Live & Linking with Lea Turner: Authenticity, LinkedIn and the Power of Community

Have you ever wondered whether you need to change who you are to succeed on LinkedIn? My guest this week is Lea Turner, founder of The HoLT, and she has a refreshing answer. Lea started using LinkedIn in 2019 to find more clients for her transcription business. As a solo mum working long hours and struggling to make ends meet, she wanted to earn more money without sacrificing precious time with her son. What happened next changed everything. Within months, she had attracted over 100 inbound clients and built a growing audience by showing up and, eventually, letting her personality shine through.

We had a brilliant chat about being yourself on LinkedIn, creating content that gets noticed and why you don't need to be the most polished person in the room to make an impact. Lea shares how humour, honesty and a willingness to stand out helped her build her personal brand, grow her businesses and teach others to use LinkedIn effectively. But there's another side to success, too. After building a thriving business, Lea realised she was travelling too much, working too hard and missing out on the family time that mattered most. She made the decision to step away from LinkedIn training at the end of 2024 and focus on The HoLT, choosing a business model that better suited the life she wanted.

So, what exactly is The HoLT? Lea explains how this business community brings people together to learn from experts, share their skills and help each other through the challenges of running a business. We explore the importance of inclusion, shared values and having people in your corner who genuinely want you to succeed. If you're growing a business, trying to get more from LinkedIn or simply looking for a better balance between work and life, there's plenty here to take away. It's a great reminder that success isn't just about how much you earn. It's about building a business and a community that work for you.

Timestamps

00:32 – Meet Lea Turner
04:07 – Getting started on LinkedIn
05:43 – Winning clients and growing an audience
07:43 – Why authenticity matters
09:59 – Creating memorable LinkedIn content
17:25 – Redefining success and protecting family time
20:50 – The story behind The HoLT
22:28 – The value of community and mutual support
24:18 – Inclusion, values and belonging
29:08 – Joining The HoLT
31:25 – Membership benefits and learning opportunities

Guest contact details

Lea Turner, Founder of The HoLT

Email: lea@leaturner.co.uk
Phone: 07540 238670
Website: https://www.the-holt.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lea-turner/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leaturnerholt/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theholtcommunity/
Spotify Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/34XYFw0LDuvqf7kTMvmAAC?si=36ecd3155000450c

Stop Posting and Praying on LinkedIn with Mark Lee

In this episode of Live & Linking, I'm joined by Mark Lee, business mentor for sole practitioner accountants and the man behind BookMarkLee. Mark has had quite a journey, from working as a children's party entertainer and magician to becoming a chartered accountant, tax adviser and mentor. These days, he helps sole practitioner accountants make life better for themselves and their practices. We have a great conversation about business growth, finding the right clients and why success doesn't always mean earning more money or building a bigger practice.

We explore why having a clear focus in your business can help you attract more of the right people, rather than shutting opportunities down. Mark shares how he discovered the value of having a niche through his own experience as a children's entertainer, and why accountants and bookkeepers need to think carefully about who they want to work with. We also get into the challenges of marketing professional services, setting fair fees and recognising that being brilliant at your job doesn't automatically mean people will find you. Then we turn our attention to LinkedIn, where Mark shares insights from more than seven years of tracking his post performance. His findings challenge some of the usual advice about images, engagement and impressions.

Of course, we couldn't talk about LinkedIn without getting into my Roast My Post feature! We discuss why so many people publish content and simply hope the right audience will see it. Mark explains why commenting thoughtfully on relevant people's posts can be far more valuable than posting and praying. We also talk about why viral numbers aren't necessarily useful if they're reaching the wrong people. If you're an accountant, bookkeeper, consultant or business owner who wants to build better relationships, attract the right clients and use LinkedIn more purposefully, there's plenty here to take away and put into practice.

Timestamps

00:53 – Introducing Mark Lee
01:31 – Mark's journey into accountancy and mentoring
04:08 – Redefining what business growth means
09:10 – Finding your niche
17:38 – Roast My Post and LinkedIn engagement
20:12 – Seven years of LinkedIn post tracking
24:22 – Repurposing content
29:11 – Why posting and praying doesn't work
30:17 – Where to find Mark

Guest contact details

Email: mark@bookmarklee.co.uk
Phone: 07769 692890
Website: www.BookMarkLee.co.uk
LinkedIn: /bookmarklee

Listen, subscribe and join the conversation. I'd love to hear what you think, so leave a comment with your biggest takeaway from the episode.

Students Aren’t Defiant, They’re Disconnected with Shaun Weatherhead

Here’s another episode of Live & Linking, and this week I’m joined by Shaun Weatherhead, founder of Fierce & Fearless and author of Students, They’re Not Defiant, They’re Disconnected. Shaun works with young people across schools, pupil referral units and alternative provision, helping them recognise who they are, what they can offer and where they belong. We had a really interesting chat about why some young people can be labelled as disengaged or difficult when there may be a lot more going on underneath.

We talked about belonging, identity, social media and the pressures young people face today. Shaun shared the story of a student who was being disciplined for being late, only for it to become clear that he was taking his younger brother to school before arriving himself. We also heard about a young man who had taught himself to play the piano while dealing with the loss of his granddad. Nobody at school knew about his talent until someone took the time to ask a question and give him a safe space to show it. That story really brings home Shaun’s message about seeing the person rather than simply judging the behaviour.

And, of course, because this is Live & Linking, we finished with a bit of LinkedIn. Shaun and I looked at one of his posts about identity, belonging and what young people wear, and talked about why personal stories can create such a strong connection on LinkedIn. There’s plenty to take away from this conversation, whether you work with young people, you’re a parent, or you simply want to get better at understanding the people around you.

Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome to Live & Linking
01:17 – Meet Shaun Weatherhead
04:33 – Shaun’s book and the idea of disconnection
11:16 – The student who was late for a reason
16:54 – The question every adult can ask
20:41 – The young pianist
25:08 – The impact of music
28:02 – Roast My Post
30:03 – Identity, belonging and LinkedIn
34:13 – How to contact Shaun

Guest contact details

Email: info@fierceandfearless.co.uk
Website: www.fierceandfearless.co.uk
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaun-weatherhead-197748158