Meet Lucy, Luma’s fearless leader

It’s the last of our meet the team series and it's with our fearless leader, Lucy Lomas.

What did you want to be when you were a kid?

A dancer! But as reality began to bite, I hoped for a glamourous international career that involved great clothes, private jets, sunshine, restaurants and hotels… Instead, I met a nice man from the northwest and stayed in Manchester.

So, how did you get into marketing?

Like many marketers, a complete fluke. I was temping (that nice man from the northwest was considering a job offer in America) and my colleagues needed someone who spoke fluent French. Cue my first MIPIM, way back in 2002. I put it all together in just a couple of weeks and helped Marketing Manchester on the Manchester stand. I got to help on my first brand project when we got back, and I was hooked.

What do you like most about your job?

It’s definitely the variety. No two days are the same. I can go from a deep change-the-world conversation about COP and placemaking straight into the minutiae of an animated logo in just a few seconds (sometimes my brain aches). I get to have a real impact on people’s businesses – not just helping them to be more profitable, but to do more of the work they love. And I love the property market too – the built environment and placemaking – there’s a real legacy in that.

What’s the key to running a successful marketing agency?

I get asked this a lot. The key to running any small business is resilience. The Chinese proverb, ‘this too shall pass’ applies to the good days and the tough ones.

Top tips:

• Get the right support.
  I’m always working with a business advisor or part of a network of small business owners. It's important to talk to others in the same boat about how to keep everything ship shape.

• Don’t get stuck in the weeds
  Rise above the detail, the small stuff.

• Keeping hold of my joy is important.
  It’s essential that I enjoy my work, or everything else goes down.

• And ask for help.
  These last two years have brought with them their fair share of trials and tribulations. I’ve not always been at my best, but have always been able to ask for – and accept – help.

Finally, what keeps you busy when you’re not at Luma HQ?

I’m getting better at taking time off (or ‘not working’ at least). I have an 8-year-old who keeps me on my toes. And when I’m not parenting… a swim, a bike ride or a long lunch with my friends always lifts the spirits. I’m an excellent kitchen dancer.