In this 2Inspire profile we meet Ann Wright, a journalist and BBC Producer who is the founder of Rough House Media. RoughHouse Media is a bespoke consultancy which provides specialist media advice and
support to a wide range of clients including global businesses and
entrepreneurs, with a particular specialism in the not-for-profit, charitable
and public sector. The company provides media consultancy, video production and
a range of media and presentation training courses.
1/ Please
tell us what is a typical business day for you?
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One
of the brilliant things about running a company like Rough House Media, which
provides a range of services, is that there really isn’t a typical day. One day I might be scripting, filming or
editing a video or podcast, the next I might be working on a media strategy for
a client and the one after that I might be designing or running a training
course.
And
I still work for the BBC from time to time, which is great. As a producer, I
specialised in major live events, so I’m called in for programmes such as the
Festival of Remembrance, Royal Wedding and the Diamond Jubilee.
Fitted
around working ‘in’ the business, as they say, is working ‘on’ the business –
writing our blog, joining social media conversations, networking, sales and
marketing plus the nitty gritty of accounts and admin.
One
thing about having your own business – there is always something to do!
2/
What made you start the business and how did you get started?
My
(now) husband and I are both BBC producers, and we set Rough House up in 1998
because we wanted to use our experience to help clients, particularly charity
and not-for-profits, make the most of media opportunities.
We
worked around our day jobs, offering a mix of media training courses and video
production – one of our earliest projects was a series of football videos for Southampton
FC.
In
2008 I left the BBC and began working for the company full time, and since
then, we have really expanded and developed our services, so now we offer
podcast production, crisis communications and management, media strategy and
consultancy and presentation skills training as well.
3/ What
would you say has been your greatest accomplishment in the business world to
date?
Particular highlights were winning my first piece
of business after starting to work full-time for the company in 2008, and
really increasing our production work last year, with three films for the
Kennel Club (which have so far had over 120,000 YouTube views) and a series of
in-depth podcasts for the Royal Society of Public Health.
But probably the greatest accomplishment has been
to build a client list we can be proud of – working with organisations like the
Royal Society of Chemistry, the University of St Andrews, the World Energy
Council and the Civil Aviation Authority.
4/ What has been your biggest challenge in
business so far?
Two really - firstly, to transform myself from a TV
producer into a businesswoman, understanding and across all aspects of running
a business.
And secondly, to keep on top of technology; the
world of the media is changing constantly and as a media consultancy we need to
be ahead of the curve so we are able to advise our clients.
5/What are your future plans for the business?
We want to further develop our services, using our
knowledge of the industry to provide more media and public relations support
for clients on a long-term basis, as well as increasing the amount of video and
podcast production we do.
6/If you had to do it all over again, what
would you do differently?
It is true you learn from mistakes, and I have made
a fair few. One key piece of advice I
would give is to be smart about networking. Networking is an excellent way of
gaining contacts and business, but you have to network where your most valuable
clients are.
7/ Why is it so important to inspire young women in
particular to follow their dreams?
At school I went to, the girls generally were
advised to work in a bank or become a hairdresser. At my university, graduates
were advised to go into retail management, accountancy or the civil service. I
did none of those and have had a varied, satisfying and interesting career. You
don’t have to do what everyone tells you to, if you are determined enough, you
achieve whatever you wish.
8/ What advice would you give to somebody who wants
to start a business in your industry?
PR and media consultancy is a very crowded market,
so identify your specialism and niche so you have a ‘unique selling point’ that
marks you out from your competitors.
9/What or who inspires you in business and why?
I’m
inspired by women who are able to build and grow their businesses but still
remain true to themselves and their vision.
10/What
is your favourite inspirational quote?
I’m
torn between Bill Gates:
"If I was down to my last
dollar, I'd spend it on public relations."
And
Nelson Mandela:
“Whatever your life's work is, do
it well.”
Website: www.roughhouse.co.uk
Twitter:
@roughhouse01
Tel: 020 8332
6200
Email:
info@roughhouse.co.uk
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