Staging a comeback to Edinburgh - Tartan Silk's Megan Williams
Account executive Megan Williams has just joined the venerable Martin Hunt at Tartan Silk Public Relations. We sat down with her to find out what brought her back to Edinburgh.
"I was born in Edinburgh, and then started life in Perth, and my family returned to Edinburgh when I was in secondary school. I did work experience with Tartan Silk when I was at Trinity Academy.
"After school I attended Rose Bruford College in Sidcup, the international drama school of theatre and performance, where I studied Scenic Arts. I learned about 2D drawing programmes, construction with wood and metal as well as scenic painting and prop making. It was a fantastic foundation to build a career on, and the work ethic and commitment of those who work in theatre ensures that you come into the real world ready to roll up your sleeves and get stuck in.
"After that I worked for a wonderful company who built stages for The Brit Awards, exhibition stands for McLaren, catwalks for Mulberry and window displays for John Lewis. The pace was fierce, but I worked hard to gain the respect of these incredible people who had such spectacular projects under their belt. I cut my teeth in set construction, then moved city and joined a creative agency in Manchester.
"There, every idea matters whether you work in accounts or design. The people I worked with inspired me to be more creative, strategic and diplomatic. Working for organisations like big pharma, meant trying to please a lot of people with very different opinions. These are creative minds with business sense.
"At Tartan Silk we want to grow awareness for our current clients, and deliver exciting campaigns for an expanded selection of new clients. We love to work with brands that we are passionate about."
Best career advice you've had? "Never make assumptions. In my first year at work I almost chartered an unnecessarily large cargo plane to deliver a small window display to Hong Kong. My assumption, as I had measured up twice, was that the dimensions I had given to the shipping company were correct. I checked one last time - a crisis (and astronomical bill!) was averted." Your hidden Edinburgh tip?
"East Coast Cured, a wonderful specialist food shop tucked away on Restalrig Road. Try the Nduja sausage, it’s brilliant on homemade pizza."
www.tartansilk.co.uk