Sarah Dear is the CEO and co-founder of Born Ugly, a Leeds-based creative agency.
With over 30 years of experience in the industry, Dear has worked to transform brands both in the UK and internationally. You name it, she’s probably been involved in it – from developing retailer own brand strategies internationally, to breathing new life into long established brands and creating disruptive challenger brands from scratch.
From lucky breaks to failures, she shares some of the lessons she’s learnt across her life and career so far…
Which single daily habit or practice could you not do without?
I couldn’t live without my daily walks with my dog. I think at this point, my team are bit sick of me coming into the studio and suggesting ideas that I had on that morning’s walk. I find that time when you’re not really thinking about anything but your brain’s whirring away in the background to be so valuable when it comes to problem-solving.
What’s been your luckiest break?
I started my career off in production, doing anything from writing print quotes to filing job bags. I was very lucky that my boss at the time took me under his wing to show me how to think about things differently. He nurtured my strategic thinking and taught me how to tell the story of the work we do really effectively; two skills I still use to this day.
What’s your best failure?
Throwing in my law degree to do French instead (sorry, dad). I’d always been primed by my dad to follow in my family’s footsteps and be either a doctor or a lawyer.
For a while, I thought I could have continued with my law degree even though it was quickly becoming apparent that I was not going to love being a lawyer and it didn’t suit my skills. But rather than just trucking along with it, I decided to take my destiny into my own hands.
What is the best investment you’ve ever made, either financial or time?
Without a doubt, the time I spent playing with my children when they were little. They grow up so quickly, and you have to make the most of every bit of time you have with them.
Which podcast or book would you recommend others to read/listen to, and why?
You probably want me to recommend a business or non-fiction book, but I’m afraid I’m a big fiction fan. I love stories that take me off to new worlds and strange lands – essentially mind travel. One of my favourites is the Gormenghast trilogy by Mervyn Peake (the books).
What one piece of advice would you give your 21-year-old self?
You can and will achieve more than certainly you, and probably more than anyone else, thinks you are capable of. So stop worrying and just get on with it.
Who or what has had the single biggest influence on your working life?
As much as I don’t want to inflate his ego (!) it would probably be Jonathan Sands OBE, Chairman of the Third Pig Company. He gave me my first permanent job back in 1991 and I then worked with him for over 30 years.
I learnt so much from him about life and business. Jonathan was always the one that pushed me to do the uncomfortable things that made me grow so much. Whether it was presenting on stage or speaking up in meetings, he encouraged me to get out of my comfort zone. And ultimately, I think we all need people like Jonathan to push us out of our often self-imposed limitations to become our best.
Tell us something about you that would surprise people.
I’m obsessed with learning languages because how we communicate with one another fascinates me. I speak French fluently but I’m also currently learning German, Spanish, Italian and Russian.
On a slightly more unusual note, I also used to have 40 guinea pigs…
If there was one thing you could change about your career, what would it be and why?
When I was younger, my Ugly Truth was that I was painfully shy and had very little confidence. I think if I’d had more self-belief I could have got to where I wanted to a lot quicker. As a woman, without a huge amount of self-confidence, I often sat there hoping people would notice me and my talents, rather than pushing myself forward. Don’t wait around. Life’s too short.
What does success look like to you?
That Born Ugly continues to grow into an ever more successful business that makes a positive difference to the world, through its brand defining work that we can all be proud of. I don’t just want that for myself. I want it for the amazing team who have been with us over the years through the good and the tougher times.
