Reflecting on 15 years of Reech

The world has drastically changed since 2009. But then, so have I! With my finger firmly on the pulse, I’ve always been passionate about introducing and advancing innovative ideas and initiatives.

Too often, however, we’re all so embedded in day-to-day activity that we forget to take a step back, reflect on what we’ve achieved, and share our successes. But with this month marking Reech’s 15th year in business, it’s a great time to celebrate our journey so far and explore the lessons we’ve learnt along the way:

Key milestones

I’m incredibly proud of Reech. From the business I launched after being made redundant with just £1,000 in my back pocket, to the full-service agency it is today that boasts a 30-strong team and a six-figure turnover (and counting!). But our success isn’t just about numbers, it’s about supporting ambitious brands, nurturing budding professionals, and delivering brilliant results.

While there are too many to mention, some of my highlights include:

• Pitching to Canon in the Netherlands, up against international agencies (including front-runners from Holland and Germany), and winning the contract to develop a worldwide knowledge-sharing online community for users and contributors

• Designing the Match Day programmes for Shrewsbury Town Football Club (as a life-long supporter, this was a huge personal win!)

• Rebranding back in 2022, which sparked our evolution from a small firm supporting local businesses, to a dynamic agency working with brands globally

• Implementing a senior management hierarchy - not only did it relieve me from involvement in the daily running of the agency, but it also offered fresh perspectives, developed a more stable structure, and elevated our expertise and decision-making capabilities

• Partnering with Visit Shropshire, working together to market our county to tourists

• Supporting various deserving charities and organisations headquartered in Shropshire - donating time, money and resource.

Motivations for launching an agency

Despite expectations that I would become the fourth-generation farmer in our family, I had a firm focus on pursuing a career in the creative sphere and graduated with a HND in Graphic Communication. Eager to enhance my knowledge, understanding, and skillset, I also sought as much experience as possible within various business divisions through internships and training opportunities, as well as travelling to 32 countries in just 18 months.

Upon returning to Shrewsbury at age 23, I landed a graphic design role in a marketing firm. But just two years later, I was made redundant and forced to face the unexpected future of my career. I’d always aspired to (eventually) run my own business, and so I decided to take the plunge…

During the first year, I tasked myself to – quite simply – make enough money to pay my mortgage. By (literally!) knocking on endless doors, networking at every opportunity, and hustling for the next project, I ended year one with 100k turnover. Result!

Craving my next challenge, I strived to take it to the next level. To be bigger, braver, bolder…I wanted Reech to become a full-service agency here in rural Shropshire, rivalling industry-leaders in more urban locations, providing clients with a holistic 360 solutions-led, city-level service.

And 15 years down the line, we’re absolutely thriving.

Even now, I still love the thrill of the chase: meeting new people, building relationships, and winning contracts with new and existing clients. And the greatest reward? Seeing our successful strategic solutions come to life in the ‘real world’.

But I was once told: ‘you’re only as good as your last piece of work’ – something that’s stuck with me for decades. Which is why I’m dedicated to innovation, creativity, and continually expanding the agency into new realms to deliver the very best results for our clients and exciting opportunities for our team.

Giving back

Shropshire isn’t just where I work. It’s where I live – and where the majority of the Reech team live too.

Those experiences presented to me early in my career led me to where I am today, igniting my interest in business, demonstrating the value of an unwavering work ethic, and proving the power of collaborative working. Therefore, I’m passionate about offering similar opportunities to other determined, driven, and hungry individuals to kick-start their professional journey.

Because of this, I helped to set up and brand Shropshire Youth Support Trust (SYST), and acted as a Trustee for three and a half years, empowering 18-30-year-olds to enter employment and seek independence.

Plus, during our 15-year history, we’ve invested in and hosted apprenticeships, internships, and work experience placements. Our most recent intern, Katie, showcased the merit of her animation skills to complement our creative services and moulded a full-time role within the agency, which she’s been further advancing ever since.

We’ve also proudly partnered with charities and good causes within the community, including:

• an eight-year alliance with Shrewsbury Town Foundation

• working with Lingen Davies for seven years

• supporting innovation within the county through The King’s Award for Enterprise

• continuing our dedicated Reech & Reward initiative into its third year, where we offer £10,000 of marketing support to help a local charity to amplify their mission.

What’s next?

To enhance our client-centric approach, I work tirelessly alongside our senior leadership team to expand our portfolio of services to exceed ever-evolving needs and expectations. Whether that’s introducing new solutions, growing our expert team, or working with professional partners, such as Google and Sky, to recommend cutting-edge tools, tactics and techniques.

Commercially, we’re always working to increase our turnover – in fact, within the next three to five years, we’re striving to double it! Which we can then reinvest into our services, our processes, and our team, to continue our impressive growth trajectory.

And to keep pace with this significant progression, and to further enrich our collaborative culture, we’re also planning an office move. Over time, I’d love to take this one step further and secure a space in a nearby city - Manchester or Birmingham, for example – to allow us to be even more accessible to clients based across Europe, as well as to boost our recruitment of marketing specialists.

It’s certainly been an exciting 15 years – but we’re just getting started. I can’t wait to see what the next 15 will bring…