Writer profile / bio

Starting out as a TV & radio broadcaster with BBC and corporate clients, Louise is a creative communicator with more than twenty years experience working with names such as BBC, Superdrug, Prince’s Trust and five industries.  Louise is also the proud creator of Find your Stride PR and marketing toolkits to upskill entrepreneurs and business leaders to use the knowledge to their advantage.

Louise is passionate about leading conversations about equality, diversity and representation. She is a self-confessed passionate cook, baker, travel enthusiast and music lover! Born and raised in Reading from Caribbean Barbadian parentage, Louise can often be found cooking and eating out, laughing at comedy and starting the day with a 10 minute yoga routine.

Connect with her on LinkedIn to find out more https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-chandlermediapr/ and read about her creative storytelling, guest speaking and consulting work here www.Soundbitemedia.co.uk 

Reflections and advice for fellow female leaders – how to show up and showcase your skills?

One: What past experiences are valuable to you now?

Don’t underestimate past experiences that can be useful to share your current and future career. Let’s rewind back in time to the late nineties! I started my working life in retail with my first job being a footwear salesperson at River Island for £2.88 an hour. Weekend shifts at WH Smith, Dorothy Perkins, and Marks & Spencer during my student and university years would follow and I think it was the best preparation for working in the media industry. I learned some valuable lessons about having a work personality and how you conduct yourself. I also learned the essence of being professional, having a can-do approach to problem-solving and being reliable for a job. These values have stayed with me throughout my media career and when I bump into ex-colleagues, these are the things that people still remember about me all these years later!

Two: Nurture and build positive relationships

No man (or woman for that matter) is an island and there is no ‘I’ in the word team. I know from my experiences that I have had the pleasure of working with, and for, some great, talented people who have been supportive mentors and shown me great kindness.  Nurturing and building positive professional relationships are key to operating in the media industry. To have trusted people you can speak to for advice, guidance and ideas when you are stuck and need help is always a valuable thing. I have a tribe of work friends who I respect, and trust and we work well together. One good turn deserves another and remember that the people you meet will form a part of your journey during good and bad times. Remember to treat everyone with respect.

Three: Know what you do well and what you also need to improve

We all have our talents and skills, things that we’re really good at. This could be a natural skill for complicated maths equations, being able to cook a delicious meal in 20 minutes or the ability to dissolve an argument between your two best mates. Often, we underestimate these skills, but I think it’s important to look closely at the attributes you display and give yourself credit for them. Truly value these skills. I believe our strengths come from understanding what we do well so that we can build on it. But we also have to be honest about the areas we need to improve on so that we can develop our perspectives and thoughts. 

Four: Be bold about your achievements

Celebrate you and all the great things you do! We achieve great things in our personal and professional lives so why do we not shout about them enough? I meet many women who are talented and do fantastic work, yet we refer to the ‘imposter syndrome’ of not being good enough. I believe that self-esteem and confidence can blossom, but it starts with us. Celebrate what you do well. I take pride in being a chatterbox because my ability to articulate and communicate led me into a broadcasting career and this is something that I’m always proud to share.

Just imagine introducing yourself to someone new and how you’d like to be remembered, this will help you to stand tall and speak up to represent everything you have worked to achieve. Share your LinkedIn profile with pride, rehearse your elevator pitch as a snappy sentence to introduce and your true impact and purpose and enjoy it.

Five: Be prepared to learn and share

Every day we learn a new fact or piece of interesting information that we can use to navigate life, which can in turn, enhance our career. Learning something new and sharing it has formed the basis of my career. When you meet a colleague or new friend and begin chatting and exchanging ideas, it can be insightful and empowering to exchange knowledge. Sharing ideas about a particular website, place to visit, person to meet, or life hack will make a difference. Think of the ideas that you have learned from someone else and how they made a difference to you! So, pay it forward, learn and share them with someone else.

Want to know more? Two-time award winner Louise has created interactive and downloadable PR and marketing toolkits to help you with communications!

Louise is a media, marketing and communications specialist with over 20 years experience working in TV, Radio, print and online media for BBC and Commercial brands, businesses, and services.

Connect with Louise on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/louise-chandlermediapr and read about her creative storytelling, guest speaking and consulting work here www.Soundbitemedia.co.uk 

Visit https://www.find-your-stride.co.uk to discover the 14 different PR and marketing toolkits created and written by Louise for solopreneurs and business leaders.