Meet Heather Lackey | Social Media Specialist & Content Strategist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Heather Lackey and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Heather, as a parent, what do you feel is the most meaningful thing you’ve done for them?
I am a single mother, and I think the best thing I’ve done that has impacted my daughter is leading by example because “more is caught than taught.” I was a teacher previous to being a social media specialist and starting my company, and I’ve demonstrated to my daughter you can pivot in life, make changes, and be successful.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I own Spotlight Social Media, LLC. We are a local Gilbert-based business that helps businesses develop their social media presence. Everyone is on social media these days, at least one or more platforms, and to be successful with the way the world is trending, a lot of business owners want to be on social media, but typically do not have the time to do it themselves. That is where I come in! I help craft a content strategy and develop social media platforms that put your business in the spotlight for your target area. The background story of my business started when I left teaching and pursued being an aesthetician. I didn’t have the money to invest in ad spend or other marketing materials, but I knew social media was a free way to get my business in front of an audience. I started posting as often as I could, and I quickly grew my business to where I had to turn away clientele. I saw firsthand the power of social media on the business side, away from the entertainment part of the platform, and knew I was onto something big. Other local aestheticians began to ask me how I was growing so quickly, and to help them with their pages, and I started to develop the idea of offering social media consulting. The rest is history! I now help businesses across the country build their online presence, without running ads. I have helped a solar company 20X their income. I help promote local Gilbert businesses and use their social media platform as their source of lead generation without running ads. I’ve had videos go viral, over 20.5 million views, and gain hundreds of thousands of followers. I buckled down and learned the algorithms. I learned what content performs the best. I learned when to post and how to post with purpose.
I’m very proud of what I offer because I have proven results now. It was a struggle in the beginning because this was a new realm for me, but I’ve done the experimental content and now have it down to a science regarding what works.
Lastly, one component I love most about my brand is that people work with me directly. I have a small team that supports me with different tasks, but I work one on one with the business owner. It’s not like working with a corporate company where you’re assigned to a random social media manager who posts stock photos for your page. I’m heavily involved with each client and their biggest cheerleader when it comes to the success of their business.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m a Gilbert gal, so I’d start their visit in this area. There are a lot of small, local shops in the downtown Gilbert area that are fabulous! Cool vintage shops, walk up coffee bars, hand-painted murals on the walls, etc. There is also a small wine bar in Gilbert called Garage East. It’s locally owned by a retired Gilbert firefighter, and the ambience and atmosphere are beautiful. They have live music a couple times a week, fire pits outside to sit by, and yummy treats that complement the wine.

Scottsdale has a great breakfast joint: Jojo’s Coffeehouse! They have a super neat iced coffee flight to try.

Lastly, I’d visit a Hash Kitchen location. Super fun atmosphere!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Where do I start? First, I would attribute my success to my parents. I grew up watching my dad work hard and provide for our family. I’ve seen him work multiple jobs, work a full-time job + a side hustle, all the way to owning his own business as well. His journey was an inspiration to me, and with that I watched my mother take care of our family and household that lead me to be good parent. I strongly believe part of my success is observing and learning the balance of work life and home life, which they did an amazing job of setting that example. Additionally, Steve Harvey’s book “Jump” motivated me to take the leap to start my own business from scratch. His story was very inspirational.

Instagram: www.instagram.com/hlackey85