It’s been a while…

….and a lot has happened. And certainly, that is true for everyone in the world right now. I wanted to use this space to reflect on what I had been up to over the last year (or so) …but in so doing I couldn’t ignore the big glaring situation we have all just come through or still experiencing.

So, of course first things first. I do hope everyone is ok and getting to do what works for them through these uncertain times. Though we all know it, it should be continued to be said, of how proud and thankful we are all to our front line NHS and key workers who have got us through this first hurdle and kept the rails on. Thank you. You were always heroes, and I hope we do not forget it.

As we move out of the ‘slower pace’ of lockdown (in inverted commas, as whilst it was slower, as I know many of you have experienced - with two young kids around all the time – it wasn’t what I would call calm), into certainly uncharted waters, like many I have been reflecting on our lives and what happens next. The challenges ahead are different for everyone and I hope that we all remember that and that we all pull together to help us all to get moving in the right direction.

When I last wrote I was just starting out my journey into consultancy and whilst I had no idea what the future held - so far, so good.

It has been a bit of whirlwind with numerous projects on a wide range of topics from engaging technologists in learning at HSBC, to supporting the relaunch of luxury property Southbank Tower, to a website and brand review at MILESTONE Students.

What I have learned

There is nothing to fear being an industry outsider

• Being an industry outsider in a complex organisation that is open to change, is a privileged place to be. It was an honour to work with HSBC’s Commercial Bank’s Technology team, a close-knit team all working to support, attract and retain its team of technologists. They gave me the space to ask questions, get under the bonnet of its complexities and above all else to try new things.

Internal or external – you still need to know and market at your audience  

• In a complex global organisation, an internal audience is as wide and varied as many commercial marketing audiences. Approaching it as you would any ‘marketing communication’ campaign, helped me to find my audiences, learn what resonated with them and find creative and engaged ways that spoke to them about the benefits of learning to the individual. It was a fabulous project to work on and all credit to the Technology team for the unwavering focus on improving individual skills…. a great opportunity for technologists to prosper at HSBC.

I still love student accommodation

• Banks aside I did not forget my student accommodation roots and I have had the joy of working with Austria’s growing student accommodation company MILESTONE Students. It is a wonderful brand and with accommodation design and student experience ethos firmly at its heart, a great fit for me. It has been an absolute pleasure to work with the Vienna based team in their city and mine and I cannot wait to see what we can continue to achieve for the brand as we work together.

Continue to keep it simple, focused, effective

• Whether it is student or luxury property, the backbone basics remain the same. The property, the location, the experience. It has been great to be back working with the SFA team to relaunch the beautiful Southbank Tower. If you are in the market for luxury property (sadly I am not quite there yet but working on it ??) do check it out. Its views across the city are spellbinding and located in my favourite part of London in the heart of the South Bank.

I am a happy juggler

• Some people ask me what it is like juggling various projects at once. My answer is always ‘it works well for me’. I think it forces me to stay on my toes far greater than when you are focused on one project. And the weaving nature of marketing and how different things work for different audiences means that I can cross pollinate my thoughts and lead to outcomes for one project that I may not have got to otherwise.

So, I am late for my Lagom Marketing anniversary but I hope that is a sign that it has been a success. Most importantly I have enjoyed who I have got to work with and the work I have been doing. Of course, its not been without its challenges, the obligatory doses of imposter syndrome along the way (everyone gets this -right?) and hurdles to overcome.

But for me that is the beauty, I have learned a lot and that is what energises us as individuals. I have gained new skills, dusted off old ones and found new ways of working. The current economic uncertainty looming does make us all breathe in tightly, but for now I am trying to move forward and focus on the positives. As long as I can keep working for myself, as a consultant, I will keep doing it.

In fact, the one thing that lockdown taught me is to focus on what we do really want to do. Which is why, an idea that had been bubbling in my head from day one of starting out on my own…is slowly coming to fruition.

Watch this space…