The founder behind the brand is an unashamed fan of the Real Housewives series, Love Island and other forms of very good bad TV.  Technically an empty nester,  however, like a boomerang, my daughter returned after University, and we live together in east London.  I am a spiritual person; my faith and meditation practice are vital to me and help keep me anchored. Before setting up DiVA, I enjoyed a career in the film and TV industries supporting new talent to develop their first feature projects.  I am also a writer working on my first feature film screenplay.  I was born and raised in the Newcastle; a Geordie girl through and through who loves to laugh a lot!

What’s the most common problem your customers approach you with?

Our clients use our services because they are keen to ensure there is a pipeline of new talent coming into their business that reflects the audiences they serve and want their workforce to have the right skills to drive their business forward. We work with our clients to develop an entry-level programme and support the promotion of existing staff. This can include recruitment,  providing training in the areas of Digital Marketing, Content Producing, Business Administration. We also support their ‘accidental managers’ – i.e. those who have been promoted into management but have had no formal training – with the support they need to achieve success.

How do you set yourself apart from other businesses in your industry?

Our work is focussed in the Music, TV and film sectors, and organisations who support them. Our team have all worked and continue to work in these sectors. This focus and experience set us apart from other businesses in our industry who tend to provide a generic service cross-sector.

What inspired you to launch your business, and what is the end goal?

The goal was and is to help creative talent to build careers they love. We are all the CEO of our own lives, and our career is just one of the many departments we manage.  

Despite leaving school with crap results at GCSE and no sense of direction or hope, I did my postgraduate degree at the National Film and Television School (NFTS), the best-reputed film school in Europe. As an NFTS graduate, I had, what I like to call, the fairy dust effect which comes from leaving an educational setting with a good reputation that opens doors for you quickly.  Having experienced what it is like to have had both a lack and excellent education, I wanted to build DiVA into a business that connected talent to well-known entertainment brands that would add weight to their CV, giving those students the same fairy dust effect that would accelerate their career.

Keeping an eye on the numbers in any business is important. How do you ensure that you’re always up to date?

Tracking data is king in any business, not only in terms of understanding who your clients are but also in terms of having an accurate cost of your services. We have an excellent CRM system which underpins all of our activity and set KPIs for each department which links to overall targets for the year/period. The team know what they’re working towards contributes to a bigger picture. We also use Xero, an accounts system that allows us to keep track on our day to day expenses, issue invoices – and chase for payment as well as forecast future income.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt so far as an entrepreneur?

It’s okay not to know everything. Surround yourself with people who know more than you and lean in and learn. If you are the most knowledgeable in your professional circle, you need to expand your reach.

What are your thoughts on failure?

Life is a journey, not an event, so for me, there is no such thing as failure. Instead, there are lessons learned and experience earned, which will serve you well in your next opportunity. Nothing lasts for a lifetime, and approaching life with that perspective helps me enjoy what I have on the way to where I’m going.

As a business owner, do you know when to walk away from a sale?

Yes, and like many business owners, I learned this over time. When you’re starting in business, you are grateful for every sale.  However, as you mature in your journey as an entrepreneur, you come to learn that not every client or opportunity is right for your company. For me that grew out of confidence in the quality of service we provide, owning our values and what we stand for and where we’re headed, making it easier to walk away from clients and opportunities that are misaligned.

Do you have a morning routine or ritual to get your day started on the right foot

Yes, I am intentional about how I start my day. I wake around 5:00-5:30am and spend the first three hours of my day reading the word, in prayer, meditation, journaling, positive declarations, and doing some form of exercise. I have a no emails between 8pm – 9am rule.

Any moments where you thought you’ve bitten off more than you can chew?

I work at my best when I feel like I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. I like being in at the deep end. It stretches me, causes me to be creative, think on my feet, and there’s a sense of achievement at the end of the project. Because of this, I do say ‘no’ a lot more than I say ‘yes’ to prevent the feeling of being overwhelmed.  You need to be honest with how you work and create boundaries to avoid burn out.

How important is company culture, and what is your top tip to get it right?

The people in your business are arguably more important than the clients you serve, and people are multi-dimensional beings with hopes and fears. Creating a culture with a sense of community, where staff can be authentic, know their voices will be heard and can grow beyond their day-to-day tasks, will increase productivity, staff retention and ultimately the bottom line. For employees to feel like they can be themselves, there must be a framework of honesty, flexibility, encouragement from the top down. This can come through clear and consistent communication, transparency and vulnerability displayed by leaders, a diversity represented at all levels of the business, a focus on outcomes as opposed to having your team working from a fixed desk in an office between set hours.