In our latest Activate Allstars interview, we chat with Lori, our Internal Communications Executive and the mastermind behind this series! Lori joined the Marketing team in a dedicated internal communications role back in January after spending the last couple of years at sopp+sopp working in Operations.
Below, Lori shares her experience of moving out of Operations to start a new career within Activate Group, and her tips and advice to those who might want to journey along a similar path…
When did you start at Activate Group and what role were you in?
“I started at sopp+sopp in September 2021 and was originally part of the Admin team when it was managed by Luke Sarro.“
What first attracted you to your initial role within Activate Group?
“I was working in retail and needed something full-time – since moving back home from university I hadn’t been very successful in trying to get a job in the field I studied in, so I changed tack and applied for sopp+sopp to at least earn more money while I figured out what I was going to do with my career.
Sopp+sopp was close to where I lived, the job description sounded like something I’d be good at, and I liked the idea of office hours instead of the unpredictability and unsociability of retail!“
Why did you want to progress within the business?
“I really enjoy writing and being creative, and I felt that my current role in the business wasn’t fulfilling me in this way. I felt a little stuck – I wanted to build a career but didn’t feel like I could do it within the role I had, but also felt that I didn’t want to leave the business.
I wanted to stay at the company because I loved the environment I worked in and the people around me – I think that the culture of the business is really positive, and I enjoyed all the benefits and perks that Activate Group offer.“
What steps did you take to move forward into the role you wanted?
“It really began with a performance review I had with my manager at the time, Clair Goldsmith. I expressed to her my thoughts on what career I wanted, and she was really supportive in allowing me ways that I could cultivate my writing skills whilst still in my admin role.
I took on extra responsibilities for the team that related to writing, and we also reached out to the Head of Communications, Kate Rooney, to see if I could support with any projects they had on in the Marketing team. We decided that I would write an FAQ article for third parties who are involved in an incident with one of our drivers to publish on the sopp+sopp website – this allowed me to do something relevant to my current role in the Third Party team as part of my writing experience.
Soon after this, the Internal Communications role that I do now was advertised, so I applied, interviewed, and was successful!“
What support was offered to you in order to help you progress?
“I had the support from my Admin manager, Luke Sarro, from the beginning. He was always helping me to feel satisfied in my work, listening to me when I felt a little aimless and giving me opportunities for purposeful work.
Clair Goldsmith joined the business to become my manager when I was a part of the Third Party team – even though she was finding her feet in a new place, our 121s became all about how she was going to help me get into the role that would really kickstart my career. Together we worked on my personal development, and I will always appreciate her support as without it I doubt I would be in the role I am today.“
What are all the different roles you have had in the Group?
“I started as an Admin Team Handler, then became a Senior Admin Team Handler. This wasn’t the right step for me personally, so shortly after stepping down I moved to the Third Party team in November 2022, where I worked in an admin role for them. Then, in January 2024, I became Internal Communications Executive.“
What advice would you give to someone who wants to progress into a different role within Activate Group?
“Speak to your manager as part of your reviews and 121s and express to them that you want one of your objectives to be to get closer to the role you want.
Find out who in the business you need to speak to so that they know you’re interested in their area of the business, and if they have any projects or opportunities available for you to help with or learn about.
See if there are any ways that you can learn more and hone your skills whilst in your current role that will help you progress into the role you want and be insistent – a business will always want to keep its most talented people so make sure you’re one of them.“
What is your proudest moment as part of the business?
“I don’t know if I can put it into one single moment – but it’s every time I come out of my comfort zone to do something new and different, which the internal communications role has pushed me to do.
I experience a lot of anxiety around unknown situations, like travelling somewhere new or meeting new people. I’m always planning for worst case scenarios and like to know every detail of something before I even think about doing it.
During the application process for my internal communications role, I nearly backed out multiple times for fear of the unknown and a job that would come with a lot of situations that made me anxious – but I knew that if I was ever going to progress into a career that I was passionate about, it was something I simply had to do. So, I guess I’m really proud of myself for taking that plunge, and for every time since that I’ve said to myself “You’re going to do this – and it will be OK”.“
What is the greatest challenge you’ve faced within your journey so far?
“Beginning an entirely new career here and the responsibility that comes with it to be honest. Moving from Operations to one of Activate’s central teams was a big learning curve.
This is my first job in communications, so at times I’ve felt out of my depth and a little overwhelmed getting to grips with it, but my manager Kate Rooney has been the most supportive figure I could’ve asked for. I’ve learned so much from her already, and the encouragement and praise she’s given me for my work so far has kept me going through any challenge I’ve faced.“
What do you see for your future at Activate Group?
“I’m currently doing a PR and Communications apprenticeship here so I’m very much focused on that!
I’m really enjoying my current job, so my goal right now is to keep improving my skills and learning from those around me.
I’ve been in this role for 6 months now so I’m getting a lot more confident, learning and improving every day – I genuinely enjoy my work and I’ve found some wonderful friendships at Activate, so I feel very lucky that I get to progress my career here.“
