Published on 23, October 2024

TEDxTeessideWomen 2024: Reflections & Reactions from a Growing Agency

TEDxTeessideWomen 2024 has concluded, and I couldn’t be prouder that Climb & Conquer stepped in as a headline sponsor. This event resonated deeply with our agency’s mission: conquering obstacles, pushing forward with resilience, and taking meaningful action. It reflects the very values we live by as a business.

The second TEDxTeessideWomen event was held last week, October 16th, in Middlesbrough. It brought together a range of inspiring speakers and a community of over 300 attendees. 

For a long time, I was drifting away from the changes I knew I needed to make in myself and my business. That was my reality before Climb & Conquer rebranded earlier this year. Before then, I often hesitated to take the necessary action, but the rebranding set a new tone for myself and the business.

As I stood amidst the event’s buzzing energy, I was struck with ideas, emotion, and a strong drive to act. So many of the stories we heard on the day motivated me to put into action some changes I’ve been considering for a while, and as a business owner and founder of a growing agency, I wanted to communicate the changes that have already happened as a result of the inspiration from the event. 

The truth is, the busyness of life and work can often dull that spark, and sometimes the best medicine is to get out of your comfort zone and hear the stories of others.

A New Direction

At Climb & Conquer, we’re always looking for ways to level up — not just for the agency, but for our clients and team. TEDxTeessideWomen left us with a wealth of insights, and we’ve wasted no time in implementing those lessons.

The changes, though subtle, are already driving us forward, and I’m excited about where they’ll take us. I detail some of these in the sections to follow. 

On a personal level, the event inspired some profound shifts for me. One of the biggest? 

I’ve said goodbye to alcohol, for good. I used to rely on it to unwind, but in truth, it left me feeling groggy and unfocused. Now, I’ve embraced alcohol-free alternatives, and can already feel the benefits in both my personal life and leadership. Big thanks to Millie Gooch and her talk about sober life and the sober curious movement for giving me the final push.

This brings me to one of our first agency changes post-event:

The Christmas Party: A Shift in Culture

This year, we’re changing our Christmas party. Instead of centring it around alcohol, as is typical for your average “office Christmas party” the world over, we’re focusing on meaningful experiences. Traditionally every Christmas party we’ve been to has revolved around food and copious drinks, but we’ll be doing things a little differently.

Instead of an evening gathering, we’re holding the party earlier in the day, with no evening event planned by the company. The day will be a blend of fun team-building activities, thoughtful reflection on our achievements, and discussions on the outlook for the year ahead. It’s an opportunity to come together more purposefully and have our team contribute to the direction for the road ahead.

Of course, if any staff wish to explore evening drinks afterwards, they’re welcome to, but the focus of the day will be on deeper connection and meaningful moments as a team. 

We understand that not everyone thrives in those environments, so we’re also giving our remote team the option to receive a bonus in place of attending, allowing them to spend more time with loved ones if they prefer.

Mental Health and Wellness: A Core Focus

Mental well-being isn’t just a buzzword or a box to tick at Climb & Conquer; it’s a fundamental priority for us as an agency.

We recognise the unique challenges of working in digital marketing and we’re committed to creating a safe, psychologically supportive space for our team. One of the ways we’re doing this is by introducing daily, (optional!) virtual coffee chats, offering our staff a chance to decompress and connect with each other — no obligations, no pressure.

Remote work has so many benefits, but it’s not lost on me that there are pitfalls, too, and I’m committed to introducing whatever initiatives necessary to help our team thrive in their roles and maintain positive mental well-being in the process.

The Climb & Conquer team in attendance at TEDxTeessideWomen 2024: L-R Shane Parkins, Ellen Chambers, Cameron Keegan-Wood and Chloe Milne

The Climb & Conquer team in attendance at TEDxTeessideWomen 2024: L-R Shane Parkins, Ellen Chambers, Cameron Keegan-Wood and Chloe Milne

How We Pay Our Team

We’re also revisiting how we compensate our team. 

Rather than investing in trendy perks, we’re focusing on what matters to our people, particularly during a long, drawn-out cost-of-living crisis: financial security. 

By channelling funds into wages instead of superficial perks, we aim to provide long-term value to our employees. We’re currently working toward National Living Wage accreditation, too, ensuring that all team members are sufficiently rewarded for their contributions whether they’re brand-new and training or long-timers here at the agency. 

Pay is something we will always revisit and make a determined effort to bring up at every review with team members, and that will never change. 

Anonymous Feedback: Empowering Our Team

Feedback is essential for growth, but it can be intimidating.

Starting in November, we’re introducing anonymous employee surveys, giving our team a platform to share their thoughts freely. 

We’re committed to listening and improving, and this initiative will help ensure that everyone’s voice is heard without hesitation.

As an independent agency, we have the privilege of making changes faster, and we look forward to the insights our passionate team members will share to help us continually improve.

Levelling Up Wellness

Our wellness Slack channel has always been a cornerstone of our remote culture, but now we’re taking it to the next level. From step challenges to themed meetings, we’re fostering a supportive and fun remote environment. 

From the end of this year, we’re investing more resources and inviting third-party experts to support our team’s mental health journey in meaningful ways. Over the year we’ll be inviting speakers to lead a 30-60-minute workshop on how our staff can work remotely in a more effective way; ensuring they don’t fall into some of the traps of working from home (working too much, taking few breaks and struggling with the dividing line between work and home). 

Our first speaker will be John Beamson, The CEO Adventurer, who will help the team understand how doing the small things consistently can lead to a big change in their mental health and resilience. We’ll also be exploring speakers around personal finance, exercise and nutrition. 

Taking Responsibility for the Environment

Lastly, we’re turning our attention to our environmental impact. At Climb & Conquer, we believe we have to do better for the planet, and we’re exploring partnerships like 1% for the Planet and a partnership with Carma Earth to reduce our footprint. 

We’ve committed the business to planting 2,400 trees and 240 kelp over the next 12 months, and we’ll be showcasing our impact report over time. Trees will be planted worldwide with some being planted here in the UK by Green Task Force. 

We want to lead by example and inspire both our staff and clients to make eco-conscious choices.

 

TEDxTeessideWomen 2024 has left a lasting impact on me and Climb & Conquer. It reaffirmed our commitment to continuous improvement for our clients, our team, and ourselves. As we climb and conquer new challenges, I’m excited to see how these initiatives shape our future. Together, we’re not just growing a business, we’re building something unique in an industry of “this is how it’s done”, and we’re super proud of that.

I’d like to extend my thanks to the organisers of the TEDxTeesside event, namely Michaela Reaney and her talented team, along with the speakers, attendees and other sponsors.  We met some brilliant people on the day, many of whom took us up on our Free Audit offer (if you missed us and want to learn more, please reach out!) and we’re already uncovering fantastic insights for their organisations. 

We’re already looking forward to TEDxTeessideWomen 2025! 

Shane Parkins
Shane Parkins

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We're an agency that takes action, but sometimes we like to do the talking as well. Here you'll find some team intros, updates about the company or some industry news we think is worthy to shout about.

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