1. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received in your career so far?
Early on in my career one of my mentors told me to ‘never burn bridges because you never know how certain individuals will weave back into your life’. I’ve always kept that in mind professionally and personally and it helped me develop long-lasting relationships even once I’ve left a job. Returning to Portland a couple of years after I left is a perfect example of this.
2. What is your favourite part of your job?
As cliché as it sounds, I have to say the people. I work with some of the most fascinating humans that teach me something new about myself and the world on a daily basis. We all come from different walks of life but our shared curiosity and interest in others takes us outside of that experience and into something greater. And the same goes for our clients – from the most senior government officials to the most prominent global philanthropists, there is always room for inspiration.
3. What is the biggest mistake you’ve learnt from in your career?
I’ve made many mistakes in my career. We are not robots so it’s bound to happen. The biggest thing I’ve learnt from my mistakes is to stop obsessing over them. Overthinking can really immobilise you. I often found myself replaying situations in which I wish I’d performed differently but all that did is made me anxious and stopped me from making progress. We put far too many expectations on ourselves and we just have to learn to not take ourselves so seriously.
4. What advice would you give your 20-year-old self starting out in comms, or to someone entering this field of work?
Learn to embrace your fears. You will either step forward into growth or back into safety. The things that have scared me the most are the things that led me to some of the most exciting (and scary!) opportunities in my career. That job you’ve dreamt about doing? Apply for it! That crazy idea you have? Share it! You need to get out of your comfort zone and trust that with hard work and dedication things will fall into place.
5. What do you do to switch off from work?
I dance! I honestly believe that the secret to having a great day is to dance especially first thing in the morning. It gives you an energy boost and ensures that regardless of what anyone else is bringing to your door that day, you’re bringing your best moves. I also tend to consume a lot of true crime content- books, docuseries, podcasts, you name it! I’ve always been interested in understanding what influences human behaviour and true crime stories provide some fascinating case studies.