Interview With Lottie Hippisley, Marketing Manager At Honcho

Personal Journey

WIDD Network: How did you discover your passion for Marketing and what steps did you take to pursue it?

Lottie: I completely fell into marketing through my hobby of blogging. I had created a beauty blog whilst studying at university, which gained the interest of PR agencies as my audience grew. With years of emails back and forth with PR agencies and meeting many at events, I grew an interest in how public relations worked. I decided to apply for an internship at a local PR agency, Popcorn PR, upon graduating. I was promoted to PR Executive, but craved a broader marketing role, and soon moved in-house as Brand Assistant for an indie skincare brand I loved, Urban Veda.

 I progressed to Marketing Manager at Urban Veda, which I loved. As a small brand, my role was incredibly broad and exposed me to everything from new product development to international trade to creative marketing. I’ve since worked as a Marketing Manager for skincare brand Evolve Beauty, Marketing Lead for sustainable period wear brand WUKA, before moving to a Partnership Marketing Manager position for Red Letter Days and Buyagift, part of the Moonpig group. Unfortunately, due to a company-wide restructure, my role was made redundant, but I soon found my feet and landed a role heading up the marketing for Hertfordshire-based search marketing agency, Honchō.

Challenges and Growth

WIDD Network: What has been the most challenging aspect of your career, and how did you overcome it?

Lottie: One of the biggest and most recent challenges was facing redundancy at Moonpig, just a few months after returning from maternity leave. I had just started to find my balance between motherhood and my career and felt as though I had the carpet pulled from beneath my feet. Redundancy forced me to re-evaluate what I wanted from my career and consider what was truly important to me. I wrote a list of non-negotiables and nice-to-haves and jumped on the rollercoaster that is job hunting. I found that strategising what I was looking for, rather than applying for roles aimlessly, was motivating and a bit of a confidence boost.

I felt very lucky to be offered three great roles and chose a position furthest outside of my comfort zone, but most aligned with my values, and accepted my current role at Honchō. I’ve switched from in-house to agency, from B2C to B2B marketing, and from corporate to independent agency. It’s been a huge learning curve for me, but refreshing to utilise my expertise in a completely different way.

Mentorship and Learning

WIDD Network: Have you had a mentor who played a crucial role in your career? How did they impact your professional development?

Lottie: I’ve never had an official mentor, but there’s nothing better than a line manager who supports you and encourages you to reach your potential. I’ve certainly found that in a couple of roles particularly: Madara Polycarpou, Head of Partnerships at Buyagift and Red Letter Days and Tanya Myers-Shah, Brand Director at Urban Veda. Both Madara and Tanya are women I admire and look up to, and always helped me to grow.

Diversity

WIDD Network: What's your take on diversity?

 Lottie: Diversity goes beyond ticking boxes and is all about creating an environment where everyone feels welcome, valued and empowered to bring their unique perspectives to the table. Diversity is essential in all aspects of life, but in marketing it’s vital for understanding different audiences and their nuances. Diversity leads to richer discussions and more balanced approaches. At work, I’m particularly vocal about gender equality and the importance of women in leadership positions, but it’s important to remember that diversity encompasses a wide range of aspects: not just race and gender, but age, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, abilities and thought processes to name a few. It’s important we embrace all forms of diversity.

WIDD Network: What has attracted you to WIDD Network?

Lottie: I was attracted to the WIDD Network as it’s a space for women to support other women and to help each other grow.  

Industry Insights

WIDD Network: What trends or developments in the industry do you find most exciting or challenging right now?

Lottie: AI is a topic in the industry which is seen as both exciting and boasting huge potential, but it’s also perceived as a fear for many marketers. If we’re honest, we can’t truly predict the full potential of the beast that is AI, but it does allow for greater efficiency and productivity, if used appropriately.

Advice for Aspiring Professionals

WIDD Network: If you could go back in time and give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?

Lottie: If I could go back in time and give my younger self one piece of advice, it would be to have confidence in my abilities. I’ve previously really struggled with imposter syndrome and struggled with a lack of confidence, which I feel has held me back.

 WIDD Network: What advice do you have for young professionals aspiring to excel in Marketing?

Lottie: One piece of advice I have for not only young professionals, but everyone within the marketing space is to continuously be open-minded and eager to learn. Make the most of opportunities to learn, whether that be to take a course, attend a networking event, watch a webinar, read a book or shadow a colleague. There is always more to learn and there are always ways to improve.

 Personal Insights

WIDD Network: Outside of work, what hobbies or activities bring you joy and recharge your creativity?

Lottie: I’m a toddler mum, so I don’t have a lot of time for hobbies, and instead spend as much time as possible with my little family. I sometimes struggle with what’s known as ‘mum guilt’ and getting the work-life balance right, but I ground myself by focusing on being someone that my son is ultimately proud of and looks up to.

WIDD Network: What’s your favourite quote?

In my first office-based role at Popcorn PR, the bathroom was decorated with an array of serious and light-hearted quotes, and one has stuck in my mind all these years: “It’s PR, not ER”. It’s super simple, but I find myself uttering it whenever I’m stressed over my work, as it reminds you to put your work into perspective. A mistake or a stressor might feel like the end of the world, but it really isn’t.

Connect with Lottie on LinkedIn

Do you have interesting experiences and would want to be featured? Send us an email at ‘hello@widdnetwork.com’ with the subject “Interested in sharing my experiences’.