Over the course of my career I’ve worked across pretty much all facets of PR, marketing and design; worked on B2C, B2B and internal clients; worked in-house and within agencies; in companies both big and small – it’s safe to say I’ve learned a lot.

But alongside the knowledge and expertise, I’ve also learned a lot about how not to do business. I’ve had more than my fair share of ‘horrible bosses’ and whilst, at the time, I was cursing their names (!), I can now say with confidence that they’ve helped me to be a better businesswoman.

So my mission is to deliver the next generation of work and customer service (informed not just by the positives, but by the negatives too), which is imbued with my core values.

Honesty and Authenticity

Creativity and Personality

Courage and Integrity

I graduated in 2006 from Southampton University with a degree in English and Film, some great friends and a whole lot of (unrepeatable) stories.

After a competitive interview process, I went on to secure an internship at a global PR company in London, gaining some incredible hands-on experience in an extremely busy, fast-paced environment. And despite the unholy wake-up time and hours of daily commute from the Midlands, it really excited me.

This led to my first ‘proper’ job at a PR agency in my home city of Nottingham. Starting in the B2B arm, I grappled with all sort of clients from mobile technology to fibre optics, and it’s safe to say I was pretty relieved when I was promoted across to the B2C arm…!

When the recession hit, myself, alongside about a third of the agency, were made redundant. Not one to shy away from a challenge, I decided that it was time to take a step up, and that the decision had just been made for me!

So I jumped in to a role at a full-service design and marketing agency with clients across B2C, B2B and internal, and many and varied responsibilities. From strategy planning and costing, to project management and staff supervision, to brand development and safeguarding, to pitching and budget management, to copywriting and relationship building, there wasn’t an element of a project that my hand didn’t touch. Great for my natural attention to detail, commitment and slight control freak tendencies; not so great for my mental health.

After about 5 years, I went in-house as PR and Marketing Manager for one of my key clients, a Times Top 100 financial services company.

Around 18 months later I had my first son and, like many parents, my priorities changed and I could no longer envisage myself in that corporate environment.

There was soul-searching, there were tears, there was an epiphany – and then there was WORDS by Jo.

My inbox is always open

Whatever your project, I’d love to chat to you about it.

Drop me an email with a bit of background, a basic brief and an idea of budget (if you have one!) and that’s all I’ll need to get the ball rolling and figure out the best way for us to work together.

hello.wordsbyjo@gmail.com

And if you’re Nottingham-based, don’t be shy! Whether you’re a potential client, a long-standing customer or a fellow creative, I’m always happy to meet for a coffee – or a wine – in one of our amazing local hotspots.