Our final business women’s profile is with L&A Social’s very own founder Gina Lednyak. A dynamic social media consultant, Gina has seen the evolution of social media from testing the first versions of Facebook to swiping to purchase on Instagram. Here she shares her experience and advice.

Gina Lednyak

What’s the most exciting challenge you’ve had in creating a business for social media?

In the beginning it was getting brands to understand what social media was and helping them realise the value it could bring to their business. As L&A Social grows it is putting the best processes in place so that all the everyday stuff requires less effort, leaving more room to focus on creating highly creative and original communications that are true to the brands we take care of. Many organisations entrust us to endear their company to their target audience in all their posts, tweets, images and comments. With each new piece of work we want to be as creative and impactful as possible and that takes time.

How have you managed that challenge?

I’m always striving forward to stay across the latest changes online and surrounding myself with people that are positive and enthusiastic about taking on that challenge too. The people who surround you will be the ones who inspire you and who you will aspire to be like, it is important to seek inspiration from people who inspire you and are not afraid to challenge you. With each new team member I make sure they are a good fit, bring a unique point of view and set of skills.  Gina adds ‘I have always believed that you can learn something from just about everyone you meet, as long as you listen and are open to the learning.’

What could others learn from your experience?

In creating L&A I have come to understand the incredible responsibility and joy it is to manage people, to see them grow and develop. A strong work culture means that as a team we are able to learn, thrive and grow and also inspire others in our lives, Gina explains. When an individual excels at work this positively impacts their wellbeing and creates a positive ripple effect throughout their entire social network, both work and personal.

What is crucial to your success?

To be successful in social media you need to get involved and be flexible in how you apply your strategy. Our industry sees a lot of change and for some that can be unsettling. I like to meet changes head on and view them as positive opportunities to do something in a different or better way.

Gina explains that one of L&A’s values is “embrace the organised chaos”. In a growing business things will always be a little crazy but the best thing you can do is jump in and give it your best shot.

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Learn more tips for business success in our International Women’s Day feature and from interviews with other talented women like Lindsay RogersDemi Markogiannaki and Renee Gangemi.