Article
28 June 2022, 3 min read
Reconnecting with some BIG ideas...
I've been doing some big thinking over the past couple of years. I had to quit marketing in order to start marketing again. It hasn't been easy. There were days that felt too hard.
There's a lot more to my story.
Like a lot of us, I've been doing some big thinking and reflecting over the past couple of years.
In that time, I changed by business services, methodology, systems and even clients. In truth, my evolution began before we had even heard of the dreaded Covid.
I've been on a journey. It hasn't been easy. In fact, there were days that felt too hard.
I had to quit marketing in order to start marketing again.
On Wednesday 24th April 2019 I attended a business conference.
I had been suffering from depression and anxiety for some time. After dealing with three deaths in my family and realising I had built a business essentially serving greedy business owners that just wanted to sell more stuff; I was completely lost and my business was on its knees.
When I could least afford it and I had barely left the house in months, I made the trip to Edinburgh for the 2-day conference. I remember it vividly – the bus trip to the venue; nervously standing in the queue to register; precariously balancing cup and saucer amongst a room full of strangers summoning every ounce of energy trying to look confident, when all I wanted in that moment was to return to the hotel and crawl back under the duvet!
It was on this day I learned about the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for the first time, which changed the trajectory of my business forever. I now use this framework with my clients and it is pivotal to what I do, how I do it and whom I do it for.
I had gone to the ‘Give to Profit’ conference with a sense of sadness and desperation. I came out filled with possibility and excitement."
People often ask me if this was an epiphany. And yes it was, in that I could see the way forward. But did everything automatically fall into place from that moment onwards? Not really.
It was more like I’d fallen into a very deep hole. And in that moment, someone had thrown down a rope ladder.
I still had a long and difficult climb ahead of me. The difference was, now I could see where I was going.
Working with WINS was an important part of me finding my direction. It allowed me to connect with people like you; women who want to make a difference, to live and work with purpose.
During the pandemic I used the time to get even clearer about my value, and what I could offer the world. For the first time ever, I knew it.
I believed it.
In April I published a White Paper I wrote with my economist partner Paddy, 'Why purpose, why now? The role of marketing in a world of overconsumption'.
It represents so much more than 10,000 words.
It’s my journey.
From darkness to light. From confusion to clarity. From stagnation to movement. From helplessness to empowerment.
It is the reason for my business, which is the opposite of serving owners who just want to sell more stuff.
This White Paper is about the NEW role for marketing in a changing economy.
It’s a quick download, but a really meaty read. Loads of stats, examples and quotes. And action steps that help you embrace purpose, rebuild trust, and position your brand to be a powerful agent of change.
A more purposeful business means a more powerful brand; it means more profit, loyalty, sustained growth, and longevity.
A more purposeful business means a more purposeful culture that connects to your employees, customers, stakeholders and makes a bigger impact in the world."
This White Paper is for business leaders who want to explore;
// What growth will look like in a post-COVID world
// Why business must fill the current ‘trust void’
// Adopting the Theory of Change model
// New principles for marketing as a force for good
// First steps in designing your purposeful business and powerful brand
Download it for yourself here.
Together, we can welcome the changing world, and use what we know to create stronger businesses.
