I’m a writer and management consultant with a background in broadcast journalism. In 2008, I picked up an award for running Technical Change, a ground-breaking mentoring programme for Women in Film & Television. My latest project is Monkeys with Typewriters: Myths & Realities of Social Media at Work, a book for Triarchy Press on the impact of web 2.0 technologies on business.
Previously…
Back in the last century, I was a television producer, working for the likes of ITV, Sky TV, Discovery, Planet 24 and MTV.
I was deputy editor on Trisha (ITV1), a senior producer on Vanessa (ITV) and an intake producer for Sky News. My work enabled me to pin some great places on Trip Advisor, including Cold Lake, Canada (Top Guns, ITV) and Barcelona, Spain (Olympic Triplecast, NBC). I picked up near-fluent Spanish (but don’t press me on my Catalan).
Outside of work, I was doing a bit of writing, and working as a party promoter in London with five friends (our sound system, ICS, is resting now, but the closing party after five years was Critics Choice and had a great write-up in Time Out).
In 2000 I escaped a season on Jerry Springer to study for an MBA in e-business at Cass Business School.
Dotcom baby
At Cass, I was lucky enough to get a distinction for my dissertation on interactive media AND meet the fabulous Alison Linskey, who agreed to do a start-up with me. Our obsessive conversations about the future of film and broadcasting are what kicked the whole thing off.
After a few months of mucking around and procrastination, in March 2002, we set up iKnowHow® to provide consultancy and training in digital media to film & TV production companies.
Six years down the line, the scope has matured and broadened a bit.
Through iKnowHow®, I’ve interviewed popstars for BT (BT/Music Industry Soccer Six), spoken about new media in places as diverse as Auckland (Women in Film & TV International Summit), Penzance (Cornwall Film) and Glasgow (Urban Learning Space), and negotiated work for tech-savvy women on the sets of The Golden Compass and The Edge of Love (for Women in Film & TV).
In 2004, I was selected by UK Trade & Industry to travel to New Zealand as part of a 15-strong delegation of women from the film, TV and new media sectors. Our task was to report back on New Zealand’s nascent production industry (flying high after nine Oscars for Lord of The Rings) and build contacts.
On the way out, I got interviewed by Media Guardian.
iKnowHow® now
Today iKnowHow® focuses on consultancy, with a particular interest in projects which drive innovation and entrepreneurship in the creative sector. My real love is how internal and external communications can be revolutionised through social media.
To compliment this stuff, I co-founded the Cass Creatives network in 2003. I’m also a founder member of The Hospital and a Fellow of the RSA. In July 2009 I was elected to the RSA’s brand new Fellowship Council.
I’ve lectured on creative entrepreneurship and leadership at Kings College London and Cass Business School. A couple of my students persuaded me to start up the Wikipedia entry on creative entrepreneurship. Please feel free to read and edit!
To get more of a feel for what iKnowHow® does, please see the Clients page.
Postscript
A couple of years ago, Alison decided she’d rather not live a consultant’s lifestyle, and went back to do great things in personal finance (at Abbey).
That’s okay. We’re still friends. Our daughters were born within weeks of each other and, when we can, we all get to meet for tea and cake.
