Ellie Stone is PR director at Leeds-based digital marketing agency Wolfenden.
How did you first get into your industry?
I studied Psychology at the University of York and if I’m honest, quite quickly into the course I realised it was going to be a long three years. I had started the degree with all intentions of becoming a Clinical Psychiatrist, but realised I’d struggle to not take people’s problems home with me, I’m a little too emotional and frankly, that wouldn’t have been helpful for anyone.
That said – I’m not a quitter – so I promised myself that I’d complete my degree, but at the same time I needed an outlet for myself, something that I enjoyed to help see me through. I started a personal style blog, building an Instagram following of 30,000 back in the day when it wasn’t seen as “cool”. I worked with a range of brands like Missguided and In the Style when they were in their heyday, and although fast fashion brands now no longer align with my personal style, it’s still fun to look back.
After graduating, I really wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I had built my personal blog to a relatively successful level and although I was beginning to work with brands on paid
partnerships, this wasn’t as lucrative as it would have needed to be to become a full-time job. I applied for a role at an agency – a junior social media, influencer and PR role. Whilst I had no prior experience brand-side, I had experience building my own personal brand, social media following and on-site blog, so felt confident that I could bring something to the role, even if it wasn’t exactly what the agency was looking for.
Thankfully – the interview went well, and I walked out with the job there and then! That agency was Visibilis – now Wolfenden, and nine years later I’m still here, albeit a very
different person and with a very different role to the one I started out as all those years ago.
What do you love about your job?
Despite claiming I didn’t want to directly use my degree within my career, ironically the parts of my job that I love the most use exactly that. I’m a real people person and a strong
communicator – I take great enjoyment in supporting others in their own personal success, creating a team environment where everyone can thrive and be their very best selves.
How my team feel at work really matters to me, I want them to be happy – so being in a position that can directly influence this is something I really relish. In turn, I get to work with a seriously talented bunch, who are also just generally really great humans. Most of the team are now younger than me (which is crazy given there was once a time I was the youngest – oh how life catches up with you!) and they keep me current with their approach to both life and work, its super refreshing and I’m always learning. Having been here just shy of a decade, I’ve also absolutely loved being part of the evolution of the agency. We’ve grown so much, not just in size but also in our strengths as a team, our offering is something we’re all really proud of. Being on the board means I’ve had the chance to be involved in what the future of the agency looks like, which is a really enjoyable element of my role.
Who – or what – has inspired you in your career?
Growing up, my parents consistently supported my ambitions; they’ve always encouraged me and my two brothers to reach our full potential, whatever we decide to do – if a job’s
worth doing, it’s worth doing right.
Younger Ellie absolutely loved Ugly Betty, The Devil Wears Prada and more recently The Bold Type – if you’re unfamiliar with these shows they all centre around life working at a
fashion magazine. Whilst I didn’t end up in journalism, working on the other side of the coin has been really fulfilling.
What are the biggest challenges about your job?
So much of what we do in Digital PR has an end result which is outside of our control. We’ve got some seriously robust processes in place to mitigate this as best as possible, but
ultimately results come down to the decisions of someone else.
Outside of Digital PR, part of my role involves supporting the wellbeing of our wider agency team. It can be tricky to strike the right balance at times, being able to prioritise the things that matter most to the agency as a whole but also supporting individual demands and preferences. I’m learning as I go with this one.
What skills have been the most crucial to you succeeding in your career so far?
Working in PR, organisation skills are an absolute necessity. I’m a big fan of a spreadsheet, colour coding and time blocking – without this I don’t know how I’d keep up.
Moving into a management role – communication became by far my most important skill. But honestly, as I’ve transitioned into leadership, I think having empathy has been pivotal.
Prioritising empathy has really helped me to connect with my team and beyond. I believe we have a team where everyone feels valued, trusted and connected, at least in part, because of this.
What was your first salary and what could someone getting into the industry expect to earn nowadays?
Entry level salaries back in 2016 were not hugely competitive – but we all have to start somewhere!
It’s important to feel like you’re being paid your worth, but I’d also say its key to remember that career growth doesn’t always have to be straight up the ladder. Growing your skillset within your role and growing out widthways will set you in good stead for future progression. It’s cheesy to say but it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
What education or training would be most useful for someone looking to follow your career path?
For me being a good PR starts with strong writing skills. At the risk of generalisation, a lot of PR’s love to read, and I too believe that reading can have a big impact on the quality of your copywriting. It’s our job to tell the story in a way that’s going to resonate with journalists, and consumers after all,
What advice would you have for someone looking to follow your path?
Be kind and generous with your time. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to progress too quickly. Take the opportunity to learn from everyone around you – there’s so much we can all learn from each other’s experiences, no matter what stage we’re at in our careers.
