This is the first in a series of 'Ask the Expert' blogs where I sit down with business leaders and experts to get their ideas and advice! This time, it's the fantastic Rhea Freeman.
I first met Rhea Freeman where I meet a lot of my business besties, on Instagram! She's a business strategist and coach and a bundle of knowledge about PR, social media and growing your brand online. She's one of those brilliantly supportive and wise people who's full of loads of ideas that make the journey feel easier. When I saw that she's just published her second book, 'You've Got This: How to supercharge your business and conquer your goals', I reached out to her for a chat! Let's get stuck in. Here's my interview with Rhea Freeman...
Rhea hello! It's so good to chat. Let's get straight into your new book! Congratulations. You’re known for helping support small businesses with their PR, social media and development - how does You’ve Got This align with this?
You’ve Got This aligns with this SO well! I do a lot of work as a coach and mentor, one-to-one and through different programmes- and over the years, I’ve identified key themes that crop up time and again. And not just f those I work with, but for myself too!
I’ve done a lot of work really understanding these themes, including becoming an NLP Master Practitioner and NLP Master Coach, to add additional understanding and different viewpoints to the common problems we all face from time to time.
The thing is, if we let these blocks stop us- whether that’s Imposter Syndrome that makes us play small, a fear of failure that stops us from trying, or a lack of resources that stops us learning, we’re never going to be as good as promoting our businesses as we could be, and it’s going to be really tricky to develop. Through You’ve Got This, not only do I hope to shine a spotlight on these common blocks, but also show that everyone has them from time to time, including the fabulous entrepreneurs I interviewed for the book.
There are so many reasons why not to do something - you refer to these as blocks - what are three of the most common, and do you have any tips for overcoming them?
I like the visual element of the word ‘block’ as I see it like a brick wall. When you see a brick wall in front of you, it looks like a block, but there are plenty of ways to get to the other side with the right strategy… and the blocks in the book work in the same way.
As for three of the most common, I think Imposter Syndrome is a big one. Most people have this from time to time and, for me at least, I’ve worked hard to reframe this feeling. Instead of feeling like I shouldn’t be somewhere, I think ‘this is exciting and new - I’m expanding my comfort zone!’. I also believe that if you didn’t lie to get something, you can’t be an imposter by definition, and that always helps me!
Next up, lack. This could be lack of time, lack of resources, lack of money, lack of support, the list goes on. Tips wise…
- …for time, I think it’s important to know the difference between not having time, and not prioritising the activity. If you don’t have a second to spare you need to look at what you’re doing and what tasks you could remove, delegate or streamline. If you’re prioritising something else (like screentime!), that’s OK too, but be honest with yourself about it.
- …for lack of resources, think about what you really need to do something rather than what you want. What’s the minimum you need to have a go? Aim for that.
- …for lack of money, think about what you’d do with that money and if you can reduce the initial spend or find another way to do it. For example, say you really want to do a course but can’t afford the fee, you can probably find that information online for free. It’ll take you a LOT more time, but there are options out there!
Next up, overwhelm. Our lives are SO busy that it can be hard to see the wood for the trees and that can lead to overwhelm and then stagnation. The tips I give start with just doing something – anything in fact- because sometimes that can help you gather momentum. The next is to use the Eisenhower Matrix to sort your tasks. This can be very enlightening!
Fear of failure is a real issue for lots of people. What tips do you have for this - have you ever experienced it?
Oh absolutely! I think we all have the fear of failure in some way, but being aware of it as a limiting belief to be challenged rather than just accepted helps. I try and rationalise is- so what am I really scared of? Looking a fool? People laughing at me? Financial ruin?! And is that a realistic fear? It turns out tes, the fears we have aren’t likely to come true, but being able to take a step away and look at the issues with a realistic lens is a game changer.
Goals can sound really ‘corporate’, and that can put people off- what are your thoughts on this?
I agree, I avoided the whole goal setting concept for ages because it was also laced with KPIs and targets and stuff that really made me back off. But what goals really are are dreams with a plan. If you don’t have the goal to aim at, you can’t plot your route to get there, you can’t set the micro goals, and you’re a lot less likely to achieve what you want. And when I set ‘goals’ and reverse-engineered the steps, I achieved what I wanted, so the system worked!
Having supportive people in your corner can have a huge outcome on an idea’s success or failure. How do you find these people?
Yes, this is a game-changer. Sometimes, we don’t even realise the people in our corner aren’t supportive, but there are always signs, it can just take a while to see them!
Look for people who get what you’re trying to achieve, and this might not be your ‘normal’ friends or family, it could well be people in small business groups on a similar journey to you who can understand the roller coaster, the dreams, the sleepless nights and why you’re doing it all.
Online communities are a great and easy place to find like-minded people, so are business events.
You’re doing more and more on TV and radio. What are some tips you can give people who want to be known as an expert in this way?
Oh, I love it, and I’m cross I didn’t push myself forward years ago! I’ll give you three tips that you can do today…
- You need to make sure that you’re using your platforms (social media, website, etc) to share your skillset, because when people are searching for people like you, or if you reach out to someone, this will provide evidence to support.
- #journorequest is a superb, free tool that people use on X. Journalists tag their content with this when they’re looking for experts and opinions, and you can hop on. Just go and search for it.
- Use the news as a hook. If there’s a story that you have an opinion on, think about the places you’d like to appear, that might be running a story on this, find the right person (usually someone like a producer) and contact them! You have nothing to lose.
If a business owner was completely new to PR, where would you recommend they start?
You can do masses on your own. You don’t need to hire a PR agent. Working with an agency should help you get where you want faster but it will cost you, or you can learn yourself for free.
I’d start by researching the movers and shakers in the places you wanted your name, story or opinion to be. This might be magazines, websites, radio or TV. Find the right people there, introduce yourself, build up relationships and be as helpful as you can to them. They’re busy people, and if you can provide what they need, when they need it, in a timely professional manner, you’re heading in the right direction.
Thank you so much to Rhea Freeman! You can find her new book You've Got This: How to supercharge your business and conquer your goals here or if you get it direct from Bloomsbury here you can use the code YGT25 to get 25% off!
And if you want to hear more, I'll be going live with Rhea on Instagram at 12:30pm on Friday 21st March so do come and join us then! You can also pop any questions for Rhea below!
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