We all know how starting a new job often comes hand-in-hand with a wave of emotions – excitement, determination and nervousness are just a few that spring to mind. But for me, starting my new role at Liz Lean PR marked the beginning of a whole realm of changes, and not just from a career perspective. I was leaving the hustle and bustle of London to start a new life in beautiful Dorset, pursuing a dream that’s been a long time coming.
Part of that involved taking on a new challenge in an agency which sold itself to me from the moment I walked in the office door. No, it wasn’t solely the stunning views of Sandbanks which did it (granted, they’re certainly a welcome perk). I was inspired by the energy of the team, the clear commitment and determination to deliver to clients, and the opportunity to really develop my role as an Account Manager, working across a broad range of sectors. Needless to say, I couldn’t wait to get stuck in.
My first month was a busy one, as I was inducted on my accounts and started to learn the ways of working at LLPR. It was brilliant to get really hands-on from the offset, getting to know my clients and the scope of work on each account. February and March seemed to fly by!
Admittedly, when that fateful day came about where lockdown was announced on 23rd March, I was a little concerned. I’d only had a matter of weeks of getting to know my clients and team members face-to-face, and suddenly ‘working from home’ went from being a convenient thing to do now and again to a full-time fixture. Thankfully, I can happily report that working remotely has been successful. Setting myself up a mini ‘office’ in my fiancé’s parents’ caravan, I’ve found myself able to be incredibly productive and focused. Regular video calls with clients has allowed me that vital face time to help me foster those important relationships. What’s more, weekly team catch ups over Microsoft Teams help give me and my colleagues that much needed ‘human’ interaction.
During my first three months at LLPR, I’ve been very lucky to work with some really interesting clients, where there have been plenty of opportunities to be creative and develop new ways of working. I’ve always loved writing, so a key highlight for me has been writing content copy for surveying and construction consultancy Rund Partnership, helping the business to reach its objective of driving new business opportunities. I’ve had lots of one-to-one time with various people within the business, chatting through upcoming projects, the technicalities behind their roles and also developing thought leadership pieces around wider industry topics. A particular highlight was developing an engaging thought piece around the importance of Building Safety during the coronavirus pandemic, and how cladding remediation still needs to be top priority.
With several years of retail PR experience under my belt, I was also particularly eager to work with leading clothing brand, Weird Fish. Their ethos is all around offering relaxed, easy-going and feel-good clothing to give a ‘forever weekend’ feeling – adding some creative contrast to the mix when it came to copywriting. Over the past couple of months, I’ve been involved in multiple influencer campaigns with Weird Fish, where we’ve focused on targeting micro influencers to give a more authentic feel to content and a higher engagement rate return. As well as continually pushing for product placement opportunities for the brand, I’ve also helped them drive their ‘Hero of the Moment’ feature, seeking out goodwill stories and local heroes to profile on their website blog.
In addition, I’ve been working with the Dorset County Show to help manage communications around their Show cancellation, due to COVID. As a particularly difficult time for the Dorchester Agricultural Society as a whole, I’ve worked closely with Show organisers to develop effective messaging for multiple stakeholders, and also put forward new ideas to help continue driving awareness for next year’s Show.
It’s safe to say my first few months working at Liz Lean PR have been incredibly rewarding. As we’ve all had to adapt to this new way of working, it certainly hasn’t tainted my experience. I feel very lucky to be part of such a strong team during this time, as we’ve all been supporting each other. It’ll certainly be a period to remember in the coming years, and I’m looking forward to continuing my career journey as we see ourselves through the pandemic and get back to normality.