Founder@ Interview
Interview with Leah Miller
“Just start. Just do it. Even if you’re scared and worried and nervous about failing, you just need to get out there and take action. Fear is natural. But an entrepreneurial spirit means that you just go for the opportunity, regardless. Don’t let fear get in the way of taking those first vital steps..” – Leah Miller
Today we feature Leah Miller, the founder at LCM Home. We hear their story in their own words, their successes, their challenges and their insights.
Let’s start by getting to know you. Can you please tell us a little bit about you and what you do?
I’m a property developer and founder of LCM Home – a business that aims to raise the standard of co-living by converting period and characterful commercial and residential properties into beautiful modern homes for young professionals and families.
I run LCM Home with my mom, Sheryl Miller – a renowned business coach, author and serial entrepreneur. I also have a YouTube channel featuring vlogs on house renovation and property investment, where i give advice for beginners.
A great introduction and start to this interview. Can you please tell us, how did you start, from what age, and what made you decide to change direction and start?
I’ve wanted to become a property developer ever since I was about 14 years old. I was obsessed with Homes Under The Hammer and found the whole renovation and transformation process absolutely fascinating. I especially loved the part when an estate a
gent would assess the renovation job and say: “If you sold your property, it would be worth X” and “if you rented it out, you could get X.”
Adding value by transforming old properties into aspirational living spaces I think satisfies both my love for creativity and my entrepreneurial streak. Given that my mom is a business coach and runs several successful businesses, I guess my original inspiration for becoming an entrepreneur came from her.
Thank you for that insight. So can you tell us…What does your business do and where is your company based?
When we first got into property in 2018, my Mom and I started a serviced accommodation business called LCM Apartments where we would manage properties on Airbnb and Booking.com. We’d liaise with estate agents and landlords for corporate letting, but the strategy was labour intensive with very little reward so, after a year, we sold the business.
We wanted to focus more on renovations. In 2019, aged 22, I set up LCM Home. I wanted a business that served to raise the standard of co-living. House shares often have a bad reputation and we wanted to change people’s perceptions of this lifestyle by converting period and character commercial and residential properties into beautiful modern homes for professionals and families.
What’s the story behind your success? What led to your aha moment? how did you get to where you are now?
I’ve always been a self-starter. I believe a lot of that drive was instilled in me by my mum who has always emphasised just how important it is to work hard at everything we do. Seeing how hard my Mom worked pushed me to do things to the best of my ability.
Thank you for sharing that. What’s been your life’s biggest lesson so far?
School taught me early in life to fend for myself. Although I remember that some teachers were supportive, I don’t think many really knew my potential. They certainly didn’t push me to go further.
I feel that it’s easier to be overlooked if you’re not the ‘super smart kid’ in class, when it’s actually those kinds of students who need the help, encouragement and self-belief to achieve better. I did often feel like I was being left behind. But I achieved good grades in the end; that was down to determination and a good work ethic.
Outsource before you think you need to for admin tasks. It’s easy to think that you can do it yourself, but in practice it can be counter productive. The reality is that somebody else could probably do the task quicker than you, plus it frees up time so that you can focus on other important things within the business. Understanding that you can’t do it all yourself is the first step to helping yourself work more efficiently in business.
If you were to go back in time, what piece of advice would you give to your younger self?
I can’t remember who originally said it but one of the best pieces of advice I’ve heard is: “How you do anything, is how you do everything”. And it’s certainly a philosophy that frames my day to day actions.
We’re nearly halfway through our interview so it’s a great time to ask how does your business run. What three tools make your business run better?
GoCardless has been indispensable to us. It’s a direct debit collection system for small businesses that need to collect recurring payments. We found out about GoCardless from some of our friends who are also in the property industry. Our virtual assistant is the one who sets up the tenants on the system. It definitely helps us manage the business better to ensure we don’t miss payments.
WhatsApp has been a channel we use frequently to keep tenants updated about any information regarding the house or property they live in. We also use it to welcome tenants and, in some cases, the video component has been used for virtual viewing of properties – something that we’ve had to undertake during lockdown periods. It’s infinitely more reliable and responsive than email.
Coho is our property management system. We use it to keep track of all of our regulatory obligations, such as gas and electrical safety, HMO licences and fire alarm systems. Our tenants also use it to report maintenance issues. Once there are more people using the app, our tenants will actually be able to advertise when there is a room available in the property and be able to select housemates they think would be a suitable fit. The app is really for intended for tenants in co-living arrangements.
Finally we use DocuSign. All of our tenancy agreements are signed electronically using the service, which makes the process more efficient than having to print off hard copies and physically arranging in-person signing.
What do you know now that you wished you had known before?
Outsource before you think you need to for admin tasks. It’s easy to think that you can do it yourself, but in practice it can be counter productive. The reality is that somebody else could probably do the task quicker than you, plus it frees up time so that you can focus on other important things within the business. Understanding that you can’t do it all yourself is the first step to helping yourself work more efficiently in business.
What has been your greatest or proudest achievement or moment?
Growing the business so that it’s been possible to leave my marketing job has been my proudest achievement so far. It’s nice being able to work for myself and grow the brand.
What future life goals do you want to achieve and why?
While I specialise in renovations, one life goal is to undertake a self build that is creative and sustainable. To have a home that I’ve created from scratch would be an amazing personal achievement. And of course I’d love to have a lifestyle that allows me to spend the winter months in warmer climates abroad!
To finish our inspire questions…”We believe that sharing inspiring words can inspire others.” If there was one positive thing you would say to someone to inspire and empower them what would it be and why?
Just start. Just do it. Even if you’re scared and worried and nervous about failing, you just need to get out there and take action. Fear is natural. But an entrepreneurial spirit means that you just go for the opportunity, regardless. Don’t let fear get in the way of taking those first vital steps.
“Thank you it has been great learning more about your founder story and LCM Home”
To learn more about LCM Home Visit https://www.leahmiller.co.uk/
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