One Year at BAW Creative: Reflections on Growth, Change & Taking the Leap

1 year at a Digital Marketing Agency

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Well technically I’m a few weeks early but we’re not getting hung up on exact dates - it’s too warm for that kind of pettiness Karen. (Currently in a heat wave - expecting 31 degrees today) 

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It’s not often I get a moment to write a blog. In between client meetings, emails, networking, team meetings and everything else that comes with the fast paced demands of digital marketing agency life (which I love), time is not often a luxury that swings my way. 

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However, I do think it’s important to sometimes take a moment and acknowledge the milestones. Otherwise they pass on by and the journey just keeps on ticking. 

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So what has the last year of BAW Creative entailed for me individually & for BAW as a business? 

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Well let’s start with my own journey. It’s always nice to look back and think ‘That was a good decision.’ in fact, joining BAW was possibly the best decision I’ve made in the past few years. Being rather vulnerable here, but when I joined I wasn’t exactly in the ideal situation -  I was rather lost. I think we’ve all had those chapters where we don’t quite know where to turn or what to do next. I was planning on moving home (back to Surrey - where my parents are) simply because I didn’t really know what else to do. After being convinced by Lewis to meet with Will (BAW’s co-director), and hear about their vision for the company, my previous determination to leave the north suddenly disappeared. 

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You can probably guess that now I’m writing this article, I decided to stay and join the team because well… being completely honest, I just love what Will & Lewis are trying to create. I’ve worked in agency before, I’ve heard the promises of ridiculous marketing metrics and flashy presentations, but this was different. Lewis & Will believe so deeply in their mission, care so much about their clients and act with so much integrity that by the time I left our first meeting I knew this was a digital marketing agency I had to be a part of. And I’m so glad I took that leap. 

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Equally they were of course taking a chance on me. Whilst I have a background in e-commerce having scaled and run a brand, it still doesn’t mean that things will always work out the way you intended. I won’t lie, I found it hard at first, and I think they’ll agree! Learning to balance multiple clients, being thrown into the world of networking and sales, were all things that truly tested my comfort zones. Honestly - for someone who is a very confident person, this really did test me. But of course the old cliche remains true, ‘we only grow outside of our comfort zones’.

And low and behold, after pushing through the initial haze, I started to settle. Now nearly a year in I feel like I’ve truly found my feet, my confidence and myself again. (And that’s a really nice thing to be able to say after a few difficult years.) I’ve also had SO much fun along the way. I can honestly say I have met some incredible people over the past year, and I work in an office of genuine, kind and warm people. 

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Of course there is still SO much to learn. I am under no illusions that I have a lot to master, and I really want to keep on learning and developing my own skillset, alongside developing and scaling BAW Creative as a company. But the amount that’s changed in the last year when we look back is pretty crazy… 

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For a start the team has grown from four (Jul 25)  when I joined to ten (Jun 26). Safe to say the office is unrecognisable, with a lot more desks, screens and a totally different layout. We’ve also implemented so many systems, softwares and internal SOP’s that have completely transformed the agency. From email marketing flows, to project management, to SEO strategies and PPC planning, every arm of our offering has developed so much its hard to write in words. 

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And of course the growth for BAW Creative can never stop. So as Q2 draws to a close, we look ahead to Q3 and setting more targets, more goals and continuing to scale what I truly believe will become the best digital marketing agency in the UK. We’ve got a way to go, but from tiny acorns, mighty oaks grow. 

See you in another 365 days…

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