Lauren Shirreffs

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[00:00] SPEAKER_01: It's Toronto's podcast on the Canada's podcast network.
[00:05] SPEAKER_02: Hi everyone, I'm Phil Bliss, a business visionary and welcome to Toronto's Podcasts.
[00:11] SPEAKER_02: Part of the Canada's podcast network, your source of the great insights from entrepreneurs
[00:16] SPEAKER_02: across Canada.
[00:17] SPEAKER_02: So today I want to introduce you to Lauren Sheros.
[00:21] SPEAKER_02: In 2013, Lauren founded two social after recognizing an opportunity in the market to connect
[00:30] SPEAKER_02: consumers with celebrated brands and multi-locational businesses through online communities.
[00:36] SPEAKER_02: These are social markets.
[00:39] SPEAKER_02: Lauren is passionate about community and exploring ways to utilize social media to communicate
[00:44] SPEAKER_02: positive message and shed light on communication.
[00:49] SPEAKER_02: Lauren now divides her time between Toronto and Los Angeles and is fueled by an insatiable
[00:56] SPEAKER_02: drive for success and apparently coffee, so much coffee.
[01:01] SPEAKER_02: So Lauren, welcome to Canada's Podcasts and tell us a little bit about yourself and
[01:08] SPEAKER_02: what you do, what you are today kind of thing.
[01:11] SPEAKER_00: Great and thank you for having me.
[01:12] SPEAKER_00: I'm excited to be having this conversation with you today.
[01:15] SPEAKER_00: So a little bit about myself.
[01:17] SPEAKER_00: I'm the CEO and founder of a company called Two Social and for digital creative agency,
[01:23] SPEAKER_00: we were founded in 2013 and at that time when we started, we were predominantly a social
[01:29] SPEAKER_00: media shop, super exciting, emerging new business and we really had the ambition to support
[01:36] SPEAKER_00: local businesses and then it sort of grew from there that we're working also with national
[01:40] SPEAKER_00: brands and over almost seven years now, we've evolved to having a secondary office in LA
[01:47] SPEAKER_00: to support our growing US market and US roster of clients and we've evolved also our team
[01:54] SPEAKER_00: and our services to be more of a well-rounded digital and creative agency to support our clients
[02:00] SPEAKER_00: and all the scale of their projects.
[02:04] SPEAKER_02: Why did you become an entrepreneur?
[02:06] SPEAKER_02: I mean, we wired differently, you know, you could do tons of things, what made you become
[02:11] SPEAKER_02: an entrepreneur?
[02:12] SPEAKER_00: Well, it's always really been a passion of mine to live this sort of unpredictable, curated
[02:20] SPEAKER_00: life, working along things that I feel really passionate about.
[02:25] SPEAKER_00: I don't know if that means that it's, you know, are you wired that way?
[02:28] SPEAKER_00: I'm not sure I think that I am.
[02:30] SPEAKER_00: It's always, even since I was a young kid, I was, you know, putting together a babysitting
[02:35] SPEAKER_00: sort of club organization and running that and I was, you know, then I was a personal
[02:41] SPEAKER_00: trainer, I went to school originally for fitness and health and I also, I worked at a gym,
[02:45] SPEAKER_00: of course, but I also had my side business where I would train people privately in their
[02:49] SPEAKER_00: homes and then from there I was a freelance writer after going back to school for fashion
[02:56] SPEAKER_00: marketing and I moved and lived abroad and I was working as a freelance writer and I
[03:01] SPEAKER_00: really just had the ambition to help support local businesses and grow my own business and
[03:07] SPEAKER_00: kind of see where it would go from there.
[03:10] SPEAKER_02: I mean, do you really, I mean, the wire and thing, are we wired differently?
[03:15] SPEAKER_00: I mean, you have to be, lightly wired different to be able to live kind of in a world that
[03:21] SPEAKER_00: can be sometimes unpredictable.
[03:22] SPEAKER_00: You have to have a thick skin, you have to be willing to take rejection gracefully and
[03:28] SPEAKER_00: rise above it.
[03:28] SPEAKER_00: So I believe to that degree, you have to be wired differently.
[03:33] SPEAKER_00: I'm not sure that a lot of those traits can be learned or taught, but yeah, perhaps,
[03:39] SPEAKER_00: I, you know, I come from both a mix of a family of entrepreneurs and business owners as well
[03:45] SPEAKER_00: as people that were really passionate about the jobs and the people that they worked for.
[03:50] SPEAKER_00: So it's certainly not for everybody.
[03:52] SPEAKER_00: I think that I just always had it in my mind to build something and be involved in something
[03:59] SPEAKER_00: that I created and seeing it through.
[04:02] SPEAKER_02: Well, you've recently opened in LA, but you know, this is Canada's podcast.
[04:08] SPEAKER_02: So I mean, but I'm going to ask you the awkward question, what are the benefits of doing business
[04:13] SPEAKER_02: in Toronto rather than building a big empire or big office and becoming US based, if you like?
[04:21] SPEAKER_00: Well, the nice thing about working in Toronto besides that it's home,
[04:25] SPEAKER_00: love it, is really your, I feel that our services allow for us to partner with client,
[04:32] SPEAKER_00: help them build their business.
[04:33] SPEAKER_00: So if I'm able to help a business thrive within my community and within, within Canada,
[04:40] SPEAKER_00: then it's such a great accomplishment.
[04:41] SPEAKER_00: It feels like a contribution as well to the community.
[04:45] SPEAKER_00: So I think for me, that would be the biggest benefit of having a Toronto based business.
[04:51] SPEAKER_02: Why would you recommend Toronto to others?
[04:54] SPEAKER_02: I mean, you know, we've got people listening to this.
[04:56] SPEAKER_02: Yeah, across Canada, about 30% of our audience is from states as well.
[05:02] SPEAKER_02: So why Toronto versus LA versus San Francisco versus Boston, whatever?
[05:09] SPEAKER_00: I'm biased. Toronto's home, as I mentioned, but I like the vibrancy of a city.
[05:15] SPEAKER_00: I'm inspired by the energy of a city.
[05:17] SPEAKER_00: I'm inspired by the people and the multiculturalism of the city.
[05:21] SPEAKER_00: So for me, having a business in sort of a hub like Toronto,
[05:26] SPEAKER_00: it just allows for me to continue being motivated and sort of rise above any obstacles.
[05:31] SPEAKER_00: And it just gives me that fire I need to continue and the bustle I need in the energetic days
[05:37] SPEAKER_00: that follow the entrepreneur life.
[05:40] SPEAKER_00: So that's why I think there's great communities and opportunities in all sorts of different markets.
[05:46] SPEAKER_00: So it really depends on the type of business.
[05:48] SPEAKER_00: And really the lifestyle you're trying to curate for yourself.
[05:52] SPEAKER_02: So, you know, you're an ideas person, both in your business and for others as well.
[06:00] SPEAKER_02: And we get ideas when we least expect them.
[06:03] SPEAKER_02: How do you disconnect? How do you recharge?
[06:06] SPEAKER_02: How do you get inspired?
[06:08] SPEAKER_00: Well, I have, that was a learning curve for me over the seven years of having to social.
[06:13] SPEAKER_00: And I think I was previous being entrepreneur is finding what works for me to disconnect.
[06:17] SPEAKER_00: And I really believe it's different for each person.
[06:20] SPEAKER_00: But inspiration and creativity is super important.
[06:23] SPEAKER_00: So personally, what I do, I found yoga was a really great escape for me.
[06:28] SPEAKER_00: I like long drives. And stressful days, I have to take a walk.
[06:33] SPEAKER_00: So that walk could be a quiet walk that along the beautiful lakes, lakeshore.
[06:40] SPEAKER_00: It's, you know, I'm listening to an inspiring podcast.
[06:43] SPEAKER_00: So I'm listening to some music to recharge me depending on the mood.
[06:45] SPEAKER_00: At two social, we have Monday mode meditation.
[06:50] SPEAKER_00: So we have the quiet company come in.
[06:52] SPEAKER_00: It's another organization and they come in and they walk us through guided meditations.
[06:56] SPEAKER_00: Focus specifically on stimulating creativity within the workplace.
[07:00] SPEAKER_00: So we're always exploring ways that we can also support our team members
[07:04] SPEAKER_00: in how they can disconnect.
[07:06] SPEAKER_00: And it's really, truly going to be different for each person.
[07:08] SPEAKER_00: Sometimes it's fitness and sometimes it's long walks.
[07:11] SPEAKER_02: What's the, but what would you say?
[07:13] SPEAKER_02: What's your best thing about being an entrepreneur?
[07:16] SPEAKER_00: Well, I love that every single day is a little bit different.
[07:19] SPEAKER_00: I'm also our nature of our businesses in an ever-changing environment.
[07:24] SPEAKER_00: So how we started out in 2013 is vastly different than where we are today.
[07:28] SPEAKER_00: And I quite like that.
[07:29] SPEAKER_00: I like how I have to be nimble and agile within the business plan.
[07:33] SPEAKER_00: I have to be willing to pivot and move and change.
[07:35] SPEAKER_00: And so that, but that's also the nature of my personality.
[07:39] SPEAKER_00: So I think that that's my favorite part is every day can be different.
[07:45] SPEAKER_00: And I love also that I'm able to curate the environment with team members
[07:49] SPEAKER_00: that continually inspire me and encourage me to continue.
[07:53] SPEAKER_00: So that's been really an awesome part.
[07:56] SPEAKER_00: And I get to work with fantastic clients.
[07:58] SPEAKER_00: So they inspire me also.
[08:01] SPEAKER_02: What are you most excited about in your business these days?
[08:04] SPEAKER_02: I mean, what's really making you go, wow.
[08:09] SPEAKER_00: Well, specifically to social media, I mean, it's the ongoing changes to the various platforms
[08:14] SPEAKER_00: and new offerings like TikTok.
[08:17] SPEAKER_00: You know, a lot of people, especially in the US market,
[08:20] SPEAKER_00: a lot of clients asking you what is TikTok.
[08:22] SPEAKER_00: How does it work?
[08:23] SPEAKER_00: And just kind of exploring these new offerings.
[08:26] SPEAKER_00: Again, it's sort of how my business has to pivot and change in the agile.
[08:30] SPEAKER_00: So that's always exciting.
[08:32] SPEAKER_00: The new trends coming up each year and how we're going to approach
[08:36] SPEAKER_00: business or social strategies for each of our clients.
[08:39] SPEAKER_00: And just the clients sectors and the different pillars of business we provide services for.
[08:46] SPEAKER_00: You know, where it was used, it was a lot of food and beauty at one time.
[08:49] SPEAKER_00: And now we're also working with a lot of CBD and cannabis brands.
[08:53] SPEAKER_00: So just seeing how that landscape and the nature of the
[08:56] SPEAKER_00: reaching out test for our services and our support, that's been really
[09:00] SPEAKER_00: amazing for a lot.
[09:01] SPEAKER_02: You know, you've been doing it for six or seven years now.
[09:04] SPEAKER_02: What's the next five years?
[09:07] SPEAKER_02: Where do you see it's up in the next five years?
[09:09] SPEAKER_00: We're going to continue adding great partnerships to our business and really
[09:14] SPEAKER_00: round out our service offerings for our clients to continue
[09:17] SPEAKER_00: growing and scaling to the size of the or the nature of what their needs are
[09:23] SPEAKER_00: for to each and exceed their business objectives.
[09:25] SPEAKER_00: So that may, you know, recently this past year, we've added events
[09:29] SPEAKER_00: in real life events, activations and PR as part of our offerings here
[09:34] SPEAKER_00: to socials. So continuing to grow as well as focusing on expansion through more cities
[09:40] SPEAKER_00: outside of just Toronto and LA, continuing to work with fantastic clients that we
[09:46] SPEAKER_00: really feel passionate about the nature of their businesses.
[09:49] SPEAKER_00: And you know, it's always about doing great work.
[09:51] SPEAKER_00: So curating and continuing to curate a fantastic team of professionals
[09:57] SPEAKER_00: and then delivering work that really impresses our clients.
[10:01] SPEAKER_02: If there was something in the industry, I mean, we both live in
[10:05] SPEAKER_02: the market and business, something's just a fad right now.
[10:10] SPEAKER_02: What should people kind of not do in your business?
[10:14] SPEAKER_00: Probably lots of things, but I'll just say, I tell a lot of clients that they get really
[10:21] SPEAKER_00: excited about new things, as I mentioned, TikTok being an example.
[10:24] SPEAKER_01: Very.
[10:25] SPEAKER_00: You know, they want to be on every single social media platform and doing all these
[10:29] SPEAKER_00: different types of media such as video and graphic design and all these things.
[10:35] SPEAKER_00: And I my best advice is to really understand where your customers live,
[10:40] SPEAKER_00: where they engage, what platform makes the most of a sense for your business,
[10:45] SPEAKER_00: and put all your eggs into that basket and do really, really well before you start to scale and
[10:50] SPEAKER_00: try and be on everything and try and be everything for everybody, really have a clear past.
[10:54] SPEAKER_00: And so what we've done at two socials, we really put a lot of focus in our strategy
[10:58] SPEAKER_00: that we develop for our clients before even touching their social platforms.
[11:02] SPEAKER_02: One of the top three things in your bucket list vision board, whatever the heck you call it,
[11:07] SPEAKER_02: at the moment.
[11:08] SPEAKER_00: Personally, or business?
[11:11] SPEAKER_00: I want to learn a language.
[11:13] SPEAKER_00: I think you can work with me and you can't bring yourself, and that's one thing that I have
[11:17] SPEAKER_00: in master that's on my list of to-do's.
[11:20] SPEAKER_00: I'm inspired by travel, so finding new opportunities and adventures around the globe and
[11:25] SPEAKER_00: experience culture and trying to fit that into my really been lifestyle. That's another one.
[11:31] SPEAKER_00: That third one I'm not quite sure.
[11:34] SPEAKER_00: Continuing to figure out ways to progress my wellness or health journey and adding that
[11:41] SPEAKER_00: into my everyday life, finding that balance. That was a challenge.
[11:45] SPEAKER_02: What's the greatest challenge you've faced in the last seven years?
[11:49] SPEAKER_02: I think the challenges are great for people to hear.
[11:53] SPEAKER_02: I'm more importantly how you overcome it.
[11:55] SPEAKER_00: I would say the biggest challenge really has to be when it's your business, I feel, at least for
[12:01] SPEAKER_00: myself, you get very, very connected and you take things really personally and it's your
[12:06] SPEAKER_00: baby and you feel everybody should be just as motivated and into it and excited as you are.
[12:11] SPEAKER_00: And I think that it's important to not be so emotional and to learn how to separate
[12:18] SPEAKER_00: that or of yourself with your business and just bounce back.
[12:24] SPEAKER_00: My dad always had a really great quote say, oh, and let it go.
[12:27] SPEAKER_00: And he really used me and if I fell off my bike, cry for a second and move on.
[12:31] SPEAKER_00: But that relates to business. Also, you have to have a bit of a thick skin.
[12:34] SPEAKER_00: You have to have a really short memory and you have to be resilient.
[12:37] SPEAKER_00: And that's been honestly, likely still is something that I'm learning throughout the journey.
[12:43] SPEAKER_02: You know, basically what you know now, what do you wish you hadn't done and would advise people not to?
[12:54] SPEAKER_00: I would advise people to, especially when you're looking to partner and have a partner as
[13:02] SPEAKER_00: part of your business, to take the time to understand if it's the right fit for you and if they
[13:07] SPEAKER_00: can support you in areas that perhaps you're not as strong in and take the time to understand and
[13:12] SPEAKER_00: cultivate that relationship. That's really important not to rush into. That was a great lesson.
[13:18] SPEAKER_00: I think also taking the time to find the right team members, not just the level of experience,
[13:25] SPEAKER_00: but also to see if they fit your values and the culture you're trying to cultivate in your work.
[13:30] SPEAKER_00: Because that's really important moving forward.
[13:34] SPEAKER_02: If you go back in time, what advice would you give your 20 year old self?
[13:40] SPEAKER_00: Oh, higher people better than you, higher people, and you cannot do everything yourself.
[13:47] SPEAKER_00: So higher people that can best support you and help you reach the goals that you hope for your
[13:53] SPEAKER_00: business. That would be the best advice I'd give myself. It'll help everything scale a little bit
[13:58] SPEAKER_02: faster. What's the best piece of advice that you've been given that you've taken to heart and applied?
[14:07] SPEAKER_00: So many. I have a group of people I call my part of the group.
[14:12] SPEAKER_00: So I mean, as I mentioned before, say, oh, and let it go. It was a really great quote because it's
[14:17] SPEAKER_00: so simple, but it just reminds you to be resilient and not give up. And it's really just that
[14:22] SPEAKER_00: you know, phrase you always hear is just don't give up. It's so, so true. Because there's always
[14:27] SPEAKER_00: going to be really tough days. You as a leader have to come into your office or your environment
[14:32] SPEAKER_00: and hope to acquire and raise the sentiment in your office every single day. So you've got to leave
[14:37] SPEAKER_00: your personal behind sort of separate your dates. And so that's probably the best advice.
[14:44] SPEAKER_02: I'm just going to move into some rapid fire questions. So they, you know, don't think too much.
[14:49] SPEAKER_02: Just broke. Okay. If you weren't doing what you do now, what would you be doing instead?
[14:57] SPEAKER_02: Probably be a life coach. What books are you currently reading or listening to or whatever?
[15:03] SPEAKER_00: And what would you recommend to our audience? I'm currently reading Born to Lead by Brené Brown and
[15:08] SPEAKER_00: Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell. Both really cool books, both very different.
[15:13] SPEAKER_00: For entrepreneurs, a really cool book that I liked because I thought it was super current
[15:17] SPEAKER_00: in talking about social media and digital was crushing it by Gary Vee. Also really like his
[15:22] SPEAKER_00: podcast. Also really like yours. Thank you. And I mean, of course, Tim Ferris. He's always. Yeah,
[15:30] SPEAKER_02: absolutely. Are you a morning or a night person? A morning person. What time does day start?
[15:37] SPEAKER_02: A little bit before seven. If you had to pick one word to describe yourself, what would it be
[15:44] SPEAKER_02: and why? Well, you can pick two words if you want. Um, energetic. Okay.
[15:48] SPEAKER_00: Call me the energizer, but I'm here. So I'm going to take that. So energetic might be because of coffee and, um,
[15:57] SPEAKER_02: authentic. Okay. Those are good words. What's keeping you up at night? If anything,
[16:01] SPEAKER_00: maybe nothing is keeping you up at night. Oh, no, things keep me up. I would say,
[16:07] SPEAKER_00: what keeps me up is I create a goal list every single year of things I have to get accomplished in
[16:11] SPEAKER_00: that year. So that's what's keeping me up right now. But if you want my list, I have to get
[16:15] SPEAKER_02: in my list. You know, you'll have to travel. What's your favorite place in the world? Italy,
[16:21] SPEAKER_00: anywhere in Italy. Anywhere in Italy? Yeah. Got me anywhere and I'm with a plate of pasta and I'm good.
[16:28] SPEAKER_02: What are the three non-negotiables that have to happen in your routine? You know, a morning routine,
[16:36] SPEAKER_00: evening routine? Yeah, non-negotiables definitely a coffee. Second would be a phone call with a loved
[16:43] SPEAKER_00: one. I think that's really important. Keeps you centered. And third, I like to call it the time
[16:51] SPEAKER_00: that I sit for a sec, meaning a couple minutes for yourself. That could be a lie down. That could
[16:56] SPEAKER_00: be a walk. That could be a workout. Whatever it is, but a moment to yourself, not work related.
[17:01] SPEAKER_02: Five minutes, ten minutes an hour. It doesn't matter. And we're coming to the end. And the end is,
[17:09] SPEAKER_02: there's a small tropical island in the middle of the ocean with only one phone booth, no internet.
[17:15] SPEAKER_02: We drop you off there. There's no technology at all. How long would you last?
[17:20] SPEAKER_02: And what would you do before you come those? Well, Philip, there's so many variables. Is there
[17:25] SPEAKER_00: synamis coming? Is there food available to me? So I like alone time. So I would probably last
[17:32] SPEAKER_00: at least a couple of days. I think I'd be okay. I don't know if I can build a fire. So all those
[17:38] SPEAKER_00: survivor aspects, I'm not sure. But anyways, couple days, no problem on my own. And to make that phone
[17:44] SPEAKER_02: call, I'd probably call my mother. Okay, that's good. Thank you, Lauren. That was a relief.
[17:51] SPEAKER_02: Thank you. It was a really fast 30 minutes. I can tell you, it's been a lot of fun.
[17:57] SPEAKER_02: Someone's got some questions. How can listens get a hold of you? Yes, for sure. And I mean,
[18:02] SPEAKER_00: thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me today. I love what you're doing and
[18:05] SPEAKER_00: inspired by your podcasts. If you would like to learn more about a two social, feel free to check
[18:11] SPEAKER_00: out our website to socialagency.com or following us on Instagram. And myself on Instagram as well,
[18:18] SPEAKER_02: it's at Lauren Maria S. Thanks everyone for taking the time today to listen to Toronto's podcast
[18:25] SPEAKER_02: on the Canada's podcast network. I hope you enjoyed the podcast today. Make sure you sign up for
[18:32] SPEAKER_02: a news service or write a review for us on iTunes. You can connect with us on Twitter, Facebook,
[18:37] SPEAKER_02: Instagram, LinkedIn or at CanadaSpodcast.com where you can listen, discover and engage. You can also
[18:45] SPEAKER_02: check out what other entrepreneurs are doing across the country. I'll see you next time.