Lea 🌈 Turner

Yesterday I hinted at some big brands circling me/my business.

Today, I'm booking a meeting with one of them.

They've seen what we're doing. They love it. Like 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 love it. They want to support me, it, and our members.

This company offers potentially HUGE opportunities for me/us.

But I promised you messy success, and today is very messy.

My son is poorly and off school.
I barely slept because him, our 2 cats, and our old dog wanted to share my bed.
Said dog got me up twice in the night to pee.
The feral kitten woke me by climbing on my face at 3am.
It's 10:30am and I'm still in my PJs, 2 instant coffees deep.
Writing this from a nest of cushions on the sofa between watching funny animal videos with the sick child.

And despite my lack of polish.
Regardless of my pyjamas.
In spite of all the things people told me I shouldn't be or couldn't be because I'm a solo mum, a high school drop out, unprofessional looking, too honest, too vulnerable, too unserious...

...I just booked a meeting with 𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗚𝗟𝗘.

In 2026 we're embracing messy success.

Because NOT fitting the mould will be my springboard, not my road block.

You coming?



(PS doors to The HoLT are currently shut but I'll sneak you in if you DM me)

LinkedIn sort your goddamn sh*t out.

When I switched my gender demographic last week to “prefer not to say”, my content reach doubled. And has continued to soar.

As a result, there’s been a significant increase in inappropriate comments and messages from men I’m not connected with.

And predictably, when I bothered to report this prime example, you tell me it “does not go against our professional community policies”.

WTAF?

So, if one of your male employees said this to one of your female employees, would that be acceptable? Or would they be hauled over the coals by HR?

And if this comment was actually reviewed by AI and not a “member of your trust and safety team”, why are you lying to us that our comments are reviewed by humans?

AND ALSO, why, when I ask ChatGPT whether it considers this comment appropriate on LinkedIn, it gave me a very definitive no, so if you ARE using AI for this, what inept toddler programmed it? (ChatGPT’s response in comments).

This is NOT good enough.
You are NOT making women feel safe or valued on this platform.

You’ve been promising to do better for the six years I’ve been on this platform and I’m yet to see evidence of any improvement.

It’s frankly disgusting.

Why isn’t our safety and respect a priority for you?

The most powerful marketing tools I've discovered are ones people rarely consider.

But I do, in droves, and the ROI is beyond anything else I've tried.

They are these:

Personalisation and whimsy

On Wednesday, I welcomed 150+ members from The HoLT community to a party in central London. And I remembered every single name of my members.

Not through revision, but because I am in there every day getting to know people.

The drinks tokens had the faces of members on them.
The entrance stamp for their hands said 'Officially not a knob'
I hired an actor to embody our fictional security guard, Backdoor Barry, with a full character profile I'd written so he could entertain the guests - even down to the name of his fictional dog.
The party bags contained handmade HoLT keyrings my son and I had sat for hours making, attached with little pegs to thank you notes I had handwritten.
Amusing temporary tattoos were hidden in the bathrooms for people to put on and show off.

All designed to surprise and delight the people I'm privileged to call clients.
Hours well-spent to show them that they are important and appreciated.
Made with love, to make them feel loved.

And it's touches like this that people never expect but always remember.
That they take photos of and post about, spreading the brand's message farther and wider.

There is not enough joy in the world.
But it is a feeling like no other to ensure you and your brand are remembered.

So if I can recommend one marketing tip that has got me to where I am, with a multi six figure business I love working on every single day?

Make people smile.

It works.

Photo is of Backdoor Barry removing me from my own party. The rogue.

Hands up if you launched a new thing inside your community this morning and then accidentally deleted the page that you had sent 200 people to and then had to rebuild it from scratch at the speed of light while running a masterclass and fielding messages from panicked members who were getting a dreaded 404 error.

*raises hands sheepishly*

🫠

No one really ever shares the thought processes behind their business decisions.

So I’m bucking the trend. Come have a look inside my brain.

Very soon, I’m releasing a member directory where ANYONE can search for verified not-a-knob small business owners and freelancers inside The HoLT.

This is why:

1. I get asked a dozen times a week for recommendations for people. Lawyers, designers, accountants, advisors, coaches…People trust me to know good people. They’ll be able to search for them easily. Plus, members can direct their networks to it, too.

2. I’m visible and trusted. I can use that and the traffic to my websites and socials to elevate the members’ businesses. They’re tired of content creation, social media and algorithms. I’m using what I’ve built to take the pressure off them.

3. I’m charging just £25/year to members to appear in the directory, once they’ve been in The HoLT community for 3 months. That fee covers only the maintenance of the directory. It’s not about making profit…it’s about…

4. Retention. If a member gets a few good clients a year from the directory, why would they leave? Being part of The HoLT becomes even more valuable and beneficial to them.

5. Once The HoLT is full (limit of 750 members) my workload decreases. Member referrals account for churn rates. The demand for a spot will increase as availability decreases. Focus can be entirely on serving members.

6. Building the directory means I can (potentially) white label it to other businesses and communities. More money to invest in other areas of the community (more in-person events? 👀).

EVERYTHING I’m working on is with the sole purpose of making running a business easier and more successful for everyone inside the community, at as low a cost as possible.

EVERYTHING is designed to leverage my years of hard work to benefit them.

My brain is constantly busy with the question “how can I serve them better?”

It’s exhausting. But fkn exciting.

What are YOU plotting this week?

Ps. We aren’t opening the doors to The HoLT until next year, so if you’re desperate to get in, you’ll have to ask me very nicely.

I've had so many people asking about the next party... They don't want to wait a WHOLE YEAR.

So, I'm making a promise.

We will do it again in the summer, but ONLY if we reach our target of 650 members.

That's another 130 people inside The HoLT before March 2026.

And then I will arrange a HUGE summer party for all our members and their friends.

Can we do it?

If you're a solopreneur, small business owner, side hustler, or employee sick of working alone... The HoLT is THE number one community filled with gorgeous humans.

The type you can turn to in crisis
The ones who will hold your hand when you need us
That will have you laughing so hard you're worried a bit of wee will come out
Who take business very seriously, while having serious fun doing it

Will you be one of the new members that helps secure a summer party?

Drop me a DM if you want in.

There's a party bag with your name on it.

I apologise to anyone who woke up with “officially not a knob” stamped on their hand.

And to those scratching tattoos of my face off various body parts.

For the sore heads and aching cheeks.

But last night was absolutely worth it.

This is what real community is.

It’s joy. It’s friendship. It’s mutual support and respect.

It’s dancing, laughter, vulnerability, collaboration, shared values despite diverse experiences.

There is no other community like The HoLT.

Thank you for giving me the best job in the world 🩷

PS yes that’s the real life Backdoor Barry I’m sat on.