Lisa Morton still remembers walking into a roomful of men and being loudly cheered.
Morton is the founder and CEO of Manchester-based Roland Dransfield PR and was speaking at BusinessCloud’s roundtable ahead of International Women’s Day, run in association with GM Business Growth Hub.
Morton, who also hosts the popular ‘We Built This City’ podcast, recalled: “One of my first memories of starting in PR, going to a new client meeting with my boss at the time, was walking into a room full of blokes in suits and getting cheered. At least I can say things have changed in the last 30 years!”
Morton always wanted her own business and was inspired by a real person called Roland Dransfield.
“Roland Dransfield was a mentor to my Dad,” she said. “Dad went to work for Roland’s business, Roland Dransfield Engineers Ltd and had a successful career in engineering. Eventually the company name changed went on the shelf and I took it up when I started my business.
“He was a person who set me up in a car washing round when I was eight and said to me ‘you need your own business’.
“I had a car wash until l I was 15 and then went to work in a shoe shop. What I learned from him, as a male mentor, from the age of eight was that repeat business is better than finding a new client, it’s about your quality in delivery.
“I had a strong role model in Roland and in my Dad. For me my career has been something of a dichotomy. On the one hand I’ve been ultra competitive and very ambitious, which comes from my Dad’s side.
“But on the other hand, we were brought up to be a ‘good girl’ you know, be nice to people and do things when you’re asked to do them. That approach to life can create a real struggle running your business.”
Now firmly established in her career she’s committed to helping other people. “PR is all about relationships and where I can help people, I want to,” she said.
She was joined on the roundtable by: Susanna Lawson co-founder, OneFile and Circle of Trust; Alison Ross, chief people and operations director, Auto Trader UK; Janine Smith, director, GM Business Growth Hub; Sharon Amesu, Northwest Business Leadership Team; Nicola Merritt is CEO of Cortus Advisory; Clare Roberts, CEO, Kids Planet; Kathy Cowell OBE DL, group chairman, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust; Alison Salas, senior marketing manager, Rochdale Development Agency; Shru Morris, CEO Designate at DSW; Tiffany Thorn, founder & CEO, BiVictriX Therapeutics Ltd; Beckie Taylor, co-founder Tech Returners and Empower; Chris Stott, managing partner, KPMG Manchester; Amanda Ruddiman, director, corporate finance. KPMG; Kirsty Smith, KPMG Emerging Giants team; Emma Birchall, partner, JS (Jackson Stephen); and Christy Foster, managing director, The Nursery Store.