About Big Roots

Growing from experience.

My career has taken a few unexpected turns over the years, but they've all led here.

Big Roots brings together over 20 years working in marketing and digital, with seven years spent running my own retail and ecommerce business.

I've worked with businesses of all sizes, but some of the biggest lessons came from running a business myself.

That's why Big Roots focuses on practical advice, straightforward support and helping businesses make the most of the opportunities available online.

How Big Roots grew

Every step has helped shape the way I work today.

2026

Big Roots takes root

Bringing together everything I'd learnt from marketing, design, ecommerce and business ownership to help Yorkshire Coast businesses make the most of the opportunities available online.

2023-2026

digital projects at scale

Delivered websites, ecommerce platforms, web2print portals and marketing projects through a specialist marketing agency, while continuing to work directly with independent businesses on freelance web and marketing projects.

2017

Swapped city life for the Yorkshire Coast.

Opened a retail shop in Scarborough and spent the next six years learning what it really takes to run an independent business.

While I enjoyed meeting customers and being part of the local community, I always found myself drawn back to the creative side - designing product packaging and point of sale, looking after the website and using marketing to attract new customers and keep existing ones coming back.

Looking back, it probably wasn't a surprise. I'd come full circle, back to the work I'd always enjoyed most.

2015

jumped off the corporate ladder

Left the corporate world to build an ecommerce business from scratch. It was a chance to put years of marketing experience into practice and learn first-hand what it really takes to attract customers, fulfil orders and grow an online business.

2005-2015

Built the foundations

Worked in a variety of marketing, design and digital roles across sectors including retail, tourism, financial services and the public sector. It gave me a solid grounding in understanding customers, solving problems and using creative thinking to help businesses grow.

the 80s

The roots of everything that followed

You could say marketing was in my blood. My parents set up an advertising agency in the 1980s, so I grew up around campaigns, design and creative ideas. Looking back, the seeds for Big Roots had been planted long before I realised it.

A few credentials

QUALIFICATIONS

First Class BA (Hons) Degree in Design
CIM Professional Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing (Level 7)
Google Ads Certified

INDUSTRIES

Tourism & Hospitality
Retail
Ecommerce
Financial Services
Manufacturing
Public Sector
Education & Training

PROJECTS

Business websites
Ecommerce websites
Wholesale websites
Dealer portals
Tourism websites
Training academy websites
Portfolio websites
Email marketing

The tools behind the scenes

Every business is different, so I work with the tools that best suit your needs - not just the ones I know.

Websites & Ecommerce

Platforms I build with

Wix
WordPress
Shopify
Magento
Weebly
Web2Print platforms
Google Analytics
Moz, Semrush, Screaming Frog & SEO tools

DESIGN & CONTENT

Software I create with

Adobe Creative Suite
Affinity Suite
Canva
Figma
Email marketing platforms (Mailchimp, Campaign Monitor)

MARKETING & Business Tools

Tools I use to help businesses grow

Google Ads
Google Business
Social Media
Hootesuite
Hubspot
ERPs & Databases
CRM systems
Project management software

Hidden Roots

The stories you won't find on my CV.

There's more to me than websites and marketing. These are a few of the experiences, interests and slightly unusual stories that have shaped the way I think and work today.

I used to work for a private investigations company.

Before I started my marketing career, I worked in private investigations. From surveillance jobs and tracing people to the occasional car chase, it certainly wasn't your average office job.

It also taught me to be naturally curious, analytical and to look beyond the obvious - skills I still use today when reviewing websites, analysing SEO and solving business problems.

I taught my dog to pick up litter.

My Labrador, Molly, learnt to pick up litter on our walks. What started as a bit of fun soon attracted attention, and before long we were featured in local and national newspapers.

It's still one of my favourite stories, and proof that the simplest ideas can sometimes make the biggest impact.

I hate waste. I Love nature.

Whether it's plastic on a beach or money spent on marketing that isn't delivering results, I've never liked waste.

While running my shop in Scarborough, I became the town's first Plastic Free accredited business through Surfers Against Sewage. I worked alongside organisations including Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and the Marine Conservation Society, organised community beach cleans, and even teamed up with a local recycling company to turn beach plastic into new products. I also had a go at melting down beach plastic myself to make jewellery.

That same mindset still shapes how I work today. I believe in making the most of what you've already got before suggesting something new.

The cat distribution society knows where i live.

If you know, you know 😉