EP009 | Transparency and the Rise of Collaboration

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This episode we are at the #BeeAuthentic conference to hear a panel chaired by Dan Nolan (TheEword and creative pro chair).  Panelists Mark Stringer (Ahoy Branding), Guy Levine (Return), Julia Mitchell (Toast PR), and James Ashford (Go Proposal) all sit down with Dan in front of an audience to discuss transparency and collaboration in the modern market.

 

Topics covered in this episode:

 

• Our panelists discuss what authenticity means to them.
• The importance of openness in partnerships and collaborations.
• How authentic can you be?
• How to be open when selling, and the benefits it can bring.
• Is it possible to be too open?
• What to do with a ‘bad’ client, and how to avoid them in the first place.
• The panelists share their experiences of when transparency, or a lack of it, has been a bad thing.

 

Guest BIOs

 

Mark Stringer

Mark Stringer is the MD and founder of branding agency AHOY Branding. He started the agency in 2008 with little more than an Apple Mac. A graphic designer by trade he has built an agency that’s as much loved by other agencies as it is by its customers. It has won numerous awards including Prolific North, RAR, Big Chip and Talk of Manchester.

Mark’s passion for helping others lead to the forming of private advice group ‘Dust It Off’ helping agency owners who fall on difficult times get back on their feet.

In his spare time his love of outdoors means he will usually be found “up a hill” with his wife, kids and two dogs

 

Website: http://ahoy.co.uk/

 

Twitter: @ahoymark

Guy Levine

Guy Levine is the CEO and Founder of Return. He started his Internet career by founding an internet business at 17 and exiting 1 year later during the .com boom. He has not looked back since. Guy has won industry accolades for campaigns he has worked on including the Big Chip’s and was named Entrepreneur of the Year. A speaker keynoting global conferences, and a regular in the press.

In his spare time, Guy can be found with his Wife and 2 daughters, flying Helicopters, riding bicycles and generally getting into mischief.

 

Website: https://return.co/

 

Twitter: @guylevine

Julia Mitchell

Following a business degree at Warwick Business School, Julia joined Boots The Chemist as a marketing graduate role; before taking up positions in buying and finally settling within their in-house PR team where she moved quickly through the ranks at a young age managing budgets of over £1m and working client-side managing global PR agencies.

In 2004, she left Boots to set up Toast PR, with the aim of designing a PR agency “from a client perspective” offering a personable and results-driven approach to each account. Toast soon expanded with outposts in London, Leeds and Manchester; eventually moving into Spinngfields in Manchester, where they are due to open a showroom and office within the new XYZ building this Autumn.

Toast have developed a strong reputation as a new breed of agency working nationally with both consumer and B2B clients across technology, property, hospitality and lifestyle accounts on PR, content management, social media and events. Clients including Boots, Iceland, Gossard, Lily O’Brien’s, Telcom, Fatsoma, Allied London and Market Gravity.

As well as running Toast and looking after a young family, Julia also guest lectures in PR at Nottingham Trent University and Manchester Metropolitan.

 

Website: http://toastpr.co.uk/

 

Twitter: @JuliaToastPR

James Ashford:

James Ashford is author of “Selling to Serve” and Founder of GoProposal.

A previous agency owner himself, James, like most agency owners, had to make the transition from “creative” to “business owner” and had to learn how to overcome many challenges.

One of the key areas where James excelled was in profitable pricing, selling and getting payments from clients.

He now shares his strategies with other agency owners and helps to make their life a lot easier with the software he has developed.

 

Website: https://jamesashford.com/

 

Twitter: @THEJamesAshford

 

Panel Chair Bio

Daniel Nolan is managing director of theEword, one of Manchester’s leading independent digital agencies. The agency specialises in creative content marketing.

He is also the co-chair of pro-manchester’s creative committee, the chairman of the Manchester Publicity Association and has previously been recognised as the Digital, Media or Creative Professional of the Year at the Made In Manchester Awards.

He is a passionate ambassador for Manchester and the North West’s creative, digital and media industries and has hosted and spoken at conferences and events for the likes of pro.manchester, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, Salford Media Festival, the MPA, Manchester Metropolitan University and many more.

Working with Manchester Metropolitan University, Oldham College and the UTC @ MediaCity, Daniel is also a leading figure locally in setting the agenda for training and retaining the best creative, digital and media talent in the city.

 

Find out more about the Eword: www.theeword.co.uk/

 

Twitter: @iamdanielnolan

 

Thank you for attending and hope you enjoyed the show. Please subscribe to our podcast for more industry discussions with more fantastic guests.

Next episode

In the next episode we will be back at #BeeAuthentic for a presentation from Paul Barnes, who will be talking about the importance of transparent pricing. Tune in next time, and let your next client know exactly what they're paying for!