I’m a massive fan and supporter of what you’ve created with The Wern. You’ve given startups across multiple sectors the opportunity to tell their stories and grow their brands. Where did the inspiration come from?

Being a bit anti-PR. Well anti the traditional agency model and overpriced rubbish publicity that doesn’t serve the evolving work environment.

You had a lucrative career in Public Relations before launching The Wern. When did you decide it was the right time to quit and focus on the business?

A bit chicken and egg. Did I gravitate towards entrepreneurial friends at the time because I wanted that for myself? Or did I have entrepreneurial friends that guided me into doing it for myself. Either way, there were a few key people in my life at the time that gave me the confidence to leave the 9-5 and go it alone. It’s never something I had dreamed of.

It’s also worth noting that I was in a very privileged position. I had a wedge of savings in the bank and no responsibilities to anyone else other than myself so I could afford to back myself for a while with zero risk.

Who is Lucy Werner?

All England tap dancing champion (troupe not solo) 1999.

Keeping an eye on the numbers in any business is important. How do you ensure that you’re always up to date?

I work with an accountancy firm called HHC Partners and I couldn’t live without them.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt so far as an entrepreneur?

That I should have read the Company of One by Paul Jarvis a long time ago.

With all the success stories around entrepreneurship and how innovative people have to be to take the leap. How do you think you’ve innovated your sector and why?

Innovation is a big word. I can’t say hand on heart that I do that. Things such as a service business selling a PR product & giving free advice within a startup marketplace at a recent modern business conference helped to set my business apart. Whist other service agencies were running around trying to network and get new business, we just stood still and everyone came to us.

I try and treat The Wern like a brand and ignore the traditional agency model. No retainers. No more than two full-time members of staff and a collective of trusted freelancers so we can scale up and down when we need. Not ground-breaking but not the majority.

What are your thoughts on failure?

I’m very sceptical of anyone who says they have never had any fails. It is an important part of learning.

Do you have a morning routine or ritual to get your day started on the right foot?

I’m the oddball that loves mornings. Give me a brew and ten minutes to digest some news/articles/newsletters and I’m grand.

Have you launched any new products or services over the last 12 months?

In May, we launched our first product the 52 PR Tips, I wrote them and Hadrien (my partner and creative director) designed them to kick-off our partnership of working together.

In October, we launched our first three online courses How to write a PR plan, Raise your own profile and Secrets of Instagram design.

And my first book is out in January, called “Hype Yourself: A no-nosense DIY PR toolkit for small businesses". Hadrien and I are also both going to be lecturing for Jolt in 2020.

If you could be in a room with 4 entrepreneurs, who would they be and why?

Henry Lunken – formerly Heinrich Lunkenheimer who owned a bakery which is now Millfields Café on Chatsworth road 5-minutes from my house, he also owned a bunch of property all around where I live now. I didn’t know this before I moved here but my Mum found it when tracking our family history. He was married to my Great Great Grandfather’s sister, who were the first Werner’s in London (there is even a certificate of naturalisation to prove I come from aliens).

Dr LeCompte who pioneered the LeCompte heart manoeuvre. Hadrien was one of his first ever patients, he and thousands other wouldn’t be here today without this pioneering technique. I feel a deep sense of personal gratitude.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge because she is excellent and, in my dreams, we would write an award-winning comedy script together that was a bit like the Devil Wears Prada for the PR agency world. So many excellent clichés that need to be written.

Natalie Campbell, one of the first unofficial mentors I had who steered me down the path the business is today. I met her at an event and she is frankly, just brilliant, I’ve not seen her in ages and I want to hear her plans for the future which I know will be excellent.

What are your top tips for entrepreneurs wanting to get their business out there?

Keep consistent – don’t just do publicity when you feel like you have some quiet time it should be all year round.
Lose the ego – publicising your business doesn’t mean you should just expect a full page profile on your business.
Consider buying some coaching time from a PR expert to help refine your story or direct your efforts to have the most effectiveness for you. The best person to tell a story about themselves is you.

Do you think Brexit will have an adverse effect on your business or do you see it as an opportunity?

Whether Hadrien my partner is allowed to stay in the country is the biggest challenge.

What plans do you have for The Wern over the next two years?

More workshops, courses and teaching to help empower businesses to publicise themselves. Whilst I will still be doing consultancy, I will be cherry-picking the projects I want to work on that fit around our young family.