The surprise when the rather smart new SABRE award, the second in our history, arrived in the Hammersmith office shocked us all.

Of course, we knew we’d won this equivalent of the Oscars ahead of time. But nothing really prepared us for the sense of pride the gong managed to spread across the team. A really Positive day, we smiled from morning until still-sunny evening and regularly we are grinning still.

It was the sheer recognition of a job well done. Something in very short supply after lockdown and the Ukraine War added to literally years of depressing world news.  This was real third-party recognition of a team, who endured COVID lockdowns and tube strikes, job promotions and sub-team reshuffles, even entire career changes and clients emergency evacuating entire workforces.

Despite the chaos the team focused on one thing alone – client results.

In the heat of PR campaigns nobody thinks about accolades. Pitching intransigent journalists who have ‘heard it all before’, waiting for windows in busy executive calendars and even sleepless weekend nights can seem thankless.

But this one blue icon, the fact that our achievements persuaded our peers to recognise us, that meant something special. The campaign was not created to win awards, but just to bring results and so it became an extra special gift. Less a stiff handshake and much more like a really warm hug of appreciation.

Many thanks to our client Quantexa, especially CEO and founder Vish and Matt, whose bravery in choosing what was, at the time, a smaller and braver PR boutique was fundamental. Without that decision we could never become winners together.

So now onwards, to another set of client results with which we will build up our clients’ reputations and our team’s experience and skillset.

As a leader, I have just one wish. That the hard work in-between this and whenever our next victory comes, keeps us humble and focused on our clients. We live for the surprise, because the hard work – recognised or not – well, that comes anyway.