Female Founder Feature: Laura Rike – Pinterest Strategist

Laura Rike is a Pinterest Strategist who helps high-performing business owners implement content growth plans, outsource their visibility and steadily grow their monthly revenue through her signature growth to greatness framework with done for you services and course packages.

A mom of three, eleven years ago, she started as a virtual assistant but was so burnt out and had no energy for her kids or family. She had established herself as a sought-after Virtual Assistant who rocked the house with her design and tech skills. Laura was hitting walls trying to expand her business online and make more moola while sharing some much-needed snuggles with her kids. 

Taking some time to figure out what she truly loved and wanted to do day in and day out was one of the best decisions she said she made. That was when her passion for graphic design and Pinterest became an integral part of her everyday life!

Here’s our interview with Laura.

When you initially started your business, what hurdles did you face? 

Growing my business and hiring a team was one of the most challenging things I faced. I really struggled to find the right people. I would hire an assistant, only for them to outgrow the position a year or so later. 

Being on my own and trying to grow a team was posing a challenge. I eventually hired a coach who helped me put together a structure and plan that kept my team happy, educated continually, and growing with me instead of outgrowing me.

What is your favourite aspect of being an entrepreneur? 

My passion for helping others, combined with my desire to stay at home with my kids, were the driving factors. While pursuing my dreams, I realized that I could not only create a positive impact but bring in an income that would support my family in a way we hadn’t seen before.

Outsource the skill or learn the skill? 

I believe a combination of the two is best. In my opinion, it is hard to outsource something if you are not at least a little bit knowledgeable in it and confident the task is meeting your expectations. 

On the other hand, you don’t want to waste much time doing something you don’t enjoy if you have the budget to stay profitable while outsourcing that skill.

What is a piece of advice you wish you had been told before starting your entrepreneurial journey? 

Most entrepreneurs skip the personal investments because those investments seem disconnected from their businesses and services. If an entrepreneur can spare an extra hour, they may prefer to invest it in their agency rather than in themselves.  But I would urge them to reconsider. 

Once upon a time, I thought if I couldn’t make time for my personal development and invest in myself… How can I convince others to invest in me? I genuinely believe that my business became sustainable once I allowed myself to grow. 

I am grateful to the coach that taught me the importance of personal development in my business. I wish it would have been something I knew from the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey.

What makes your business unique? 

I believe that there’s enough air for everybody to breathe – I don’t feel like I have to worry about anyone else out there. There’s no such thing as competition in my eyes – there are only mentors, mentees, collaboration opportunities, and friends. 

I am fully transparent in everything I do. I take the time to share strategies with my clients.  I don’t hold anything from them to better my business or financial situation, even if some of my feedback is that we wouldn’t be a good fit to work together. 

You deserve to hire people who want you to grow and reach the goals you have mutually set together. I truly believe that this is what makes me stand out and makes my business unique.

How do you handle doubt? 

I tackle doubt one of two ways depending on why it is coming up. 

If I have a sales call or consult call and get nervous or unsure of myself, I take five minutes to write down three things that make me unique and three things that I have accomplished for my clients in the past. This helps me prep myself for the call and bring back any confidence I was lacking. 

If I am working on a new service or digital product and trying to decide if it is ready to launch and good enough for the market, I like to read testimonials I have received in the past from some of my course students and clients. This helps remind me why I am creating this new product or service. 

How do you make the most of your day? Any tips? 

I have set up several calendars with different names in my google calendar, each with a specific purpose. Some of those calendars are for the delivery of products and services, lead generation, and personal development. I break out my days by the tasks to be completed in each calendar and block my time accordingly.

Do you have any tips for work-life balance? 

I don’t believe in balance; instead, I believe in unbalancing your life to the fullest. 

I have always believed that nothing in this world is ever going to be perfectly balanced, so that is the reason why I strive to be unbalanced. 

I value efficiency and providing support to every person I come in contact with (family, friends, or clients) over balance. To do this, I continually work on my calendars (mentioned above) and keep my mind on the things that truly matter.

Do you have a business app you can’t live without? 

Aside from the Pinterest app of course… My favourite tool is Slack. It helps me stay organized and productive with my team. I can be nursing my daughter or heading into an interview for a podcast and still feel connected to them. It helps us feel like a family and staying up to date on everything taking place with our clients and the agency.