At Your AJency we love showcasing ambitious female founders who are disrupting their respective industries. This week we are thrilled to welcome Julia Tsavellas, founder of London-based PR and Copywriting Consultancy, Julia Maria PR. Specialising in luxury lifestyle, wellness and hospitality, Julia is an expert at how to get yourself and your brand out there and this week she shares her 5 top tips on how to cultivate confidence, credibility and visibility as a female business owner.

Cultivating Confidence, Credibility and Visibility: Five Tips for Freelancers and Female Founders

By Julia Tsavellas, Founder of Julia Maria PR

Recently, I made the daunting leap from a comfortable full-time PR role to the less-than-sheltered wilderness that is a freelance PR career.

While the decision was marked by uncertainty, it's a choice I've grown to embrace wholeheartedly, guided by the aspiration to establish my own consultancy as a credible business in a crowded industry.

Fortunately, I have drawn on my professional PR experience to shine a light on my freelance business by taking the following steps to build brand recognition:

1. Harness the Power of Experience While Embracing Continuous Learning 

Once I acknowledged the wealth of expertise that I had gained during my agency tenure, my confidence began to grow. Realise that every project, every challenge, and every successful outcome has shaped your skills.

While it’s crucial to recognise your strengths, know the importance of embracing continuous learning as your industry continues to evolve. Invest in your professional development through workshops, webinars, and courses - and you’re sure to future-proof your business. For a good starting point, check out Hubspot or Google SkillShop.

2. Build a Robust Portfolio and Seek Out Testimonials 

Curate a portfolio that showcases your past wins. A compelling portfolio serves as a tangible testament to your capabilities, in turn boosting your credibility (if not serving as a reminder of your enormous potential)!

As you undertake more projects, don’t forget to gather testimonials from satisfied clients! These endorsements provide tangible evidence of your capabilities and build trust among potential clients.

3. Network and Collaborate with Purpose: 

It may sound obvious, but knowing how to leverage your contacts and continually expanding your connections is paramount as a founder. From The Stack and Babes on Waves to Step Up Club and Found & Flourish, there are a multitude of oh-so-fabulous networking groups aimed at women.

Networking doesn’t need to be intimidating, as outreach to fellow professionals, mentors and potential clients can be equally effective via social media. Simultaneously, use social media to share insights and thought leadership - think about how you can offer value.

Even better, why not collaborate with other professionals within and beyond your industry, from guest posting or industry webinars - bonus: this will expose you to new audiences.

4. Define Your Niche and Develop your Brand Story 

Identify your unique strengths and passions to carve out a niche for yourself. Becoming an expert in a specific area of your industry will set you apart, while bolstering your credibility as a go-to professional in that niche.

In the same vein, craft a compelling personal brand story that reflects your journey, values, and aspirations. Sharing your narrative authentically resonates with potential clients and helps them connect with you on a deeper level.

Start by identifying your target audience and informing your messaging accordingly. Equally, conducting a competitor analysis is key in identifying PR tactics to differentiate your brand.

For the lowdown on all things personal branding, I’d recommend subscribing to the following email newsletters: The Selfhood, F Being Humble and Buro 155.

5. Mentorship and Support: 

Mentorship was a complete game-changer for me. Seek out mentorship from successful business owners who have navigated similar paths - you’ll be surprised at the insights you will glean.

Not sure where to start? A subscription to Allbright Digital offers a dedicated mentorship platform for female professionals.

Remember, gaining confidence as a freelancer or female founder is a journey, not a destination. Each step you take, each challenge you overcome, and each success you achieve contributes to your growth and credibility. By embracing your experiences, honing your skills, and leveraging the power of visibility, you’re already one step closer to achieving your goals.

With beginnings in finance, tech and social impact, Julia has worked with clients in the luxury lifestyle, wellness and travel spheres - most recently as a Travel PR at one of the UK’s leading agencies in the industry, Mason Rose. Now, Julia draws on an extensive network of media and social connections to deliver far-reaching results that surpass KPIs through made-to-measure PR and social strategies. A fluent French speaker, Julia has worked in both Geneva and London with the likes of Givaudan, Mastercard, Waterdrop as well as many of the world’s finest hotels, including The Royal Crescent Hotel (Bath, UK), Royal Mansour Marrakech (Morocco), Grand Hotel Tremezzo (Lake Como, Italy) and Adriatic Luxury Hotels (Dubrovnik, Croatia).

Find out more on Julia’s website or follow her on Instagram.

Are you an ambitious female founder with a story to tell? We’d love to hear from you! Get in touch to find out how you could feature in our Moments to Motivate blog series or share your expert advice with our amazing community of international female founders.