We’ve got so many amazing women across Norfolk doing incredible things so we’re celebrating them across the month of March. We also have our own inspirational women who work within Norfolk Chambers of Commerce, and we're shining the light on them too. Amy Patterson is our Identity Chief and Marketing and Communications Manager.
What one piece of career advice would you give to the 20 year-old you?
Remember that whatever career you pick, it doesn’t mean you can’t divert in the future and learn something new. Do something that you’re passionate about and say yes to more opportunities that are offered to you!
Who is your female role model?
This is a tricky one for me. The first person that came to mind is my husband’s nanny. Someone I knew for only 3 years, but she made such an impact on me at that time. She’d worked hard building her career as a sub postmistress, raised a family, and then reaped the rewards of her hard work by traveling the world with her husband. She had some great stories! Even into her 80s, she had a better social life than I’ve ever had! She’s my role model because somehow, she achieved it all, a career, a family, and a great friend to many. As a woman, these are incredibly inspirational goals!
What was your career goal when you were young?
When I was really young my dream job was to work on a checkout! Throughout school my career dreams changed regularly from teacher to lawyer, I always set my sights high. In reality, I was never that academic. Creativity was my flare and it led me down my career path as a beauty therapist. Building a client base from scratch was tough but it taught me so many skills that I still use in my career today. The recession soon put a bump in my career path, and I decided it was time to try something new. Starting in a PR company and building my way up through the agency, followed by a move to a design agency, to marketing roles, and finally my dream role at the Norfolk Chambers.
What’s your biggest career achievement to date? After leaving school with mediocre grades the thought of returning to study in my early 30s filled me with dread, especially as it was alongside my full-time role. Completing my level 6 diploma in digital marketing proved to me that what I’d learned on the job for many years was now official. Having the qualification gave me the confidence to prove my knowledge and empowered me to build marketing strategies with some great results. Believing in myself has been my hardest yet biggest achievement to date.
What have your biggest challenges been as a woman in business?
For me, being heard has always been my biggest challenge. Over the years I’ve grown in confidence and instead of sitting in meetings with ideas in my head that I’m scared to share in case they’re wrong, for someone else to then say them and they’ve gone down a storm, I now feel empowered by the amazing women around me to speak up with my thoughts and ideas. My imposter syndrome is of course never far away but I think we all have that little voice from time to time, it stops us from getting complacent!
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