Well, the last 365 days went fast! I am now officially one, from a Unique IQ work birthday perspective. After staying with my previous employer, Sanctuary, for over 11 years, moving to a new company in a different sector was a big step. Staying put was the easier option; however, a new challenge was needed. Enter my move to Unique IQ.
I was promised a fast-paced working environment, a welcoming wider team and the opportunity to grow and shape the business, which is precisely what I got. I can honestly say no day has been the same, and to be honest, things have moved so fast that some months have been a bit of a blur.
There have been many work highlights, a new website designed and launched, and too many digital campaigns to mention, although my favourite so far was our “Sounds Familiar?” campaign. That said, over the last month or so, I have kept our senior leadership team in front of a camera, capturing all sorts and as a result, we do have a special series coming soon, which I think will nick the top spot – you’ll have to keep your eyes peeled for that. (I know that is an annoying cliffhanger, but what can you expect from a marketer!)
From a personal perspective, the biggest achievement by far was completing the Yorkshire 3 Peaks for the Care Workers’ Charity. (I may have mentioned it a couple of times!) It is fair to say I was grossly unprepared for it when I look back, but the fact that I kept going, nearly doubled my fundraising target, and got a well-done nod from my teenage son (that in itself is actually harder than the walk) will always be a proud moment.
There have been a few lessons along the way, especially when it came to using some of my tried and tested plans that always used to work, but in the home care market, they just didn’t. Starting a new role and escaping having a few humbling experiences wouldn’t be normal.
I have loved getting to know some of Unique IQ’s stakeholders, such as The Care Workers’ Charity and Envision Communications, to name just a couple. Their teams are so closely aligned with what we stand for and our own internal culture it just makes for a good time! It has also been great to bring some of my old suppliers into Unique IQ, like Conteur and Denfield and watch how the team has enjoyed working together.
As we approach the end of 2024 and I start to finalise plans for next year, there is no doubt that the coming year will go as quickly as the first. I am determined to get out and about even more and continue growing my knowledge of the home care market and technology’s role in the care sector. Change is a given, and I am definitely here to watch Unique IQ continue its journey into its 19th year!