B
INTERVIEW
ORN IN NORWICH, FRANCesCA JOHNsON HAD TO GROW uP QuICKLY Due
TO HeR FAMILY sITuATION, BuT sHe DIDN’T LeT IT GeT HeR DOWN. “My parents split up when I was 10 and
then my father developed severe rheuma- toid arthritis,” she told me when we met in the Royal Castle, “I became his carer so had to juggle my first job at 16 with look- ing after him and the household alongside counselling mum who had moved onto a new relationship that was also very rocky. This taught me to always try and see all things in a positive light and looking back I realise that these family traumas meant that I grew up fast, was more mature than my friends and this gave me a real advantage in the world of work.” Work has always been an important
part of Fran’s life. “My career was always the biggest thing
in my life and I tended to wrap my social life around my work life – I’m changing that now but in the past it was certainly true. my first job was at midland bank in Norwich but I learnt quickly that banking at that time was a man’s world and I would struggle to get on. So I took on a management position with Norwich Co- operative Society – a big mistake as this antiquated business was a real life Grace Brothers! I then left to go work for Buxted Poultry which was the real start of my career in food. “I was a Statistics Clerk – supporting
the Sales Team. When I realised how much fun they were all having, I quickly transferred into telesales and I loved it – I’m one of those people who loves the challenge of cold calling!” For five years she had a ball and did
very well. Then the business was sold. “the mood dropped instantly,” she said. “There were meetings which we called ‘Grim Reaper’ meetings because people would walk in and then never be seen again! i decided i had to leave.” After another dead end job she decided to move into freelance telesales marketing but Francesca knew she wanted to develop her sales career, so needed to get some training. “I wanted to get into Direct Sales, so I became a representative for a company selling feminine hygiene product vending machines! It was hilarious in many ways – they only employed female reps and made us wear nice hats to show how
By the Dart INTERVIEW
FRANCESCA JOHNSON
Interview by Phil Scoble
feminine we were! As we had to re-stock the machines, products were delivered to your house in bulk and I swear all my neighbours thought that I had some sort of problem!” After a number of other roles which
all delivered additional sales training, Francesca was asked to join a startup business selling frozen poultry products. “this was my first role as sales direc-
tor but the team all worked from our spare bedrooms initially,” she said. “We made enough to afford an office and then a proper food packing facility and we quickly built sales to a million pound turnover. We then sought opportunities to take it to the next level. Costco, Lidl and Aldi had just arrived in the UK and we saw an opportunity before the major producers did. “the first one we cracked was aldi, producing their own label frozen poultry products. I then pitched to Costco and arrived with 13 products for them to taste thinking they would possibly buy three or four. they shocked me by first announcing they would cook everything in a micro- wave which really worried me. Amazingly they tasted the first product and said: “We can see the quality, we won’t need to try the rest and we’ll buy all thirteen products!”
The company then went from strength to strength but Fran was facing challenges in her private life and was bored professionally. “I left my husband and took a new job
in halifax which was a bit of a departure!” she laughs. “I’m a great believer in fate, however, and a colleague at this new company invited me to go on a skiing trip. On that holiday I met Brian – we really got on well and quickly became an item!”
As Brian lived in Hampshire the new couple shared a long distance relationship for over a year before moving in together near Southampton. They then came to Dartmouth on a day trip and fell in love. “We just adored the place – discovering
Alf ’s and all the wonderful Dartmouth places and began to visit regularly,” she said. “Then on one rainy stay we entertained ourselves by looking in estate agents’ windows. We saw an interesting property in Swannaton Road and decided to have a look. It was up a huge amount of steps but it turned out to be our dream house.” “We decided to move here permanently
so we put in an offer and started trying to sell our house which took ages and we nearly lost out to a cash buyer. Thinking we had lost our dream we got halfway through another purchase when we heard the cash sale had fallen through. Fate had worked its magic again and we now look at our view of Dartmouth every morning and think: ‘How lucky are we? People ask me how I feel living in Dartmouth and I always say: ‘A bit smug!’” Francesca now operates a sales and
marketing consultancy in Devon and also sits on the board of Dartmouth’s Business Improvement District. She clearly loves Dartmouth and has a huge enthusiasm for being involved. “There are many local people and
organisations who all share the same goal of wanting the town to prosper whilst keeping it uniquely special. Communicating properly with each other and developing a team approach always achieves stronger results and I think the BID is helping deliver that. Dartmouth is simply amazing – I have made so many friends here and I feel happier and more at home than any place i’ve ever been.”
All previously published interviews in this magazine can be found on By The Dart’s website
www.bythedart.co.uk 91
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132