Turning a passion project into a full-time venture has not been easy. Particularly as the digital revolution continues to disrupt the publishing industry. But the skills and experience I've gained over 20 years have meant I'm now a founding editor of one of the UK's leading platforms for the creative industries.
Creative Boom began as a bit of a hobby in 2009 when I freelanced for several clients, providing PR and marketing support. It was my idea of giving back and doing something I loved on the side. But while I was writing about emerging creatives during evenings and weekends, my PR business grew into an agency with staff. And it continued to do very well for the next 13 years.
It wasn't until 2021 that I left as one of the co-founders to dedicate all of my time to Creative Boom. The platform was attracting seven million readers a year and advertisers as big as Huawei, BBC, Adobe, and Squarespace, so it made sense to make the change. My communications agency has since evolved to focus on software and is working with the same clients we won nearly 15 years ago.
Meanwhile, I'm thoroughly enjoying the fresh challenges that being a founding editor of a publishing platform brings. The freedom of being in charge of my own venture, the fast-paced "startup mentality", and the progress we're making across so many fields is both thrilling and rewarding.
