I’m a Londoner, born and bred, but with a passion for languages, travel, and food that saw me living in France and Spain for a time in my younger years.
Studying languages helped me get my first Marketing job (at L’Oréal) and in the last 20 years I’ve been fortunate to head up marketing for some fantastic brands across Luxury, Retail, Property, Place-making, Hospitality and Early YearsI’m now owner of my own Marketing Consultancy, called AF&Co.
These days, alongside work, I’m firmly immersed in suburban family life with my Irish husband and the sweetest (yet increasingly streetwise!) 7-year-old marketer in the making… Our son is always asking about my work and seems genuinely intrigued…. Proud moment recently when I heard him explain to a friend ‘Nike can charge more for their trainers as they are a ‘strong brand’
Like so many of us MiMs I have little time for hobbies but dabble in creative writing (one day I’ll finally write that novel!) and try not to entirely lose my piano skills (I haven’t picked up my oboe in 25 years!).
We don’t have pets – as much as both the boys in my house would love a Leonberger – as I barely have time for the three of us and my Mum, who I also care for (from a 100-mile distance!).
This is actually my second foray into the freelance world, albeit somewhat unintentionally at the start! I first started in consultancy 10 years ago, weary from travelling between Asia and the States in the name of platinum jewellery. I always enjoyed the variety consulting brings but quickly fell back in-house when we needed to get a mortgage (my hubby is also self-employed) and I was offered some Marketing Director / CMO roles that were just too good to turn down.
My return to consulting came just over 18 months ago. After two years helping to steer a business straddling hospitality and Early Years through Covid while juggling home-school and being a fully paid-up member of the ‘Sandwich Generation’, I decided to take ‘a few months’ break’. Best laid plans! Within a couple of weeks, a friend and ex-boss recommended me to a couple of start-up businesses needing help with their marketing strategy and that quickly snowballed into three long-term clients and several adhoc projects! It’s been a wonderful year and half thanks to the kind support of past colleagues and new clients.
I get to work with lovely clients like Maggie Bolger, another amazing Mum who happens to be Founder & CEO at b_together:
Anna is an amazing marketing consultant! She’s been awesome to work with, and her industry knowledge and clear direction have helped us move way faster than we thought possible. She has always gone above and beyond.
I really appreciate how honest and straight up she is when it comes to industry trends and insights. Plus, her written skills are off the charts, and her presentation decks have been seriously impressive.
All in all, Anna’s been a crucial part of our project’s success, and I’d recommend her to anyone looking for a consultant who knows their stuff and is a joy to work with. Thanks, Anna, for all you do!
The Brave question really made me think!
I’m not the ‘jump out of a plane’ or ‘shave my head for charity’ type of brave. But I’ve certainly had to be brave at many stages in my life: from battling with chronic illness during my teenage years to taking the plunge and starting a new life in another country in my late 20s. These days my bravery mainly lies in managing the juggle so many of us face: trying to balance the needs of our little humans, those of our ageing (and in my case chronically unwell) parents, and not forgetting our own!
As I am travel in the car a lot, the radio flits between some soothing Classic FM, Capital FM (an attempt to keep up with the kids!) and the all-out classic cheese of Magic FM.
I stumbled across MiMs during my first couple of months back in consultancy. Being a ‘one (wo)man band’ can sometimes feel quite isolating so it was great to find a ‘team’ around me when I needed it. MiMs is a no-pressure space I can dip in and out of when I need moral support, want a sounding board or am looking to source more specific expertise for my clients. Life gets in the way of me joining many of the live calls and workshops but there’s such a rich directory of knowledge on offer and – more than anything – a bunch of amazingly kind, generous women who all seem to genuinely want the best for each other. It was such a buzz to come and meet other MiMs in London last year, and I’ve been lucky to be able to work alongside a couple of MiMs for my clients too.
Finally – come and connect with me here:
