Donna Loughlin - Embracing Your Sliding Door Moment

If you are a believer in the old adage when one door closes, another one opens, this is the conversation for you!  Donna Loughlin is the founder of LMG PR, a strategic public relations firm that helps futurists and innovators move their businesses forward by bringing their unique stories to life.  In this episode, you’ll hear how getting laid off from a successful corporate career during a recession opened a door of opportunity for Donna that ultimately put her on the entrepreneurial path that launched her public relations agency. Donna recounts starting her career in journalism reporting business, economics, and technology news at large media organizations, moving from news reporting to public relations, and the life-changing reality check she experienced after being laid off from her executive job during a recession.  Donna describes figuring out her next move after being laid off, following the signs that guided her toward her “sliding door moment” launching her PR agency, hiring her first team members from the talent-rich pool of stay-at-home moms, and balancing her business with being a mom.  Donna shares how she grew her agency and differentiated it in the market, her process for creating the “narrative story engine”  for her clients, and the 3 common threads she sees among the innovators and disruptors she’s worked with.  Finally, Donna reveals how her definition of growth has changed over the years, why it’s important to be selective as a business owner, and the big misconception people have about being a business owner that doesn’t match up with reality.  Skip to Topic: 1:13 - Working as a news reporter for big media companies 4:30 - Making the shift from news reporter to public relations 5:44 - Getting laid off to landing $50K in new projects in 1 day 10:19 - Discovering an untapped talent resource in stay-at-home moms 12:36 - Becoming known for a niche, differentiation in the market, and global expansion 16:00 - Working with innovative clients in emerging markets 18:17 - Creating a “narrative story engine” for innovators 23:57 - 3 Common threads in the stories of innovators 30:39 - How Donna approaches growth in her agency 33:55 - Being selective about opportunities as a business owner Find Donna at: Website: https://www.lmgpr.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnal2/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/dlmichaels Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beforeithappenedshow/ Donna"s podcast Before It Happened: https://beforeithappened.com  Visit Stephanie at: https://stephaniehayes.biz/ Follow me on Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter Support the show