Let me start by telling you where my career story began. I was always a worker and my dad taught me the value of money from a very early age. Whilst all my friends were playing, I was sweeping hairdresser floors and making decoupage pictures. It was cool back then and sold them at the local fair from the age of 13.
My first ‘proper’ job was during my placement year. I obtained my degree in Business and Marketing and worked for Heinz (yes baked beans!). My placement was actually in finance as I loved numbers and still do but I missed the creative side. I soon learnt that Marketing was actually where I wanted to be.
My Dad taught me the value of money from an early age whilst my friends played.
Like a lot of us, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. Should I go travelling like everyone else or work? It was difficult to get a job in marketing so I ended up working for free at a top Media Agency, Mediaedge:CIA (now Wavemaker). Who would have thought I’d be planning TV and Magazine campaigns for the likes of PZ Cussons. Included the brands Carex, Charles Worthington, Imperial Leather and Original Source to name a few. They soon took me on a paid permanent contract. I had the best few years, but something was missing. I wanted to work for my clients. I’d love to work for Charles Worthington! So this became my new goal.
My move to client side
At the time there weren’t any jobs at PZ Cussons but I managed to move over to the client side marketing working for Thomas Cook (previously My Travel). Here I learnt so many new skills. Then a job in Personal Care came up at a small company called Acdoco. The brands included were Bionson, Blanx Toothpaste and Dr Beckman. I absolutely loved it there and was able to come up with insights and launched products to land on the supermarket shelves. I was trusted with millions of pounds and created TV adverts. Presenting my ideas to the board over in Bologna, Italy (such a beautiful place) was a great achievement. Along side this I achieved my CIM Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing (another one of my goals completed!).
I was trusted with millions of pounds creating TV adverts and presenting to the board over in Bologna.
Finally I got my dream job
Finally my dream job came up at Charles Worthington (PZ Cussons). With the experience I had gained to date, it was the right time to take this role. The wait was worth it and I had so much more experience and with a post-graduate Marketing diploma too, I felt so more ready for this venture. Working with Charles himself and the PZ Cussons innovation team was my dream come true. I had made it before I was 30! I felt so proud.
Sadly my job at PZ Cussons moved to London and after losing my dad at 28 it didn’t feel right to move. Luckily I met my now husband in the Midlands and found a job working for the number one garden watering company Hozelock. It wasn’t actually where I saw myself in Gardening after working with a premium haircare brand but the role was amazing and so I went for it. It’s amazing how transferable skills can be from sector to sector and with this being a tough manufacturing business, again I learnt so may new skills to add to my portfolio. This really added to my career story.
I started working for myself and never looked back.
After 15 years in my Marketing Career and starting a family I decided to take that leap of faith and properly launch my own business, Little Beanies Photography that I’d been working on since 2013. It is now a sustainable business where people happily find me on Google, book me and pay for my skills in capturing memories forever.
With both my photography skills capturing people and getting the best from them in natural surroundings, and my marketing background, becoming an expert in Brand Photography was the perfect genre for me to move into. Imaginative Pictures was born in 2016 after the birth of my second child.
Being an expert in Brand Photography was the perfect genre for me.
Working for myself is everything I wanted in life. Launching a business whilst raising a small family was never going to be easy, but with persistence and consistency, I have finally found, I believe, the right formula and do what I enjoy most and whilst making money. Now that’s the important bit – making money!
If you really want something, you can do it, you just need a realistic plan to get there. I can tell you all I have learnt, provide you with short cuts, understand what you are good at, outsource what you are not good at to the right people and help your business grow to become what you want it to be. I hope you’ve enjoyed my career story.
It won’t happen over night but let’s get you on the right path to success!
