Today we’d like to introduce you to Sydney Clayborn.
Hi Sydney, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
I founded Pretty GRLS Lead because I had the desire to unite women across the world in hopes to build community and offer a space where women could bring their vision for their lives to reality. From money and business to everyday lifestyle habits, PGL is the place where women can gain access to industry experts who can help them with whatever their need is. Even more, PGL is the place where I like to plug women into things that can truly help them, like mental health professionals, financial advisors and coaches, and more.
When COVID-19 hit, I found myself trying to still maintain a sense of community and events so I began doing everything virtually. When I saw the power of virtual events but also online networking, I knew PGL was something I HAD to do to help others. Because of PGL, I have reached hundreds of women who were looking for content, business services, and events that did more than empower them but instead place them in a room with other women they could work with and work for. Although PGL is not the only thing that I do, it is one of the things I am most proud of because it has not only opened doors for me but even those connected to what we’re doing.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Working as the SHE-EO of PGL has not been easy because the vision I have for this company is bigger than mine. So many business owners launch a business looking for revenue or clout. I founded PGL to help others so much of what I do has always stayed in the background without much recognition because I wanted to give others the spotlight and platform. Even more, something like PGL has not been done before. It’s almost like uncharted territory so it’s impossible to follow a blueprint. Our first year in business was a struggle because we had a hard time generating revenue but also accepting our value. We were so focused on helping others we forgot that helping people still has a cost and that you still cannot help everybody, even for free.
Because of this, I learned that as a business owner, the worst thing you can do is not charge for your value upfront. It doesn’t matter how many people attend an event or buy a product. If you’re bringing something valuable to the table, people won’t think about how much they paid. Instead, they’ll focus on how much they gained from what they spent rather than what they “lost”. It took me months to realize this. Things like this can hinder your business because we don’t realize that our own value perception attracts a certain type of audience, and depending on your value perception of your business, you can attract an audience that can see you as really valuable or super disposable.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As a creator, I have tons of other things that I do besides being the founder of Pretty GRLS Lead. I work with clients to help with their content strategy and execution, content creation, digital product creation, graphic design, Facebook Ads, marketing strategy, and more. The sky is the limit for me. I don’t put limits on myself and I believe that I can do anything I put my mind to. I’ve mastered so much because I wanted to take the time to learn what others refused to learn. In this process, I realized that much of it came naturally to me. You cannot learn to be creative. You are just born that way and I love that about myself.
I was born to create. I was born to build and help others do the same. It’s the reason I founded Pretty GRLS Lead because I want to help other women do what I do and more. No vision is too big or too crazy. It takes crazy faith to get things done, especially as an entrepreneur. I am truly known for being “The Plug” in my friend group and beyond because, besides marketing, I can plug you into almost anything you’re looking for. If I cannot do it, 9 times out of 10, I know somebody that can. I love my network and I love that I can build it easily and boldly. God has blessed me to be a connector and a builder, something that so many people lack or take for granted.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up I was very outgoing but sort of mean and reserved. I masked a lot of my emotions as either angry or happy and I wasn’t too good at communicating how I felt. I dealt with a lot at home as my parents were divorced when I was 11. However, I didn’t take the divorce as hard as other kids but I still dealt with some things as a result of it. I hid how I felt from others which resulted in me just being bratty or rude to people instead of facing how I felt. I was raised to think that showing emotions or sensitivity was bad so I hid how I felt from most people. I am also a big empath so I naturally struggle in NOT taking on the emotions of others or reading into them. However, one thing I saw in myself early was that I had big dreams. I always saw myself creating things and as a kid, I actually wanted to be a fashion designer. I would make sketches of dresses all the time. It was something I enjoyed doing so I also took up sewing and crocheting. Little did I know that God was opening my eyes to my creative side and even as a teen it was a side that went hidden.
It wasn’t until college that I started creating and writing again. I realized my gift for it. The mean and reserved side of me also took time to mellow out. It took time for me to be joyful again. I was joyful around friends but around others, I could come off as super mean or stuck up because I would hardly engage in conversation. I’m grateful God brought me out of that because a nice smile goes a long way over a mean face. It also allowed me to get back to doing what I loved, which was creating. For years I would hide that side of myself because I desperately was trying to be something I wasn’t, while also trying to fit in (And I NEVER Fit in!). When I realized that God didn’t create me to fit in but instead to be a trendsetter and an influencer, I began to move differently.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://prettygrlslead.co/
- Instagram: instagram.com/sydneyclayborn and instagram.com/prettygrlslead
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Sydtheplug
