Tansy and Her TedX

I'd love you to meet one of my DIY PR members, Tansy. She's an outdoor life coach, forest bathing guide, mindfulness teacher and the founder of Tansy in The Wild.  She's also incredibly brilliant at DIY-ing her PR and recently spoke on stage when she delivered her Ted X Talk. She's also been featured in places like Top Sante, Sky News and Platinum and been interviewed on a number of radio stations and podcasts.  

In short she's a gold star student and once again proof that you can do your own PR and get brilliant results.  

Tell Us About Your Business - what do you do?

I'm an Outdoor Life Coach, Forest Bathing Guide and Qigong Teacher and I provide a variety of services all centred around connection with Nature for wellbeing and personal growth. I offer a large variety of workshops and retreats, 1-2-1 wellbeing walks and private forest bathing sessions, corporate wellbeing workshops. I run an annual online course called the Journey Home and recently recorded an Audio Guide Forest Bathing session that people can purchase and download to listen and learn in their own time and space.  

Can you tell us some of your PR highlights? What are you most proud of?

This year has been pretty incredible for me. In January I was invited onto BBC Radio Solent for Lucy Ambache's Friday social. I had to join her in the studio and got to talk lots about my work so that was fun. I also won two awards for the Kent Women in Business for Women's Champion and Innovation which was incredible and a great way to PR myself.  But of course, the biggest one has to be my recent TEDx Talk in Brighton in April this year. It felt like such an incredible achievement and has given me some amazing PR. I'm still waiting for it to be uploaded onto the TED website and YouTube so I'm excited to see what other PR potentials it will generate. 

A Ted X Talk is on lots of business owners' wish list - can you give any advice for securing it and then delivering it? 

A big thing I learned about the TEDx process is that the curators may not be looking specifically at what you have pitched but may instead be looking at you and your profile to see if you are the right person to deliver a talk based on the topics they want to cover. When I applied, I pitched an idea for my talk but in my interview, we explored lots of themes and then when they told me I had been accepted I ended up talking about something different and they helped me create the Talk and get the message right. So basically don't think you need a completed talk to apply! Make sure you fully highlight who you are, what you are passionate about and some of the messages you share in your work so they get a clear image of you and can decide if you are the right person they are looking for. 

When it comes to delivering it, practice, practice, practice and get support if you can. I hired a public speaking coach for a few sessions to get professional feedback and guidance on my delivery. I also practiced in front of a few different people so I kept stepping out of my comfort zone. On the day I did a lot of embodiment work and meditations to be calm and present. I was still nervous but felt much more grounded stepping out on the stage. 

How have you found DIY-ing your PR? Has anything surprised you? 

I'm getting so much out of being in The PR Set and learning how to DIY my PR. Just today I submitted a pitch to a magazine that I wouldn't have had the courage to do previously. I've learned so much about the processes of PR and how journalists work which has grown my confidence to just give it a go. I think a big thing is the understanding of how busy journalists get so not to be offended if you don't get a response and just keep trying new angles and new journalists.  

What impact does the PR have on your business? 

It definitely gives me more credibility and creates a sense of trust for new clients who might be thinking of booking me. I have a dedicated press page on my website and often direct people to that. It's like having customer reviews but when its press it really shows you have something interesting or inspiring to offer and your message and work is worth sharing. 

What’s the best piece of business advice you’ve received?

Repurposing content! I used to churn out so much content and thought I had to reinvent the wheel every day, but now I'm finding that it's better to have just a few clear messages about your business and then keep explaining that and simply re-purpose and rejig content so people are crystal clear on what it is you are selling and how it will support them or make their lives better. 

What advice would you give people who want to do PR for their business?

Just give it a try! What have you got to lose? If you send a pitch or press release and it doesn't get picked up immediately try something different or approach someone new. There are so many different opportunities and angles out there and so many platforms and publications in need of good content for their readers and you might have the perfect story or offering for them.  

What’s your favourite bit about being an entrepreneur? 

I absolutely love the variety of my job. No two weeks are the same I'm always out and about, but also get to choose my own hours and schedule. Im proud I've built a business around my kids and have grown it into something successful and meaningful. I really love making a difference to people's lives and being an advocate for Nature connection. 

And the worst? 

The overwhelm at times can be super intense. I have ADHD which impacts that further and yet I couldn't bear having a regular routine or a repetitive job. I definitely take on too much at times and wish I could shut off my ideas head sometimes because I'm always coming up with new ideas and projects. 

Can you bust a PR Myth for us?  

PR is not an exclusive club and whatever your business is, whatever you are selling, there are people out there who want to hear about it and there are journalists seeking out stories for it. Also PR isn't just about writing an article for a magazine....think outside the box and look at online platforms, influencers, radio shows, podcasts, speaking engagements, award ceremonies etc... anything that gets you in the spotlight and shines a light on you and your business so that you can attract more attention and create a lovely ripple effect. 

www.tansyinthewild.com