In 2007, Leila Lewis decided she wanted to do her own thing. Now almost a decade later, she’s the CEO & founder of wedding and lifestyle PR firm Be Inspired Public Relations and media outlet Inspired By This.“Over the last decade our brand has evolved outside of just weddings. We’re still known as the top wedding PR firm, but we now take on lifestyle, home and baby projects too. That has expanded our reach, built new relationships and set us apart from our competition.” While this is enough to admire, she’s also a wife and mother. Leila Lewis has changed the wedding industry for good and is an expert in all things bridal and beautiful. She talks to us about balancing her work and home life, her initial struggles when she decided to be her own boss and why her ultimate goal is to ‘inspire!’
“I can’t tell you how many people told me “it’ll never work”, “no one will hire you for that”, “it’s a bad idea”, etc when I first started. I had to work hard to build my client base, build relationships with media and show that what I was offering people is very valuable!”
Taylor Magazine: You started your first PR business almost ten years ago. Where did it all begin and what inspired you to take this step?
Leila Lewis: After college I worked for a publishing firm in the marketing department. My role eventually expanded into planning events for the company. When the company sold I had the choice of staying on board to branching out to do my own thing. I chose the latter and pursued the wedding industry as I had really grown to love the events side of my job. After spending a few years getting to know the ends and outs of the industry, I found my colleagues were missing out on great press opportunities because they didn’t have the time or know-how to land them. It was then the idea to start the first PR firm specifically for wedding professionals was born.
Taylor Magazine: How would you describe your brand to someone who is just finding out about Be Inspired PR and Inspired By This?
Leila Lewis: Be Inspired PR and Inspired By This are sister companies. So while they’re two completely separate brands, there is some crossover between the two.
Be Inspired PR is a full service firm for wedding PR and lifestyle brands. We work hard to get our clients great press (TV, print and digital), negotiate partnerships and brand deals, build our client’s social media accounts via management or consulting, and act as a brand ambassador for our clients however and wherever we can.
Inspired By This is a media outlet. It’s a lifestyle site that caters to women in all different stages of life! We cover everything – engagements, weddings, home decor, careers, mum life, kids and babies, health, fashion and everything in between!
Taylor Magazine: What’s the best thing about being your own boss?
Leila Lewis: I love the flexibility of making my own schedule. When I first started my company, I had no set hours. I would work from first thing in the morning until I went to bed at night – it was however much I needed to work to get things off the ground. Now my staff has grown to 10 and my family has grown to 5! So if my daughter has a school event during the day, I know my staff will “hold down the fort” while I’m out.
Taylor Magazine: What’s the ultimate goal and mission for Inspired By This and Be Inspired?
Leila Lewis: To inspire! Whether it’s businesses just getting started or veteran businesses who have been around for years but want to stay relevant – BIPR exists to inspire people to achieve goals and dream bigger. Inspired by This’ mission is to also inspire our readers with beautiful, insightful and genuine content.
Taylor Magazine: How would you say Inspired By This and Be Inspired have grown since you first launched them?
Leila Lewis: Let’s just say I never imagined I’d be where I am today! Of course I had big hopes and dreams when I started, but I don’t think I could have predicted where we are today. I started these businesses in the spare bedroom of my apartment with one part-time employee. Fast forward and we are now a staff of 10 in a 1000 square foot office in downtown Manhattan Beach. We work with the best of the best in weddings all over the world, have hundreds of thousands of social media followers, collaborate with some of the biggest stars and brands and get to travel all of the world for work. It’s been an incredible journey.
Taylor Magazine: Tell us… why weddings?
Leila Lewis: The wedding industry is so unique in that it’s a little bit of everything – design, fashion, food and drink, music, entertainment, business strategy. There are so many facets! And our clients have been so diverse over the years that it always keeps things fresh and interesting. We also get to work with everyone from single business owners to some of the biggest brands in bridal. I was first drawn to the beauty and creativity of weddings, but have gained a whole new appreciation for all the hard work that goes into making a wedding happen, and I love being able to get my clients the recognition they deserve.
Instagram: leilaklewis
Of course, it’s not always easy. Balancing life and work can be difficult enough but working for yourself, Leila explains it can be hard to switch off. “While there are some great perks that come with being your own boss, there are also some great challenges. My biggest piece of advice – be prepared to never not work. When time sensitive projects or needs come in at 11pm – it’s likely going to fall on you. Going on vacation with your family? Be prepared to check in on email once a day. Even taking a maternity leave – you can never fully remove yourself from your work and you have to accept that.”
We wanted to know how she picks herself up when she may feel demotivated or stressed out. Her tip? Focusing on the positive. “Reflecting on how far my businesses have come always picks me up, spending quality time with my family inspires me and setting new and BIG goals motivates me.”
Taylor Magazine: How much of a big part does social media play for you?
Leila Lewis: Social media is a huge part of our business. It’s where the majority of our clients find us, it’s our primary source of sharing noteworthy news and it’s one of our main tools used for networking.
Taylor Magazine: Three things you can’t live without?
Leila Lewis: My family, cold brew coffee and traveling.
Taylor Magazine: How do you balance having a hugely successful business and a family life at the same time? This would be really hard for most people but we want to know your tips for a healthy balance.
Leila Lewis: While I think it’s impossible to achieve the perfect balance between the two every day, there are a few things I try to do to make it a healthy one:
Be “all present” wherever I am. If I’m at the office, I’m maximizing my time there with calls, meetings, answering emails, etc. If I’m at home, I’ve put my phone away and I’m focused on feeding my kids dinner, getting them bathed and putting them to bed.
- Keep your schedule flexible. If my daughter has a 10am swim lesson that I need to be at, then that may mean I’m catching up on work while she’s in bed. Schedules change every day, so it’s important to stay flexible and not try to stick to a daily regimented scheduled.
- Trust your staff – as both the business and my family have grown, I’ve had to let go of the details and trust the people I’ve hired to manage those.
- Learn to say no – this is a hard one, but it’s essential. You can’t be everything to everyone at all times. Keeping the balance will absolutely require saying no to things like new projects or a friend’s BBQ on a Tuesday night. It’s all a give and take.
Taylor Magazine: Is there a particular quote or inspirational mantra that sticks with you?
Leila Lewis: “Your life is your message to the world, make it inspiring.”
Taylor Magazine: Women-owned businesses are growing which is amazing. What advice would you give to women who are looking to start their own businesses and may not know where to begin?
Leila Lewis: Do as much research as you can before opening your doors – know how to set up your business properly, know everything there is to know about your competition and know clearly what kind of client you’re targeting.
Taylor Magazine: How did you manage maternity leave when you had your child?
Leila Lewis: Business owners don’t get to have traditional maternity leave, where you can leave all your work behind for 6-12 weeks… but it is absolutely necessary to take some time off and scale back your work for the rest. After having 3 kids, I’ve found a formula that works well for me – give my clients and staff as much notice as possible, meet with staff to delegate tasks and projects to manage while out, keep your calendar clear the few weeks leading up to your due date (I would still be working and going into the office – but I would have no meetings or calls scheduled), schedule absolutely nothing for AT LEAST 6 weeks after having the baby (you don’t know what kind of labor are you going to have – just because your friend was 100% fine after 3 weeks doesn’t mean you will be!) and after baby arrives, stay on top of your inbox so you don’t come back to a million emails to sort through. I found going through my inbox and getting back quickly to client/staff questions on my phone was easiest to do while my babies were eating.
Taylor Magazine: How do you spend your downtime?
Leila Lewis: With my family! With 3 kids ages 3 and under your lives tend to revolve around them. Play dates, swim lessons, beach days and family walks take up most of our evenings and weekends. When I do have time to myself I like to read on my Kindle, drink home made margaritas or wine, and watch a show on Hulu.
Taylor Magazine: Where do you hope to be in five years time?
Leila Lewis: Surrounded by my kiddos, traveling around the world, continuing to be a #momboss and #girlboss
Instagram: leilaklewis
