If you had asked me ten years ago what my career would look like, I can say with complete confidence that marketing would not have been my answer. Not even close. I did not grow up dreaming of campaigns, strategies, or leading a department. In fact, I fell into marketing entirely by accident, which is probably why I feel so strongly about how unpredictable career paths can be.
Because when I look back now, the things that shaped my career were not the obvious milestones. It was not a perfectly planned trajectory or a textbook route into the industry. It was a series of unexpected moments, traits, and decisions that, at the time, did not feel significant at all. But together, they built everything.
Starting Without a Plan
My entry into the working world was not driven by ambition or long-term vision. It was driven by one very simple goal. I wanted enough money to go on holiday to Ibiza with my friends. That was it. So I got a job in office administration, purely as a means to an end.
What changed everything was the Managing Director at that company. He saw something in me that I had not yet recognised in myself and made a conscious decision to help me find a career path. I was moved through different departments, given exposure to different areas of the business, and allowed to figure out what I actually enjoyed. That process led me to marketing, and looking back, it was very much a right place, right time moment that I will never take for granted.
Learning on the Job
I did not follow a traditional route into marketing. There was no degree, no structured entry point, and no clear roadmap. Everything I learned in those early years was through doing, making mistakes, and figuring things out in real time.
It was only later that I pursued professional education to support what I was already doing. That order is important to me because it meant I built confidence through experience first. By the time I gained formal qualifications, I was not starting from scratch. I was reinforcing something I already understood, which made stepping into more senior roles feel far more natural.
Realising My Value
There was a moment, around a year into my career, where things shifted. Senior management was no longer just asking for support with marketing tasks. They were coming to me for ideas around sales, creative direction, and problem-solving across the business.
That was the point where I realised I was not just doing a job, I was adding value. It is a subtle shift, but an important one. When people start to rely on your thinking rather than just your output, it changes how you see yourself. It builds a level of confidence that no job title alone can give you.
The Website That Changed Everything
The single most unexpected factor in my career has been my website. What started as a personal project quickly became one of the most valuable tools I have.
Through building and running my site, I learned about websites, SEO, and content creation in a way that no course could have taught me. More importantly, it gave me confidence. Confidence in my writing, in my ideas, and in my ability to communicate clearly. That translated directly into my professional life, particularly when managing clients and presenting ideas at a senior level.
The Failures That Taught Me the Most
Not every lesson came easily. Some of the most important ones came from getting things wrong, particularly when it came to managing expectations and communication.
There were times where I assumed people understood what I meant, or where I did not set clear enough boundaries around timelines and deliverables. Those situations taught me that clarity is everything. It is not enough to do good work, you need to ensure everyone involved understands what is happening, when, and why. That shift alone made a significant difference in how I operate.
The Traits I Didn’t Realise Were Strengths
For most of my life, I would have described myself as obsessive and stubborn, and not necessarily in a positive way. But in my career, those traits have become some of my biggest strengths.
That level of focus allows me to stay in my lane, to plan effectively, and to see things through to completion. I do not give up easily, and I do not cut corners. Over time, I have learned that the things you might once see as flaws can often be the very things that set you apart, if you learn how to use them properly.
How My OCD Became an Advantage
Living with OCD is not always easy, but in a professional sense, it has helped me more than I ever expected. It allows me to structure my work, manage large volumes of tasks, and maintain a level of organisation that is essential in marketing.
When you are responsible for multiple campaigns, timelines, and moving parts, that ability to plan and stay consistent becomes invaluable. It means I can juggle a lot without things slipping through the cracks. What once felt like something I had to manage carefully has become something I actively lean on.
From Chasing Opportunities to Being Found
In the early days of my blog and freelance work, I was the one reaching out to brands, pitching ideas, and trying to create opportunities for myself. That was a necessary phase, and one that taught me a lot about resilience and persistence.
Then, at a certain point, things shifted. Brands started to recognise my name and approach me directly. That transition was incredibly validating, not just because of the opportunities themselves, but because it showed that the work I had been putting in was being seen and valued externally.
The Truth About Becoming Head of Marketing
When I officially stepped into the role of Head of Marketing, what surprised me most was how unsurprising it felt. I had already been doing the job in many ways, just without the title or the salary to match.
That experience highlighted something I think is quite common. Many people are operating at a level above their job title without realising it. When the promotion finally came, it was not a shock to the system. It was simply recognition of the work I had already been doing for some time.
The Reality Behind the Role
One of the biggest misconceptions about marketing is that it is purely creative. While creativity is a huge part of it, the reality is that a lot of success comes from consistency and discipline.
The job itself, for me, feels natural. But the volume of work, and the need to execute everything accurately from start to finish, is constant. There is no real downtime. The results come from showing up, following processes, and doing the less exciting tasks just as well as the creative ones.
Final Thoughts
If there is one thing I have learned, it is that careers are rarely built in the way you expect them to be. The moments that shape you are often the ones you could not have planned for.
For me, it was a mix of opportunity, persistence, personality, and a willingness to learn as I went. None of it was perfect, and none of it was linear. But it worked. And more importantly, it continues to work.
If you are at the beginning of your career, or feeling unsure about your direction, I hope this reassures you. You do not need to have it all figured out. You just need to keep moving, keep learning, and be open to the unexpected.
