Meet Leanne, the mind behind Great Minds Marketing

How it all started

I’ve always been drawn to the arts, painting, music, design, anything creative. I wanted to be an artist, but my mum and I settled on a ‘sensible’ compromise: marketing. So, off I went to Lancaster University, where I fell in love with the subject, met my future husband, and realised marketing was the right career for me.

Starting out: learning the ropes

My first marketing role was agency side at a consultancy on the Isle of Man, where I learned about research, data, and analysis. I worked hard, made lifelong friends, and even secured my first mortgage (on the same day I was made redundant!).

Next, I moved to Moore Stephens, diving deeper into communications and branding. I discovered Adobe Creative Suite and got a behind-the-scenes look at the Monaco Yacht Show (sadly, never managed to get a ticket!).

The big leaps: global marketing and rebranding

Then came a new opportunity: Marketing Executive at Appleby, a global law firm. I spent almost five years there, working with an incredible mentor and learning the people-first approach to marketing.

A career-defining moment came when I led the rebrand of Appleby’s fiduciary business after its management buyout. This saw me rolling out a brand-new identity across 10 global offices, recruiting a new team, and working alongside the incredible leaders at private equity giant Bridgepoint.

I also got my first taste of crisis communications when the Paradise Papers leaked worldwide.

The start-up life: scaling a brand

In 2014, I took on my next challenge: Head of Marketing at plan.com. When I joined, we were a team of fewer than 20 people, by the time I left in 2021, we’d grown to nearly 200.

This was my first experience of start-up life, and it was a whirlwind. I led brand launches, employer branding, product marketing, and internal comms, including the mammoth task of managing communications during COVID. It was the hardest and best role I’ve ever had, teaching me a lot about the importance of a team, strong leadership and how to think BIG!

The leap to my own business

Leaving plan.com was tough. But with two little people relying on me, I knew I couldn’t give 100% to everything, so Great Minds Marketing was born.

Since launching, I’ve built a growing network of talented creatives, working together to create bespoke marketing teams for every client.

The reality of running a business

It’s been incredible, but it’s not without its challenges:

• Running a business alone is tough (this wasn’t my original plan!)

• It’s not as glamorous (or lucrative!) as social media makes it seem

• Imposter syndrome is real, and necessary (it means you’re pushing yourself!)

• Marketing, especially social media, can feel all-consuming

• Not every client relationship works out, and that’s okay!

But the best part? The Great Minds community. The support from clients, creatives, and fellow business owners has been amazing, and I love what we’re building.

Advice for aspiring founders

✅ You can do anything, but not everything. The moment you accept that is the moment things start to fall into place.

Thank you for being part of this journey, here’s to more great minds working together!