When a personal aspiration becomes reality
After years of wanting my own business, I set up St James in 2015. The twins had started senior school, so it was time to take the plunge. I was disillusioned with the large corporate company mentality, who in my experience were only focused on the bottom line. So, I was determined to take a different path, putting “employees and clients first and foremost”.
I believe that FOH/Reception Service is intuitive and personnel in nature, hence the desire to create something fresh and meaningful.
St James is an independent bespoke “people” business, who work to develop long-lasting partnerships and solutions based on each client’s business or building which all have their own unique identity.
On this basis, we started with two contracts and now have 50 clients who all receive tailored solutions to fit their unique objectives. In striving to maintain the ethos of “employees and clients first and foremost”; Sandrine Lee joined me as an equal partner in 2018. Our different skillsets complement each other and we pride ourselves on working with clients through these current tough times. This means being flexible, responsive, and frank when endeavouring to problem solve for all parties involved. Not forgetting “lessons learnt” and to have some fun along the way!
On reflection, my success has been down to working closely with our teams to ensure they understand the client business; encouraging personal development and career progression. Unlike most companies, we pride ourselves on having a senior team consisting of strong talented females who offer diverse knowledge and experience. I would like to conclude by wholeheartedly thanking all our FOH teams, Dagmara Kledzik; Joanna Holland; Monica our Learning and Development Consultant, and Ursula our Creative Director.
Here’s to the next 5 years…..