Social Media Stars Making a Social Impact: Why & How Farrah Davidson of ‘London Had A Little Lamb’ Is Helping To Change Our World
An Interview With Edward Sylvan
It’s also important for me to use my platform to help all women feel empowered to be the best versions of themselves. I share fashion hacks and style tips that make women look and feel great. I also provide content to help new moms navigate exciting and challenging times in their lives. In some of my most recent blog posts, I share craft room ideas to help your kids be creative, ideas for your child’s next birthday party, and ways to teach your children to be kind.
As a part of my series about leaders who are using their social media platform to make a significant social impact, I had the pleasure of interviewing Farrah Davidson, founder of London Had a Little Lamb.
Farrah Davidson is a mommy, fashion and lifestyle blogger, mom of four and practicing dentist from Rochester Hills, Michigan. When her daughter, London was only ten months old, the mother-daughter duo started London had a Little Lamb. Farrah has served as the Style Ambassador for Twelve Oaks Mall- the major shopping destination of Metro Detroit and has been featured in many local media and print publications including WXYZ-TV, Fox 2 Detroit, Live in the D of WDIV Local 4, Hour Detroit Magazine, Downtown Magazine, MetroParent Magazine, Seen Magazine and The Chaldean News.
What began as a platform to showcase London’s daily looks and the things she loves, has over time, become an avenue to celebrate all of life’s enjoyments. The goal of London had a Little Lamb is to inspire women everywhere to be the very best version of themselves.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I have had a love for fashion for as long as I can remember. When I was a young girl, my cousins and I would have fashion runway shows for our barbies, create outfits for them and then vote who was the best fashion designer and if I remember correctly, I almost always won (laughs). After graduating high school, I told my parents I wanted to move to New York City and study fashion. My dad – a very reserved and conservative man said, “No way. Major in something a little bit more stable and then you can do whatever you want for fun on the side.” He led me to the path of dentistry, and I instantly fell in love with it. As a dentist, I get to relieve people’s pain, provide smile makeovers, and, overall, help improve people’s lives.
When I became a mom and had my first daughter, London, I wanted to document all our adventures together and share all of our favorite things. In 2016, right before her first birthday, I started London Had a Little Lamb, a lifestyle and fashion blog. Within the first month, I gained 5,000 followers. I made these miniature business cards with a link to my blog, and I would give them to people everywhere. I still love to hand them out whenever someone asks where we bought our clothes or compliments what we are wearing. I always say, “Our blog has links to all the stores where we buy our clothes, making it super easy to shop.” For anyone looking to start their own blog or brand, just go out and get started before you’re ready. Introduce yourself and tell people what you do.
Today, I get to follow both of my passions. My husband and I own our own dental practice — The Smile Studio in Lake Orion, Michigan and I like to make sure my nights and weekends really count by working on London had a Little Lamb while my kids sleep. My four children (London, 6; twins Leonardo and Gisele, 4; Poppy, 2) are all very involved and like to call it “their blog.”
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began this career?
I am so fortunate to have had so many amazing experiences over the past five years because of London had a Little Lamb. I would say the craziest thing is being recognized by people whenever I am out and about with my family. People will oftentimes come up to me and ask, “Are you London Had a Little Lamb?”
I have had the opportunity to work on campaigns with amazing brands like Walmart, who first approached me about my must-have baby items. They liked my first batch of content so much that they asked me to do three more campaigns with them, one right after the other. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I was also able to work with some amazing hotels like The Peninsula and the Waldorf-Astoria in Chicago and I got to take my whole family along for the ride. It’s all been such a whirlwind!
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 wouldn’t really call it funny but definitely a mistake. When you’re starting out, it’s easy to compare yourself to people with a larger audience than you and feel unaccomplished. Over the years, I’ve learned that you just need to put out quality content to serve the followers you already have. Instead of trying to change yourself to fit into the mold of what others are doing, you need to be true to yourself and dedicate your efforts to who you want to be and how you can provide value to those around you,
You have been blessed with success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
I would say just get out there and get started before you’re 100% ready. I talked about starting a blog for a long time, and then, one day, my husband finally said, “You’ve been talking about this blog for some time but I’ve never seen it.” That was a wake-up call for me — and that same day, I hired a web designer and started writing content.
Ok super. Let’s now jump to the core focus of our interview. Can you describe to our readers how you are using your platform to make a significant social impact?
Being an influencer is great for not only providing shopping suggestions — like “a leather jacket that looks expensive but is actually very affordable” — but more importantly, for making a difference. I often guide my followers to provide aid for different organizations through my social media stories. For instance, last year, with the rainforest fires across the Brazilian Amazon and with the deadly explosion in Lebanon, I encouraged people to donate to the Red Cross to help those in need of relief.
It’s also important for me to use my platform to help all women feel empowered to be the best versions of themselves. I share fashion hacks and style tips that make women look and feel great. I also provide content to help new moms navigate exciting and challenging times in their lives. In some of my most recent blog posts, I share craft room ideas to help your kids be creative, ideas for your child’s next birthday party, and ways to teach your children to be kind.
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted by this cause?
I have received countless messages from new moms, business owners and followers that send their personal stories and praise what we stand for- the feeling is indescribable!
Was there a tipping point that made you decide to focus on this particular area? Can you share a story about that?
London had a little lamb has always been for my children. I wanted to create something that they would be proud of. The biggest reward is being able to build something that’s more than just a brand, but a platform that portrays strong values for my audience, and that especially goes for my children.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
You know that saying, “It takes a village to raise a child?” Well, I never had a village. Mothers — especially working mothers — need more support from the government and their communities than what they’re getting. The United States offers no national paid maternity leave — while many European countries offer dozens of weeks of paid leave. While working as an independent contractor, I never had paid maternity leave. The U.S. needs to do better.
The community also needs to offer more support groups for new mothers. Becoming a mother is such a transition, and it’s so important to have other moms to connect with. That’s one of the reasons I started my blog — to meet other moms. I’ve gained so many supporters who have become really good friends of mine since starting London Had a Little Lamb. My advice to mothers everywhere is to find their tribe. Find those who can guide you and be there for you in times of need and vice-versa. There are a lot of those times when you’re a mom — whether you have one kid or five.
Society as a whole also needs to recognize of the importance of self-care. Moms are so busy caring for others that they often forget to take care of themselves. You need to find time throughout the day — even if it’s just a few minutes — that you can devote completely to yourself so that you can be a better provider and be more present for your family. It’s really hard to be present if you’re not filling yourself up first. Sometimes you have to leave loads of laundry, and the dust bunnies under the couch to give yourself time to think, create and dream. I always feel so refreshed and restored after a good night’s sleep, a nice family walk and even something as simple as a quiet cup of coffee in the morning. It is so important to invest in yourself and do something for yourself that you love every day.
What specific strategies have you been using to promote and advance this cause? Can you recommend any good tips for people who want to follow your lead and use their social platform for a social good?
Do some research, write down things that interest you, find the thing you are most passionate about, and make sure you have all the facts together before you present it to your audience.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
- Find something you are passionate about, and then go from there.
- Don’t focus on money in the beginning. Just have fun with it and focus on putting out high-quality content that provides information or entertainment before you worry about monetizing it.
- Set a good example for whoever’s following you.
- People will want to follow you when you share things you are an expert at. Use your expertise and provide useful information to others.
- Only follow people on social media who are positive and inspire you.
You are a person of enormous influence. 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. 🙂
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Dental Association suggest taking your child for their first dental checkup by age one. But, while most parents know how important it is for their kids to regularly see a pediatrician, over and over again, I see parents waiting too long to get their kids dental care. Oftentimes, children don’t come in until they already have a toothache — and then, they end up needing extensive dental care and sometimes that means getting teeth removed. Maybe it’s because they don’t know that early dental care is necessary — or maybe it’s because they don’t have access to good dental health care. I would like to inspire a movement to make dental care more affordable and to raise awareness of the importance of preventive dentistry, especially for our youth.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“It’s a beautiful life.” I think there is beauty all around us and everywhere you go and my mission in life is to always find it.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
I have a few — but one of my favorites is Lady Gaga. I’ve been to about 10 of her concerts. I love how raw and real she is and how great she is at promoting self-expression. I remember an interview where Gaga said her ex-boyfriend told her she would never succeed. She responded, that one day, he wouldn’t be able to order a cup of coffee at a restaurant without hearing her name. How badass is that?
How can our readers further follow your work online?
You can find my blog at https://londonhadalittlelamb.com. I’m also on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and TikTok as London Had a Little Lamb.
This was so informative, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
Social Media Stars Making a Social Impact: Why & How Farrah Davidson of ‘London Had A Little Lamb’… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.