Ellie Godden - A Life in the Day

Ellie Godden is the Marketing Coordinator at Laurence Simons

Ellie is responsible for the marketing function at Laurence Simons. She oversees all campaigns and communications across the business, ensuring we always promote our true values and produce engaging and informative content for our network.

In this instalment of ‘Life in the Day’, Ellie shares her average day, interests, and hobbies.

What is your daily morning routine?

I’m definitely a morning person and like to have time to myself whilst it’s quiet before starting work. During the summer and when the weather is good, I try and get out for a walk or run most mornings, then it’s out of the way and puts you in a positive mind frame before the day has really started. Spending time with my 2 dogs Tulle and Ivy and seeing them run around never fails to put me in a good mood. I’m a huge advocator for having a cup of tea in bed every morning too – it’s my only high maintenance non-negotiable!

How did you come to be Marketing Coordinator at Laurence Simons?

My first job in London was at another organisation within the world of legal search and recruitment. I was there for 3 years and my role was a very flexible admin-based one, where I was involved in all aspects of the business and got lots of experience. I had always known I wanted to work towards combining my creative side with my analytical interest in how businesses grow, how their consumers interact with them and how to nurture that relationship, by moving into a business development (BD)/marketing career. I had various BD roles at professional services and private practice law firms before finding the job at Laurence Simons (LS). I was looking for somewhere where I could really impact and grow professionally, and LS seemed the right fit for me – I truly believe that when you know, you know!

What does your role encompass?

I act as the coordinator between LS and our marketing agency, Aurora. I take plans and ideas from LS and delegate where we need support and what can be done internally, helping to keep to timeframes and ensuring both sides have what they need to drive marketing projects forward. My role covers a whole spectrum of marketing and BD activities as we always have lots going on – social media, events, webinars, newsletters, marketing materials, articles, podcasts, and much more.

What projects are you currently working on?

This year is Laurence Simons’ 35th anniversary so we have lots going on throughout the year to recognise that – much of our content has been looking back at the last 35 years of the industry which has been really interesting. We’ve also been busy recording lots of episodes for our podcast, Summing Up, over the summer which will be coming out over the coming months, along with some exciting research and articles from the team.

Who do you work most closely with?

I work very closely with Clare Beresford, CEO, as I report directly to her which has been a great learning experience. I also get to work with a lot of the team as we regularly have projects involving input from different team members, which is great as everyone is so incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about their field and the market.

What do you enjoy about your work?

It’s a cliché but I love how varied it is. I love collaborating with different people working on a variety of projects, bringing different ideas and creativity. I like to problem solve so enjoy taking people’s wants and ideas and putting them into motion. The best bit for me is always seeing how people react to projects we’ve worked on then put out. The analysis is what I find most interesting about marketing, and how we use what we’ve learned to inform our next project.

How do you spend time out of work, and what are your main hobbies and passions?

Having finished my Degree in Fine Art I couldn’t bring myself to even look at a paintbrush for a long time after graduating. Recently though I’ve been getting the itch to start drawing and painting again, more as a means of de-stressing and doing something outside of work that doesn’t involve scrolling on my phone! I love to travel and try and go somewhere new every year, most recently was Croatia which was heavenly. However, one of my yearly highlights is camping. I go each year with friends, which started as us going to a festival but now is a lot more zen. You truly get to switch off and just enjoy being outside – nothing beats the sound of tent zips at 7am, or drinking a slightly warm beer out the boot of a car!

What are you currently looking forward to?

My best friend turns 30 in October so we’re taking a trip to Las Vegas, which we’ve been talking about doing since we were in our teens (which always seemed like a million years away, so very scary that we’ve actually reached that age), so that’ll certainly be an experience! I’ve also recently finished renovations on my house that have taken far longer than I want to think about or admit, so I’m looking forward to finally being moved in properly.

Can you tell us a little more about the city you live in?

I can tell you about 2 because at the moment I split my time between where I grew up in Dorset and my house outside Kingsand/Cawsand in Cornwall. Dorset is a rural county on the south coast which has a lot of familiar natural landmarks like Durdle Door, Old Harry and Lulworth Cove. Kingsand/Cawsand are twin traditional fishing villages just on the other side of the River Tamar to Plymouth, which is where I lived for 5 years whilst at University and post-graduation.

What are your favourite places in the city?

For Dorset my favourite places are down on the coast around Poole. South Beach or, ‘Little beach’ as it’s locally known, in Studland is the best in my opinion. My favourite part is coming over Evening Hill in Sandbanks where you get the first glimpse of the sea, then driving along Panorama Road with the sea stretching across to Brownsea Island on your right, it feels like you’re not in the UK anymore. For Kingsand it has to be Whitsand Bay, where there’s a long stretch of road along the clifftops with fantastic views and great walks around, especially to the beach below.

Do you have any recommendations?

In Dorset it has to be either The Square and Compass at Worth Matravers, which is about as traditional as it gets – there’s a hatch inside where you’re served your beer or cider, and there’s 2 things on the menu: a meat pasty or a veg pasty. That’s it. Then you sit outside on a wall or stand around an old beer barrel and watch the sun go down. Or, The Scott Arms in Kingston which has a more extensive menu and an expansive view from the garden over the ruins of Corfe Castle. Perfect after a day on Studland Beach. For Cornwall, The Devonport Inn in Kingsand is fantastic. Before going vegetarian 5 years ago, I had the best scallops of my life there. The locals stand outside on the seafront with a drink and it’s a great atmosphere and place to end the day. Over in Plymouth, it might not be the most glamourous city in the world, but Royal William Yard is a bit more luxurious and has great restaurants, Devil’s Point has a tidal pool if you fancy a dip, and you can’t beat having a packet of crisps and a meal deal with a sea view on The Hoe.

Ellie Godden – A Life in the Day.