Trailblazers and leaders: Michael Bartley
Michael Bartley | Practice Director | Brands2Life
How did you get into marketing/comms?
Far from the conventional route I got into comms after an 11-year career in asset management. Following the end of that role, I was keen to pursue a career in a field I felt passionate about, Public Relations. As you can imagine, it was a difficult industry to get into for a 33-year-old with no previous, relevant experience. After six months I finally got an opportunity at a boutique agency in Fulham – it was effectively an intern position, but I was fuelled by will, determination and an indomitable spirit to succeed. Fast forward 10 years and I’m working for an award winning, global leader in technology and digital.
What is something that you do every day without fail?
I often bore my colleagues with motivational quotes when I’m in the office. It’s primarily because I have a daily routine of listening to motivational podcasts on the train into work. Positive affirmations are almost like a shield against the inevitable challenges you’ll come up against on a daily basis, be that from work or just life in general. I recommend everyone listens to at least 30 minutes of something positive/motivational every day, you’ll be amazed at what it does for you.
What is the best piece of advice that you’ve received? And who gave it to you?
“Work on your communication skills, because when you open your mouth, you tell the world who you are.” This is a classic line from Les Brown, a motivational speaker, and it’s probably the single best piece of advice I’ve received, because it’s simple, yet actionable. In most walks of life your success will come down to how well you interact with others and how much they enjoy being in your presence, the rest can be learned. Perfect how to communicate with people, on their level, and you won’t go far wrong.
What is a tool/hack that you would recommend to anyone starting out in PR/Comms/Marketing?
Two key things spring to mind, firstly find a mentor to help you through the early months and years of your career. There will be times when you need someone to lean on and take advice from, I have been lucky enough to have had fantastic mentors to help me navigate my career so far. Secondly, be an inquisitive, absorber of information – I used to say “read, read and read some more” but there are so many different ways people now consume information, so find the one that works best for you – be that books, podcasts, webinars etc. And ensure this information isn’t just in your narrow field of expertise, but also broader general knowledge. I was once told that there is no lonelier place than on the edge of a conversation, so make sure you always have value to bring.
What’s your greatest achievement to date?
At Brands2Life we partner Family Action’s HeadStart programme, which is a youth employability programme that supports disadvantaged young people to develop the skills, experience and confidence needed to secure and stay in employment. Last year we supported over 120 young people by hosting personal brand and career workshops and industry information sessions. The goal is to diversify participation into PR and creative industries and being part of this process is without question the most rewarding work I’ve done since embarking on a comms career.
Is there a particular comms campaign that you’ve seen in your career that you didn’t work on but wish you had?
I’m a cybersecurity guy by trade, so this is out of my wheelhouse, but the Norwich City FC and Samaritans – ‘Check in On Those Around You’ campaign was incredibly hard hitting. The video associated to the campaign went viral and had close to 43 million views in 48 hours, so that tells you just how much impact it had!
In three words, describe your approach to your role/work?
Collaborative, motivational and success-orientated
What’s a question every PR/marketing pro should ask themselves?
“Am I still challenging myself?”
