Where do you live?
I live in Streatham Hill, and have lived in the Lambeth area for going on twenty years now.
Tell us more about your job…
Brand Amplifier is open to female entrepreneurs across London. We have historically had a huge representation of Lambeth-based women graduate through the programme, and amplify some pretty amazing brands across the UK and internationally.
I’m also an incorrigible serial entrepreneur, and have expanded the JPC Group to include not only Brand Amplifier, but also two other brands: Ugli, a creative campus that provides low-cost rent for up and coming SMEs in White City, and Project Voice, a new startup that we’re very excited to launch very soon.
What does your job entail?
As the head of a brand consultancy, I try to be involved in every aspect of the company. I work with clients to help them understand our unique branding methodology and then liaise with every department to ensure we deliver top-notch, across-the-board service.
What’s the best bit?
The fluidity of sharing. As a business owner and founder that invests in the success of others, there’s nothing like putting time, support and belief in another business going through a period of launch, growth or restructure.
And the worst?
As my responsibilities grow, obviously the time I have at my disposal shrinks. I’m very careful with managing my time, but still find that there aren’t nearly enough hours in the day.
How did you get your job?
I started JPC in 1998 and hired myself on the spot!
What was your professional background before founding JPC? Before founding JPC, I was the Head of Creative for TRO, an experiential event and marketing agency, where I worked for eight years.
What advice would you give someone who would like to follow a similar path to yours?
I’m an advocate for what I call the Art of Branding, and strongly believe in the power that branding has in the success of a new business. I also firmly believe in what I preach to the women who pass through our Brand Amplifier programme. That is, any aspiring entrepreneur should ask him or herself: “Do I want to run a beauty salon or do I want to cut hair?” It’s important to be aware, as you start a business, which perspective you’re bringing to the endeavour. If you want to “cut hair,” that’s fine – but maybe you shouldn’t be in charge of the business yourself. If you’re ready to run the “salon” – and take on all the tough decisions that come with that – then throw yourself into it. Or, as the BA alumni often quote me as saying, “hit it like a rugby player!”
