About me

• CEO and Founder at Scruff of the Neck
• Studied: BA (Hons) Business Studies, 2010

About my career

After I graduated, I started working in a call centre in Didsbury in collections. It was low pay and difficult work but I was given a lot of autonomy and opportunity to progress, so I feel I learned some invaluable skills at a young age.

I am now the CEO of Scruff of the Neck. I run eight limited companies in my group so I have to manage the strategy for all of those companies, working closely with the managers. I have to adapt my thinking multiple times throughout the day, so it is challenging but invigorating at the same time. I also manage artists as part of my day-to-day job, which is really exciting and the main reason I’ve expanded my knowledge and contact book over the 10 years in music.

My top tip for students

Go and meet people. If you want to work in music, go to gigs and seek out the promoter, talk to the bands and their management, don’t be scared! I personally find it a good quality when someone is persistent and confident in wanting to meet me and my team.

Also, if you have an idea just go for it! I wanted to run some gigs, then release some records, then manage some bands, so I did it and here we are!

What skills gained at university have you used most in your career?

Microsoft Excel! I had a really promising career at Barclays Bank alongside running Scruff of the Neck in its formative years and I used to create interfaces in Excel Forms that ended up being used by hundreds of staff to help them with their day to day role. I then went on to build my company with self-built systems and processes in Excel, which gave us a competitive advantage. It is such a dynamic and important tool to master.

What did you enjoy most whilst studying at Manchester Met?

I loved the Young Enterprise Unit run by David Taylor. It was such a great idea to put a group of young people together and teach them how to build a business from the ground up. The Young Enterprise Unit was really informative and we got masterclasses from some very successful people. The Dragon’s Den-style competition was so much fun and a great way to get quality feedback.

Why I love Manchester Met

I loved having the autonomy to do my own thing. I got to play in a band and tour the UK, set up my own company, make friends, start relationships and all whilst studying and learning skills that have served me well in later life.

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