The Mindset Mentor Meets

#83 Juliette Maxam -Media & PR Lead for Greater Anglia

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Effective Communication for Business with Juliette Maxam

Communication is something we do every day. It might seem to come to us effortlessly, but what we don’t recognize is that communication is far more complex than we think. Communicating isn’t just simply speaking to someone; it’s being able to deliver your message in a way other people will understand. Effective communication is integral to the success of every person, business, and organization. 

In this episode, Juliette Maxam reflects on her career in the field of communications. She discusses the skills you’ll need to have to be able to communicate effectively. Lastly, she imparts her insights on the secrets to success that will help you strike the perfect work-life balance, allowing you to live a satisfying life.

Listen to this episode to discover how effective communication can bring success and change.

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

  1. Learn the essential skills for effective communication. 
  • Discover Juliette’s secrets to success.
  • Find out how you can balance your personal life and career.

    • Resources 

    • Greater Anglia
  • LADbible
  • Essex Climate Action Commission
  • Connect with Juliette: LinkedIn

    • Episode Highlights 

    [2:25] Working from Home

    • Juliette has been in back to back Zoom meetings since she started working from home.
  • With a beautiful view of nature from her study, she misses walking to the office.
  • As a journalist, she’s used to asking questions, so being the interviewee makes her nervous.

    • [4:27] Juliette’s Proudest Moment

    • When asked about the three things she was proudest of, she mentioned that her three sons had a bit of a sibling rivalry.
  • She’s extremely proud of her three sons. 
  • One of the things she’s proudest of is her work at Greater Anglia and the changes she’s brought that benefits the company and customers.

    • [6:10] How She Brought Change to Greater Anglia

    • When she started at Greater Anglia, their PR needed updating.
  • Juliette realized the company’s need for effective communication, what they needed to do to achieve it.
  • She put together a PR strategy, campaign plans, and new PR channels.
  • Companies need their own news channels, so she worked with the marketing team to set up social media channels.
  • She introduced new tactics, such as videos — which are useful because they can be repurposed in many ways — and podcasts, increasing their reputation.

    • [9:58] The Necessities in Effective Communication

    • Aim to understand the needs of your customers.
  • Use the language of the people you’re communicating with.
  • You need to have good instincts and observe the world around you.
  • Always be mindful of the person you’re communicating with to understand how you can communicate effectively.
  • Anticipate people’s questions.

    • [14:34] Juliette’s Career

    • Juliette is proud of her career.
  • She started as a journalist, probably because of her curiosity, and had many exciting experiences before moving to communications.
  • To achieve effective communication, you must get access to the people at the top to understand things better.
  • She has always loved each job she’s done.

    • [17:53] Balancing Personal Life and Passion

    • She’s not used to not being busy, and having free time feels alien to her despite her husband being supportive and taking care of the children.
  • Two of her sons followed her footsteps into journalism and PR.
  • She used to take her sons along with her on journalism jobs, and her eldest already did work experience at around 8 years old.
  • She’s always wanted children and she’s enjoyed every minute of having them.
  • Listen to the full episode to find out why they are a “crumpled household”!

    • [21:02] Being a Mother

    • Being a mother means doing your best and being present for them.
  • Juliette thinks she couldn’t be a full-time Mum because she’s been working since she was 13 years old.
  • She feels defined by her job to a certain extent.

    • [23:41] Working as School Governor

    • It's been 18 years that she’s been a school governor at her children’s primary school, which gave them an excellent foundation in life.
  • Juliette also learned a lot from that school and wanted to give back to them.
  • Media training is about shaping the message and preparing answers for questions.
  • Using her skills from being a media spokesperson for the benefit of the children and parents at the school was special.
  • Journalists feel equal to everyone and are prepared to ask questions while also empowering the people they’re communicating with.

    • [31:18] The Secrets to Success

    • Be passionate, enthusiastic, and open to learning.
  • Don’t think it’s too late to pursue something.
  • Be happy and satisfied with what you’re doing.
  • Make realistic to-do lists and regulate your workload.
  • Prioritization involves knowing what’s important to persevere in and what to be flexible about.

    • 5 Powerful Quotes

    [10:18] ‘... it’s about never being sucked in to all of that corporate jargon, you know, never setting yourself off as a little bit different because you work for the railway. And therefore, the people that you’re communicating to need to start using your language, always remembering that you need to use the language of the people you’re communicating to.’

    [27:01] ‘It’s about helping them to shape the messaging they're going to use, which is obviously that’s a huge part of my job. And just getting them to think about what answers they can give what the questions might be.’

    [29:07] ‘Because when you’re a journalist, you feel on equal level with anybody, you know, you’re prepared to ask questions of anybody, whether it be, you know, the person at the top of an organization or, you know, so-called at the bottom of the organization...’

    [35:38] ‘... it’s better to do a few things well than loads and loads and loads of things not particularly very well at all.’

    [36:06] ‘... [prioritization] about knowing what's important to persevere with and what you need to be flexible about.’

     

    About the Guest 

    Juliette Maxam is a professional in the communications field. As Media and Public Relations Manager in Greater Anglia, she has devised PR strategies and successfully runs a busy press office.

    She formerly worked as a journalist and media spokesperson. With her vast experience and refined skills in communication, she contributed to Greater Anglia by devising and implementing new communication and PR strategies. Since she started, Greater Anglia has been shortlisted for 4 CIPR awards and a Rail Business Award for Marketing and Communications Excellence. 

    If you want to know more about Juliette, you can connect with her via LinkedIn.

    Enjoy this Podcast?

    As Juliette looks back on her career, she shares her joys and proudest moments, and the skills that brought her to where she is today. If you enjoyed today’s episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets, hit subscribe and share it with your friends! Everyone can find success by looking at their origins and building new connections.

    Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, share your thoughts through a review. You can also share it to help your family and friends discover how to learn more from their life experiences.

    Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Thanks for listening! 

    For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Podbean. 

    To meeting inspiration,

    Angela

     

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