Interview Series: Laura Sedgwick | Sedgwick Communications

Interview Series: Laura Sedgwick | Sedgwick Communications

In today’s blog, we sit down with Laura Sedgwick, a seasoned PR professional with over 12 years of experience across the UK, New Zealand, and Australia and founder of Sedgwick Communications. Laura has worked with some of Australia’s largest brands, crafting and executing integrated campaigns that leave a lasting impact. Known for her big-picture thinking and storytelling skills, Laura brings a wealth of knowledge and insight into the world of public relations. In this Q&A, we explore her journey in business ownership, her experiences in the PR industry, and the lessons she’s learned along the way.

What motivated you to start your own PR agency?

One of the main reasons I established Sedgwick Communications was to provide an alternative working environment by offering a more flexible approach to the traditional agency model. After over a decade of working in an agency, I saw many of my counterparts take time off to have children and never return, due to the long working hours and lack of flexibility. As a result, I couldn’t see a way of having a family without having to leave the profession entirely.

I set up this agency to give myself and other working parents the support that so many of us need. We shouldn’t have to choose between our careers and our children, we just need to reset the boundaries and provide people with the flexibility they need to help them manage both. It’s not easy but it is possible!

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced when starting your agency? How did you overcome them?

One of the biggest challenges was understanding how to run a business and all the financial and business administration that comes with it. It was a steep learning curve but I’ve discovered the business management side of things is something I actually really enjoy.

Top tip to anyone starting their own business… get yourself a good accountant.

Can you share a success story that you’re particularly proud of?

I started my agency as I was starting to think about having a family, what I didn’t realise was that I was already pregnant.. with twins! When I found out I was pregnant, it crossed my mind to not set up my agency and go back into agency. It was a scary prospect to set up a new business knowing I was also going to embark on a huge personal journey of my own, but I continued and I’m so grateful I did. My agency has grown from a team of one, to a team of three in just over two years, and we have an incredible and growing list of clients.

What are the key factors that have contributed to the success of your PR agency?

I think the success of the agency is probably down to three things:

Doing great work and delivering for our clients
Being open and honest with our clients and building strong trusted relationships
Being brave and encouraging our clients to push boundaries

How did you build confidence in leading your team and working with clients?

There wasn’t really a shortcut for me, I found time and experience played a huge part in building my confidence.

I tried to expose myself to as many different types of campaigns and clients as I could, especially in my early career, this helped to build my knowledge and experience.

However, life experience was another important factor. I’m a very different person now to when I was 25 and as I got to know myself better and matured, I also grew in self-confidence.

What advice would you give to a young woman looking to transition from a PR professional to running her own agency?

It’s the best decision I’ve ever made and I’m passionate about helping women who are thinking about taking the leap and going out on their own.

My advice to them is that they need to have a willingness to work hard and be prepared to never switch off, you’re always thinking about the clients, staff and the work. Things don’t always go to plan so you need to be resourceful and determined to overcome hurdles, especially at the beginning of the journey when you’re the most inexperienced.

I remind people to be the boss they always wanted, not necessarily the boss they had. Break the mold and set a new benchmark for you and your team.

In return, you’ll experience flexibility and a huge sense of accomplishment as your business grows – you won’t look back!

How can the PR industry better support and promote young women looking to grow their careers?

We need to ensure we are setting good examples for young women in the PR industry to inspire them and show them what is achievable. Women need to be in leadership positions. It’s also important that women in senior positions are given the flexibility to manage family commitments while still maintaining and excelling at work.

Women shouldn’t feel like they have to choose between their career and their children. We need to show them it is possible to have both in this fast paced environment and inspire the next generation.

Are there any specific initiatives you’ve implemented to support women in your agency or industry?

Sedgwick Communications aims to establish a new blueprint for the way communications agencies operate. The agency has a true commitment to flexibility and adopts a hybrid working model, no set working hours, a focus on deliverables rather than hours and a genuine commitment to a work/ life balance. I am passionate about delivering on these commitments to highlight to the broader industry that true flexibility can be achieved and is sustainable. More often than not, it’s talked about, but not necessarily delivered on.