences that will care.
One thing I pride myself on is my honesty with clients. When we don’t quite yet have a story or we need to do more to develop what we’re sharing, we work on it together until it’s ready.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
The best source of clients for me has been my own network! I’m a naturally outgoing person and over the course of my nearly 20-years in business have met a lot of friends, worked with hundreds of people and collected a lot of associates. Keeping in touch, networking and remaining curious about the lives of others means I’ve been able to keep in touch with dozens of people over the years – whether it’s IRL happy hours or simply trading memes on Instagram.
When I started my business in 2021, it was this network – both online and offline – that started to push leads my way. Old clients resurfaced. Friends shared my name. Old colleagues emailed my LinkedIn profile and website to clients seeking support. I have lost count of the many ways my name has been shared in rooms I’m not in.
What’s most important about this, however, is returning the favor! I am quick to recommend other PR pros for jobs that aren’t the right fit for me, creatives for design work, or generally support others anytime I can. I can attest first-hand this comes back to you ten-fold.
Networking and developing your network can be daunting to some. Two things I try to remember:
One is that when you’re networking, especially at an event, everyone is there for the same reasons and you shouldn’t be shy to sell yourself. People come to networking events to meet new contacts and talk about what they can do for others – feel emboldened to do the same.
Two, when it comes to tending to your existing network – no gesture is too small! A quick “how are you email” or a comment on LinkedIn count. These gestures add up over time.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
When it comes to growing your clientele, especially as a solopreneur, the key is simple – do great work and don’t forget to have some fun. One thing I learned in my agency days is that there are so many talented and smart people in the world – but people want to work with folks they like and who deliver. When you can be an excellent partner and have some fun with your clients along the way – for me, that’s been the key to being hired again or organic growth.
One example I’m particularly proud of is my work with a major association client in Washington, DC. I worked with this particular client for about seven years before budget cuts necessitated our relationship end. However, I kept in touch with the day-to-day client who eventually became one of the organization’s senior leaders. When I went out on my own, he got in touch and now we work together once more. Tending to this relationship over the years, and continually delivering great results, has been the key to this being a client now over the course of decades.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ofdccommunications.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lialobello/
