Edward & James Makes Their First Hire in Milestone Move
Following a successful first year serving clients across the professional services sector, Edward & James is growing. In order to continue to provide the highest possible quality of care for our clients, I decided that it was time to do the scary thing: make my first hire.
It’s a big milestone, turning a carefully-built, preciously-crafted one-person consultancy into a two-person operation, but I knew it was time.
I’ve been on the hiring side before: this was not new to me. But that was when I had higher managers to answer to, larger company goals to think towards and a host of other factors to consider. This time? I wasn’t just hiring for a role that I just-so-happened to be the hiring manager of; I was hiring for my clients, for the business I had meticulously built and for the person that I would be working with every day.
I knew that all of this meant that I would have to take my time. I wasn’t looking for someone who could keep the cogs moving; I was looking for the right person who could help maintain the high-standards I had set for Edward & James.
Enter Abigail
Abigail Leow is a technically skilled marketer with a strong foundation in content strategy, copywriting and digital execution. A graduate of the University of North Carolina’s prestigious Hussman School of Journalism and Media, she has worked across agency, in-house and freelance roles, delivering content, email strategy and event communications with precision. Certified by the Chartered Institute of Marketing in Email Marketing and Event Design, Abigail brings a copywriter’s eye for detail and a structured, insights-led approach to supporting client delivery at Edward & James.
That’s what we decided to write in her company bio, at least.
Put a bit more simply: Abigail is a fellow marketing-nerd with a robust background in copywriting, content and digital marketing. I could see as much from our first chat, where she stood out clearly as a creative mind with a knack for strategy and a passion for her role as a digital marketer.
Alongside her creative and strategic chops, our conversation flowed easily as we touched on travel, the state of marketing, and why pistachio is the greatest culinary flavour to grace this earth. It was incredibly important for me to bring someone onto the team who is just as personable as they are knowledgeable, and Abigail ticked those boxes.
Now that she is officially part of the team, Abigail will be supporting in a variety of roles across the business. While I continue to oversee broad strategy, client relationships and implementation, Abigail will help with day-to-day client delivery on everything from campaign execution to content production to client support. Her creative skills and strategic thinking will be used to continue to propel forward both our clients and the Edward & James brand.
Post-hiring Insights
Now that the stress of the hiring period is over, I’m finally able to take a step back and continue to dream up what’s possible with our newly-expanded team. This valuable addition to the formerly one-man one-pug team will mean that we can now continue to sustainably grow Edward & James, taking on additional clients and act as a strategic marketing and operations partner to our existing clients.
Moving forward, I’m incredibly confident that Abigail and I’s shared values, ideas, and visions for the future of Edward & James will lead to the brand reaching new heights and, in time, building out an even larger team of skilled, like-minded marketing professionals. I’m hugely excited for what’s next, and look forward to continuing to learn and grow as a newly-formed team.
A Word from Abigail
“Before my interview (and every email exchange prior) I had read the job listing so many times, I’m pretty sure that James thought I was a stalker. I came armed with a knowledge of the role probably rivaling his own, but I couldn’t really help it—I knew from the first time I read the listing for this role that Edward & James was where I was supposed to be.
Back in May of this year, I actually had the privilege of going full-time freelance, enjoying a roster of incredible clients whom I supported across their digital marketing efforts. This time has allowed me to really consider what I value in a role, in an employer, and in my career writ large. It also meant that I was in the very fortunate position of not having to make any snap-judgements when it came to applying for (or even accepting) positions that didn’t align with my beliefs and values.
Which is why, when the role of Marketing Executive at Edward & James came along, I knew it was perfect.
James has created a truly brilliant company where great ideas fly, all individuals (from client to employee) are respected, and good work gets done on the daily. No performative busy-work. No infantilising rules. Just good work being done by skilled colleagues who value marketing backed by intelligence.
Truly, if you asked me to come up with a dream position for myself, or, even more importantly, craft the perfect position for a future employee, this is what I would come up with, and I can’t commend James enough for creating the first business I’ve come across to truly practice such radical employee respect.
Already, James and I have done some brilliant work together, finding a creative synergy ripe with strategically-backed, innovative new ways to get our clients seen. We both believe that thoughtfully-crafted strategy and fresh, creative ideas fostered in a collaborative environment are the key to great marketing.
Ultimately, we both operate under the agreement that marketing is more than just an addition to your business; it’s an integral part of your commercial success that should be embedded into your team and backed by a deep understanding of your business’s operations.”
Looking beyond the LinkedIn profile
At Edward & James, it’s incredibly important to me that people come first. After all, we’re more than our roles; I happen to be the Founder & CMO of Edward & James, but I’m also a digital nomad, a devoted single father to a spoiled pug, and a pistachio croissant addict.
Abigail, in turn, may be Edward & James new Marketing Executive, but is also a creative writer, a prolific PC gamer, a vegan-leaning baker, and an American Southerner living in the UK. She believes that sweet potato casserole is holy, that her home state of North Carolina is the best of all 50 states, and that Irish Breakfast Tea is better than English Breakfast Tea, whatever that is.
Her addition to the team also means that Edward & James continues its streak of being staffed by coffee-loving, internationally-travelling, remote-working marketing geeks.
It’s also already sown some heated discourse into the team—we’ve already gone tit-for-tat over the acceptability of the Oxford comma.
Onwards!
Abigail has already been a valuable addition to the team, and I’m so looking forward to introducing her to clients and getting her further integrated into the business. As Edward & James continues to grow, it’s incredibly exciting to have a core team who has been here since the early days.
For now, get in touch if you’re looking for strategic marketing support that goes beyond the tick boxes—Edward & James and our newly expanded team is here to help.