Three months ago, Lauren Parsons contacted Clone with a simple question: do you have any opportunities? She was interested in marketing and print, wanted a career path she could develop, and was ready for something new. Clone said yes, and offered her an apprenticeship role as Client Services Executive.
Since then, she’s been managing projects, building client relationships, and discovering just how much print and branding shapes the world around us.
What does an average day look like for you?
I’m running jobs from the moment they’re handed over from sales right through to delivery. I’m the first point of contact for clients, so I need to build that relationship with them and make sure their ideas are met.
Every project is different because every client is different. The jobs might follow similar processes, but they’re all unique – different clients, different items, different requirements. That’s what I love about it.
I work with the design team, coordinate with the warehouse team – basically everyone. It’s about keeping everything moving and making sure clients are happy throughout.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
The variety. Even though jobs might have similar frameworks, they’re all different because of the different clients and what they need. No two projects are exactly the same, which keeps things interesting.
I also like building relationships with clients. You become their go-to person, so creating that trust and making sure their vision becomes reality is really satisfying.
What inspires you about branding, print and design?
You see it every day but don’t realise how much it’s used. If you just look around your room, there’s so much print marketing – on t-shirts, on paper, everywhere. Working here has opened my mind to how it’s created and what goes into making it.
It’s made me notice branding and print in a completely different way. You start spotting things you’d never have paid attention to before.
What did you do before joining Clone?
I worked in retail doing merchandising for stores – setting out displays and creating the visual experience. But I’ve also been a swimming teacher since I was 16, and I still do that alongside this job.
I teach little kids and adults – quite a mixed group. Every Saturday and Sunday my weekends are completely booked with swimming teaching. I work for a company on Saturdays, and then I work for myself on Sundays.
What’s been your favourite or most interesting project so far?
I did a job for Partnerize, who were going to an F1 event. They needed socks and hats with an F1 theme. I really like Formula One, so I was particularly interested to see how they turned out. The client sent me pictures of them wearing everything at the event, which was brilliant.
If I’m dreaming big, I’d love to work on something like the Wicked campaign that’s happening at the moment – that looks really interesting.
How are you settling in?
The team are lovely – a really nice group of people. I dressed up for Halloween, and I’ve been to Naomi House to do charity work. We were doing gardening for them, picking up leaves and sorting out their garden area so its nicer for the children.
What do you get up to outside of work?
Swimming takes up most of my free time! My weekends are packed with teaching lessons, so I don’t swim as much myself anymore – there just aren’t enough hours in the day.
When I’m not at the pool, you’ll find me with Teddy, my French Bulldog cross Sausage Dog. He’s brilliant company, whether we’re out on long walks together or curled up on the sofa for a cuddle.
