My guest today is one of the strongest women you’ll ever meet. Queen, it’s the amazing Tory Archbold, one of the most famous publicists in Australia and an absolute powerhouse of a woman, both personally and professionally. I invited her today to share her business wisdom but also her personal story. I know that listening to this episode will lift your spirits and make you realize that every challenge is also an opportunity.
Tory founded her brand agency Torstar in her twenties and she’s had amazing success with it. She’s worked with global brands such as Nespresso, Zara, or Victoria’s Secret, and today she will share expert secrets on how to build your personal brand. But, while she was taking on the world, she was also going through a personal hell.
When she decided to take off the mask and share her story, Tory understood the incredible power that comes with honesty. These days her mission is to empower incredible women like yourself to go out in the world and build business empires.
Tune in to hear her story and advice – Queen, this is one of those episodes you just can’t miss!
Building Her Media Empire
Tory started her brand communications agency Torstar with no money and no contacts. Starting a media company with no network in the bank, but a hell of a lot of self-belief. But to start a media communications company is definitely a bold and courageous move, but Tory did it and managed to attract the world’s top-performing brands, celebrities, and influences.
Before she knew it, she was flying all around the world, connecting with great people, and getting all this amazing work done. On the outside, to the media and her clients, she looked like a very successful businesswoman. She was raising a beautiful daughter, traveling around the world, and attending these great parties.
But, behind the scenes, her life was very different. It was something Tory never talked about. There’s this image of female entrepreneurs that don’t allow us to take our mask off. We can’t say that we might be failing in one part of our life. And being a publicist, Tory wanted to manage her situation and not let it affect her work life.
What Was Really Going On
While her business thrived, Tory’s personal life was falling apart. She had a daughter with a man she loved and thought she’d live happily ever after. But nine months after the birth of her daughter, she realized that was not going to be the case.
As someone who’s always trusted her intuition, Tory knew she had to make a decision. She didn’t want to be a woman who smiled while suffering in silence. She didn’t want to pretend everything was great and so she decided to walk away.
Little did she know that decision was going to unleash 12 years of a very traumatic experience for her and her daughter. The man she left had a difficult time accepting her decision and she had to suffer through relentless harassment. He even threatened to ruin her business, which was the only way she could put food on the table. As she was the sole provider for her daughter, that threat felt very real and led to a lot of stress.
The Most Profound Wake-up Call Ever
It wasn’t until 2013 that Tory realized just how stressed she’d been. She was supposed to fly out to London, as most of her clients were overseas. She’d be in Europe during the week and then fly home to Australia to be with her daughter, all the while stressing about work and difficult personal circumstances.
Two days before this flight to London, Tory felt her body collapsing. She could feel that something monumental was coming. Her appendix burst unexpectedly and she caught septicemia. She was rushed to a hospital for an urgent operation and was given a six-month recovery period.
It was then that she finally understood how serious things had become. Tory had ten doctors gathered around her trying to find a solution on how to bring her back to life, and she knew she couldn’t ignore her wellbeing anymore.
Her recovery ended up taking four years. After the collapse, she suffered from chronic and adrenal fatigue and she had to adjust her business accordingly. At the same time, she understood who her real friends and partners are. Her tribe rallied around her while all that was unnecessary fell away.
And despite all her health issues, Tory still put on a brave face and carried on. Her team didn’t know what was going. She would take meetings in between naps. She was still reluctant to establish the powerful boundaries she needed.
Happy Heart Is a Magnet for Miracles
The second wake-up call happened when her doctor told her that no drugs could help her recover as a happy heart could. At the end of the day, everything comes down to happiness. Once she understood that, Tory could finally recover and get in alignment with who she is today.
At that point in time, she stepped into her power and really decided to become happy. She had to ask herself what happiness meant to her and how she was going to get a happy heart. She manifested her intent and purpose around that thought and slowly started stripping things out of her life that didn’t align with that vision.
As soon as she took the powerful steps to create boundaries in her life, everything that was right and joyful came back. She now had the right people in her life, she had found love again. After 12 years, she and her daughter finally stepped into freedom and alignment.
Her advice to anyone going through something similar is to take a good, hard look at their life. Be brutally honest about where you are. Don’t be embarrassed to share your story and take off your mask.
How to Build Your Personal Brand
Today, Tory is running her new company, the Powerful Steps. She’s on a mission to help women realize their full potential and build business empires aligned with their truth and purpose.
Because Tory is a master publicist, I wanted to hear her advice on how to build a personal brand, and I know most of you will appreciate these tips.
The first thing she mentioned was to get a great image of yourself. When someone googles you, you want them to see a striking image that represents your personality. She also underlines the importance of LinkedIn and your LinkedIn bio. The first three sentences should explain who you are, what your purpose is, and what you’re capable of delivering.
Most importantly, tell your authentic story. What connects women to women or business to business is authenticity. Tell your story with passion and don’t be afraid to get raw.
Only you can tell your unique story and this is your superpower. Experiment with your journey and don’t be afraid to pivot and listen to your audience. If you commit to telling your story and staying in your lane, soon you will find that your happy heart is attracting miracles and glory into your life.
Building Your Network Is Key to Success
Tory also underlines the importance of connections. Partnering up with people will help you increase your brand equity and boost your growth. But, it’s owning your power that’s going to attract those relationships in the first place.
As someone who built her media business with no contacts, Tory knows that connections are a powerful business accelerator. She always had three coffee dates a week. Whether you’re just starting out or already have millions, each week, have a coffee with someone you know, someone you want to partner with, and someone outside your comfort zone. This is a big part of building a brand and that’s how Tory built her media empire.
Don’t suffer in silence. Share your story, create a community. Make the effort to get to know people and tell them what’s going on. That’s the human connection that propels you forward.
Additional resources
We’d be so honored to hear your takeaways! Screenshot this episode and tag me and Tory on Instagram at @ginadevee and @powerfulsteps. Let’s get talking, my dear Queen!
If you’re as inspired by Tory as I am, make sure to also check out her website, podcast, and book a coffee date with the woman herself!
Be sure to subscribe to the Divine Living podcast, share your reviews, and tune in every week to get one step closer to your Queenhood!
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