Gatecrashing: It’s OK to Question Your Path
How one Red Bull job sparked a £24M biz —and how to spot your next move.
Welcome back to another edition of GATECRASHING
🔥 No fluff, no jargon—just practical advice from pros who’ve been there.
This week’s edition is with someone I’ve admired and followed on LinkedIn for ages but only met IRL recently.
I approached her to introduce myself and the rest is history! Which is why networking online and IRL go hand in hand.
Sedge Beswick was ASOS’s first social hire 📲 and scaled her company SEEN Connects into a £24M global agency.
She has worked with brands like Nike, eBay, and Red Bull, and talent like Lewis Capaldi, Peter Crouch, and Jack Whitehall. She has led workshops for No.10 Downing Street, Mastercard and Google. Sedge also writes on of our favourite newsletters out here,
, to help people take their careers further, faster.
🔹 How did you get your first break?
I feel my entire career has been a series of mini breaks but for me, the one that really stands out was getting my job at Red Bull.
Mainly because it was a hugely competitive gig, it’s the dream student role – you give cool people Red Bull cans all day and drive around in a Mini.
But, having Red Bull on my CV, being able to work whilst at university… all of that still helps me today.
🏁 If you were to start your career again today, what is one thing you'd do?
Without really realising at the time, I was mega early into social media and that’s helped my career enormously as there were no experts or parameters to learn within – if I wanted to do it, I had to learn on the job and often, teach myself.
I think so many people make the mistake of going into social now, it’s a crowded space and it’s not for everyone – they forget it’s a 247 graft.
I would always recommend looking at what is emerging, what are the new roles that are cropping up where you can be paid to become an expert in a field where no one else is really playing yet.
I would also make a list of the businesses I want to work for whether that’s through mission, values, brand love and really craft a CV of where you want to work vs panicking and applying anywhere and everywhere.
p.s. For a system on defining which jobs to go for, grab our Job-Search Matrix.
👣 How long did it take you for you to feel secure in your career path?
I don’t think I have ever truly ever felt secure in my career path – there are always days when I question whether I am in the right place, doing enough, making enough of an impact.
I was always secure in the fact I was great at content marketing, that I made sure I understood the customer of the businesses that I worked in and with, and that it was about what the customer wanted and needed, it wasn’t about what I thought was right. But I constantly questioned whether I was at the level I wanted to be, whether my title was right, whether my salary was where I wanted it to be.
Even when I had my own business, I questioned constantly whether I was right for the gig, good enough for the gig.
But, I also think that imposter syndrome meant I was pushing myself out of my comfort zone and that I was never complacent.
💸 Tips for getting a promotion and negotiating salaries?
Start high, you can always negotiate down but you can never go up!
For me, when it comes to a promotion – you need receipts. Show that you are already operating at the level above, whether that’s reviewing the job description and starting to work upwards on responsibilities.
Take some time to identify your blind spots – no one ever expects you to be good at everything but knowing and recognising where you need more support, more guidance also allows you to start to think about team structure and support, as you get more senior, this then frees you up to do what you’re good at.
Never just expect a promotion or pay rise because you have been there X amount of months or years. You still have to graft for it, and show you are committed to working your way up.
💬 Your best networking tip!
My best tip for networking is be nice to people. You are never to busy to say hello in the coridoor, to get to know the receptionist or to give 15 mins over a Zoom for someone who’s looking to get into the industry.
You then need to make time for networking whether that is attending events or whether that’s meeting someone for a coffee.
When I ran my business, I’d have time allocated into my diary just to drop people a message, check in with them, send an article or an insights piece that I felt would resonate with them.
I am the biggest extrovert but I am terrible when it comes to networking events.
I feel instantly uncomfortable, I am terrible at small talk, I feel awkward lingering in the corner so I had to test and work out what type of networking worked for me, where I was the most natural. Once I’d got that down, I knew what to say no to and I knew what I needed to do more of.
🔹 When you're hiring, what are the things you look out for? What are your pet peeves?
I look for enthusiasm over experience.
I want to see someone who really wants to work there, who has passion. I am a big believer in hiring the underdog, that someone who is a grafter who wants to prove why they’re there will always be more impactful than someone with the best CV.
🛑 A pet peeve is someone who hasn’t done their diligence before a call 🛑
Interviewing takes time, it’s a huge drain on resource. I have done my research on you, I’ve reviewed your CV/LinkedIn, prepped questions.
I just closed a hiring process and I was jumping on calls with people who hadn’t looked at the company, or read the Substack or, the worst bit, hadn’t looked at the salary bracket and wanted more than what was very clearly allocated.
🖥️ What's the best part about your career and/or biggest challenge?
The best part of my career now that I have a portfolio career is the enormity of people that I meet, across so many different sectors which means I am always learning and always being pushed to stay ahead in worlds that are not my bread and butter.
I am a nerd at heart so I enjoy having to research, understanding things on a deeper level.
The biggest challenge now I have two kids is balancing it all.
I love work. I want to work. I need to work. But I also want to be present and be there for the kids, but I also want my girls to know I work my bollocks off and provide for the family. It’s this constant juggle, balance.
📍 Loved what you read? Connect with Sedge on LinkedIn
p.s I am also on there!
💡 Want more tailored support? We offer 1:1 coaching to help you launch or grow your creative career, build a networking strategy, or refine your content and pitch.
💡 Our one-day biz retreat intensive is taking shape
Best date so far is 12th September (Friday)
What to expect:
- Work on your business plan with support
- Prompts and exercises to get clarity on your values
- A module on selling and communicating what you do
- Lessons on biz planning, spreadsheets, networking and marketing
We are hosting this at a space in East London. We're aiming at approx 10.30-4-5pm with some time for lunch. E-mail us if you want in!