Our “Leader of all things Creative” here at notonthehighstreet, Penny talks us through what makes her role so unique and special
What do you do here at notonthehighstreet and how long have you been here for?
My official title is “Leader of all things Creative” which makes me sound a bit like a megalomaniac (mwahahahaha— just kidding). My job means I’m responsible for all of the businesses creative output. What we work on is so eclectic, everyday takes on you on a different journey and things are constantly changing. It will be my 3 year anniversary in October this year.
Talk me through a typical working day — what does it look like to you?
The answer is that there probably isn’t one. It could involve anything from looking at different directions for our campaigns (big ones including Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Christmas), and helping to steer the team. I always enjoy this part too because it involves getting really hands on with everyone. It could also be signing off work — we do everything from email to radio ads here, so there’s always a lot going on. It might be going to a Partner event, talking to our Partners. Last week I was at an ambassador group, learning about our new photography guidelines as an example, which was really exciting.
Because we’re the home of thoughtful gifts, I also need to ensure everything we do draws back to that, helping our customers become the most thoughtful version of themselves. I’ve never worked anywhere where your working day is so varied. It’s brilliant. I always said I never wanted to be bored…
What were you doing before getting the job here?
I’ve had a really varied career to date. Having worked everywhere from quite traditional advertising agencies, to placements at companies like Saatchi & Saatchi etc. I worked for a guerrilla advertising company, coming up with brilliant word of mouth advertising campaigns. I worked for 10 years at a financial services agency which couldn’t be more different to notonthehighstreet. My career has been fascinating — working for and with so many different companies pulls you in lots of directions; it allows you to sort out lots of different creative problems and that’s really made me the person I am today.
I found the job at notonthehighstreet through a friend who was freelancing here at the time. She said to me, “I can’t think of anyone more perfect for the role, go and have a chat with the team”. I did and from the second I walked into the reception, I just knew I had to work here.
What has happened over your time here?
Having been Creative Director at the agency I was at previously, the role with notonthehighstreet was actually a Head of Copy role. For me it wasn’t about the position, the company was so good and it was such a pioneering role because it was so different to anything I’d done previously. The other reason was that I felt like I had got further away from the heart of creative work and actually what I wanted to be producing. Everything about this role just felt like I’d come home.
I was Head of Copy for a little while and when different things in the business changed, there was an opening to step up and it just felt like the most natural fit at the time. The right team to be in and the right thing to be doing.
Have you always been in Creative? How have you got to where you are now?
I’ve always been a creative person. I did a degree in English so I always knew I would end up doing something with words. I’ve also always been really creative in my own time; I’m never happier than when I’m making things outside of work. How I actually got into the industry was really different. Many moons ago, I was working on reception for a film company and a lady I knew was putting together a charity book of small stories. She wanted people to submit their stories, so I did and long-story-short, she liked my writing style so much that she offered me a job working for her creative agency.
For any young people looking to get into a career in the creative industries, my advice is always the same; go and do it. Make sure you say “yes” to everything and give everything a go. NOTHS is brilliant because we do 90% of our creative work in-house. It’s a fantastically inspiring and pioneering place to be for someone creative. If you have an idea about something from any part of the business, you could see it come to fruition if the idea is strong enough.
What was it about notonthehighstreet that made you join?
There’s a few different answers to this question.
- When I walked through the door and saw the reception area, I was instantly struck by the inspiring decor. It was unlike anything I’d ever seen before. There were loads of things all over reception that I just wanted to pick up and touch, all made by the small creative businesses who make up notonthehighstreet. It’s not done like a reception area because, I later learnt, nothing we do is ordinary.
- The other thing, that I experienced throughout my interviews, was really how brilliant the people are who make up the business. The people are what makes notonthehighstreet what it is. I knew instantly how lucky I was to work for such an incredible team of funny, down-to-earth, bright and brilliant human beings.
- Without a shadow of a doubt, the final reason was what we do; championing just over 4000 of the UK’s best small creative businesses. You’re not just coming into work to do a job, you have the responsibility of doing the best possible creative work you can, to help support these incredible businesses. You’re not just selling stuff here, you’re supporting some really brave individuals who have often dropped everything to pursue their passion. Individuals who work hard and have dreams. Knowing what we’re doing every single day is just such a privilege and the best reason to get out of bed in the morning.
What exciting projects are you currently working on?
The next big thing is Christmas. While I can’t give too much away, lets just say what we’re working on at the moment feels a bit serendipitous and like all of the stars are aligning. There’s some really, truly great work in process and I’m excited about making this Christmas the most special yet for both our Customers and Partners alike.
What would you say is the most challenging part of your role?
Time. There’s so much we want to do, creatively for the business and for our brilliant Partners, that frankly there are just never enough hours in the day. More than anything, it’s just wishing we had “Beyonce hours” and the ability to fit lots of days into one. It’s such a high octane business that we never want to let standards slip, but finding the time do this is definitely the biggest challenge.
What’s your favourite thing about working here?
It’s fun. Don’t get me wrong, it’s hard work, but at the same time it is genuinely fulfilling. It stretches your brain, your creativity, it stretches everything you ever thought you were capable of. And it’s incredibly rewarding. My other favourite thing about working here is that things are just done differently. From real reindeer at our Christmas party, to an ice cream van turning up in our car park on a hot day, everything that notonthehighstreet does is done with a flourish, thoughtfulness and good in our hearts. You’re constantly surprised and delighted.
What’s your most memorable moment over your time?
We came up with a campaign called “Summer of Surprise” which was all about surprising the nation with thoughtful gifts and surprises. As part of it, we invited our customers to let us know who they thought most deserved a surprise. We had some fantastic, touching stories and so over the weeks we basically planned our campaign around travelling around the country and surprising them.
What I didn’t know was that I was the first test, and despite the fact I oversaw the entire campaign, the whole team organised a surprise party for me. They invited my friends, family and set up a tea party in Richmond. I’m a fan of a tipple so they had bespoke cocktails — even one of our Partners was there to hand engrave a necklace for me. It was just the most wonderful thing and made me realise what a genuinely and sincerely thoughtful bunch of people I work with.
