Inspirational Female Founder Spotlight: Natalie Mohan

Natalie Mohan is the founder and managing director of digital marketing agency, Pocket Rocket Consultancy.

Can you tell us a little about your background and the company?

I founded Pocket Rocket Consultancy nearly 4 years ago, after working in various different marketing roles, across a variety of sectors. At Pocket Rocket, we work with businesses of all sizes, helping them to achieve their goals online. It’s fast paced and every day is different, we work with clients across a huge variety of industries. I love that.

How did the idea come to you for the company?

The idea for Pocket Rocket came to me after I’d been working in my previous role for five years. I felt I’d hit the ceiling at what I could achieve there and although I loved the team I worked with, I felt I couldn’t ignore the urge I had to create something for myself. I’d always had this niggle in the back of my mind, that I wanted to do something for myself and take my passion for marketing and helping small and start up businesses grow, without all the jargon and gumpf that I’d experienced. I left my safety net of five years with just a month’s pay behind me and went for it.

How did you achieve awareness?

Initially, through word of mouth. I was lucky that when I put myself out there, I had a few previous connections or employers reach out and want to work together. It was hard but once we got a couple of clients on board and we achieved success for them, word spread and it started to snowball. I used social media to put myself out there and after a few months, I started speaking at local networking events, giving small businesses advice about social media and other areas of marketing.

How have you been able to gain funding and grow?

Back in 2020, I knew I needed to take the plunge and take on more staff, we were growing and I needed more support. Up until that point I had saved everything I had made back into the business, using those savings I initially intended to take on one new member of staff. I ended up taking on two. Which was the best decision I made and I believe is the reason we’ve been able to continue our growth. At the end of 2021, we successfully applied for a local grant which enabled us to take on premises in town and make it feel lour own.

What are the key successes?

For me, I see our key successes as not only the results and impact we’ve been able to have on our clients, but the relationships we’ve been able to build.

I also see growing the team to four and moving into our new premises as pivotal moments for me, at the same time as having a baby and getting married. I love my team, we work so well together and seeing how we are all able to work with each other and through difficult times, I’m really proud of them.

What were/are the challenges and how have you overcome these?

With the accelerated growth of the business, alongside moving into our new office, having a baby and juggling childcare – all have had an impact on the time I have available. I love my business and what I do, it’s my other baby, and I’m a firm believer that as women, we can have it all – we can work and have a family… but I can’t deny it doesn’t bring challenges with it. Having a team, an office, a baby all can mean issues or situations can crop up unexpectedly, and I really have to stay on top of my time management.  As the business grows, I don’t always get the time to be involved in the actual ‘doing’, that’s why I needed a team around me I could rely on.

What are your plans now/for the future?

I’m just looking to take on a new team member and also branch out our offering into new areas. The pandemic has accelerated the growth of our industry and with that needs and demand are changing, I want to make sure we are best placed to meet those.

What would you like to share with others to encourage them to start their own entrepreneurship journey?

You can do it. I often and still do now, suffer with Imposter Syndrome but that doesn’t mean you can’t or will not succeed. Just make sure you are clear on what you want to achieve and put together a plan.

Some people won’t understand your ambition or goals but that doesn’t matter and does not determine your success. I remember being told I would go from ‘hero to zero’ when I was just starting out. I often think back to that and smile, because although it hurt at the time, it continues to fuel the drive I have to succeed.

Can you share your top tips for entrepreneurial success?

Speak to people. Whether that is a friend, member of your family or a fellow business owner. I think it’s really important to have a support network around you, that you can speak to about concerns and bounce ideas off of. My husband is a great sounding board, but sometimes I need to speak to somebody external to me and my life, and I feel really fortunate to have some great fellow business owners and mentors around me.

Also build your team right. I feel very fortunate to have the team I have, they can cover areas that I can’t or couldn’t as well. They’re passionate and supportive and the business wouldn’t be what it is today without them.

Who are the 5 people who inspire you the most and why?

Carrie Rose. She is a co-founder and managing director of a marketing agency and I just love her approach and how she has disrupted the space unapologetically.

There’s also a handful of people who are around me daily.

What are your favourite inspirational /motivational quotes?

Feel the fear and do it anyway.

What are your Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn social handles and also website links so our readers can connect with you?

Instagram: @pocketrocketc

https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-mohan-3b730140/

www.facebook.com/pocketrocketconsultancy

www.pocketrocketconsultancy.co.uk