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The good, the bad and the ugly. 1+ Year in Bristol.

Every now and then we get itchy feet. Want to move, see new places, new people, new scenarios. Because things are never perfect, at least not long term. When the idea of perfection fades away, we leave, we run, we chase it. In new places, new people.

Just over a year ago I made a bold move to move back to England but to a new City; Vibrant Bristol. But why leave Sunny Cyprus after building a good network? Well, I felt stuck in a comfort zone.

There was a lack of healthy competition and opportunities to collaborate and learn. Sure, it’s comfortable being a big fish in a small pond, but my dreams were bigger than that.

This lesson I didn’t know I needed..

Success is not all about big clients and shiny projects. Instead, it is found in the unbounded exploration of self change and growth. It has been a wild and often lonely ride. A beautiful chaos which through I’ve discovered the excitement of stepping into the unknown, the growth that comes from new unexpected challenges.

I had become overly fixated on achieving success in a business context, forgetting that at my core, I am an artist, a designer, and a curious soul. I’m on a journey to reconnect with my inner child—the one filled with boundless curiosity and a hunger for exploration. I am embracing my individuality and breaking free from the stereotypical definition of success in the creative industry. Now, I am pursuing work that I genuinely love and attracting clients who appreciate my unique style and vision.

It hasn’t been easy. Building a new client base, making connections, and stepping into the unknown—it often felt like navigating without a map. But there’s beauty in being lost and embracing the journey. I realised we create our own opportunities.

Being in Bristol has had a ripple effect, immersing in a vibrant design community, meeting amazing people who shaped my journey. Bagging local clients and a recent London collaboration opened new doors.

To keep it real.. I haven’t figured it all out. Life still throws curveballs, and self-doubt can creep in from time to time. But after all it’s all about the unknown, in being open to new adventures and experiences, rather than having all the answers.

Looking forward to seeing where life takes me next. Focusing less on success and more on the most unique and creative version of me.

Today at 6pm I’ll be giving a talk on Creative Confidence by Right Aligned. Where I will talk about my journey, challenges and ways to overcome them.

Get your tickets at https://lnkd.in/eVrAbDPE

Istoria Group, the Bristol-based collective of creative agencies, has announced two new Group-level appointments. Silka Mitchell is the new Group Creative Director, whilst Bryn Isaac has been named Group Financial Director.

Istoria Group, which became a B Corp last autumn, is comprised of exhibition and events specialists Ignition, known for being sustainable pioneers and as recipients of The Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development 2020-25; hospitality and retail designers Phoenix Wharf, known for their work for regional operators such as Yeo Valley, The Bristol Loaf, Better Food and Spicer + Cole, as well as for national retailer SpaceNK and Apprentice winner Harpreet Kaur – and purposeful digital transformation experts Tiny Spark, whose virtual exhibit expertise during the pandemic helped Istoria Group survive the period’s challenging business conditions.

Silka Mitchell

‘Creative Director at Group level was an important role to fill and it was proving difficult to find the right candidate’, Sam Rowe, Istoria Group’s CEO commented. ‘We were delighted therefore to be introduced to Silka Mitchell, who brings not only top London agency experience as a former Director of both Brinkworth and Neu Architects, but also broad international experience, delivering projects in the commercial and public realms across Europe, Western Asia and China. Silka is German-born and has lived and worked in both Germany and in the UK. Her languages and multi-disciplinary, cross-sector experience will bring fresh energy and a new level of design sophistication to our studio.’

‘My ambition is to help Istoria Group grow and develop an even stronger 3D identity’ Silka Mitchell commented, ‘becoming known for creative originality and excellence. I look forward to unlocking further potential from the talented studio and to bringing in the next generation of talent to complement my vision. I further hope to instil creative leadership, inspiration and motivation and improve processes and the working environment through creative intervention and dialogue. I’m really excited to be working with a business with such a wealth of knowledge, strong ethics and a truly sustainable ethos.’

Bryn Isaac

New Group Financial Director Bryn Isaac is Bristol-born and bred and brings great expertise in and knowledge of regional markets and business to his role. Bryn joins Istoria Group after 8 years as Financial Director of We Are Fearless, an integrated marketing agency specialising in sports, culture and music sponsorship and partnerships. He has also worked with both start-up and group-owned agencies previously, including TBWA/Worldhealth, Momentum Worldwide and Given London. For Istoria Group, Bryn will provide the financial lead within the business across all the agencies in the Group and will manage financial planning covering both opportunity and risk.

‘I aim to use my experience of young and dynamic businesses to update processes and modernise systems at Istoria Group to help all parts of the business become more efficient and productive’ Bryn Isaac commented. ‘I’m looking forward to working alongside the leadership team to plan future strategic business growth, both operationally within the internal team and externally as the business grows in size.’

‘I am delighted that Bryn has joined us as Finance Director’ Sam Rowe added. ‘Bryn’s relevant knowledge and experience are vital as we continue our ambitious plans to grow and develop sustainable creative solutions for clients. As a B Corp, our ambition is to grow in the right way – with the right clients and the right team in place. These two new senior appointments are a huge leap in the right direction.’

Built in the community, focused on the future.

Spaceworks is a platform for makers, creators and businesses of all shapes and sizes. They have been on a mission to bring community driven work spaces to Bristol since 1985 and needed a rebrand and website to match.

Accountants, artists, engineers and more, Spaceworks has been housing, helping and supporting some of Bristol’s brightest brands. They know that when it comes to office rental, businesses need affordable spaces with the right support in place to help them grow.

The new identity by Rhombus nods to the past while looking forward, inspired by the diverse community of businesses who call Spaceworks their home.

The brand balances play with trust and accessibility, uniting makers, creators and businesses across Bristol.

The visual identity was built around the new logo, evolved from their geographical footprint in Bristol. The wider identity system uses more abstract evolutions of the logo to portray the businesses of all shapes and sizes that make up Spaceworks.

The colourway is an evolution of the green they launched with in 1985, as a nod to their rock-solid history. The typeface (aptly titled Founders Grotesk from Klim Type Foundry) is a sans serif with plenty of character, inspired by some of the buildings they have transformed over the years – grade 2, big hangars, small nooks and stained-glass windows.

Rhombus developed a verbal identity underpinned by three core pillars to express the brand: Supportive, Passionate and Dynamic. The output included a set of key messages to announce the new brand to Bristol and beyond, as well as writing tips to help the Spaceworks team communicate with consistency and flair.

In order to bring Spaceworks into the digital world, Rhombus developed a motion language that encapsulated the brand’s warmth, approachability and character, inspired by collaboration. Bounce. Grow. Support!

Spaceworks are the same today as they were when they started – committed to providing affordable, supportive spaces for diverse businesses in local communities: Easton, Barton Hill, St Phillips, Stokes Croft, St Jude’s and Bishopston. 

Their new custom website is testament to this commitment, delivered in partnership with Papaya Studio – making it easier than ever to access workspaces and business support.

“Rhombus Studio created our new branding and website and we are delighted with the results. It was a thorough and carefully planned process and aside from creating some amazing visual assets, they took the time to understand our business and aspirations and created something that represents us very well.” – Spaceworks

Take a look at the website here and keep your eyes peeled for new signage rolling out across Bristol!

Istoria Group has today revealed the winner of its inaugural Micro Business Incubator Hub Competition – Self Agency, which was founded by Devon Lowndes with the aim of improving the lives of neurodivergent people in the Bristol area.

The idea behind the competition, launched in March 2023 on International Women’s Day, was to find a women-led micro business in the Bristol region to support by offering free office space over a six-month period at Istoria Group’s Paintworks offices; mentoring from the creative business group’s leadership team in business, financial management, PR and marketing, along with a raft of creative services, including a brand review by the group’s design agency Phoenix Wharf and a website build by its digital transformation experts Tiny Spark.

The competition was also supported by local organisations Babbasa and Black South West Network, ensuring news of the competition would reach groups who have traditionally been under-represented in business, whether because of class, gender, ethnicity, age or a participation-limiting condition.

‘We received a fantastic set of entries’, Sam Rowe, CEO of Istoria Group commented ‘and were inspired by the number of amazing women out there fighting for social progress and to diminish inequality. We picked four finalists, all of whom were highly deserving, but in the end it was Devon Lowndes who stood out because of the clarity of her vision, her commitment and ambition. I am quite sure that as well as helping Devon move forward, we will also learn a great deal ourselves in the process, with that knowledge also going on to benefit our agencies and our work across the board.’

‘I’m absolutely thrilled to have won’ Devon Lowndes commented, ‘especially having met the other great finalists at the announcement ceremony! For me, one of the best things about Istoria Group’s Incubator Hub programme is how accessible it was to apply for as a person with ADHD. I could tell at once it was a friendly and accessible organisation with a really open outlook. I know it’ll be an environment that offers trust and flexibility, as well as creative and business expertise. I can’t wait to be part of it!’

The competition was judged by:

Cecilia Thirlway, Senior Lecturer in Entrepreneurship at the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Bristol   

Matt Rogers, Head of Development at Babbasa      

Istoria Group CEO Sam Rowe and Istoria Group Chief Marketing Officer Lindie Kramers.

The four finalist companies and initiatives were:

Better Together (Online Safety)

Better Together’s Founder Angela Loveridge helps parents keep children safe online by signposting them towards practical tools, techniques and resources, facilitating safe spaces for those awkward safety conversations and coaching parents so they are empowered to respond, not react, in a way that will keep channels of communication open and permit constructive conversations. Angela’s innovation is to recognise that people have very different parenting styles, meaning safety guidelines need to be approached without judgment and aligned with the unique needs of their child or children.
https://btogether.org.uk/

Bristol Achieve

Bristol Achieve, founded by Hetty Brown, recognises that one of the biggest problems facing British schools is the gap between rich and poor and its subsequent effects on educational attainment and social mobility. This action-based business aims to increase the educational attainment and life opportunities of young adults with academic potential, so that they thrive in whichever life path they choose. Hetty and her team’s innovation is to promote peer mentoring and focus on essential life skills, as well as encouraging reading for pleasure, proven to improve academic achievement.
https://bristolachieve.com/

Sassy Sisters Studio

Nicoleta Moldovan and Begumhan Girgin of Sassy Sisters Studio have founded a new creative agency offering graphic design services, advertising and marketing, motion graphics, packaging design, publications and typographic design. They are two hardworking women/mothers with diverse creative backgrounds, who switched careers, went back to university, and completed their education in order to follow their vision. At their studio, they produce meaningful designs for businesses, charities, and non-profits while prioritising sustainability and women’s empowerment.
http://www.sassysistersstudio.com/

Self Agency

Self Agency was founded by Devon Lowndes to improve the lives of neurodivergent people in the Bristol area. The CIC-registered (Community Interest Company) agency offers organisational neurodiversity cultural development and neurodivergent community building. Devon is on a mission to educate people about neurodiversity and to further her vision of everyone embracing every mind equally and realising the positive impact an all-inclusive environment can have on individuals, communities and businesses. Devon advises organisations on best practice and is working with Bristol City Council as their sole neurodiversity champion. Her vision is to make Bristol THE neurodiversity city in the UK.
https://www.self-agency.org/

Launched in 2018, Studio Floc is the brainchild of our founder Florence Cassell. Armed with a loyal iMac and a vision to design for good, she started the journey that we’re now on as a growing (and currently fully female) team – supporting great people doing great things in the world through effective and beautiful design. 

We’ve taken the time out of our regular routine to learn from her experience and be encouraged by a real life, real time example of a female business owner.

What inspired you to set up your own agency? 

Hello everyone – Florence here! Great question – two key things come to mind. Firstly, my experience of starting out as a designer was a tough one. Most of the agencies I worked in created harsh and very isolating environments. I’m grateful because I did learn a lot in those early days but I believed it was possible to have an encouraging and honouring studio culture whilst still achieving excellence. This inspired me to start Studio Floc. My aim is to create a place where my team and I work hard and efficiently whilst also encouraging and supporting one another.

And then secondly, I’m passionate about playing my part in making the world a better place and love to use design as a tool to do that. Last year we had the privilege of rebranding Love Your Neighbour, an incredible charity who are committed to helping people overcome pressing social challenges by tackling the root causes of poverty through crisis support, debt advice, employment training and community care. We’ve been able to give them a visual language to communicate their message effectively in order to impact more lives. So good. I appreciate that we’re only one agency empowering a select handful of clients but imagine the world we’d live in if everyone played their part. 

What has been your biggest challenge as a female founder?

When I was about to start Studio Floc back in 2018, only 16% of founders in the UK were female. I was surrounded by and learned from men. Don’t get me wrong, I learned a lot from those guys and many of which I still turn to for advice and are supportive in all I do. The presence of men has never been the issue, it has been the lack of women to encourage, trail-blaze and to be inspired by that has made the journey more difficult.

What has been your biggest learning point as a female founder?

I continue to lead the business that I feel called to run even though historically (and sometimes discouragingly) the odds aren’t stacked in my favour. Oh and the other thing is that Imposter Syndrome is a bitch. It has taken me a while but I’m still improving my ability to differentiate the helpful, guiding voice in my head from the unhelpful, self-doubting one. If you’ve got the tools there in front of you but need that extra push of confidence, just be bold and go for it. 

I would highly recommend checking out Craig Groeschel’s book ‘Winning the war in your mind’ if this is something you struggle with.

Do you have any advice for women starting out in business?

Three key things – firstly, surround yourself with a support network of friends/mentors who will encourage you on the journey. Secondly, never stop learning. And thirdly, in my experience, more often than not, people respond to expertise delivered with confidence, not gender. 

‬Driven by purpose‭, ‬we use creativity to enable the makers‭, ‬equip the innovators and empower the world-changers‭. ‬We specialise in branding‭, ‬print and digital design‭.‬

Have questions for our founder? Looking for help with branding, print or digital design work? Let’s chat! Get in touch at [email protected]

As a copywriter with over 20 years in the business, I got to thinking whether my writing has got better with age (of course it has!) and if so, how. Should companies looking to utilise a good copywriter for their business blogs or feature articles look at how many years’ experience their potential freelance support can bring to the table, or is it null and void?

I think it matters. That’s not to say that people just starting out also aren’t good at the job, but as with many industries (and wine and cheese) writing gets better with age. And here are a few reasons why.

Vocabulary tends to improve the older we get because we have met more people and read more books. Both of which are proven ways to extend your vocabulary.

Self-confidence also gets better with age, which helps in the work environment because you are secure enough to make suggestions, but also have the confidence to listen and take a brief, without feeling the need to prove how much you know.

Experience may be an obvious one to add to the list, but it’s important. The more customers you have worked with, the more situations you have been exposed to, and the more types of writing you have done, the more capable you will be handling incoming work. You may not have experience in a specific field, but perhaps you are well rehearsed in researching topics and knowing where to find the information you need, and how to transform these newfound facts into compelling copy.

Decision making is another trait that improves the older you get. In a study published by Psychological Science, it was found that the insight and life experience of adults led to the ability to make quick decisions. You may think this isn’t relevant for copywriting, but as any long serving copywriter will tell you, writing a piece of copy requires multiple decisions. What is the tone of the piece? Where can I find the best information for this article? How much detail should I include to make best use of this business blog?

Empathy might sound like another odd trait to include in a list about how copywriting improves with age, but employing a copywriter that can truly put themselves in your shoes to understand what you need from them, and more so, in the shoes of the prospects and clients you’re looking to reach with your copy, is invaluable.

Speed is something else a more experienced copywriter can bring to the table. Being able to write quickly, while still delivering on target content with very few if any mistakes, is a difficult skill to foster. It’s something that can only be developed over time as experience helps you produce copy quickly and effectively.

This list is by no means exhaustive, but from personal experience they offer a good overview as to why copywriting gets better with age. I remember when I started writing very basic press releases back in 2001, it would take me quite a long time to put pen to paper, and then I would be so nervous about getting it wrong, I would read and re-read the piece until I couldn’t see the letters on the page! Over time, I have learnt what works and what doesn’t when producing copy, I understand the importance of listening to what clients want and not assuming I know more about their business than they do. I have also learned how to hone the process of writing to ensure I deliver my best work, and I am more confident because of the experience I have obtained over the years.

So, if you’re looking for a copywriter for your business blogs or feature articles, and you want to be guided by someone with a bit more experience, let’s chat!

Visit www.blogwrite.co.uk for more information

We all know that the shorter working week has had proven success in other countries. 86% of Iceland’s workforce, for example, have either moved to a shorter working week or have the right to request shorter hours. So as Bristol tentatively dips its toe into the sea of change with a pilot scheme rolling out across businesses in the city, here we are five years into our four-day working week with some (hopefully) helpful reflections. 

Why did we do it?

Life is short and we want it to be excellent. Every bit of it. We’ve found that since allowing more space for our brains to process, stray, absorb and even rest (what a thought, we know) this has enabled better ideas to flow, calmer attitudes to influence the team and ultimately a higher level of productivity during the time spent at our desks. Don’t get us wrong, we believe in working hard to deliver excellent, refined work – the only difference is that we think it can be achieved successfully within four days. No extra hours, just four normal days.

How does it work for our clients? 

From a client’s perspective, you wouldn’t know any different. At the start of every project we create a timeline that our clients are happy with and that’s the timeline that we work to. Emails are answered from Monday to Thursday and we’re here to chat over the phone on any of those days too!

How does it work for the team? 

Every team member works the same four days which allows for collaboration and efficiency. What each team member does on Fridays is completely up to them. And then after a year of working for Studio Floc, all staff get paid the equivalent of a five-day working week for just four days. It’s our way of saying thank you for the hard work that everyone puts in.

A win-win

Excellence can be achieved in so many ways. For us, a four-day working week helps us accomplish this – and we don’t just mean in the workplace – but in every aspect of our lives. we would consider that a win-win. 

‬Driven by purpose‭, ‬we use creativity to enable the makers‭, ‬equip the innovators and empower the world-changers‭. ‬We specialise in branding‭, ‬print and digital design‭.‬

Have questions about our four-day working week? Looking for help with branding, print or digital design work? Let’s chat! Get in touch at [email protected]

Our identity and brand: how we’ve chosen to show up and what it says about us.

We were well aware that when a new company sets up, there’s immediate reaction to the name and in particular the logo. Whether conscious or sub-conscious, it can leave a lasting impression.

So we sharpened our pencils!