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Vanessa Jennings | Brand Marketing Strategist(@vanessaeves)'s profile avatar HD Profile

Vanessa Jennings | Brand Marketing Strategist

@vanessaeves

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Founder @bake.brands 🥣 Grow your business with better brand, marketing & sales strategy ❤️‍🔥
Mother, Runner, Renovator 🤘
🥝 Kiwi📍Berkshire, UK
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2.5 years into running my own business and I can honestly say this year has been the hardest. A rebrand, movement with clients and some big internal shifts that needed to happen have tested me to my limits. It’s relentless, it’s all consuming and it’s bloody hard work. So to get an email last Friday saying I’d been nominated for Solopreneur of the Year in the Great British Business Awards was absolutely humbling. (And a massive thank you to whoever nominated me! 🥹) Keep your fingers crossed for me guys, a win would be the icing on the (Bake) Cake 🎂 😉 Thank you @gbexpos 🙏 #GBBCAwards @vanessaeves @bake.brands taken in Windsor, Berkshire by @vanessaeves
52
23 days ago
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Hello hello! 👋 If you’re new here, welcome 🤗 this is some of my journey from growing up in New Zealand, a small girl with big dreams 🤍 Vanessa x @vanessaeves P.S: when I started my Instagram all those years ago I decided to put an s on the end as I thought it sounded better 🤷‍♀️ (my middle name is Eve - but I don’t even use it 😂) is it finally time to change it….?! by @vanessaeves
43
3 months ago
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About last Friday 🥹 Where do I start… to be nominated for Soloprenuer of the Year at the Great British Business Awards in 2026 has kind of made me lost for words. This year has been hard - not just for me, but seemingly for everyone. ESPECIALLY for Soloprenuers. Market conditions have shifted tremendously and in the year of the Horse where we all thought we’d be bloody galloping away, I’ve had an unprecedented amount of conversations with friends, work friends, potential clients & clients who have all been finding it tough. But… we move 💪 This year I rebranded; finally settling into my own brand voice and had a huge amount of internal shifts (+ blood, sweat, lots of tears etc etc!) that happened at the same time. (And ironically repositioning that I’m no longer a Soloprenuer… but that’s a story for another day😂) And the further irony of being nominated for an award after the quietest few months since I started in 2024 is not lost on me 😂 but by god, have I been hustling. I’ve been talking recently about active visibility, taking control of your business development & realigning your channels when things need to change and I am living proof that it works. New clients, exciting new products launches and some great visibility opportunities are all now in the mix for the months ahead. I’ve felt pretty humble about this award but today on reflection I want to shout it from the fucking rooftops - it’s living proof that grafting pays off ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥 And if you’ve had a tough year, just keep going - one day you’ll look back and be so bloody proud of yourself that you did 🫶 Vanessa x @vanessaeves P.S - thank you @jools.raye for being my gorge +1 and one of my biggest cheerleaders 🥹 by @vanessaeves
19
4 days ago
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Yesterday I hosted an Identity & Visibility workshop for @womensworksocial at their September Mastermind at @silentpooldistillers ✨ I loved taking the group through some brand marketing exercises and offering a fresh take on visibility and how they can leverage it in their biz ❤️‍🔥 And as a woman in her 40’s running a business, there is nothing quite like being in a room of other female business owners. The energy. The calm. The laughs. The support. The questions that make you think bigger. It’s not often we get a chance to step back and spend a whole day mapping out our goals, digging into what’s really needed to move the needle and offering genuine advice and support to those who also do the same for you. @laurenhopkinsva @social_jo you’ve created something really special with @womensworksocial and should be v v proud 💝 Their next Mastermind is in January (get in quick - it sells fast!) but they have regular events, coffee mornings & more in and around the Guildford area 👌 Vanessa x @vanessaeves by @vanessaeves
4
9 days ago
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Buckle up… 🚗💨💨 ❤️‍🔥 Your brand is NOT your logo, colours and fonts. Your brand is your personality. It’s how you make people feel. It’s your experience, values, opinions, style of communication, tone of voice, and so much more. (It’s a hell of a lot more than just a brand kit on Canva!) ❤️‍🔥 Your personal brand exists, whether you curate it or not. If YOU don’t shape your own narrative, the market and your audience will make their own assumptions and shape it for you. Get in there first. ❤️‍🔥Your story is not over sharing - it’s your biggest asset. YOU are your superpower! Your experience is your unique differentiator and a key axis point that drives connection. Master how to tell it and you’ll harness the asset. ❤️‍🔥 Use AI to write your content for you and you will NEVER build a legacy business. If you outsource all of your creative thinking to AI you will slowly lose that brain muscle to flex while risking blending into the background. Great content is not found in a robot that gives everyone the same answers and tells them what they want to hear. ❤️‍🔥 Authority & trust is built through consistency - not virality. It looks like repetition, familiarity, sharing the same core beliefs and developing your own signature style. It’s strategic, methodical and unfortunately is actually very rarely exciting 🙈 ❤️‍🔥 Most confidence issues are actually identity issues. Underneath the sentence ‘I’m scared of being seen’ is most probably the realisation that you’re unclear on who you are, what you stand for or how to claim your authority. All said with love of course 😆🙏 Vanessa xx P.S - if you’d love some help with building your brand I’ve got a cheeky little discount code for you, just send me a DM saying you’d love to find out more 😘 by @vanessaeves
0
12 days ago
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From steel to toothpaste to pizza to golf. That’s (ok ok a massively simplified!) summary of my dad’s CV. We were chatting about how over the past two years I’ve found myself working with businesses way outside my own industry experience. Even though my background is in fashion, retail & consumer brands, since starting my consultancy I’ve worked with an energy events business, a community magazine, coaches, stylists, foot health practitioners, aesthetic clinics, founders in packaging, tech, sustainability and more. And Dad said something that stuck with me: “It’s never about a niche, It’s all about your personality.” It was such a nice moment as it’s what I bang on about all the time - people buy from people. Your energy determines the connections you make and how fast you build trust. (or not) And god help us all the generic, and often bad advice out there about niche-ing. Because when you know your s**t, and people can feel it, being from outside an industry can actually be a competitive advantage. You see things that people inside the jar cannot. ❤️‍🔥 P.S - the pizza part of my Dads CV was the best bit as a kid, Dad was General Manager of Pizza Hut in New Zealand in the 90’s and we ate at Pizza Hut every weekend. Anyone else remember the all-you-can-eat dessert bar?! Did they have the same in the UK? 🍨 V x @vanessaeves by @vanessaeves
2
17 days ago
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What do a community magazine, energy events business, aesthetics clinic, embodiment coach and packaging company founder all have in common? ➡️ They’re all current or previous clients of mine. ➡️ And they were all looking for a partner to help them with strategy across their brand, marketing and sales. However… my background is in fashion & retail. (So why did they want to work with me I hear you ask?!) Because it’s not about a niche, it’s about YOUR energy ❤️‍🔥 And coming from outside an industry can actually be an advantage. You don’t arrive with the same assumptions about how things have always been done, you can spot opportunities those inside the jar might overlook, and you bring with you experience from other sectors, other client types and different ways of doing business. Yes living and breathing an industry can give you incredible depth, but coming at one with fresh eyes can offer a completely different kind of value. Have you ever been told you need to niche down? How do you feel about it? V x @vanessaeves by @vanessaeves
4
18 days ago
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Surround yourself with Expanders ❤️‍🔥 Women who fill your cup. Who inspire you. Who lift you up. Expanders stretch you. They remind you to take up space. To back your own brilliance and dream far beyond those cosy little corners of your comfort zone. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying you are the sum of the people you spend the most time with… So gravitate towards those who will help you lift the ceiling - they’ll make your future feel closer than it did yesterday ✨ V xx @vanessaeves by @vanessaeves
11
19 days ago
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Campaign thinking works in ANY business. My career in fashion & retail has meant I’ve seen, planned and executed many campaigns across product launches, seasons, collections and key trading moments. However I’ve also worked with consumer-led businesses across different industries, and I’m always excited about how we can apply campaigns to drive their marketing forward. Campaign storytelling gives you one clear idea to rally your marketing around. It connects the dots between your channels, gives your business an incredible opportunity to get creative and takes your consumer on a journey with you. One campaign can travel across social, email, website, PR, partnerships, events, sales and in-store, meaning your channels work together rather than operating as separate marketing islands. And they’re not just reserved for big brands with big budgets. A restaurant, wellness business, lifestyle store or service provider can all think in campaigns. It’s about connecting the dots, and that’s the magic of campaign thinking: it beautifully ties your brand, marketing and sales together into one cohesive engine. And the more creative you can get, the better…! 📸 Pics are campaigns I built recently for clients @ourgoodsunday and @joinvhyne What’s the best or most unexpected campaign you’ve seen recently? taken in Windsor, Berkshire by @vanessaeves
4
24 days ago
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We’re heading inside my brain today 😆 Some thoughts on spending power and a few valuable lessons for brands 💭 Would love to hear your spend/save version? Vanessa x @vanessaeves taken in Windsor, Berkshire by @vanessaeves
4
25 days ago
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I started my career on the shop floor and honestly, I absolutely loved it. This was Selfridges in London in the 2000’s - we took pride in our departments, there was a real sense of ownership, presentation mattered and I loved interacting with customers, being inquisitive and making them feel good about their purchase. However… recently (and way more than once!) I’ve bought something and the assistant hasn’t even made eye contact with me. 😐 (although yes I’m that person who will stand there smiling WILDLY at you until you notice and smile back 😆) And other things catch my eye too… messy shop floors, dirty windows, piles of stock in corners and fixtures not being looked after. So what’s happened? What’s changed? Is it simply pay? Or investment into training? Management quality? Culture? Expectations…? Because a big shift I’m seeing for the businesses I work with, is that real world interactions are becoming increasingly more important than digital. Human interaction and creating a memorable experience should be one of our greatest advantages. And I’m not just talking about luxury, premium or 5 star! I’m talking about creating an environment that simply feels cared for by people, who genuinely care that you’re there 🫶 ➡️ Do you notice it too? ➡️ What do you think has affected our customer experience? by @vanessaeves
6
a month ago
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Well I didn’t expect it to turn into a whole month, but here we are 😂 Happy 1st September everyone! A few notes on what’s been going on behind the scenes as I continue to recalibrate… Would also love your feedback on what content you want to see more of: BTS? Help with your brand? marketing? sales? General life? Or are you just here for the outfits…? 😆 Have a fab week, Vanessa x taken in Windsor, Berkshire by @vanessaeves
34
a month ago
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