face2faceHR, talks face2face with Jackie Marston
So, Kathryn, five years in business what has been the hardest obstacle you’ve had to overcome, during this time and how did you overcome it?
There have been a couple of things – learning to ask for help, and relocating my business in 2022.
When I started out, I tried to do everything myself – I was worried that admitting I didn’t know how to do something would make me less credible. However, as my business grew, I soon realised I just couldn’t do everything, and that there were people out there who were far better qualified and much more efficient at handling things like accounting and Marketing. One of the best pieces of advice I’ve received is to delegate imperfectly.
When I relocated my business to Newcastle in 2022, I think I forgot some of the lessons learned during the launch in 2018 – I had an existing client base, so I didn’t put as much effort into visibility in Newcastle as I had done in my early days in Nottingham, and it wasn’t long before that started to show in my lead pipeline. Over the last 12 months, I’ve invested significantly in raising the profile of the business locally by attending networking events, exhibiting, contributing to local publications and maintaining a consistent social media presence. I think it’s really important to be your own cheerleader – no one is going to knock on my front door asking for HR support!
What made you start your own business?
After I had my little boy in 2018, I thought carefully about what I wanted from work. I was no less ambitious than I had been before, but I knew I didn’t want to screech into the nursery car park at 17:55 every night or have to apologise for attending his school events – so the best way to have more control over my time was to be my own boss. It was never about working less, it was about choosing when to work, although how does the saying go – running your own business means you get flexibility about which 24 hours a day you work??
From a professional point of view, my experience as Head of HR for a start-up in Dubai gave me insight into working in a high-growth business environment, and making HR decisions which were commercially viable, ethical and showed empathy for our team. I wanted to use this knowledge to help small businesses in my home town get better results for them and their people. Plus, I’m nosy and I like knowing all the secrets…
You have a loyal client base, who constantly sing the praises of your company, what differentiates you from other HR companies?
I think it’s the balance of commerciality and compassion. HR has a reputation for being all about compliance and box-ticking, and some of the bigger HR outsourcing firms out there still follow that traditional “personnel” approach. I prefer to advise my clients based on my understanding of their business and their team and to help them reach outcomes which (as far as possible) work for both parties.
HR isn’t rocket science – it’s mostly about communication and common sense. I can throw legislative references and jargon around with the best of them, but I’d rather avoid that and focus on helping my clients get better people results. A happy team equals happy customers which equals a more successful, profitable business. Who doesn’t want that?
I know you’re currently doing podcasts, who is your dream podcaster, who you’d like to appear alongside?
Oooh, great question! I’d love to have a chat with Brené Brown on Unlocking Us or, closer to home, Sarah Pittendreigh’s Formidable Over Forty.
We’re just heading into Christmas, so what plans does face2faceHR have for 2024?
2024 for me is all about being a better business owner, and getting the right structures in place so I can continue to grow. I’ve been loving the NatWest Accelerator programme, and that prompted me to work with a business coach to get a proper business plan in place and to appoint an advisory board to keep me on track. Making the jump from owner-manager to director is a big mindset shift, but I’m getting there!
What single piece of advice would you give to business owners in regards to hiring an HR professional?
Find someone you click with and who shares your values. Getting the right HR advice hinges on being open about how your business runs, your relationships with your team, your people management capability and your attitude to risk, so you need an HR contact who you trust, and who makes you feel reassured and supported.
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