Today we are featuring Lynn Mooney, founder of PR Company The Launch. Learn more about Lynn and her company, how she got into PR, her best parenting tips and much more!

Introduce yourself and your business.

Hello, thanks for having me! I'm Lynn, I’m from Ireland and currently living in LA. I'm here with my husband, two sons (Lennon is four and Phoenix is 11 months), and two male dogs - so I am surrounded by boys at all times!

My business, The Launch specializes in teaching female entrepreneurs and small business owners how to master their own publicity - so they can ultimately reach a wider audience and scale their brand. Our DIY PR packages offer access to the world of media mentions, without needing to invest in a large retainer. We provide step-by-step guidance, templates, and swipe files so anyone can learn how to become their own publicist.

The business also has a traditional agency side to it where we manage the PR and Marketing for lifestyle brands in the beauty, fashion, and travel space.

How did you get into PR/Marketing? And why are you so passionate about helping small businesses?

I studied Marketing back in Ireland and always gravitated towards roles in the communications field. PR was something that I felt drawn to early in my career because I just loved the power of publicity and how it could skyrocket a brand quickly in a really authentic way.

In my twenties, I moved to Australia. While there, I was the Managing Director of one of Australia's leading consumer PR agencies for several years, working on global campaigns for mostly large, well-known brands. When I moved to LA in 2017, I decided to go out on my own and start an agency myself.

Over the years, I had met so many incredible entrepreneurs and small businesses who had brilliant brands to share but simply couldn't afford large agency retainers. So, on many occasions, I had to turn them away - and it felt dreadful.

This is what spurred me to create a business that catered specifically to them. I think that the power of publicity should be available to every brand, regardless of budget. I can't think of anything better to do with my time than teach small businesses how to land coverage in their dream publications and reach their dream customers. It’s always awesome when I land a press hit for a client, but the feeling is multiplied when they use our DIY process and land it themselves!

Do you think it's possible to be a present parent and a small business owner? What are some tips you can share?

This is such an interesting question, as right now, we are still in quarantine, so most of us don't have access to childcare or school. For me, it has been a real curveball for my business as I usually have at least three days a week to dedicate fully to the business. But regardless of lockdown constraints, I am a huge believer that you can be both an entrepreneur and a balanced, present parent.

My tip for those trying to grow a business (especially during quarantine) would be to time block their schedule. Time blocking gives you a birds eye view of your schedule and allows you to use “blocks” of time to focus on certain tasks.

You can use a spreadsheet to map out your entire week in hourly slots. First, block out all the areas that are non-negotiables like mealtimes, homeschool, playtime with kids, etc. You’ll then start to see where you can block chunks of times to dedicate to your business. I like to color code for the different categories too.

So right now, for me during the lockdown, I have 4 pm - 6.30 pm where I focus purely on the business. During this time, my husband takes the kids, and I have absolutely no interruptions. I am solely focused on moving the needle. I’ll then add additional blocks after the kids go to bed or at the weekend, depending on what's happening in The Launch.

When I’m with the kids, I really do try to be present and truly enjoy them. Most mornings, I will do a short guided meditation, even just 5 minutes, on things like gratitude or happiness, and this definitely gets me in the right mindset.

I'm also working on not having my phone with me at all times. Where practical, I’ll leave it in a different room when I'm with the kids. It isn't easy, and I am still a work in progress - but I don't want their main memories of their mama to be of me scrolling through Instagram!

As a family, we have a no-tech rule for Sundays, so we can all focus on enjoying each other's company. This actually works really well and is so good for the mind!

What is one aspect that makes your business so memorable?

I think the fact that we are passing on our ‘trade secrets’ to our clients is something that goes against the grain and makes us stand out as a business. Publicists are generally quite protective about sharing the process of landing press coverage, which is totally understandable. But we felt compelled to do something different, and help brands who wouldn’t normally have access to the publicity world. And the irony is that they are the brands that need publicity the most.

Aside from that, we adore our clients, are their biggest champions, and genuinely become invested in their success.

Name up to three other small businesses/brands that you love.

I am a massive fan of Little Spoon organic baby foods. It is so useful for busy parents who want to ensure that their little ones are getting healthy snacks at all times. If I don't have time to make something nutritious from scratch, these are a fantastic backup.

Cuddle and Kind is my go-to company for gifts. I adore their hand-knit dolls, and a portion of every sale is donated to children in need.

If you are looking for a photographer in California to capture your pregnancy or children, I found the most wonderful photographer CG Photography based in Los Angeles; I cannot recommend Chaya enough.

Anything else you'd like to add?

We are living in unprecedented times right now, and I know that, like me, plenty of other parents are finding it a real struggle to balance everything and keep their business afloat.

I think we could do with being a little kinder to ourselves and remember that we’re in a really unusual, challenging period of our lives. We're all just figuring it out as we go and doing the best we can.

You can't pour from an empty cup, so make sure to take some time for yourself amongst all the madness!

And finally, how can we connect with you?

web: www.thelaunchpr.com

instagram: @thelaunchpr

facebook: thelaunchpr