VIP - Very Interesting Person - Lucy Werner
VIP - Very Interesting Person is a series where I interview someone who is... very interesting! I want to find out in an informal way who they are and maybe glean some tips and insights from them.
All the Very Interesting People I interview are different - some are small business owners, some are parents, some are young, some are women, some live in the U.K., some are all of these things and some are the opposite of these things!
Today’s guest is someone I only know through the squares of Instagram and from reading her first book, Hype Yourself - a no nonsense guide to PR for small business owners. You may also have read about her in a recent edition of Metro, where she talked about getting married in lockdown. But I’ll let her introduce herself, so without further ado,
Hi! Tell us a little bit about yourself!
Hello! I’m Lucy Werner, I’m a PR expert and a co-founder of two children who I live with in east London, me and my partner work together and have a little garden office. I demystified PR for small business in the bestselling Hype Yourself. Now my husband Hadrien and I are doing the same for branding. Power to the small business people!
What accomplishment are you most proud of?
I wrote my first book against a lot of personal adversity and finished when my second child was in cardiac surgery at Great Ormond Street, when I launched the book he returned to surgery 5 days later but 18-months on the book is still doing well, even though we are not with the biggest publisher and didn’t give it the biggest promotion.
Wow, that’s amazing! I’m not surprised the book is doing well, it’s fantastic and I have gleaned so many great insights and tips from it.
When you’re having a bad day, what do you do to make yourself feel better?
Instagram reels. They are my alter ego. I can really have fun and you almost fake it to make it.
Yes I love making reels! They’re a great way to make fun of yourself or a situation and provide value in a relaxed way. What’s a great book you’ve read recently?
Noise: A manifesto modernising motherhood by Danusia Malina-Derben
When are you happiest?
When I’m by the sea with my family.
Who inspires you?
RuPaul.
Can you tell us 3 things you would bring to a desert island?
Spotify, a notebook and stamps.
If you could ask God one question, what would it be?
2019 was a bit of a tough one – what was that about?
Don’t we wish we had answers to questions like these? Thanks - Okay, on to a lightening round:
Tea or coffee? Tea
Cake or pie? Cake
Pineapple on pizza? Always
Winter or summer? Summer
City or country? City
Book or movie? Book
Most used emoji? The crying with laughter face
Favourite day of the week? Monday
What’s for dinner tonight? Cake – my youngest has turned 2
Aww happy birthday celebrations! Thanks so much for answering these questions. It’s been a joy to get to know you a little. Now you have a second book coming out - tell us about that, where we can get it and all the other good stuff!
Hadrien Chatelet, my husband and I have over 30 years of industry experience between us and have taught thousands of entrepreneurs how to stand out using the DIY model to create a business brand. In our new book Brand Yourself we share everything you need to know about creating a business brand without an agency budget. From brand strategy to picking out fonts, building your personal brand, and affordable creative tips to make an impact with your business, it’s all here, minus the smoke and mirrors.
You can buy it on pre-order from Waterstones, Foyles and Hive (Sidenote: You can set up an affiliate link on Hive so you can make money on your recommendations)
50% of all profits will go towards our Great Ormond Street Fund. I finished my first book as my second child was in and out of cardiac intensive care, I had to return five days after the launch of Hype Yourself for his fourth round of open heart surgery. The small business community rallied round to my support and this is our way to give back to other parents and children like us.
And where can people find you online?
Our website is The Wern, and you can find us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
Thanks so much for chatting today! If you’d like to find out more about Brand Yourself or buy it, head to the links above. If it’s anything like Hype Yourself, it’s going to be awesome!
