What do you enjoy the most about working at Spreckley?
The thing I love most is the open and inclusive environment. Spreckley is clearly a company that hires different personality types and allows them to work in their own way, which I really appreciate.
There’s no uniform method for approaching tasks or campaigns and people are always encouraged to bring ideas forward. As long as work is completed to a high standard, you have the freedom to approach tasks in a way that suits your strengths.
How did you hear about Spreckley, and why did you want to join?
I heard about the company through a recruiter. I was chatting to a few different PR agencies, but I met our CEO and one of the team members who convinced me to join.
Other interviews I had were more focused on hours and logistics. However, here it was more about where I felt like I best fitted in, rather than where they needed me to fit in.
What’s been the most exciting PR campaign you’ve worked on and why?
I just wrapped up a great campaign with a quantum computing company. The areas they cover are quite complex so it was a hard sell at times, but it’s a fun challenge trying to explain to journalists what quantum is and why they should cover it.
We secured interviews with some titles that I haven’t worked with much in the past. It’s always good to engage with a new media segment and establish relationships with press you’ve never interacted with before.
If you weren’t in PR, what would you be doing instead?
I do want to go and live on a farm and work there for free. Live off the land, be the captain of my own destiny. There’s an initiative called Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) that links people with organic farmers I’d like to try.
I’d go off-grid, escape the busy city and put down my phone for a while. Have a bit of a cleanse.
Tell us one thing about you that surprises people?
When I make a cup of tea, I leave the tea bag in. I’m not talking herbal tea – this is for English breakfast. You think Yorkshire Tea is strong? Wait until it’s brewed for 10 minutes then we’ll talk.
I like strong tea; sue me.
What’s your favourite thing to do outside of work?
I try to get out of London when I can. France is my preferred destination, particularly the Basque Country, which has a special place in my heart. If you’ve never been down to the Pyrenees, give it a go.
Who had the most influence on you growing up?
That would probably be Dav Pilkey, author of Captain Underpants. They were the first books I read growing up and have played a significant part in my literary journey. The plot was a lot more complicated than people think. He had a secret life, there were some aliens knocking around as well – trailblazing stuff.
I studied English literature at university and have ended up in a job where I do lots of writing, and I suppose I owe a lot of that to Dav.
What’s your go-to lunch on Leather Lane?
You can’t go wrong with a Shawafel wrap (shawarma and falafel housed in the same tasty vessel) at Dukan41.
There’s also a delicious Bánh Mi, but I can’t recall the name of the Vietnamese place it’s from.
What’s something you want to do in the next year that you’ve never done before?
I plan on doing a really long cycle, I think from London to Wales. I’m already signed up for the Dunwich Dynamo (London to Suffolk), but I’d like to go even further. Cycling is something I’ve always enjoyed, and it would be a good opportunity to push myself.
My friend is cycling from London to Singapore, however, I’m not sure I’m quite on that level yet. Maybe one day…
Favourite quote
Henry David Thoreau – “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”