From dark night skies to the bright lights of Bournemouth

A bit about me

So, first things first, I’m a born and bred Isle of Wighter. For those that still haven’t been to the Isle of Wight, I’d highly recommend it. Although most activities are ‘outdoorsy’, it offers so much more. From the quaint little villages you can explore, to the little cafes for a cuppa and drives with the most b-e-a-utiful scenery, there’s something for everyone.

Personally, my favourite thing about the island is how dark the skies are at night. Sounds strange, right? Surely all night skies are dark? Well, there are certain parts of the island with little to no light pollution. That means the only thing lighting the skies up at night are the moon and stars. Since I was a child I’ve been fascinated by the night sky and how beautiful it is — so much so that as a teen I took up photography as a hobby. Even now, you might catch me out at 1am looking up at the stars.

Growing up on the island did feel a little sheltered in terms of experiences (given you needed to get THE most expensive ferry just to go on holiday) but that just made the move to “the mainland” that much more exciting! Although, family is everything to me, so you’ll still find me over there regularly throughout the year visiting family and my little furbaby. I mean, come on. Just look at her. How could you not miss that toothy grin? 

How I got here

It was a long ol’ road to where I am now. I left school knowing I wanted to do something in a “digital” field, but where to start? I went through most educational routes: A levels, BTEC college course, apprenticeship, and finally university. After a computing and IT course and a social media apprenticeship, I studied Digital Marketing at uni and fell in love. The crossover with creativity, analytical thinking and a hint of psychological thinking drew me in. At the ripe ol’ age of 21/22, I was one of the older ones in my classes, so I didn’t quite feel that “freshers feeling” to party like many others, so just knuckled down and studied.

Unfortunately, 2 years later my placement year at uni was rudely interrupted by that dreaded ‘C’ word (Covid) so was cut short. My final year was mainly in lockdown and just zoom call after call, so I wanted to put myself in a better position for job opportunities ready for graduation. I moved to Dorset with my partner during my final year (between lockdowns, as if uprooting your life and moving wasn’t hard enough) and we haven’t looked back since. With Durdle Door right on our doorstep (almost literally), surrounded by beautiful woods and 40 minutes outside of Bournemouth, we have everything we need right here.

So why BBD?

The previous agency I worked at was very much just one big family. Cheesy right? Well, it’s true. So when I decided to move on, I was determined to find somewhere with a close knit team that felt like home. Enter, BBD.

After reading so many of these blog posts before even applying, they were like glowing 5* reviews. Then once I stepped foot into the office for my 2nd interview, I knew this was where I was meant to be. The people, the atmosphere, the four legged friends and lastly the beautiful workspace. 

First few weeks…

As most are when starting any new job, I was so excited to start, but so incredibly nervous. This was my first official “Client Services” role and it was out of my comfort zone for sure. Firstly, I was ill for the first 2 weeks of starting — great timing, eh? Secondly, after having quite a creative and digital heavy background, it took a while to get my head around the role and into the swing of it, which was frustrating to say the least. Of course the team made me feel so very welcome and it has been lovely getting to know everyone. After a few weeks of being here, I finally feel like I’m picking up the processes and getting stuck in, as I knew I would eventually. I can confirm I am looking forward to learning everything there is to this role and to the adventures that it brings with it!
Aaaand that’s all you’re getting out of me for now.

Sarah, out.