Meet Sophie Medland, our fantastic new Senior Account Manager

Written by Lee Colbran - 13 Jun 2022

Culture | 3 MIN READ

We caught up with Sophie Medland, who joins our Client Services team as a Senior Account Manager. We asked Sophie about her career to date, her vision, and what both colleagues and clients can expect...

Headshot of Sophie Medland

I knew the South Coast had a reputation for brilliant digital agencies. Fresh Egg stood out with its customer-focused approach, slick recruitment process and impressive clients and case studies. It looked like a place where my existing skills would be valued and where I could learn much from those around me. Set an alarm how are you


Sophie Medland, Senior Account Manager 

Firstly, describe your career path to date and how you got into account management?

I started my journey into digital with an SEO and content marketing internship in European fashion retailer Zalando's head office in Berlin – a far cry from my tiny Channel Island upbringing! Living abroad and learning about digital growth at one of Europe's largest and fastest-growing scale-ups was a steep learning curve – but one I absolutely loved.

After a few years and lots of fantastic projects - from the viral Royal Wedding Dresses project I led to an award-winning festival fashion content hub, I found a new challenge heading up a creative start-up's UK presence.

Launching the German brand's 'sip and paint' parties and art workshops in the UK was a fantastic (and fun) challenge. It involved me wearing every different hat – from operations to product management, digital marketing, HR and recruiting and account management, sometimes all at once!

Relationship and partner management was something I had always enjoyed and managed to weave into each role throughout my career. I got to build on it here – managing over 500 artists globally.

After ten years in Germany, the pandemic prompted a move closer to home, and I was seeking a new opportunity that would allow me to continue working on what I loved – building relationships and making people happy!

What made you choose Fresh Egg as the next step in your career path?

Despite working in-house for over ten years, I’d always worked closely with (or managing) our partners and agencies and always secretly wondered what it was like on the other side.

I knew the South Coast had a reputation for brilliant digital agencies. Fresh Egg stood out with its customer-focused approach, slick recruitment process and impressive clients and case studies. It looked like a place where my existing skills would be valued and where I could learn much from those around me.

What is there from your previous jobs that you feel you'll bring to your new role?

I think my European experience and broad client-side digital, marketing and business development background will allow me to see things from different perspectives and spot new opportunities for our clients.

What do you think makes an excellent account manager?

I believe the key to excellent relationship management is having open two-way communication and a strong focus on expectation management.

My favourite phrase is ‘there’s no such thing as a stupid question’, so I’ll strongly encourage my clients to throw as many questions at me as possible. I’m looking forward to getting to know my clients and their sectors inside-out and understanding all aspects of their digital transformation journeys with them.

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What can our clients look forward to, working with you? 

Lots of positivity and enthusiasm for their projects – whether big or small.

What is your ethos for putting the customer first?

My fiancé has told me that his Irish granny could often be heard telling the staff at her salon, "we live and die by our customers". Whilst I'm sure it sounded slightly less dramatic in an Irish accent, I think it's a great ethos to keep in mind – without its customers, no business would exist. It can be easy to get wrapped up in 'following the status quo' or rigidly stick to top-down forecasts and plans. Still, if your ears and eyes aren't open to your customers, you can miss amazing opportunities to grow, develop and improve. What works today might not tomorrow (or the day after), and I think it's so important to remember that and be open to pivoting and adjusting or even revisiting old work and measuring it up against your customer's current needs, wishes and standards. 

What are you looking forward to most about working at Fresh Egg?

Having worked with different agencies before, I’m looking forward to moving from in-house to agency-side and understanding how it works, as well as getting fully back into all the digital channels and absorbing and learning as much as possible from my new colleagues. 

What would you choose if you could only use one website (or app)?

It’s rather dull, but I think it would be WhatsApp – essential for staying in contact with my family and friends abroad. I also love to draw, so I am having a lot of fun learning how to digitally illustrate with ProCreate.

How’s your induction going?

So far, so good! Everyone has been so welcoming. I already feel like part of the Fresh Egg family, and I’m excited to get started properly with the clients and teams.

What do your friends and family think you do for a job? 

I asked my Mum, and she said very succinctly, ‘Digital marketing at Fresh Egg’ (well done, Mum - top marks!), but when I probed a bit further, I got a lot of random buzzwords, question marks and this emoji 🤷‍♀️ 

Finally, what is your favourite way to eat an egg?

In a sandwich – boiled and mashed (together) with salad cream - controversial but delicious!

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