Fantastic Female – Pamela Badham Founder of FOUR PR
FANTASTIC FEMALE – PAMELA BADHAM FOUNDER OF FOUR PR
Pamela Badham is founder of FOUR PR an integrated PR & Marketing agency specialising in SME’s and start-ups. She has over 13 years’ agency experience heading up local, national and international PR campaigns. She has worked across a diverse selection of clients ranging from rare whiskies, boutique hotels and local restaurants to a global portfolio of meetings and incentives exhibitions with events on five continents across the globe. Passionate about helping companies of all sizes grow through powerful, effective communications and media engagement both online and offline, she is a firm believer that PR and marketing support should be both flexible and most importantly affordable. https://four-pr.com/
How do you balance being a mother and professional?
It’s hard and the challenges are constantly evolving. I’m a mum of three and all my kids have different needs. I think it’s important to make sure that you have a good support network in place and carve out gaps in your day where you know you will be able to work. The juggle is real, and I don’t expect it to get easier for a good while yet.
What have you sacrificed (both personally and professionally) at each stage of your career?
Professionally, I have never sacrificed anything. I’ve always given my work 100% because it makes me who I am. I genuinely love what I do. The one thing I have sacrificed personally is SLEEP! I own my own business, so I have worked through every maternity leave and at times that has been pretty exhausting.
Who inspired you and why?
Most of all, my family inspire me. My husband is my biggest supporter and he has really helped me to juggle work and being a mum. He is so great with the kids, so we have managed to both run our own businesses side by side.
All of my clients inspire me too. They are all brave, bold and ambitious and I admire them so much for having the courage to launch and grow their businesses.
What advice would you give to young women who wants to succeed in the workplace?
You have to start at the bottom and work your way up. It’s that simple. There is no magic ticket to a high-powered career. You have to earn your stripes and it can be tough. When things get tough, hold tight because it’s usually just at the point you feel ready to give up that amazing things happen. Also, work hard and be kind and people will remember you for the right reasons.
Do you think women feel intimidated in business?
I hope not, and if they do, they need to work out what or who is making them feel that way and fix it. I’m a huge feminist and feel strongly that no woman should ever feel intimidated.
Where will we find you on a Saturday morning at 10 a.m.?
With my kids. Weekends are a really good time to hit reset and I love drinking loads of coffee and just pottering around doing fun crafting things or playing in the garden.
What do you love about your job?
I genuinely love working with people who own small businesses. I am so passionate about helping them get to the next level and with good PR and marketing, we can always achieve this. What I love most is watching them grow and thrive. That’s where I get my kick time and time again.
What’s the best career decision you’ve ever made?
This sounds crazy but it’s honestly true….having kids is the best career decision that I have ever made. I love my kids more than life itself and having them gave me the courage to quit my steady 9-5 job in London and set up my own business. It’s the best thing I have ever done. The fear of not seeing them all day far outweighed any worries I had about money.
What’s the worst career decision you’ve ever made?
I don’t believe in looking back on things as bad decisions. Everything I have done, good or bad has led me to where I am now, and I love the place I am in right now. The most important thing about any decision, good or bad is that we take time to reflect and evaluate what that decision has meant and how it has affected others.
How do you organise your time?
I get up EARLY and try to get ahead of the day. If I can get a couple of hours work in before people hit their desks, then that is a good day for me. I’m a huge fan of lists too but these are never set in stone. Non-urgent tasks can carry over to tomorrow and I’ve learnt not to stress over this too much.
What do you think is your greatest strength?
I am a very loyal person and I never mess people around. Kindness goes a long way and I think it has really helped me to grow my business into what it is today. People buy people, the service that supplier offers is secondary and meaningless if the person delivering it isn’t genuine.
What do you think is your greatest weakness?
I have hundreds! But I suppose the main ones are that I struggle to say no to people, even when I know I should. I am hugely critical of myself and I eat way too many chocolate digestives!
How do you make decisions?
This is something that for me has really changed over time. In my twenties I was one of the most impulsive people you will ever meat. I never thought anything through, and I would just do something and worry about the finer details later. This got me into a lot of scrapes, and I have really learnt now to sleep on decisions. Think them over again and again and wait until I come to a conclusion that feels right in my gut.
What do you read?
Currently I’m reading ‘Over Subscribed’ by Daniel Priestly. It’s amazing and well worth a read.
What do you think are the secrets behind getting to where you’ve got to?
RESILIANCE – no doubt about it. Business is hard. There are highs and lows every day but the ability to pick myself up after each knock has without a doubt helped me to get to where I am today. I have a long way to go but I’m really proud of the business I have built so far.
More Fantastic Females here –