Leanne Calderwood, Hospitality Industry Trainer, LeanneCalderwood.com
Leanne Calderwood, CMP, believes developing a personal brand is the key to setting yourself apart in the hospitality industry. Serving as a ConferenceDirect site selection associate for the past 14 years, Leanne used the industry's hiatus in 2020 to help other sales professionals to find her voice and create a brand that attracts business and opportunities.
Her true passion was ignited through this work, and now Leanne serves her community through her blog, videos, online courses, and consulting services around LinkedIn and Personal Branding.
When she's not talking about Branding, LinkedIn or online marketing, you can find her drinking tea, making jam and gardening at her home in Kelowna, Canada, with her husband, two teenage sons, and her dog, Farls Barkley.
What is your favourite social media platform, and why?
LinkedIn is the world's largest B2B platform. LinkedIn gives us all the space to become thought leaders, share our perspectives, and build community with like-minded professionals.
Tell us about you and your current role or area of interest.
I help hospitality professionals find their voice and build a personal brand that attracts leads and opportunities. I currently have two digital courses, including a LinkedIn Optimization course and a Personal Branding, From A to Z course. I also offer workshop training for small teams around LinkedIn and Content Creation.
What do you like about your career or area of focus?
I believe hospitality is all about experiences, and that experience should start with the people. By amplifying our personal brands, we create that experience for our customers, which can lead to a stronger "know, like and trust" factor and move our clients along the path-to-purchase for our product.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
The best advice I ever received was, "there are no unique messages, only unique messengers." There is a community of people out there waiting to hear from you. So share your voice, connect with people, and watch your community grow.
What inspires you, motivates you, or helps you to move forward?
I'm continually inspired by the selfless people I meet on LinkedIn, who continually provide value and resources to their communities, expecting nothing in return.
What are you proud of in your life so far?
I'm proud of myself for taking a leap of faith and building a new business from scratch at almost 50 years of age. It was a tough decision to make, but if I didn't try, I would always wonder, "what if...".
What is your preferred way to meet new people/network?
I love meeting people on LinkedIn and then moving the conversation to Zoom or an in-person meeting, and I can't wait to return to in-person meetings!
What skills or qualities do you feel have helped you?
I'm a perpetual goal-setter and very driven. I'm getting better at learning from failure and working through setbacks. Of course, nothing is immediate, but I'm happy to play the long game and keep moving forward.
What do you wish you had known when you started out?
I wish I had known that vanity metrics are a waste of time and energy. There are tons of people who watch and learn from you but may never say anything to you! Never doubt that your contributions are valuable to someone.
Who do you most admire in business, academic or creative circles and why?
Wow! So many people! I would have to give a shout-out to my friend Heather Reid, who recently went back to school to explore her passion. She took advantage of the downturn in our hospitality industry to pursue something new and scary. She's one of many in our industry who took the bull by the horns during 2020 and 2021 and reinvented themselves. I'm so proud of her and so many others!
Outside of your professional/work area, what hobbies or interests do you have or what other areas of your life are of real importance to you?
I love to garden and make jam and salsa. I also love hiking, camping and cross-country skiing. And I'm a bit of an afternoon tea snob and try to hit up a new tea place whenever I travel.
Has the pandemic had a positive or a negative effect on you and/or your business, and how have you managed it?
Covid-19 wiped out my business as a meetings' site selection professional. So, while my clients await a return to meetings, I started this new business of providing training for the hospitality industry around LinkedIn and Personal Branding. It's been a tough couple of years, no doubt, but I feel confident that when the hospitality industry returns, I'll be poised and ready to be of service to our industry's professionals!
Do you have a mentor, or have you ever mentored anyone?
I am a huge advocate for mentorship, and I have many that I meet with regularly as Jennifer Spear, Candace Schierling, Heather Reid. And some I've never met like Amy Porterfield, Salome Schillack, Seth Godin, Donald Miller, Dr JJ Peterson.
What advice would you have for someone looking to get into the same area of work or interests?
Just do it! Personal Branding is a unique experience for everyone, including us as trainers. There is always room for those who can help in personal branding and LinkedIn training because there is no right way to create a brand. Your unique take on this abstract concept is what will draw your community towards you. You may also find more success focusing on a niche as I did or focusing on a specific aspect. My friend Michelle J Raymond focuses on LinkedIn Company Pages... that's it! She is a great example of someone who narrowed her focus and is now the go-to guru in that area.
What do you feel is the most common reason for people failing or giving up?
I think imposter syndrome and comparisonitis hold us all back from our true potential. We see what others have and wonder why we're not there. It can be discouraging and lead people to believe that there isn't room for everyone. Never compare the beginnings of your journey to someone else's middle. You'll get there if you don't give up!
Is there a phrase, quote or a saying that you really like?
"Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game." - Babe Ruth.
What companies, brands, or institutions do you like or do you think are getting it right?
Amy Porterfield, Accor Hotels, and Explore Edmonton.
How do you define success, and what lessons have you learned so far that you could share with our audience/readership?
Success for me is tricky. I know what it's not. It's not metrics, or money, or audience size. Success for me is about impact, and if I can find ways to help more people and make a bigger impact, I will feel more successful.
Patience is key, especially if you're changing directions or starting a new venture. Nothing will happen as fast as you want it to. I heard it said once, "never overestimate what you can do in a week, but never underestimate what you can do in a year." This most certainly applies when building a business.