This extract was published in Prolific North in 2024.
By Rachael Hesno
With 24 years of experience in PR, influencer marketing and social media advertising, Clark previously worked as an in-house brand manager at Red Bull and PR director at Savills.
Over her career, she has helped Red Bull become a billion pound brand, launched David Beckham’s first ever clothing range with M&S and even presented her own ecommerce brand in the Dragons’ Den.
Beyond her 9-to-5, she shares all the lessons she’s learnt so far across her life and career…
Which single daily habit or practice could you not do without?
Taking a moment first and last thing to say thank you. Also yoga keeps me sane through life’s challenges. It’s the most effective mind coaching practice I’ve come across.
What’s been your luckiest break?
I got headhunted for my job at Red Bull. I don’t think it was luck as I’d been performing well within an award-winning PR consultancy in London. I think you make your own luck and sometimes opportunities come along that you either take or you don’t.
What’s your best failure?
I love this question! My best failure was my own sustainable ecommerce brand, which I like to call my mini MBA because I learnt so much over the three years of working on it. It was a plastic free beauty brand that was listed in Selfridges, won awards, appeared in Vogue and I even presented to the Dragons on the BBC’s Dragons’ Den. Peter Jones said my figures were good, so I’ll take that.
What is the best investment you’ve ever made, either financial or time?
The time I’ve spent on podcasts in the last five years has been a massive investment, but there’s not much I couldn’t tell you now about self development and leadership.
Which podcast or book would you recommend others to read and why?
If you’re interested in how fame works – which being in PR I am – Smartless is a fun podcast set up by three friends in Covid. It’s three comedians / actors, they interview famous friends and have fun with it. It got so big they sold it to Amazon for millions. Good for them.
What one piece of advice would you give your 21-year-old self?
Enjoy. It. All.
Who or what has had the single biggest influence on your working life?
I won the lottery with my parents and my husband, who all inspire my work in different ways. My dad was a farmer / entrepreneur and had me driving tractors on the farm when I was 16. Mum ran a clothes shop that sold gold hot pants and wrangler jeans in the seventies! Running their own businesses and having fun in the face of it all is utterly inspirational. My husband’s work ethic and sense of fun always inspires me.
Tell us something about you that would surprise people.
I was in a band called the Virgin Slayers. Sounds horrendous but it was actually pretty tame, we sang Blondie, Pulp and Amy Winehouse covers at charity gigs.
If there was one thing you could change about your career, what would it be and why?
If there was one thing I would change, it would be to fail faster! As soon as I started being open about failing, learning and sharing, that’s when things became much easier.
I think brands can learn a lot from creators’ ability to fail fast and share their learnings with their audiences. Having done my own ecommerce brand and grown an Instagram community, I made all the mistakes, learnt from them and now I can share influencer, PR and social media growth learnings with my clients.
What does success look like to you?
Being the best you can be, enjoying the moment, being kind.
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