Ha! I suppose it is the elephant in the room! Honestly it feels completely normal, I’m lucky that Dad and I have a great relationship. It could have been weird, but we made a point of keeping my identity as ‘Kate’ separate to ‘Pete’s daughter,’ and I think that has really helped. But just like any new hire, I had to come in and ‘meet the team’ (which was funny when I knew everyone anyway!) and give the team the chance to get to know me as an individual. It is a massive credit to the team that they have been so warm and accepting of me and have treated me as Kate, not Pete’s daughter. Although, I did say from the get-go that I would still call him Dad, because it would be so weird if I started addressing him by his first name!

I was 22 when I started at Jacksons, and was very lost as to where my career was going. As a young girl I always wanted to be a teacher, and before starting at Jacksons I was getting my degree in primary education whilst working full time as a teaching assistant in a primary school. I adored my job and working with the children, but unfortunately there were some tricky circumstances that led to me leaving the world of education. 

So, then I was truly lost! This thing I had wanted to do since I was probably 6 years old was no longer happening. I started working in a restaurant to keep money coming in, and then I started my business as a personal stylist and colour consultant. 

One thing I loved about building this business was the marketing. I loved making content to put my name and face out there, and I loved attending public speaking events so that I could shout about the work I was doing. I found a lot of enjoyment in editing videos, tracking what content was working and what wasn’t... you can probably see where this is going.

I stopped working at the restaurant but I still wasn’t earning enough as a stylist to live off that income. So, I started looking around various marketing jobs, a career I hadn’t thought of exploring before. I had a few job offers but none were really feeling right... enter my dad.

Around August/September last year, I went to the office to speak to Dad after I had been offered a job and wanted to pick his brains. And to put it simply, he was being so weird! He was being slightly shifty when offering his opinion and it turns out he had been thinking about offering me a job. 

I had no idea he was thinking this. He explained that he needed someone to bridge the gap between MeaningfulMoney and Jacksons and that given that I had grown up with both and had the beginnings of a talent for marketing and content creation, he thought I could be that person. 

Suddenly I could see a career open up in front of me! So, I came in, ‘met’ the team, had lots of chats with Sharon to work out what my job role would look like and then by October I was in – I haven’t looked back since!

I knew how fantastic the team were, after all, I had heard Dad talk about them every day around the dinner table! I knew how supportive Sharon and Dad were and I could see myself growing in a supportive environment; it was the easiest yes I’ve ever said to a job!

I have always loved to read and write, and working with children really helped develop my ability to communicate, which proves useful when I am shouting about how fantastic the team are. Jacksons is a fast paced environment, and being able to shift my plans for the day quickly has been an invaluable skill!

In terms of what I have learned about myself as an individual, I have learned that my ideas are valuable and that I should be confident in expressing them. I had previous workplaces that would have a ‘shush you’re practically a child’ mentality, whereas Jacksons has supported and nurtured me to the point of being confident in own ideas and sharing them.

Well, when I first started I didn’t really have a job description! But after eight months, I have really settled in to what the job is. On the Jacksons side, my role is focused on shouting about the team. Whether it is creating a social media that reflects who we are, applying for awards, or leading marketing campaigns that show who we are to the industry, everything I do is to highlight the amazing work we do here.

For the MeaningfulMoney side, I am part of the editing and production team for podcasts, and I have been creating a social media presence for the business too.

Now that I have settled into the role, my big project is working out how Jacksons and MeaningfulMoney come together. Working with Dad and Sharon, I have lots of ideas... watch this space!

Massively so. As a child, I just thought my dad ‘helped rich people stay rich.’ As I got older, I realised it was more nuanced and instead thought that Jacksons helped people look after their money.

It was only once I joined the team and have been sat in the office hearing meetings, calls and conversations that I realised it isn’t about the money at all. Instead, it is all about the client themselves, their dreams, goals and fears and that the money is how to help them achieve want they want and alleviate their fears. I have loved seeing just how wrong I was and learning how much every single member of the team cares about our clients.

Callie Bear is my gorgeous working cocker spaniel, and she is the best thing on the planet. 

I have always loved dogs and always knew I wanted one of my own. I remember it was a slightly tricky time for me personally, and I floated the idea of me getting my own dog to Mum and Dad – fully expecting some push back given I was 21  years old and still lived under their roof! But, two days later they sat me down and said they thought having a dog would be really good for me, and low and behold I got my Callie girl.

She is the most affectionate dog, with bundles of energy and the best personality. She is my shadow, she follows me everywhere – unless someone else has food, in which case I am nothing to her! She loves everyone and everything, just give her a tummy tickle and you’ll be her best friend. 

She puts a smile on the face of everyone who meets her, and she brings me joy every day.

Oh that is a hard question! My main goal is to make the entire industry aware of what we do, but more importantly how fantastic our team is. I have had the joy of entering several of the team for awards (more to come!) and I love seeing how surprised and excited they get when they find out their hard work is being recognised. So, I hope that I can show the team how brilliant they are, and get them the recognition they deserve.