How many qualifications DO you need before you feel legitimate? Is learning from experience more important? And if traditional qualifications aren’t for you – what books could you read to give you the edge on sales and marketing for your own business marketing?
We discuss these themes, and many more, in The Whin Big Podcast this week where we meet David Christie of Camber Media. David and Katie chat about the similarities between racing driver and influencer marketing, personal self-development, finding a consistent voice online and future predictions about community in marketing. This week’s podcast is a thrilling ride, so let’s buckle up and get into it the episode!
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What makes us take the leap from stability to uncertainty?
David Christie LOVES motorsports. He finds everything about the sport thrilling and exciting, so working for a Scottish racetrack in events & PR could sound like a dream come true. His was a varied role, one that combined his talent and skills in communications, sales and marketing with a sport he was genuinely passionate about.
There was one element of his role that was missing. Freedom. Eventually, the need for agency became the driving force (pardon the pun) to leave behind a secure and enjoyable job to set up his own business – Camber Media.
“Everything I do now was based on the bits of the job I was doing that I liked. And I tried to subtract all the bits I didn’t like at all.” – David
Do clients look for real-world experience or university qualifications?
Almost one year in and David has a lot of success to look back on in that time. David and Katie discuss how their careers have evolved from lived experiences. Working practically throughout their career means they don’t have the industry qualifications many might expect. Qualifications and courses to improve things like your skills in communications, sales, marketing, PR and so on can all be helpful, but they’re not essential to your success.
In the podcast, they discuss if qualifications matter, and what is more important to a client these days?
How to get out of negative thought patterns when you’re self-employed
David does recognise that there are days when negative self-talk gets in the way. Katie and David chat about how negativity can spring from nowhere and the frustrations of imposter syndrome, a topic covered in last week’s Whin Big Podcast.
“I’m a perfectionist. But I have to deal with my self anxiety and imposter syndrome. I think everybody who works for themselves feels they have to validate themselves. To justify they have the right to throw their hat in the arena.” – David
Build your confidence by standing by the content you produce
Katie and David briefly discuss bad habits of marketing, with both admitting to struggling with consistency. In the podcast, he talks through the tools he uses to override his habits to become an authoritative voice in the industry.
His marketing takes place on Facebook mostly, and after a couple of months of resting while his industry was on lockdown, David decided to get ‘active’ on social media in the past couple of weeks. He’s produced a video with marketing tips for racing drivers and has plans to do more, despite the video having little engagement at the time of posting.
“People don’t want to see just one video from you. If they like the first one, they want to watch three or four more. So what matters is getting a volume of content up initially and don’t worry about the tiny details in single episodes.” – Katie
Marketing advice and rules to live by and the need for community and authenticity
David is a firm believer in self-development and takes inspiration from learning and growing. In the podcast, he discusses sources of inspiration and advice and his belief that consumers – and clients – need relatable content, stories to inspire and inform. As the world slowly unfurls from lockdown, David talks about the importance of community, in the real world and online.
The Whin Big Book Club
In the podcast, David shared three books that shaped his working life.
“Best marketing advice I’ve ever read: 1. Don’t be a dick. 2. Don’t look down on anyone. 3. The small talk is the big talk —advice taken from Tim Ferris’ 3 Rules. I try to abide by them every day.” – David
Links to other resources & websites
Previous podcast mentioned in this episode:
Instagram without Imposter Syndrome
Virtual Assistants & Instagram (with Rachel)
It can’t be a business; it’s a community group (with Jess)
The wood carving story, from Racheal Jackson:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAswIfkJcMP/
About David and Camber Media
David Christie launched Camber Media in September 2019 following a varied career in sales, events, PR and marketing. Offering a one-stop fully marketing service to small local businesses, David works primarily in the motorsports industry – supporting drivers with their PR and sponsorship goals.
https://www.facebook.com/camberdotmedia
https://twitter.com/camberdotmedia
https://www.instagram.com/camber.media
* Links marked with a star are affliate links to Bookshop.org. When you buy through these links, a small portion of the cost of the book goes to supporting your local bookshop, and a small portion comes to The Whin. The books won’t cost you any extra!
