The Costumes, The Clothing and The Charity

In my latest newsletter I shared a free download with content suggestions that could be used for quick social media posts as well as longer form content like blogs. One of my suggestions was to share how you got started in your industry or niche, or if you work for an organisation, how they began. I realised that I haven’t shared my own story, so I thought I’d rectify that here.
 
I have always loved design and creative writing and whilst I’m not a naturally sociable or extroverted person, understanding what motivates people has long fascinated me. So, quite a perfect combination for a Marketing, Communications and Branding Consultant. However, I didn’t reach this conclusion until after a career in a completely different industry…

The Costumes

I studied Costume Design at university and worked as a designer in film and TV for ten years, but while I loved the design element of my work I found the overall industry and work culture less appealing. Especially the hierarchical nature of working on sets that justified dismissive treatment of those in lower paid roles. As a Costume Designer on productions I often felt uncomfortable at the preferential treatment I received, sometimes to the detriment of others.

​So, as my career progressed my mental health declined and I tentatively began considering what I could do instead. I wanted to work in an industry that gave me a greater feeling of worth whilst still allowing creativity and flexibility in the hours and location of work. 

The Clothing Brand

I gradually started to wind down my costume work and took a part time job at a small fashion manufacturing company designing clothes and managing their website and operations. When the company bought out a well-known Cornish brand they were left without marketing support and I took it on during the handover process. I loved it! I was creating content, arranging and styling photo shoots, writing blogs and interacting with customers online. I quickly realised that it offered me the ideal combination of creativity, variety and flexibility and that if I worked for charities, it could also bring me a sense of job satisfaction that I had previously lacked. So, in between working on productions and for the fashion company I began taking on design consultancy and marketing support work for charities and community groups to gain experience. 

The Charity

The more I did the more I enjoyed it and I quickly decreased costume and increased marketing work. Until, in 2016, after various freelance marketing positions I took on a part-time role as the Marketing and Communications Manager for a mental health and arts charity so that I could continue freelance work whilst having some regular financial security. I loved the variety of work that 42nd Street offered and thanks to their training programme and additional opportunities, I had the chance to learn and gain new qualifications in design, copy writing, the Adobe suite, website building, coding and more alongside my day-to-day experience of running a marketing department. I’m still at 42nd Street and continue to love the variety of work that I do there and now as I begin to expand my freelance contracts I’m so excited to see what new projects I get to work on!

How did you start in your industry? Share your history or a virtual CV with your audiences.
It might be old hat to you but could be interesting for them and it’s always good to share the face and real life behind a brand!

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​Whether you’re just starting out or you’d like a refresh, I’m here to work with you every step of the way to make sure that the whole process is as easy and stress-free as possible.

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