Rachel Matthews webpage here
SESAME webpage here
My
latest guest on Creative Connections podcast is the wonderful
Founder of SESAME, Emily Buckland. Emily is the perfect guest to
talk about all things creativity, entrepreneurship and the future
of work because SESAME is a PR recruitment and head-hunting
consultancy doing things differently. They focus on non-linear and
diverse roles to begin to change the landscape of PR and Marketing
Communications while helping talent prosper in the
long-term.
SESAME also has a fluffy and gorgeous team member
called, you guessed it, Sesame (aka. Sessy). Sessy the cockapoo
kept us company while recording, she was curled up next to us
throughout our chitchat.
Starting and Expanding
Sesame
Emily
talks me through beginning her values-led business and how these
guiding principles help them decide on the best-matched
partnerships. She gives advice on how to handle client
incompatibility and say no without making excuses.
Path up the Career Ladder to
Head of Brand
Emily
shares her experience of climbing the PR career ladder to obtain
the role of Head of Brand for Porter Novelli, the award-winning
communications consultancy that is part of the Omnicom Group. The
lessons she learnt from experiencing burnout and how it is
beneficial to take a step back to see if you should recast your
direction or accept that promotion.
Top Up Creative Reserves and
Creating Commercial Imaginative Ideas
She
speaks on needing to top up her creative reserves after hitting
burnout. We chat about being creative on demand and how it can feel
contradictory to the creative process - we both agreed that your
best ideas usually come in the shower rather than the boardroom.
She shares the behind the scenes on gauging the best innovative
concepts to balance imagination and commercialism, as the ideas
would ultimately have to be bought by the client
brand.
The Importance of Diversity of
Thought in the Workplace
She
talks on the sweet spot for solving problems through the
intersection of different minds and how various industries can
learn from each other, from hospital handovers to the Formula 1
pitlane teams. We learn that diversity of talent is key to the
magic. It is also about breaking and remodelling company processes
when necessary to ensure innovation thrives. She explains that it's
essential to questions how things are done and break the rules for
the better.
I'm
so thankful to have Emily on the podcast to share her fascinating
career story and offer her invaluable insights into running a
successful business. I'm sure a lot of you will find Emily's
practical advice very useful, especially those entrepreneurs
looking to expand their businesses.
I
hope you enjoy this episode, and if you do, I would love for you to
rate, review and subscribe to help me expand the podcast
listenership. As always, thanks for all your support!