This podcast exists thanks to The Empower Programme which helps fast track female-led businesses. 
 

 

"It's a friendship at the end of the day and you have to respect that friendship as you would your circle of friends 'in real life'" 

Charlene Flanagan

On the 8th of September 2020, Susan had the opportunity to host The Empower Explore webinar 2020, a female-led event focusing on enabling women in business to fast-track their success by connecting with a network of women who are on a similar journey. 

The Empower programme is run by the GMIT Innovation Hubs and is aimed at women in the west of Ireland who are either in the early stages of their business (18 months or less) or those who are looking to start scaling their business. Those behind The Empower programme have kindly allowed us to share the audio recordings from this year's webinar, showcasing the incredible women who spoke at the event, the knowledge and support shared throughout the day. 

In this episode, you will hear from the three social media influencers interviewed by Susan as part of the event; Sinead Carroll (Founder and CEO of Mini Media) Aoife McNamara  (Founder of Aoife Ireland) and Charlene Flanagan (Co-Founder of Ella & Jo Cosmetics). 

 

"You have to find someone who is authentic in what they are saying and make a connection with them"

 

Sinead Carroll (Mini Media)

When Sinead began her journey in becoming the influencer she is today, she was "banker by day and blogger by night". With few Irish role models to guide her on her path, she helped build a strong network for Irish influencers to support and learn from each other. A network that connected people from across the country and allowed the community to build itself an empire of trust with interesting brands and an engaging community.  

Throughout the panel discussion, Sinead Carroll shared some of the most important things to focus on when making the decision to build a brand-influencer relationship and the resources you need to ensure a successful outcome. 

• Connecting with someone who's voice is authentic.
• Finding an influencer with values that align with your brand's principles.
• Find a platform that will help you connect with the right people such as the Irish Blogger Agency. 

 

"I think it's really important for any brand starting off to really dream big and put all your visions out there, no matter how scary they are" 

 

 

Aoife McNamara (Aoife Ireland)

Along with a passion for fashion, Aoife McNamara details her love for envisioning her goals, whether they are smaller and can be achieved sooner or they are long-term goals that take more consideration and time to achieve. Aoife explains how it is only when you can picture the end goal that you can start to plan the journey to getting there. When a brand or business is young, it so vital to set a clear vision for where you want the business to be in months or years to come. As they say 'if you can dream, you can do it', and although your business may pivot over time, rest assured that the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow might end up being bigger than you could have ever imagined. 

 

"I am that person that I'm talking to. I understood what that woman needed because I was also looking for what I now offer"

 

Charlene Flanagan (Ella & Jo Cosmetics)

Building a quality relationship with your audience is at the core of every good influencer's strategy. The following you build online will be with you throughout your career. To ensure that you can continue to build and engage with that audience Charlene shares the key things she does that make the biggest difference when it comes to building an online community.

1. Ensure your voice is authentic. Speak about what you know and what you truly believe and people will gravitate towards your brand. 
2. Ensure every interaction you have with your followers is valuable for them, not just for you. Charlene explains that education is at the core of everything she does. Her content aims to share the knowledge she has acquired to empower her followers to make informed decisions. 
3. You have to think five steps ahead of them and answer their questions before they even know what to ask. 

 

The Savvy Women Podcast is now on iTunes! Subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode.

 

The Empower Explore programme: Learn more about the different programmes, services and help available from The Empower Programme. This programme addresses specific challenges that hinder females and helps to fast track female-led businesses.

Mini Media: Mini Media focuses on delivering Digital Marketing and Social Media Solutions as well as Web Design for small to medium size businesses. Visit their website to learn how they can help your business today. 

 

Aoife Ireland: A luxury slow-fashion brand with a vision of empowering women through unique garments made consciously in Ireland and designed to last a lifetime of experiences. Support Irish and see their catalogue of clothing on offer today. 

 

Ella & Jo Cosmetics: A cosmetics and skincare company focused on creating functional and fun products that made every day easier for women. Visit their website to learn more about the brand and see their full line of products.

Empower Influencer Interview (38.31 MB)

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