Most career paths don’t follow a straight line — and our account director, Katie, knows that better than most. Her journey took an unexpected turn when she started freelancing after becoming a mum — and found the work she loves doing the most in the process. In this article, she spills all about the culture at Young Folks, the power of mentorship, and the career advice she wishes she’d taken (spoiler: it involves staying awake in class).
What’s the most unexpectedly bold thing you’ve ever done in your professional career?
I started freelancing with an 8 month old. I wasn’t able to find a role that suited the mum-juggle doing what I loved, so I found a couple of clients and did it on my own. It was the best decision I could have ever made for that season of my life, as it allowed me to raise my son (and soon-to-come daughter), and pick the clients that had projects or work that I loved doing.
If you could choose one word to describe the culture at Young Folks, what would it be, and why?
Experimental. We’re out-of-the-box thinkers and no idea is a silly one. We learn by doing and experimenting with ideas from everyone in the team.
Describe a mentor or role model who has had a significant impact on your career and why they inspire you.
I would have to say our founder, Erin. I was lucky enough to cross paths with her 10 years ago when we were both external consultants for the same client. The things I have learnt from her over the years have been game-changing for my career, and steered me in a direction I don’t think I would have travelled otherwise. While we have different strengths, we always find huge value in working on projects together and bringing in unique perspectives to make our work level up.
If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self when starting out in your career, what would it be?
Don’t sleep through your web development lectures and tutoring, because coding will come in handy (for the record, I did, in fact, sleep through most of these classes, and only picked up the basics. Sigh.)
How do you approach building and nurturing client relationships to ensure long-term satisfaction and loyalty?
I find listening to the client’s unique requirements, and asking specific questions that find their real goal is the key to success. When the client’s needs are heard right from the beginning, it builds an open relationship that makes work more efficient for us both.
How do you balance the sometimes-conflicting priorities of multiple clients or projects?
I’m always in a constant state of triage. Needs change, timelines change, clients change their minds, team members get roadblocked mid-task. It’s my job to make sure everything is running as smoothly as possible, so my to-do list is ever-changing to predict and fix issues when they come up.
If you were to create a slogan for your life, what would it be?
Deviations from your plan are okay (and welcome).
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone just starting out in the creative industry?
Get your foot in the door. It doesn’t matter how or what it takes, the experience you gain from working with a team cannot be found anywhere else. Do the internship, take the junior role — future you will thank you for the hands-on experience.
You can connect with Katie on LinkedIn.
