Future-Forward Leadership: Luana Ribeira on Challenges, Opportunities, and Legacy
An Interview with Natalie Ruiz
As part of my Powerful Women series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Luana Ribeira, a trailblazer in the world of public relations who is reshaping the narrative and propelling personal brands into the spotlight.
As the founder of Dauntless PR, Luana orchestrates a symphony of media engagements, securing placements for experts on TV, radio, podcasts, magazines, and news outlets. Her journey has seen her grace the pages of renowned publications like Forbes, OK Magazine, and FOX TV, establishing herself as a respected authority in the field. With a leadership style marked by a unique blend of relaxation and focus, Luana prioritizes transparency and clear communication within her remote team.
In this interview, Luana shares her vision for Dauntless PR in 2024, addressing challenges and opportunities for women leaders, navigating change with flexibility, championing diversity, and fostering a legacy that inspires future generations of leaders.
Bestselling author, speaker and founder of Dauntless PR Luana Ribeira gets personal brands booked for TV, radio, podcasts, magazines and the news. This helps experts to boost brand awareness, credibility and to become known as the leading voice on their topic. She has appeared on Forbes, OK Magazine, FOX TV, ITV, BBC, Channel 4, Teen Vogue, Insider and many others. You can find Luana at http://www.dauntlesspr.com/
Leadership Style and Vision:
How would you describe your leadership style, and how has it evolved over the years?
I’d describe my leadership style as being relaxed yet focused. I have a lot of trust in my team, with them all working remotely, and open communication and transparency are important to me. My biggest growth in leadership style is recognising the need for absolutely everything to be documented and for instructions to be crystal clear. We have a ‘no blame’ policy- this helps the team to be able to come to me with issues knowing they won’t be in trouble for it. If there’s an issue, it’s down to the process, so that’s what we work on.
Can you share your vision for your organization or industry in 2024? What key goals are you working towards?
We are currently in the process of opening in Nevada, USA, where we plan to be holding events. We also have a TV show being released on Amazon Fire; we’re launching our podcast, Dauntless Unfiltered, and will continue to scale so that we can get as many coaches and entrepreneurs as possible in front of audiences in the millions on repeat!
Challenges and Opportunities:
What do you see as the main challenges for women leaders in 2024, and how do you plan to address them?
I believe a big challenge for female leaders is navigating a healthy balance between their work and families with so much pressure, judgment, and expectation from society. At Dauntless PR, our team can work from whenever they like and can mostly choose their own times to work as long as the work is being done to an exceptional standard. This gives them the freedom to manage their tie in a way that works for them.
Are there specific opportunities you believe women leaders can leverage in the coming years?
The business world has evolved with a focus on diversity and inclusivity, which has presented more opportunities for women leaders. This is a great thing! There are more women than ever now in traditionally male niches, such as tech and finance. Diverse perspectives are crucial for innovation, so this is a great thing and the more people are realising this, the more opportunities are opening up.
Navigating Change:
How do you plan to lead you/your team or organization through uncertainty in a rapidly changing landscape?
At Dauntless PR, we are flexible and adapt to change with ease. We are constantly looking for ways to keep improving and stay in close communication to work together in pivoting as required. I choose resilient team members who are not put off by uncertainty but are excited by the notion! I lead through these times with transparency and an optimistic outlook.
Can you share a specific instance where you successfully navigated a significant change, and what lessons did you learn from that experience?
Yes, we rapidly grew our team from 3 to 9 which felt like such a huge change and there was a lot of trust and letting go required. Trust in my new and existing team members to be doing their jobs to an exceptional standard and letting go of control and this urge I had to do everything myself.
The biggest lesson I’ve learnt is to fail fast. People spend their whole lives trying to avoid failure when failure is the very thing we need to be able to learn from and succeed. We’ve had so many failures this year as we’ve been adapting to a larger team, and it’s resulted in our biggest year yet with results that way surpassed the goals we set at the beginning of the year.
Diversity and Inclusion:
How do you prioritize diversity and inclusion in your leadership approach, and what steps are you taking to promote a more inclusive environment?
We have a diverse and inclusive approach to all that we do and this is among our highest values. When I’m hiring a team, I hire with one question in mind, and that is- are they the best for the role? Because of this, we have naturally ended up with a diverse team.
I’ve always had a strong need to help people to feel included and like they belong. I spent so much of my life feeling like an outsider that I’d never want anybody else to feel the same way so we champion those who are unique and we encourage our audiences to be more of themselves- whoever that may be.
In your opinion, why is diversity important for the success of an organization, and how do you ensure diverse voices are heard?
It’s crucial because diverse voices bring various insights and a broader perspective. At Dauntless PR, we are FOR the diverse voices that may have been shut down in the past, and we shout from the rooftops to encourage these voices to turn up the volume!
Our clients are sharing messages that go against the norm. We’re making sure different messages are being heard that aren’t necessarily the dominant, mainstream voice and showing people that they don’t need to conform or fit into a box to appear in the media and reach a larger audience.
Mentorship and Leadership Development:
Have you had mentors or role models who have influenced your leadership style? How has mentorship played a role in your career?
Yes, I’ve been fortunate enough to have incredible coaches and mentors who have helped me along the way. Their biggest influence on my leadership style is showing me that I don’t have to do
business like anybody else and that I can stay true to myself.
How do you prioritize leadership development within your organization, especially for women aspiring to leadership roles?
Any leadership development opportunities go to those who have proved themselves and who excel in their roles. I don’t believe in hiring or promoting to tick off a quota, but I am strongly for rewarding those who show passion, loyalty, and dedication. When this is done without bias, gender diversity can naturally be achieved.
Legacy and Future Generations:
What legacy do you hope to leave as a leader, and how do you hope to inspire future generations of leaders?
My hope is to inspire future generations of leaders to be themselves truly and to live their lives by design, not by default. To be the best version of themselves in every area of their lives that’s important to them.
I see us at Dauntless PR as the catalyst for huge and positive change as we keep amplifying the voices that may not otherwise have been heard. The true extent of this is mind-blowing because that impact will reach not only the millions (and sometimes billions) of people who are touched by that message but also the people who surround them and the future generations.
In what ways are you actively working to create opportunities for the next generation of leaders?
Something I’m passionate about is passing on my knowledge and lessons to the next generation of leaders. Because of this, I am planning to host events and to speak at schools and universities about my journey, my challenges and what I learnt along the way. I aim to give hope and inspiration to our future leaders!
Thank you so much for sharing all of this with us! This interview was inspirational, and I wish you continued success!
🌸 About the Author:
Natalie Ruiz is the CEO of AnswerConnect and often says that her path to success has been unconventional, which fuels her to continue to challenge assumptions about what work, success, and the concept of balance in life look like.
Natalie is an award-winning executive recognized as Female Executive of the Year and for Women Helping Women by the Stevie Award Association and a Woman of Influence by the Portland Business Journal.
Outside of her day job, she volunteers as an executive board member at PDXWIT, speaks on international stages, lends her voice and words to podcasts and publications, and seeks in all that she does to leave people and places better than she finds them.
Connect with Natalie here: on Medium, on LinkedIn, and Instagram
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