Stephanie Brown
Founder, Creative Career Lab
London, UK
My Role
I am the Founder of the Creative Career Lab, an online space where I work with people in Marketing and the wider Creative and Tech industries to accelerate their career, through coaching, online programmes, networking and content.
What I love most about my role
It honestly brings me so much joy to see people succeed in their careers and achieve things that did not seem possible to them when we met. I look back at my own career and know that - like so many things in life - I would not have achieved the success I have had if I didn't have the help of others. It is my belief you will always achieve more with a 'team' around you, than you ever will on your own. And with this in mind it really drives me in the work I do. Most of the time, it never really feels like work to me.
How I define success
I think it changes depending on the age and stage you are at. As I've got older - and lost friends along the way - success for me is as simple as waking up each day with food on the table, a roof over my head and people around me that I love and love me back. Honestly, I realise now that this is not something everyone has and I feel grateful for it. On a career level, success is freedom in my work. Real time and financial freedom. Being able to walk on the beach at lunchtime on a Tuesday or have a coffee with my retired parents during the week and still have a successful business that I love. That feels like career success to me.
The best piece of business advice I ever received was
'The first rule of business is to stay in business. The second rule is to make money'. My Dad told me this. He was my first business mentor ever since I was 8 and worked for him in our family restaurant. He was always sharing small business knowledge with me. That piece of advice is so important because most people dont realise how hard it is to stay in business. If you burn yourself out and you crash, the business will crash. If you grow too quickly and cashflow is a problem, your business can crash. If you dont look after your health, you could lose your business. So make sure you are doing the things needed to stay in business. Once you got that worked out, then you can worry about making money.
What would I tell my younger self
Not to compare myself to others. I wasted many years thinking I was 'behind'. And honestly it was a waste of time. Firstly, because there is no place we are meant to be at a certain point in time. Everyone's journey is different. But also because I was in a place that many other people would love to have been. Meaning, there will always be someone 'ahead' of you and someone 'behind' you. If you are constantly comparing, you'll waste time and energy because you'll always be chasing someone. It will never end. Learn to be happy with where you are and excited about the journey you are on.
What 2B Bolder mean to me
For me, 2B Bolder means to do things that scare you, push you out of your comfort zone. Being bold and being brave go hand in hand for me. So many times in my life Ive been afraid to do something, even though there was a gut feeling that it was the right thing to do. Ive then followed my gut - despite the fear - and the outcome was wonderful (in the long run). Its bold to live your life like this. It's brave. But it's served me well over the years.
Years of Experience
20
I recommend you focus on developing these 3 skills to succeed in a role like mine
Marketing
Coaching
Community building