I was probably inspired to think creatively from a very young age. My mum is a passionate upcycler – in my home growing up, nothing was ever thrown away without being considered for a 2nd life as something else. She was a Girl Guide leader and was given a pass for a local scraps warehouse, which disposed of offcuts from local factories in Cornwall. She used to rummage around there to find things she could repurpose to resell to raise money for the Guides. So, offcuts from a local wetsuit factory became finger puppets – leftovers from a sequin manufacturer became hair bows.
She has an incredible natural ability to see things differently, and I think that experiencing this from a young age is maybe what’s underpinned some of my curiosity as a marketer. I love working with brands to look at business challenges from new angles, telling brand stories from new vantage points, and using playful creativity to invite people to think differently. Thanks, mum <3
I imagine like many people, I listen to music while I work. I’d love to say my taste is eclectic and radical, but in the spirit of being Honest… I mostly have Ludovico Einaudi on repeat, all day, every day. His music has become a bit of soundtrack to my working mind.
Probably something related to social history. I’ve always loved programmes like Who Do You Think You Are? and A House Through Time – I find there’s something deeply grounding in learning the stories of ordinary people who walked around in our communities before us – it makes you feel like part of a much larger tapestry of life. That’s probably why I love marketing – because its all about understanding humans – how they think and act, and what matters most in their everyday lives.
Either that or a high end Estate Agent – because I have a guilty pleasure of browsing sites like Zoopla looking at homes I can’t afford!
‘If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.’ I’d love to say that’s a Steve Jobs or Greta Thunberg quote, but I just checked on Google and it was actually said by Thumper the rabbit in Bambi – which probably says a lot about the calibre of advice I pay attention to… whoops! It’s advice more people should probably adopt though – it would certainly make the internet a bit of a quieter space!
Ooo, well I’m still in my probation period so I’ll have to be careful on this one… Ok, well one thing I’ve probably hidden fairly well through the years is that I’m very superstitious about magpies. I don’t know where it stems from but if I see one I instantly have to find another one or I worry all day. And I salute them, even when driving! I’ve managed to perfect a subtle little head tap salute so I don’t look a complete mad person doing it.
I’ve spent most of my career at media publishers (The Guardian, Bloomberg and most recently VICE) so I LOVE that the Honest team are all up for a good topical debate!! Anyone punting past our windows in Cambridge will get treated to us unpicking world affairs, or sharing streaming boxset recommendations! I like that as a team we all have very different backgrounds, and at times different views (and viewing habits!), but we’re all open-ears to each others thoughts. Sometimes I open my mouth to share something I’ve read or seen and I spot that Nick (our Creative Director & Founder) is in deep concentration with his headphones on doing some editing, so I pause, but within seconds he’s fully engaged in the discussion and happily chatting away. I like that above all else, we enjoy each other’s company – and that’s not always a given in a new role!
