The pros and cons of living in the UK versus NZ
I came to the UK nearly thirty years ago from my native New Zealand. Initially I planned to stay for a six-month overseas experience - and I’m still here today. Why, a lot of people ask, have I stayed so long, leaving such a beautiful country behind? And NZ is a truly beautiful country, but then again so is the UK. Both countries have their pros and cons…
The 13 sins of email and easy mistakes to avoid
Email is a torrid flow and there are many simple things we can all do to make it easier to navigate. The one thing I tell my team all the time is; “ask yourself, do you need to send an email?” Maybe a call, a WhatsApp or a text will suffice. Either way, we ought to cut down on the volume of email and make the ones we do send more meaningful for the recipients. Ultimately, we will all benefit from less time consumed from our busy days in typing them and also reading them. Here are thirteen deadly sins of emails. Things that I detest. Things to think about before hitting SEND.
Working with your spouse - how to make it work
I jointly own and run a Public Relations consultancy with offices in London and Beaconsfield with my husband and business partner. I often get asked what it’s like working together. In all honesty it not that bad, as long as you both follow simple rules and honour those rules, working together can be fun and rewarding. For work relationships to succeed it’s important that certain boundaries are kept. Here’s my secret sauce…
Age is just a number! The benefits of cross-generational teams.
This guy is learning something new every day and I love it. The explosion of generations and the fusion of different life experiences within our team creates amazing ideas and boosts creativity. This is because we all look at problems and briefs from different perspectives. It also massively helps with developing messaging and media targeting – again, due to cross-generational input. I have to admit some of the things I have learnt during team chats over lunch and drinks I find rather amusing... Little did I know that ‘Grime’ is music not dirt, and ‘Sick’ means good not vomit. There is an app for most things – ‘I have an app for that’. Oh and ‘Fast Fashion’ does not mean models running down the catwalk. Something new which I heard recently is that ‘Ghosting’ does not have anything to do with Halloween or the supernatural.
Paws for thought: pets in the workplace boost morale + productivity
Office pets are becoming more commonplace. Businesses in all manner of industries now realise just how valuable it is to have a pet-friendly culture. Research reveals it is good for employee wellbeing, it is an attractive staff benefit and it can even have a positive impact on your bottom line.We welcome small furries in the MANDATE office. From Ollie the Maltese terrier, Sascha the Shar Pei and even Lady Lulu and Mr Ozwald the house cats, we fully embrace animals of all ages, breeds and species. We’ve seen first-hand the positive impact it makes in the office and we would not have it any other way.
The best of both worlds. London and the Chilterns
I have worked in central London for most of my PR career – including London Bridge, Soho and Mayfair. But I have always loved living in Buckinghamshire. I grew up here, I went to school in Beaconsfield and all my friends and family are nearby. I also enjoy the fantastic restaurants and sense of community that we have here in beautiful Bucks. Being out of Zone One has many perks for the PR professional, the PR consultancy and ultimately their clients.