I had finished an interim communications contract that I didn’t enjoy and wondered whether this was the end of my communications career. After all, I’d worked in pretty much every area of the profession at a senior level, with both major international firms and start-ups, so what was there left to learn?
Alongside my communications work, for many years, I’ve also been a residential landlord which has made me more customer-centric, resilient and able to sort problems at pace. I wondered whether property could be an alternative career option, and I started looking at potential properties to develop.
I came across a 500-year-old listed commercial building that had been empty for seven years in the centre of my local market town that was previously a tea rooms with a flat above. I know that for some of you reading that sentence, really loud alarm bells are already ringing but I walked in and fell in love with it. Even in its rundown state, I could see the potential of the building and what the benefits could be for the town if it was brought back to life. It had beautiful bones but needed a lot of work doing on it.
So, I bid in the online auction and got it! This was the first of many things I did over the four-year renovation that I had never done before – asbestos and lead paint tests anyone? I thought trusses and purlins were an Edwardian lady’s undergarments, but it turns out that they are some of the structural woodwork of the building.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t much from my residential landlord experience that was very helpful because this was on a totally different scale. I had a team of 60 people working for me including a whole range of specialists – conservation officers, structural engineers, quantity surveyors etc.
Aside from improving my general business skills, what surprised me was how much my communications and change experience came in handy. I created the business plan (for an integrated community hub with two Airbnb’s, workspaces, a function room and a café), the vision, mission and the brand (The Hummingbird Denbigh or Y Colibryn Dinbych in Welsh), engaged with the local community, media and politicians and managed the project team. Based upon my proposal, I secured planning permission with no objections, and grant funding from the Welsh Government and local wind farm.
Perhaps, the biggest thing I learned is that being a communicator is the best job in the world if you truly believe in what you are doing. I am quite a pragmatic person, and a lot of this project involved organising and cajoling people to get practical stuff done.
What made all the difference, in my view, was that I wanted to do the best for the building and for the town and the local community sensed that vision and supported me. We all want to make a positive difference to the world and if you can remind people of that higher purpose through your communications, then they will go the extra mile to make it happen.
A video tour of the building is available on YouTube and the front flat and the rear flat are available to rent via Airbnb