Regrets? Just the one since going it alone

I have one big regret about my decision to set up my own business as a public relations and strategic communications consultant two years ago.

Why the hell didn’t I do it 20 years earlier?

I can honestly say it’s the best business decision I’ve ever made.

Not because it’s been easy – there have been all the usual ups and downs of going it alone – but because it’s been so satisfying.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve loved almost everything about my career. Running the UK’s best regional news operation for more than a decade was truly fantastic and the culmination of my one career ambition.

Teaching a new generation of journalists the tricks of the trade – and learning as much from them as they have from me – was, and still is, a hugely satisfying and rewarding experience.

And dipping my toe into PR agency life reminded me that good storytelling and strong strategy are still as vital today as they’ve ever been.

But the past two years have been altogether different.

Getting the chance to really immerse myself in my clients’ work, to have the time to understand their challenges and ambitions and to work with them to make the most of their potential, has been a real joy.

It’s liberating to be able to spend proper time with people – to listen, to shape their story and to focus on what matters to them.

And guess what? It works.

That simple recipe – time, trust, clarity and good storytelling – has taken me from a standing start to working with manufacturers, professional service firms and growing businesses across the country.

Not because I’ve chased growth or tried to squeeze every last penny out of them, but because I’ve focused on doing the work properly.

Good strategic communications and effective PR isn’t about noise or clever jargon. It’s about understanding people and helping them be understood.

And being trusted to do that well is, genuinely, the most satisfying thing in the world.