💼 Career & Work
What’s been your biggest ‘pinch me’ moment in your career so far?
- One of my biggest “pinch me” moments was compiling an award entry document on behalf of a company I worked for and seeing it shortlisted as a finalist for the Bookmark Awards.
- Another has been seeing work I’ve been part of genuinely make an impact on people, especially watching people I’ve trained and mentored go on to do wonderful things. That moment of seeing creativity connect with an audience never really gets old.
What made you want to work in the advertising, creative or education sector?
- I wanted to do something completely different from what was expected of me growing up. My grandmother always hoped I’d become a pilot, engineer, or doctor because I was good at science and maths, but that never really felt like me. At one point, I realised I was trying to fulfil her wishes while ignoring what I actually enjoyed, and that didn’t feel right.
- When I discovered Advertising and Digital Marketing, I naturally gravitated towards it. The more I learned, the more I realised how much there is to learn – it’s constantly evolving, which keeps things interesting and pushes you to keep growing.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received (or like to give)?
- A piece of advice that’s always stuck with me is: “Stay curious.” You don’t need to know everything, but being open, asking questions, and being willing to learn will take you a long way. It’s probably also the advice I’d give to others.
If you could swap roles with someone at Hunterlodge for a day, who would it be and why?
- I’d swap roles with Kim McLellan, Managing Director, for the day – partly to see how he keeps everything moving so smoothly behind the scenes, and partly to get a front-row seat to how new business opportunities actually come to life. I’d love to understand how he balances big-picture thinking with day-to-day decisions, especially around marketing focus areas and where the agency is heading next.
- I understand that it takes decades of hard work, trust, and relationship-building to get to his position – and I imagine there’s a lot more going on than meets the eye, and I’d be curious to see if I could keep up – or at least not break anything before lunchtime, hahahaha.
🌍 Personality & Preferences
What three words would your friends use to describe you?
- Loyal, thoughtful, and grounded.
What’s something on your bucket list you haven’t done yet?
- A big one for me is doing a proper travel adventure – somewhere completely different culturally, where I can really switch off, explore, and take in new experiences.
Are you more of a sunrise or sunset person – and why?
- Sunset, definitely. There’s a scripture that has always stuck with me: “Benjamin shall raven as a wolf: in the morning he will devour the prey, and in the evening,, he will divide the spoils.”
- For me, that speaks to putting in the work early – learning, growing, and pushing myself – so that later I can enjoy the results and provide for my family. Sunset feels like that moment to reflect on what’s been achieved and appreciate it.
If you had to delete all but three apps from your phone, which would you keep?
- WhatsApp, Spotify, and Google Maps – that covers staying in touch, good music, and not getting lost.
⚡ Quickfire: This or That
☕ Coffee or tea? Coffee.
📚 Books or podcasts? Podcasts.
🐈 Cats or dogs? Dogs.
⛰️ City break or countryside escape? Countryside.
⏰ Early bird or night owl? Early Bird.
🍿 Sweet or savoury? Savoury
If you’re interested in a career in advertising, then get in touch: nick.friend@hunterlodge.co.uk