Lora McLaughin Peterson on Reinventing Mid-Career Storytelling, Embracing Frugality, and Building LORAfied

As a part of our series called “5 Things You Need To Know To Create A Very Successful Lifestyle Brand”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Lora McLaughin Peterson.

LORAfied — the LA-based, lifestyle expert who has a combined audience of 2M+ across platforms — loves sharing her “fancy yet frugal” advice across home-ec, cooking, shopping and so much more. Essentially the everyday Martha Stewart, Lora equips her followers with tricks to make their lives both easier and elevated. Whether it’s finding dupes, sharing simple and tasty recipes or relaying travel hacks, Lora has tips in many areas to add practicality and flair to daily tasks.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your “childhood backstory”?

I’m the baby of 9 from a college town in Kansas. And when I say baby, I mean baby! The closest sibling in age is my brother Tim who’s 14 years older than me, so to say my parents were surprised would be an understatement. My parents had both been married before and each brought 4 kids to the marriage, then had me. It would be like Carol and Mike Brady having a child. As you might imagine, my parents were absolutely exhausted by the time I came along. I’m often asked where I get my sense of humor and honestly, it’s from being the baby among a cast of what seemed like thousands! My role was evident from the beginning, if I was going to get any attention I had to be entertaining and I had to offer something new and shiny. I remember watching my dad tune into the network evening news each night like clockwork and I thought to myself, the folks he’s watching on TV really have his attention, they’re going to interesting places, telling interesting stories, that’s what I want to do! I want to be able to tell people interesting things. I believe my love of storytelling, information sharing and helping others learn something useful and new started way back then.

My dad owned a chain of restaurants, so as you might imagine, growing up in the restaurant business, food has been a very big part of my life from the start. My mom is also an incredible cook and has really influenced my cooking sensibility more than anyone else. On the career front, she was also incredibly strong and accomplished, becoming the first woman in the state of Kansas to run an entire phone company for what was Southwestern Bell at the time. Both of my parents were career minded, which rubbed off on me. I’ve been working since I was a teen honing my craft, landing my first job at McDonald’s (working the drive through of course, so I could use the mic in front of a captive audience, never mind they were ordering shakes and fries) and interning at the local TV station, somehow convincing them to let a high school student in the news room.

Can you tell us the story of what led you to this particular career path?

As a kid I knew I wanted to work in TV and basically worked in news throughout college, landing a job before I graduated. I ended up as a network correspondent for CBS News, based in Los Angeles and loved having a front row seat to life. But being a correspondent meant a lot of travel and as I kept having kids it became harder and harder. I pulled back a few years and would do freelance jobs here and there, playing myself in the movie Four Christmases (a little heads up, I’m on at the very end, I didn’t want to scare ya) doing something for Showtime, writing a newspaper column, basically things that let me be at home most of the time. I was awful at not working full time on some sort of something! In fact, my doctor had told me I was perfectly healthy physically speaking, but my soul needed an outlet, that I just wasn’t living my passion, and he was right! Around that same time, the pandemic popped up and social media was really taking off. All three of my kids were hooked on the dances and funny videos and were constantly sharing them. My oldest daughter, Betsy, was back home with us during the lockdown and is the one who really encouraged me to take my news skills and use them to start an Instagram account. Betsy and her best friend Anica had been calling me LORAfied for years. They’d say it anytime I did something “extra”, like an over the top gingerbread house for example, something I didn’t think was anything special, but they said you’ve “LORAfied” it. Basically taking something simple and turning it into something special in their eyes. So in January of 2021, I put up my first post. I had no idea what I was doing…I didn’t even know what a “story” was, let alone a reel. The learning curve was STEEP! It was like being back in school all over again. It was a brand-new medium for me who was bringing zero social skills to the table. But I loved it and knew THIS was my next chapter.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I think the funniest mistake I made in the beginning was not knowing what different emojis REALLY meant. I love emojis and I use a lot in my post captions, my stories and on my reels, so it was a shocker for me to learn some had other meanings. For example, I thought a peach was just a peach, boy did my kids let me know about that one, LOL! There are many others, but that one stands out and I’ve been on a mission ever since to “take back the peach”, especially during peach season when I’m making peach recipes all the time and really want to use it! Seriously, why have some of the best emoji’s been hijacked by the teens?! LOL!

Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?

I remember reading “The Millionaire Next Door” over 25 years ago in my late 20s, it was a game changer on the financial front for me. Being from Kansas, being frugal is already in my blood, but money was also something that wasn’t to be talked about. I think everyone should read it before they graduate from high school and for sure before they leave college. I’m a fan of saving money and it’s a big part of my brand, that book specifically helped focus me early and I’m forever grateful.

The HBO show Julia is one of my favorites and really inspired me. Although it’s a fictionalized version, it’s woven with enough of Julia’s real life story giving a sense of what it took for her to make it. Seeing how Julie Child would cook her own food and take it to the set, recruiting family and friends to pitch in and become her crew. It’s so neat seeing her backstory. The story that happened before she became the legend. It really kicked me into high gear, as she also hit the scene a little later than most.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

My favorite quote has to be “the harder I work, the luckier I get.” It’s so true and I’m living proof. I don’t bring any special skills to the table, but I keep showing up and working hard, I’m driven and dedicated, if I can do it, anyone can.

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. For the benefit of our readers, let’s define our terms. How do you define a Lifestyle Brand? How is a Lifestyle Brand different from a normal, typical brand?

LORAfied is focused on saving you time and money. Fancy, Frugal, Fast and Fun! How to elevate your life with the money you already have. It’s about getting those daily things done in a better, more efficient and economical way so you can take your life minutes and spend them doing stuff you love. I’m not aspirational, I’m real life. I want you to feel like you’ve learned something useful in the 40 seconds to a minute you’ve watched one of my videos. I want you to walk away and say “That was helpful, I can do that.” I appreciate that you have a lot of things vying for your attention and I don’t take that for granted. My goal is to give you an easy tidbit to make life easier without breaking the bank.

What are the benefits of creating a lifestyle brand?

The satisfaction that comes from creating a brand is huge, not just from a personal or professional goal standpoint, but when you see it helping others and when your creation is adding value to people’s lives. In my case it’s saving them money, sharing tips and tricks for living a more luxurious life on a budget, inspiring them to start cooking a little more or maybe even for the first time. I’m here to be a helpful friend who’s living life with you.

In your opinion, what is an example of a company that has done a fantastic job building a believable and beloved Lifestyle Brand? What specifically impresses you? What can one do to replicate that?

There are many impressive brands out there that run the gamut. The biggie is Martha herself and of course Oprah’s media empire is incredible. There are so many other impressive female brands out there: Pioneer Woman by Ree Drummond, Joanna Gaines with Magnolia, Beautiful by Drew Barrymore, Sara Blakely at Spanx Then there’s the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten who’s incredible as well. Gwyneth Paltrow with GOOP, Jessica Alba’s The Honest Company, Jessica Simpson, honestly, so many amazing women have blazed the trail and I admire all of them. I think Kris Jenner has to be mentioned here as well, what she’s been able to build is nothing short of impressive, not only boiling her own brand, but her kids’ many brands as well. I’m not trying to replicate any one of them, I truly believe each one brings something vastly different to the table and that’s what I’m doing, pulling up a chair and sitting down with my unique and quirky self. I may currently be at the kids table, but I’m eyeing the adult table ;-)

Can you share your ideas about how to create a lifestyle brand that people really love and are ‘crazy about’? Let’s imagine that someone reading this interview has an idea for a lifestyle brand that they would like to develop. What are the first few steps that you would recommend that they take?

If there’s something you want to do, just start doing it. Visualize it, say it out loud, speak it into existence. Don’t listen to the distractors and trust me, there are many! It even took a couple years for my own family to stop calling my more than 60 hours a week job a “hobby.” Put your blinders on and focus. You’re never too old and it’s never too late. I know how silly that all sounds, but it’s the truth. The key to figuring out what your special skill is, what is your super power? My husband Scooter has a great saying he says to the kids and me all the time “No one does you better than you,” just go be you! There are billions of people in this world, your people will find you. Oh, and don’t give any energy to the negative Nellys of the world, just wish them well and keep moving forward!

What are your “5 Things You Need To Know To Create A Very Successful Lifestyle Brand” and why?

1. It’s more work than you expect, WAY more. Treat this like a true job from the beginning, set hours and stick to them NO MATTER WHAT. When someone calls for a lunch date, but it’s during your work hours you’ll need to say, “I’m sorry, I’m working, can we try another time?” Those that are not used to you being unavailable will be a little bummed, I had many friends who just didn’t understand why I wasn’t available like I used to be. But that’s what it takes, sacrifice is real, there’s no half way when it comes to building a brand.

2. Don’t try to be everything to everyone. For example, I’m not a fashion expert, no one comes to me for outfit advice. I try to have a very clear picture of what my wheelhouse is. Pick the lane you know best and stay in it. Become an expert in your lane.

3. One failure isn’t the end, it’s just more data for you. Use that data to hone in on your audience. Knowing your audience is invaluable and it’s not really a failure, because there’s value in the lesson learned.

4. Knowing what you don’t want is just as important as knowing what you do want. Draft a clear picture of both.

5. It’s more rewarding than you expect. Once you start riding the bike with confidence you just feel different, your soul starts feeling fuller and you’ll want more of that feeling, trust me.

Super. We are nearly done. Here are our final questions. You are an inspiration to a great many people. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

Despite all the amazing advancements we’ve made with technology, I think there’s a challenge to keep that human connection. My years in news taught me that everyone has a story. Every single person on this planet does. Everyone wants to be seen, wants to be heard, wants to be loved…they just want a friend. Honestly, we all want that connection with someone else. Life is full of hard moments and heartbreak, I want to counter that. I’m the happy and helpful channel. I try my very best to spread positivity and to let every follower know I truly care about them. I want them to know they are seen, they are heard, they are important to me and I love them. I always tell them to come say hi when they see me and get ready for a hug and I mean it! I’m beyond grateful for each person, I truly am. I’ve always said, if I could get all of my followers together in one arena, we would all be instant friends. All this to say, I think people need more connection, I say hi to strangers all the time, in the grocery store, in an elevator, because I want them to know, I see you! There are so many lonely people who are just looking for a friend. Saying hi to a stranger costs nothing and it might just make their day. You could be the only interaction they have that day. You just never know what someone else is going through.

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.

I’d love to go to lunch with Kris Jenner. I watched her Masterclass series and it was an eye opener! I highly recommend it to anyone looking to build a brand. What she has done is remarkable. Funny story: I was shooting in Costco a few months ago, it was one of those days where I had my phone buried in their coffee bean display and was talking to the dark roast bag. All of a sudden I felt this wave of people walking my way, it was Kris and her entourage! She said hi as she was walked by without judgement, after seeing me have a conversation with cappuccino grounds…was it a sign? I’d like to think it was ;-)

Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational!