We will be celebrating 15 years at
redheadPR in June and I wanted to celebrate by explaining my journey. It
might even help you! I presented this at a recent event and it was
received very well. Like so many things in life, a business takes
passion, patience, planning, respect and – ultimately – love, and everyone
knows, I love business and entrepreneurialism and in a way, ‘love being in
love’.
What drove me
Looking back at my own journey, ‘love’
is what inspired me. From the junior school age, I lived with my parents
in a residential home for the elderly in Wiltshire and so the
concept of ‘business’ and customers were all around me from the start of my
life. My mother started it from a start-up.
I was surrounded by love, care,
incontinence, schizophrenia, dementia and sometimes death – it was complicated
and lovely all at the same time.
It was incredibly, rewarding and
humbling. I got to hear the most vivid memories first hand from
extraordinary people. I saw them improve, develop and grow. Many came to
us in awful conditions of neglect and illness.
So, in a way, my journey – my
aspirations – were built upon seeing people at the end stage of life and my
mother’s work with them. And, whilst that may sound sad – it gave stark reality
check and inspiration from my first mentor – My Mother.
I understood only too well that to
retire well and enjoy those generous last years of life, we have to work hard
and plan ahead. Something we need to help the current and future
generations to understand.
Now, having said all that, I didn’t go
through school as a goody two-shoes.
I was restless and disruptive at school
– I had energy, ideas and a mouth to articulate them. And, I did. So, whilst I was academically good, I was
obviously bound to fail.
I couldn’t sit still, I couldn’t
concentrate. Nowadays I would have been told I was
suffering from an illness. I knew I would have to try and do something
different and extraordinary. In fact, my motto was – ‘I wanted and extraordinary
life’
I was into everything not knowing where
I was going and what I was doing.
Making things and selling them,
mountaineering, classical guitar, pottery it goes on and on. And I did
all this, all at the same time.
My one major objective was to be in
London.
My two other adolescent goals were to
make lots of money and retire early – just like all of those glamourous,
flaming red haired sirens from the golden age. I saw no reason why my future
riches wouldn’t lead to me being on the front page of Vogue.
I failed at school and college and went
off to study management the Old Regent Circus Swindon College which was part of
Wiltshire Management college. I did this for six years while I worked. A
teacher contacted me recently and said I had made him very very proud.
I soaked up
everything.
If I was taught about an entrepreneur
then I wanted to be one, if technology was on the syllabus then I wanted to be
in it. That was how I felt and to be honest, it’s still how I feel.
But as I grew, I knew that I wanted a
future of success, financial independence and meaning. Nearly everything I
did was geared towards achieving that and I set my own objectives.
What I did to make it
happen
As a young adult, I had the energy and
attitude to live life at a hundred miles an hour. Some people called me manic
and an enigma.
I did everything I could to open my
eyes to the grown-up world around me. And I never lost sight of my end-game. I
put myself daily out of my comfort zone. I don’t know why.
Adrenaline?
Some Saturdays I drove from
Swindon to Harvey Nicholls in my 950 Fiesta. Just to see the latest fashions
and trends – I was there to see the launch of Mac make-up.
Then I went to work with at the Royal
Military College of Science – mainly because I knew it would be a good
grounding. There is a protocol in the military and organisational
structure is driven by the leadership theorist John Adair, which
makes the military a very good learning organisation.
I then deliberately went to work for a
huge utilities because I wanted the experience of post privatisation,
regulation and a commodity - water.
They had a mainframe computer and we
didn’t use computers like that where I currently worked so I
needed to get involved in one or else I would be left behind.
But in many ways, it took my career –
and my life - to a new level. I ran its community stakeholder
communications programme for a £2 billion investment programme.
Stakeholder communications and
relations at the most sophisticated level at the age of 21. I was
involved in some of the largest public consultations ever.
Then studying The Body Shop at College,
I knew I wanted to work for Anita Roddick. Anita was extraordinary – talented,
passionate, real, authentic. I may never be as successful as her, but I recognised
the drive and the ‘real-ness’. She was a communications expert. Originally a
human rights activist and English teacher.
And so, I worked with her and her
team.
She was - and always will be – my
second inspiration.
After working with Anita, it had to be
a super brand that I worked with – Yellow Pages – again deliberate at 27.
And I helped it move through its
greatest period of change as it moved towards the ‘Yell’ brand. I took control
of a £3.5 million budget.
Those jobs equipped me with the balls
to realise that I was more than capable. And, that I could succeed and make an
impact.
By jumping in at the deep end with big
jobs like that, I quickly cut my teeth – I recognised that I was on the right
track.
But the biggest things I had to deal
with are the barriers.
The things that delayed me, made me cry
and feel lonely, that led to depression and – at times – despair.
The things we all deal with.
By the turn of the Millennium I was
about to launch my own business in the centre of London. I was divorced. I was
utterly focused on the long-term and not living for now: money in the bank,
investing for retirement.
I had no children, my social life
outside work was non-existent, I rarely went on holidays. I didn’t even buy
lovely things for the house so that I could enjoy being at home. It was
business – and nothing else.
My life was – on the surface –
glamourous (which was what I always wanted) – swish London parties, events,
launches, working with the great and the good. Money, cars, houses. But was I
happy?
The business grew, but like so many
single career-driven women in London, I was lonely.
And then – the 2008 global crash.
I honestly never thought I would come
back from that. I nearly lost everything - including my motivation. After
years of working for the business rather than for me, I ended up suffering a
devastating defeat when that recession happened. I thought for a long
time it was my fault. But I hung on by the skin of my teeth and
found the strength to get through it.
I nearly lost all my property, I lost
relationships, employees, savings. That’s extremely difficult to deal with and
I was doing it on my own.
That’s when I came back to Swindon.
But, what saved me was me.
The things that make you succeed during
the good times are the same things that help you survive during the bad times.
I cut back, downsized and cut my cloth
accordingly. But more than anything I just knew I had to get out of bed in the
morning and make it happen.
Because the alternative was defeat.
I managed my own expectations. And
perhaps the greatest thing about that awful recession was the way it made me
take stock.
I leant on my faith and that continues
to sustain me. I also have two amazing daughter now.
But, that burning desire for success
did not and will not leave me. I built my business again here in Swindon.
I have rebuilt my life by listening to
myself. And I am now back at the top of my game, better than ever
before. I have a great company, a home full of love and two wonderful children.
I have regained what I lost – but this time it’s real.
My top tips
If I were able to travel back in time
to that flame-headed eight-year-old, who sat drinking tea with old people, and
give her some advice, I would say this:
Be relentless – it always pays off. The
day you can’t get up – fight it. Just get up – because trust me it will feel
different in an hour or so.
Read, read, read listening and watch. I
read everything - and it gives me inspiration. It gives me ideas. Never stop
reading.
Build a support team – you will not be
able to do what you want without great friends, partners, suppliers, wives,
husbands, dog walkers, cleaners, brothers and sisters, your children.
Writing and maths – if you can’t do them
learn. Learn what you need to. Maths is quickly forgotten – so even
when you leave school, try to ditch the calculator at work and use your head.
Do 100% then add on another 100% - at
that will make you successful – there’s the x10 theory: something and then 10
times more.
Pray. You may or may not believe…and
some people call it mediation or affirmation. But take the time, to be calm. To
say thank you. To be at ease. To reflect.
Be an ethically good business person –
you can sleep well every night if you do the RIGHT thing.
Chaos, embrace it – being out of
control is OK. It’s normal and it WILL happen, especially when you are
really successful – just sail through it as if you are surfing a wave.
Always be fit and healthy – It’s
worth it.
Focus – don’t get distracted, do not
come up with too many ideas – whatever route you take you will get there.
If you do all of that – and never
forget about loving those around you – then like a hard-earned marriage – you
will end up being a very happy.
As my business turns 15 years old, with
the benefit of age and pain and reflection – I know that I what I set out to
achieve I have. I have all the things I dreamt of.
Not, as it happens, to be on the front
page of Vogue…but to grow old comfortably and surrounded of course surround by
love.
