Our latest talent is co-founder of Bad Gut Club and brand manager at Homethings, Lois Mills. Self described as a multi-hyphen human, this creative-marketer-community manager is doing her part to save the world and your gut at the same time.
// YOUR WORD FOR 2021
Move
// WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN ONLINE/INSTAGRAM/TIKTOK /TWITTER THAT HAS STOPPED YOU SCROLLING?
90s Graphics, image dumps, anything to do with Shiba Inus.
// GIVE US A WHISTLE STOP TOUR OF YOUR CAREER TO DATE
Fashion Promotion at NTU > Model Booker Intern > Fashion Brand Studio Manager > Opened my own clothes store > (Got sick, closed, temped at a plumbing company) > Client Services at Design Agency > Same but at a bigger agency > Brand Manager for a Start-Up.
//WHAT DOES 24 HOURS IN YOUR LIFE LOOK LIKE?
Alarm goes off at 6:30 which I hate every single day. My boyfriend is such an early-bird, so he’ll jump out of bed and make me a peppermint tea. Depending on my energy levels (very varying as I have Crohn’s Disease) I’ll sit up and set my daily gratitude and affirmations in my Five Minute Journal – I think this is a really nice practice, but I do also think that journaling is way too over-hyped. Recently, I’ve then been doing a 30minute workout with some Minor Figures m*lk bottles as weights and some resistance bands, normally to a pumping playlist. My new rule is no coffee unless I’ve had 3 glasses of water before hand, so usually I’ll then shower, get dressed, have breakfast and be at my desk for 9am before I’ve turned on my Nespresso machine. I manage everything ‘brand’ for a start-up, so my day is pretty Zoom heavy and pretty hectic. Sometimes I’ll spend the day creating new ad content, others I’m reaching out to influencers, and sometimes I’m redesigning our packaging in Adobe. No two days are ever the same, seriously. I try and be pretty strict with ‘finishing’ work by 6:30 and then spending some time on my personal projects and platforms. My boyfriend and I usually cook together and then watch Married At First Sight Australia whilst we eat. It’s not high brow, and I’m not embarrassed to admit I’m obsessed with it – we all need that bit of escapism right now. I’ll then normally come back to my laptop to finish off my personal admin, before having a bath and then going to read before bed.
// WHAT DO YOU DO TO SWITCH OFF OR CHILL?
I actually find it pretty hard to ‘chill’ as I feel like there is always so much going on in my mind that I want to do or think about. Baths have been a bit of a game-changer since I moved into this flat, and that definitely takes me into a more ‘quiet’ headspace. Otherwise, it’s a game of Monopoly Deal with a glass of wine and snacks, with a good jazz playlist on in the background.
// WHAT HAS BEEN ONE OF YOUR BEST CAREER HIGHLIGHTS?
Opening my own store back in 2014 was pretty cool as it made me realise how capable we are to do things that others think we can’t. But more recently, it’s been launching such a successful early-stage start-up brand which proved that all the background hard work really does pay off. I’m now advising other early stage start-ups about community building which is wild to think when I still feel so new to it myself.
// WHAT DO YOU SEE IN YOUR FUTURE?
Moving abroad, for sure. Growing my knowledge and experiencing in my current role and continuing to create content and build community-led platforms in my spare time. I wrote a short children’s story in the first lockdown, but I’d love to write a book on grief or on community and brand strategies, so maybe that’s something to start drafting.
// IF YOU COULD COLLABORATE WITH ONE CREATIVE/BRAND WHO WOULD IT BE?
I’d love to collaborate with more homeware and interior brands. Lockdown has made our spaces so much more important, and for me it’s about creating an area that not only feels like home but also feels like a place where you can be ‘you’, whatever that looks like. On a more personal level, I’d love to collaborate with Shopé Delano who’s working on something really cool with Kind Regards, or Daisy Morris and her strategy work for The Selfhood.
// WHO IS YOUR GREATEST INSPIRATION?
Nicole Crentsil. I know her from the good old Uni days but she goes above and beyond in every walk of life and is setting new standards for creatives. I admire everything she does, and her interior styling is just fire.
// YOUR FAVOURITE SONG OF 2021 SO FAR?
Remember Where You Are – Jessie Ware
// WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO SAY ABOUT YOU AT THE END OF YOUR CAREER?
“I was unsure about the way she was doing things at first – but it paid off. Maybe we should be doing things a bit differently.”
// WHAT IS THE BIGGEST ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO NEW CREATIVES?
Don’t compromise yourself for copycat culture and never be afraid to explore new things or express yourself.
// WHAT’S IMPORTANT TO YOU IN YOUR WORLD RIGHT NOW?
I’m currently in the middle of launching a new platform with my friend, Bryony, called BAD GUT CLUB. It came about after I found a huge feeling of discomfort in the IBD and chronic illness community about lack of representation in nearly all senses of the word, and with validation around people’s condition. It’s obviously something I’ve experienced first-hand and witness on a daily basis so I wanted to change the conversation.
FOLLOW LOIS
