A day with award-winning marketer Anna Stella
As Anna Stella has been a marketer for more than half of her life, and it’s clear that she loves the industry. She has 20+ years of experience in the B2B, B2C, and non-profit industries with clients including Volkswagen AG, the Government, the European Union, RICS, and more. Anna is a two-time national award-winning marketing expert and runs the global outsourcing marketing agency BBSA. Most importantly, Anna will be launching her upcoming marketing book, which will launch in 2023.
Starting the day in an unconventional way
Since I cater to international markets, I work across different time zones, and some days can look a little different. Having "Me Time" is key to a positive morning routine. It helps me clear my head and set the right tone for the day. My morning routine includes walking my dog and getting dressed to look my best. So I take a few minutes to choose my outfits carefully based on the type of activities I will have, i.e., meetings, conferences, or photo shoots, and then prepare for my day.
I usually wake up around 3:40AM London time to prepare for my calls with Australian clients. The first hours of the day are always about writing briefs for new and existing projects. I then take my dog for a 20-30 minute walk around 7:00AM as I reflect on my day and cater to my dog's needs. Then come back and get ready for my day.
My next round of meetings and calls with staff usually start around 8:30AM London time, and then around midday, as the East Coast clients wake up. My day ends at 9:00PM.
Reflecting on the day’s highs and lows
The beauty of being a marketer is that every day can come with its sets of challenges, and in a way, this is why our work is never boring. 20% of the marketing is reactive and difficult to pre-plan. Therefore delivering quality marketing with short-term deadlines or having last-minute requests from clients is often the biggest challenge. It sometimes gets very hectic and a bit stressful for my team, but we always push through and finish the job on time.
On the flip side, it's the people I work with and our outstanding marketing talent at BBSA that make my job so worthwhile. We have a great team at BBSA, and our clients are like a family to us, and we all enjoy helping clients with strategy and marketing implementations that are cost-effective and maximise reach.
Lately, I really enjoy researching and writing on marketing issues affecting SMBs and their possible solutions. It keeps me engaged and enables me to share my research findings with academics and a broader audience.
Most importantly, I love it when things work out the way we envision them. I love seeing a plan unfold and bear fruit. Our work involves a lot of strategies and planning and seeing us hitting milestones and changes happening for our clients and their businesses is more than rewarding.
Finding time to relax
As an author, I unwind from my day by writing and journaling. I enjoy spending time researching new marketing techniques and journaling about marketing. It helps me reflect on my day, connect the dots on the latest business trends, and gather my thoughts.
My evening routine involves my must-have hot bath after a long day. I function a lot at night, so I prefer a little pampering as a reward for my hard day's work. I also like staying up late and reading before bedtime.