I joined Beyondly as a Marketing Manager in 2015 when the team was small (around 13) also working very closely with the sales team. I was given targets from the start and continued to set them every quarter that helped me grow across marketing and sales. I had a mentor in my manager and with my goals ensured I embraced every challenge that was set for me and constantly adapting and changing my approach to suit the need of the fast-paced business in which we work. I took the opportunity to do courses and training given to me including a Google Ads and Google Analytics which allowed me to develop this area in house and increase results.
The needs of the marketing department quickly shifted as the business grew, and we grew the marketing team. In 2020 I took the opportunity to do the directors role in marketing course which helped and supported my role in SMT and also the resilience building for professionals’ course.
Through the resilience building for professionals’ course, it was identified I had very high emotional intelligence with a positive mindset and a high score for supportive relationships, so alongside managing marketing I went on to manage the sales team, policy and managed some of the sustainability team while Liz was on maternity. In 2021 I became the Commercial & Innovations Manager.
In 2023 I took the opportunity to do the Help to Grow: Management Course across 9 months. As the team grew and Cherry became Marketing Manager, we rebranded successfully and there was so much more focus on the brand as well as marketing and I became Brand, Solutions & Innovations Manager. I also went on to manage the Talent and Culture Manager and supported Talent and Culture.
After becoming a B Corp and rebranding we identified as a business the extent of impact activities we were doing that needed a senior focus to drive forward. My skills were identified and I became Head of Brand, Marketing and Impact.
- Resilience – This has been crucial in my role as it has been a personal strength but has helped me effectively lead change and drive results. There has been a lot of change over the years and being resilient has helped me quickly adapt when needed especially at the start with implementing Salesforce and the new website, the 10-year anniversary and the rebrand.
- Emotional Intelligence – I have always had this but it has certainly developed over the years at Beyondly and has helped me lead people from across different teams and it has helped how I have made decisions and lead teams in complex times, keeping things calm and getting the best out of people to support the growing business.
- Passion – Over the years I have been to events, completed work on the brand and organised impact work that has constantly motivated me be positive and enthusiastic about Beyondly living and breathing the purpose, vision and values. Managing, inspiring and motivating the marketing team and other people and teams I have loved been able to support personal development and develop staff in line with business needs.
In my first year at Beyondly I lead the new website and worked with others across the team on the new CMS. This was challenging and extremely hard work but rewarding and gave me a deep insight in services, the service teams, systems and quality and built great relationships across the teams and with external suppliers and the way we ran operationally.
When I looked after the sales team and I was involved in setting targets and been involved in driving sales and I got involved with sales calls. This gave a deep understanding of the close connection at Beyondly between marketing and sales and strong relations with sales. I managed sales bonus checking everything was correct which gave me great understanding of the types of leads that were closed, in what way, the value, what time and by who. This also allowed me to be part of the planning for the change in sales bonus/team bonus.
The rebrand – this was a brilliant experience, empowering those around me, managing relations between external suppliers and internal people, managing difference in opinions and collaborating with people across the teams, but ensuring we got the best out of the project for the business. A huge change for the business and was a great opportunity to lead such a project with Cherry.
Take the opportunity to learn from others around you, take advantage of training and award opportunities available to you. Build you skills and gain new experiences. Ensure you are using your best skills and ensure you continuously keep learning at your own pace. Look to get a mentor to support you and set yourself challenging goals that push you but are manageable. Try new things as you never know what may interest you!
