Julia Crossman has held the role of Head of Communications at Visions Design – the Lymm-based web design and branding agency – since 2020.
She has extensive digital experience in customer experience-focused roles, having previously been Head Of Customer Experience at Results Through Digital, and an Account Manager at Appitized. At Visions Design, she supports projects to ensure the best experience and communications for clients.
Visions Design produces bespoke web solutions for a range of businesses, with services including branding, digital marketing and video. It has worked with brands like Bright Futures, Quantum 360 and Global Air Charters.
We found out the lessons she’s learnt.
Which single daily habit or practice could you not do without?
A cup of tea in the morning starts my day off right.
What’s been your luckiest break?
I’d probably say being made redundant a few years back. I was coasting a bit in my role and I’m not sure I could fully see it.
Redundancy gave me a bit of time to reflect and understand what I really wanted out of my career, and I also took a bit of time deciding on the role and company I actually wanted to join rather than panicking that I didn’t have a job.
What’s your best failure?
Not finishing college – I don’t think sitting down and taking exams is really for me and that’s OK, there’s more than one way to skin a cat. I’m a very big believer in having actual working experience rather than a theoretical understanding – obviously role-dependent!
What is the best investment you’ve ever made, either financial or time?
Investing time in people, whether that’s personal or professional. Spending time with my family is of course my number one, and taking some time recently to spend with our daughter has really changed my outlook on life!
Plus, investing time in our colleagues and team, getting to know them as people and what makes them tick – not only that but what they’re looking for in their futures and how we can help them get there.
Which book would you recommend others to read and why?
‘Who Moved My Cheese?’ by Dr Spencer Johnson. I read this when I was quite young; it was given to me by a pretty clever guy and I like to think you can adapt its lessons to most things in life!
What one piece of advice would you give your 21-year-old self?
Dive head-first into challenges and opportunities in front of you. Even if they don’t work out, who cares?
Who or what has had the single biggest influence on your working life?
My family. I used to be quite a workaholic, I’d work long hours for little reward, but nowadays I’m quite happy to turn off the Mac and watch some crap on TV or go for a walk with the dog.
Tell us something about you that would surprise people.
I think I’m a relatively open book but I do love the MCU. We have a bit of a geek-off in the office around all things Marvel.
How will the COVID crisis change work for the better?
The flexibility of companies to their employees now is so much better. I think we’ve come to understand that people actually have lives and sometimes this can overlap but that isn’t a big deal in the grand scheme of things.
I also see so many innovations and ideas that have come through the pandemic that I don’t think would exist otherwise!
What does success look like to you?
I used to think that success looked like being wealthy but to be honest the older I get, the more I realise that while having money is all well and good, happiness and health is much more important. That sounds like a complete cliché but you won’t look back and wish you’d spent more time at the office.
