Meet Brand consultant and Writer Lawrencia Nelson, the founder and creative director of brand building agency Lena Media. Lena Media connects brands in the Lifestyle and Beauty industry to their chosen audience. The aim of the agency is to help niche brands find their creative voice.

We discuss with Lawrencia, why she believes black owned brands matter in the industry, the inspiration behind the brand.

1. Tell us who you are, what you do & how you got to where you are now. I am a Writer and the Founder of Lena Media Consultancy. Lena Media is a brand building agency that works with niche brands to help create awareness and connect them to their audience. I graduated with a BA hons in Media, after I graduated I was not exactly sure what I wanted to do however I fell into the world of sales by accident in 2012 and I have never looked back. I was always told I had a natural gift for selling and had a tone that people felt comfortable with. I started off in Recruitment as a consultant then worked my way up to a Business Development Executive. I did not see myself as selling a product, my approach was very much as if I was talking to a friend and telling them about this new amazing product that I had come across and persuading them to try for themselves. I guess I was a natural. Till this day, I am still selling as I speak to prospective clients telling them about Lena Media! The world of sales opened doors for me as it gave me a diverse range of transferable skill sets

 

2. From a writer to a brand consultant, can you connect the dots for us here, please? I started a blog back in 2016 as I always loved to write but I never had the confidence to actually start it as I was apprehensive no-one would be interested in what I had to write about. Honestly my blog just grew and grew, I started pitching my articles to publications for features. I was also interviewing entrepreneurs from different industries but mostly lifestyle entrepreneurs. I loved that there was a plethora of entrepreneurs from ethnic minority backgrounds but needed their voices to be heard. I was inspired by the moves they were making from all over the world. Some of my favourite interview articles to date were Ghanaian powerhouses Valerie Obaze and Menaye Donkor who I interviewed for a publication in the UK called ‘Black Hair & Beauty’. I wanted to tell the world their story, as these entrepreneurs had great energy and most importantly great brands. In 2018, I decided to become a brand consultant as I wanted to help entrepreneurs gain awareness and felt I had the network to do so.  I got my first client which was a massive sunscreen brand for Black women in the US in 2018.  I rebranded Lena late last year

 

3. What inspired the creation of Lena Media? I started Lena Media as I am passionate about the growth of black owned brands and wanted to connect these brands to mainstream press. We are living in a time where there are so many black entrepreneurs doing amazing things and most importantly creating iconic brands. Growing up I suffered from acne and was constantly recommended Clearasil, which may not have even been catered for a young black girl. Now fast forward twenty years later we have individuals creating vegan and organic skin brands catered for people who look like me. They care about what we put on our skin. I love this term which I heard recently from a client ’catered for us by us’. My daughter is growing up in a world where her favourite hair products are catered by people that look exactly like her. Representation is key, and it matters to the highest level

 

4. Why the lifestyle, beauty and fashion industry? Initially when I started my blog, it was mainly about entrepreneurship, my passion for Ghana and other topics. One day, I decided to write a blog based on the ‘Representation of black women in the media’ and interviewed a few influencers. I sent the article to a number of publications and I wasn’t expecting for it to do aswell as it did and from then my passion for beauty just grew.

 

5. Why do black-owned brands matter in your line of industry? It matters due to last year’s tragic events in America with the George Floyd case, this highlighted that black people need to be heard and considered much more, in every area of life. There are a plethora of amazing black owned brands however there needs to be attention and light shed on them.
6. Rebranding through a pandemic, share that experience and what’s come out of it: Initially I thought it would be difficult however the pandemic was some what of a blessing, as the world stood still (well that is what it felt like) it gave me a chance to restructure and pivot the business. I had time to really think and work on how the agency can work remotely.

 

7. Talk about the impact Lena Media has in your line of industry. Right now Lena Media is still a small agency, more people are starting to know about us due to the fact we deliver what we say! Also, I think we are unique as there are not many agencies in the UK that solely work with black owned brands.

 

8. What challenges have you had to overcome in your entrepreneurial journey? Starting from nothing. I was constantly told ‘a lot of businesses fail in their first year’. I had no experience of running a business so whatever. I pretty much learnt how to run a business by watching my managers and directors at my 9 to 5. I used to watch how they would deal with certain situations, how they would speak to clients and overcome difficult scenarios. I would then put my own personal spin on it. Initially I was a one-woman band, doing everything by myself from prospecting new clients, account management and admin. As we are growing, I needed a team. I now have a small team.

 

9. What didn’t you know when you were starting that you know now? That entrepreneurship can be lonely and there are times where you really need to motivate yourself, it can be difficult as you have no manager or director to motivate you. You’re the director! Entrepreneurship is daunting, as one month it’s an amazing month and the next a slow month. It really does vary!

 

10. What advice do you have for upcoming entrepreneurs? Believe in yourself, believe in your brand. You are your brand so own it. Have faith and do not be disheartened if you face rejection initially, keep going. I would also say make sure you have a good accountant from the set go, it makes a world of a difference. Invest in an accountability partner, another individual who helps you to keep to your goals and business commitments. Writing your goals down is very important as you can see what you have achieved, it is a real motivation factor.

 

11. Any standout lessons you’ve picked? Hardwork and determination really pays off and having a faith. The harder you work, the better results you will receive.

 

12. Where do you think opportunities lie for young black women in today’s world? I believe opportunities are limitless, it also depends on what you want to do. I think that is a major deciding factor.

 

13. Share your future projections – of yourself and Lena Media: Not to give too much away hopefully for the agency to grow and have an international hub. To empower women all around the world and show them it is possible to achieve their goals.

 

 

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