Our amazingly talented copywriter Dani has been with us at J&PR for 8 years! To celebrate, we surprised her with a decorated desk and a gift or two... and Dani wrote this blog!
1 boat trip
2 kids
3 offices
4 goodbyes to team mates
5 hellos to new team members
6 Christmas parties
7 self assessment tax returns
8 birthday days off
And countless cups of tea!
That’s what eight years at J&PR will do.
I can’t quite believe I have been here for eight years.
When I had an interview with Kirsty & Rhea at the Wacky Warehouse at the Bridge Builder in Ketley, Telford, I knew they were ex journos and had young children (hence the location…) but not a lot more.
I quickly discovered they were driven, forward thinking, strong women with a desire to build others up and see success across Shropshire.
The job was a freelance basis, just a fill in to go alongside a teaching job I was getting a qualification for. Just two days a week and we’ll see how it goes.
I turned down a job reading the news on BBC WM to work for J&PR instead - and I really haven’t looked back.
From hot desking space at the e-Innovation Centre in Priorslee, to a bigger office in a shared building at The Glebe in Wellington, to our own office with our own front door! The company has grown, changed and adapted to everything that has been thrown at it, but the ethos hasn’t changed. It’s all about the people.
My family situation has changed and I’ve had more responsibilities, with the need to do school runs, be at home with sick children and take time off to go and invigilate exams for my other job. But whatever has happened, J&PR has been there.
I dropped down to one day a week and a lot of people ask both me and Rhea why I bother to keep a job that’s just one a day a week. Have a day off they say, a day to yourself, a day to do the housework, a day to meet friends.
The answer is the people. I love talking to people, interviewing people, finding and writing stories, putting my journalistic skills to the test in action. But also the J&PR people. Never once have I been questioned about my hours, about if I’m doing something properly, about where I am and what I’m doing. I am trusted. I have a job and I know I’m good at it - and moreover, I know the directors know I’m good at it! I may only be here one day a week but I feel valued and respected and you don’t get that in every workplace.
Here’s to the next eight years!!!
