Four people who’ve inspired me – thank you!
Having 20+ years of a marketing and writing career behind me is a mixed blessing. I used to long to be able to say “a decade’s experience” on my bio. Nowadays I wonder if “over two decades” is beginning to sound a bit… well… old!
The Difference Collective’s core team – inspiring and fun!
Hugely on the plus side though are all the people I’ve had the pleasure, privilege and challenge of working with and for over the years. They’ve inspired, helped and encouraged me in big ways and small ones that they probably don’t even know about.
This would be a very long blog post if I listed all of those people, so I’ve decided to narrow it down to an alliterative Friday Four. Which gives me the option of revisiting the topic another time!
Genuinely, I appreciate pretty much every conversation and meeting – even, or perhaps particularly, the challenging ones – I’ve ever had with my customers, colleagues and peers. Your perspectives, talents and the ways you work have made me a better person and professional.
But for today, here are four people I’ve been thinking about lately because they’ve inspired me with what they’ve achieved and the way they go about it.
Natalie Edwards, Head of Marketing, CACI Ltd
I’ve worked with Natalie for several years and it’s always a pleasure to hear from her. Without exception, she’s positive, constructive and friendly, even when giving hard feedback or asking for something difficult. I admire the way she maintains her authority in a senior marketing position and achieves great things commercially without throwing her weight around or making anyone feel small. In my experience, Natalie gets great results from people and projects with informality and a smile and is generous in her recommendations and support. I love working for her.
Charlie Rapple, Director, Kudos
As well as the excellent attribute of sharing my name, Charlie is a founder of the amazing Kudos platform for research publications. Kudos has grown into an award-winning international business in five years and Charlie now trots the globe presenting to and engaging with intimidating-sounding audiences and symposia. I’m impressed by her assurance, her well-argued and often provocative viewpoints, her fine command of the English language in every article I read and her willingness to debate professional topics in a respectful but thought-provoking way.
Catherine Shuttleworth, CEO, Savvy Marketing
Catherine leads the fantastically successful Savvy Marketing retail and shopper marketing agency. I’ve lately enjoyed seeing her share her views as an ambassador for Yorkshire business in press and on TV. A long time ago, Catherine took me under her wing when I was an inexperienced client-side retail marketing manager. In her direct but diplomatic way, she helped me understand many things about client-agency relationships, briefing, campaigns, managing client rapport and creativity. At the time I had no idea that one day I would set up my own communications business, substantially underpinned by this knowledge and experience.
Angie Wiles, Head of Collectivity, The Difference Collective
From the very first time I met Angie in an unprepossessing hotel just off the M4 at Slough, I felt inspired by her energy and commitment. I was also a little intimidated by her track record of entrepreneurship and running a highly successful and fast-growing business! Angie’s drive, belief, challenging outlook and ability to make things happen have all inspired me to push myself harder in my own business. It’s been a privilege (and a lot of fun!) working with her and a talented team in her newest venture, The Difference Collective, where I’ve met outstanding and inspiring new peers, worked on high-calibre projects and reinforced my beliefs about the value of flexible and project-based work.