I chose the Year in Enterprise because I felt like everything I’d done so far had led up to that. My dad set up his own business and encouraged me to consider entrepreneurship, as it teaches you a lot about not only business but also yourself. I'd done some foundational work, market research, and planning in my first year and was ready to take the plunge by my Year in Enterprise. I pitched the idea to Amanda Berry, who leads the Student and Graduate Enterprise within the Business School and is incredible at offering support to enterprise students.
Working with my long-time friend and co-founder, I decided to develop a social media marketing business, Kestrel Collab Media. We had a tough start to the Year in Enterprise and even though we didn't see any income for six months, we powered through, it was the best decision I've ever made. We eventually secured an agreement with a swim school business to collaborate and build their social media marketing. From there, we grew dramatically through word of mouth between business owners and saw the company take off.
I believe our success has stemmed from our ability to develop relationships and deliver on our promises. Being agile, dynamic and client-oriented has been crucial. We consistently executed on tight deadlines for our clients, building trust and long-term partnerships.
A standout moment for the company was in November 2024, when I was invited to give an hour-and-a-half pitch to expand our business with our first clients. It was nerve-wracking, but after just five minutes of consultation, they called me back into the room to congratulate the delivery of the presentation and enrol onto the expansion package. It was fantastic to hear them complimenting our presentation and marketing plan and represented a real high point for me.