PlanNet Marketing is pleased to welcome Emma Stephens to the 40/40 Club! Emma says, “I am a born and bred Londoner – southwest to be exact, in a little town called Putney – where the Oxford/Cambridge boat race starts each year. After completing my degree at Durham University, I stayed in London working as an events manager for seven years before taking a sabbatical to travel the world on my own for six glorious months – the best decision I ever made. I came back, turned 30 a few days later, and returned to the events world before relocating to Newcastle upon Tyne in the northeast of England. I’m now a mummy to two exhausting little girls aged 7 and 4 who will drive me crazy for the next 14 years at least. Obviously I wouldn't have it any other way – although I would like the occasional rest from them – preferably in a 5-star hotel on my own! I am, however, not just a mummy; there’s far more to me than that.
“I love cooking, musical theatre (both on the stage and as an audience member), writing, photography and obviously travel and adventure, but I'm admittedly pathetic when it comes to the great outdoors in the UK if it means I have to be cold and wet! Recently I enjoy going OTT on trying to provide my children with amazing childhood memories. I’ve been known to hire indoor teepees and outdoor cinema teepees for the same day! Since October, I’ve also really enjoyed creating and developing a podcast with one of my amazing friends who I met through this business. it’s called ‘A glass of’ - (available on lots of platforms) and we love recording it.
“I love everything about taking a trip and discovering a new place – the local foods, the local markets, the smells and noises. For me, a journey starts the minute I get in the taxi on the way to the airport. I love everything about it. I’ve been lucky enough to travel a lot both in my personal life and also in my previous roles in event management, the latter being at someone else’s expense, which was helpful! Special memories include planning and delivering incentive programmes in South Africa, Mauritius, Barbados and an incredible tiger safari in India, to note a few. I am also so grateful that during my early years I got to experience travel on three of the best and most indulgent forms of transport – the QE2, the Orient Express and the Concorde. It definitely set the bar high in terms of my expectations when it comes to traveling with my family now – perhaps a little unrealistically!
“One of my best adventures was in a slightly less glamorous setting on the Trans Mongolian Express, taking me from St. Petersburg, Russia, across Siberia and Mongolia and all the way to Beijing, where I walked the Great Wall of China. Long haul travel is in my blood. I speak two other languages, French and Italian, but never choose to go to France or Italy and prefer somewhere a little further flung! We went to New York as a family to celebrate the new year 2020. It’s a city I’ve been to at least ten times and every time it's fresh and exciting, but seeing it through the eyes of two little kids was utterly magical and brings a whole new element to travelling.
“I love revealing this little known secret of our programme to people who can really benefit. For a while, I was a little hesitant about doing so, but lately I’ve been much more bold in my approach. We just need to tell people that it exists and expose them to the opportunity. That’s all it is.
“Persistence and resilience are also key. I recently delivered a team training on this. Don’t be disheartened by the knockbacks and don’t take it personally; I think we’ve all been guilty of that at some point. Acknowledge the feelings, but don’t wallow; otherwise, it will hold you back and limit your growth. Remember to keep things in perspective and just keep going. You have to keep in mind that it’s a long term business and focus on the bigger picture. Even on the bad days, I remember the huge potential this programme offers. The incredible support and community that has developed within our team is also invaluable.
“Lots of people reflect on their ‘Why’ and that’s important to remember too. I am doing this for ME – not just for my kids. I get more passionate about it every day and I owe it to myself to give it a good shot. I don’t want to look back and think about what could have been. By my nature, I’m very persistent. I don’t like to give up on things and I think that comes in handy in this business.
“As a parting thought, decide that you want to and that you will succeed and follow it through. It’s not enough to be interested in succeeding. Commit to all the available training (I’ve not missed one team training since joining) but remember to put the learning into action and to adapt and change if needed.
“Some interesting facts about me are that I can’t ride a bike, I have seen Boris Becker in his underwear, I’ve jumped out of a plane at 85,000 feet and I insist on only having one ice cube in a drink.”
