Lela Barker/ Lucky Break Consulting 2016 Press Kit

LELA BARKER + LUCKY BREAK CONSULTING

PRESS KIT

I T’S S O VERY NI C E TO M E E T YOU! My name is Lela Barker, and I’m pretty convinced that entrepreneurship is coded into my DNA. My grandfather was born dirt-poor, one of thirteen kids, in East Tennessee. He left home as a young boy with nothing but a third-grade education and heaps of tenacity beneath his belt. He built quite the empire in his day: a gift shop, a restaurant, a suburban housing development, and a thirty-foot tall statue at his kitchen table. No, really. Pop died a wealthy man- a fan of fedoras and Cadillacs- and some of my earliest (and fondest) memories involve perching on his lap as he preached about the value of hard work and taught me the importance of dreaming big.

I spent my childhood inventing new board games, slinging Thin Mints with my Brownie troop, and erecting the best damn lemonade stand in the entire neighborhood. By high school, I was hosting my own cable access show, passing out business cards and spending weekends in cities all around the South, competing as a nationally ranked extemporaneous speaker. Cool? Um, not exactly. Driven? Most definitely.

My life took some interesting turns and, at the tender age of 25, I found myself in the midst of a messy divorce. With two toddlers in tow, I moved across the state and into my mother’s spare bedroom, choking down more humble pie than I ever thought possible. They say that necessity is the mother of invention, and truer words have never been spoken. I founded my first company to keep the lights on while I looked for a “real job.” More than a decade later, I still haven’t found that job, but I have created mounds of them.

I’ve built three companies, sold millions of dollars in products, traveled to more than thirty countries and passed Pop’s appreciation of hard work onto my children. Even better: I’ve had the privilege of working alongside hundreds of creative brands, sharing the wisdom I’ve learned along the way to build rock-solid business foundations beneath their passions. Entrepreneurship has been a radically transformative experience, and I relish the opportunity to share it with other creatives, empowering them to build sustainable businesses and lives they adore.

Through these pages, I invite you to learn more about my journey and how I’m working to educate and arm a new generation of entrepreneurs on the move.

Long live the hustle!

LELA R AI N B ARK E R

Pop in the Navy during World War II. Such a handsome cat!

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SO H E R E’S T H E 4 1 1 …

I founded Bella Lucce, a globally-inspired apothecary brand, with a $500 investment in 2003.

At the time, I was a newly single mother of two toddlers.

Bella Lucce products have since been sold through 1300 spas and shops worldwide.

The product range is still created in small batches using artisanal methods and premium, natural ingredients in my 7500 square foot workshop in Columbia, SC. That workshop is certified carbon-neutral. Bella Lucce products feature socially-conscious, ethicallyharvested ingredients and the brand has distributed products and donated time + cash worth more than $240,000 to a variety of organizations with a primary focus on empowering women living in extreme poverty.

I’ve successfully established distributorships in Italy, Dubai, Norway, South Korea, the United Kingdom and Mauritius. The Bella Lucce collection has been distributed in more than twenty countries.

Key accounts include: Trump Soho (NYC), Armani Hotel (Dubai), Park Hyatt (Los Angeles), The Greenbrier (West Virginia) and the Ritz Carlton (Chicago).

The Bella Lucce brand has been featured in more than 100 publications worldwide and won numerous awards.

In 2012, I launched Lucky Break to support and encourage fellow creatives by sharing the hard-won lessons I learned in the process of launching and bootstrapping a 7-figure creative brand. Since then, LBU (my flagship teaching program) has sold out six consecutive semesters, often in as little as 48 hours.

I’ve had the pleasure of speaking about the joys of entrepreneurship at events across the U.S., the Caribbean, Europe and Africa. My passion and experience shine especially bright in the areas of brand development, product pricing and wholesale strategy.

I’m now married to my high school sweetheart (it’s a great story!). He took me to prom, taught me to drive, and now we’re living happily ever after in South Carolina.

Proud mom of 3 teenagers (pray for me), one little, and maker of the best damn lemon meringue pie you’ve ever tasted!

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SNA PS H OTS F R O M T H E J O U RN E Y THUS FA R…

1982

tle: of the hus oss!

The birth like a b hin Mints slinging T

2002

1990 Lasted 6 days at my first official job as a Sonic car hop. Met my high school sweetheart, who was (thankfully) undeterred by the orange hair.

2003 Launched Bella Lucce in September with my last $500 in hopes of making money while I looked for a “real job.” Cleared $6,000 within the first 4 months!

ith us marriage w Left a disastro down in tow. Choked two little girls ’s oved into Mom humble pie, m to s an pl e + mad spare bedroom t lly independen ia become financ r. than late sooner rather

2006 By 2006, I had m arried that high school sweetheart, mov ed to SC and Bel la Lucce made its trade sh ow debut in Dub ai.

Discovered that my favorite way of relieving stress is jumping out of perfectly good airplanes.

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2010

2008 Though Bella Lucce was clocking 7-figures each year, I often slept on an air mattress at my office. Work/ life balance, anyone? My team of employees stayed mighty busy crafting small batches in my 7,500 square foot workshop.

After 13 trips to Dubai and 10,000+ wholesale orders, I was officially burnt out. I began teaching entrepreneurial workshops throughout West Africa and sent myself on retreat in Thailand to contemplate my next move.

2012 eak to support Launched Lucky Br sharing fellow creatives by from my hard-won lessons urney. That’s entrepreneurial jo move” but I one hell of a “next love of teaching. discovered a deep

W H AT ’ S N E X T ?

I’m not entirely sure, but I’m pretty confident that it will involve building strong business foundations beneath emerging creative brands!

2014 ative team, hosted Expanded the Lucky Break cre nt in Atlanta and sold my first “Get Lucky Live” eve 48 hours! out my LBU program in just

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SELE C T ME D I A M E NT I O N S My products + personal story have been featured in more than 100 publications worldwide.

I’m a lucky girl, indeed!

SELE C T SPE AK I NG E N G AG E M E N TS USAID Global Shea Conferences: Bamako, Mali + Abuja, Nigeria Uniworld Hospitality Training: Vienna, Austria Bank of America Small Business Community: Virtual Event HSCG Annual Conferences: Palm Springs, Denver, Tucson, Indianapolis Indie Cruise: four consecutive years aboard a cruise ship floating somewhere in the Caribbean Central Soapers Workshop: two consecutive years in Kansas City, MO Spa Girl Parties National Sales Training: Phoenix, AZ The Nova Studio: San Francisco, CA Addressed Congressional representatives as an invited speaker on behalf of small businesses nationwide on three separate occasions: Washington, DC

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SELE C T C L IE NT LI S T I’m honored to work with makers and product designers on the move: jewelers, stationers, ceramicists, apparel and accessory designers, apothecary brands and some of the best damn gourmet food companies on the planet.

N IB BLE S

JEWEL RY + APPAREL

Molly & Me Pecans Blue Flour Bakery Hudson Henry Baking Co. Waxing Kara

The Smallest Tribe The Glitsea Gypsy Cultural Detour Fabulous Girl Boutique Bead For Life Dear Edna

BATH + B O DY + B E AUT Y Rachel’s Plan Bee Handcrafted Honey Bee Cloud Nine Soap Co. Zandra Beauty Zweena Bodycare Tilvee

FO R T HE WEE O N ES Sarah’s Silks Munch Mitt

STATIO N E RY + G I F T Happee Monkee Print Therapy Everything Little Miss Sparklefly Candle Co. CE R A MI C S + H O US E WAR E S

To date, I’ve had the pleasure of working with

400+

CREATIVE BRANDS

via one-on-one consulting and small group classes.

Unurth Unique PL8Z Cultured Me

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A F E W WO R D S F R O M MY C O LLE AG UE S + C LI E N TS I’ve known Lela Barker as a businessperson for over a decade. Over the years, I have watched her grow her business, initially as a vendor to her and then as a business mentor turned equal. Lela now runs a complex business and makes it look easy. It’s not. Growth year after year is not a fluke. She’s an excellent strategist with a quick mind and a gentle soul.

Learning from her is always exciting, interesting and useful. You won’t be disappointed and you won’t be bored.

ANNE-MARIE FAIOLA Brambleberry: Washington

Lela Barker will change your life! I feel honored and blessed to have access to so much information and I’ve never been so inspired to push towards greatness in my business.

TAMARA LEWIS Zandra: New York

You simply can’t sum up Lela’s personality, knowledge and expertise in a paragraph. The enthusiasm she puts into her life and business is contagious. Lela shares abundantly, gives tremendously, lives boldly, teaches enthusiastically, fights for her peeps passionately and does it all with enough grace to live as an open book. Count your blessings and grab onto Lela’s coat tails for the ride of your life!

KAYLA FIORAVANTI Author: Tennessee

Since partnering with Lela in 2004 as Bella Lucce’s Middle East distributor, I’ve enjoyed ringside seats to the extraordinary growth of the company under her careful stewardship. Lela has consistently pushed the barriers, continually innovating in both her product offerings and her business model.

She is quick on her feet and a ball of energy. Lela tackles life and business with a joie de vivre that’s extremely contagious. I’m in awe of her ability to envision paths and develop strategies on the tightest of deadlines and with finite amounts of information and feedback. The chick is a visionary! We’ve traveled the world together and I’m thrilled to call her both a business partner and a friend.

AREEJ SULTAN Beautylicious: Kuwait

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I rarely endorse anyone in such a public way, but I have to give a shout-out to Lela. Both myself as a person, and my company, are transformed in ways I had not even suspected could be possible for a small town single mom with an enormously crazy dream. Lela is a natural born leader, mentor, and an all-around good egg. Razor sharp and on point 100% of the time. Plus she is really, REALLY funny. The boost in my sales because of Lela’s advice has already covered the cost of her course. If you’re on the fence about anything Lela has to offer - pull the trigger.

LISA THORSTENSON Cloud Nine Soap Co.: Wisconsin

Lela is one of the most tenacious business women I’ve ever known. She has faced down every single business obstacle that has come her way with grace and determination.

Lela is naturally business savvy, and what has not come naturally has come anyway since she simply rolled up her sleeves, got her hands dirty and figured out a way to make it work. Whatever “it” was.

She is also gracious, friendly and incredibly sensitive to the needs of others. Lela Barker is a woman entrepreneur who not only pursues her business with passion and zest, but who also drives you to do the same in yours.

DONNA MARIA COLES JOHNSON INDIE Business Network: North Carolina

Lela, you are a force. I think that you may be in my top ten favorite people I’ve interacted with in business. Ever. You have answers to many questions from the ridiculous to the sublime. You are honest about your experiences and transparent for new business people to have an honest look into “how it should be.” You have a no-nonsense approach to business and such a positive outlook and attitude that it’s contagious.

KARA BROOK Waxing Kara: Maryland

From turning a hobby into a full-fledged business, all the way to taking them global, Lela has advised small business owners by providing best practices that transcends industries. I cannot overstate the amount of value her coaching brings, not only to the up-and-coming entrepreneur, but to the experienced business owner as well.

DANIEL MAROTTA Bank of America Small Business Community: Massachusetts

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I TEACH BUSINESS, WITHOUT THE BORING.

I ’D LOV E TO B E I N V I T E D TO YOUR N E X T PA RTY !

My business talks are anything but “business as usual.” I deliver authentic, no-nonsense sermons on modern entrepreneurship, along with information-rich workshops that arm and empower creative businesses with tangible skills and heaps of inspiration. Related: I’m one hell of a good time...

I’ve been featured at entrepreneurial events throughout the United States, Europe and Africa and I’d welcome the opportunity to share my wisdom with your audience, too. I bring passion and expertise in these areas:

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P R O DU C T P R I C I N G Don’t Lose Your Donkey: The Art of Calculating Your True Costs (60 or 90 mins) Safely In the Black: The Magic of Value-Based Pricing (60 or 90 mins) Repeat After Me: I AM NOT A COMMODITY (30 or 60 mins) Just Say “No”: Attract & Retain Customers Without Discounting (30 mins)

BRA N D DE V E LO PM E N T Digging Deeper: Excavating Your Core Values to Create Brand Authenticity (60 mins) Your Peeps Are Out There: Connecting With Your Target Audience (30 mins) Make Them Love You: How to Create Compelling Customer Experiences (30 or 60 mins) Say It With Me: Your Logo is Not Your Brand (30 or 60 mins) Playing For Keeps: Case Studies of Brands Who Are Killing It (30, 60 or 90 mins)

WH OL E SAL E S T R AT E G Y Handmade & Wholesale CAN Coexist (30 mins) The Seven Deadly Sins of Trade Shows (90 mins) The Art of the Pitch: The Etiquette of Engaging Wholesale Buyers (60 or 90 mins) Anatomy of a Line Sheet: Creating Professional Marketing Materials (30 or 60 mins) Working with Sales Reps: Turning Up the Volume on Wholesale (30 or 60 mins) The Seven Deadly Sins of Wholesale (90 mins)

WO R KSH O P S D E V E LO P E D S PE C I F I CA LLY F OR BE AUTY BRA N DS Mastering the Spa Market: How to Run Circles Around Other Brands (60 or 90 mins) You Down with GMP? Manufacturing Protocols for Micro Businesses (90 or 120 mins)

KEY N OTE S Tales from the Trenches: The Life + Times of a Bootstrapping Entrepreneur No Guts, No Glory: Calculated Risks and Big Leaps of Faith If I Had To Do It Over: What I Would (and Wouldn’t) Do Doing Business & Doing Good: Building Brands that Give Back Get Your Sh*t on Lock: The Importance of Intellectual Property for Creative Entrepreneurs I most often teach in 30, 60 and 90 minute time slots, but my decidedly-information-rich workshops really shine in those 60 and 90 minute segments. I’m happy to sit on panels, have delivered multiple keynotes and welcome the opportunity to develop custom presentations, too.

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C O M E SAY “ H E L LO ! ” I ’ D LOV E T O C O N N E C T W I T H YO U .

I’m available for both interviews and speaking engagements and I welcome the opportunity to learn more about how we can work together.

LELA RAIN BARKER WWW.LUCKYBREAKCONSULTING.COM HELLO@LUCKYBREAKCONSULTING.COM 888.777.9436: OFFICE 803.743.2767: MOBILE

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LELABARKER

LELABARKER