Lisa Buyer on Life Lessons, Transitions and Resets

Yoga. Therapy. Wine. Nothing seemed to help Lisa help regain power over her business and personal life. She knew that hitting the digital detox reset button was long overdue. But how and where to even begin? Here’s step #1: Admit that you are part of the problem and open to change. In this special solo episode of the Social PR Secrets podcast, Lisa Buyer opens up about her struggles with entrepreneurial burnout, where she sought relief, and how she shifted The Buyer Group Public Relations Agency into a non-client-based business model.  #TheDumbestDecisionEver: Reinventing Your Business Based on Feelings and not Facts July marks the first time in two decades that Lisa has no clients. And while this new shift from consultancy to scaling an agency allowed her to cut ties with the negative and create space for the positive, the idea was originally pursued all the wrong reasons. Life Lesson #1: Free yourself from making decisions for the benefit of others. In Lisa’s case, she wanted to create a legacy business for her children to take over one day eventually. This selfless mindset, while admirable, was #TheDumbestDecisionEver. Her kid’s interests and passions did not align with the entrepreneurial and digital PR world. Life Lesson #2: Digital boundaries are nonexistent. Similar to traditional news media, PR is neverending. There is always a hot story to write, a client to consult, and a deadline to meet. Lisa learned that caring about a project/campaign more than your own client does is a blaring red flag.  Life Lesson #3: Client contracts and commitments mean zilch. Every entrepreneur has lost a client or two… even dozens along the way. Not every individual or company will mesh well with your PR approach, and unfortunately, that may be discovered much later than expected. There is no room for naivety when it comes to agencies serving clients. Lisa says that this system is broken. Clients can take a pause or leave at any moment, and without penalty, so it’s important to account for such setbacks when establishing your client base and business model. Entrepreneur Burnout Camp: 10 Days at Canyon Ranch Fed up with intrusive clients, manning the front line of her agency, and after experiencing a glimpse of suicidal thoughts, Lisa knew it was time for a digital detox.  Canyon Ranch is a wellness resort and spa where people go to unplug, recharge and escape. Its mission is to inspire healthy living while turning hopes and intentions into the highest enjoyment of life.  Thirty days after returning, Lisa made a bold and triumphant detox decision: to inform her clients that in about two months, she was hitting the reset button and ending all client and consulting services… sort of.  Today, Lisa’s new and improved TBG focuses on: Teaching specialized online and in-person courses to thousands of individuals and teams. Connecting credible experts with brands, collaborators, and joint ventures. Writing more books in addition to the ones that she has alre