David Revagliatte meets Isobel Richmond MBE. Isobel has over 30 years of Public Relations experience in broadcasting, NGOs, education, politics, healthcare & environmental communications. She tells us why PR is integral to your business and how you can craft a PR plan even with limited resources.
In 2012, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II awarded her with an MBE for services to the community of Gibraltar. She was successful in lobbying for increased breast cancer services in Gibraltar & improved reproductive rights for women.
GBC Radio Gibraltar's Harriet Seed joins the Gibraltar Business Podcast team to host our 'What's New Gibraltar?' feature. This week, she meets Chris Headly from Little English, an independent language school in Gibraltar. Chris introduces us to their new podcast, 'Little Lingua', which promises to be an interesting platform for language enthusiasts.
Thanks for listening to the Gibraltar Business Podcast by the GFSB! Follow us on Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook!
David Revagliatte meets Isobel Richmond MBE. Isobel has over 30 years of Public Relations experience in broadcasting, NGOs, education, politics, healthcare & environmental communications. She tells us why PR is integral to your business and how you can craft a PR plan even with limited resources.
In 2012, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II awarded her with an MBE for services to the community of Gibraltar. She was successful in lobbying for increased breast cancer services in Gibraltar & improved reproductive rights for women.
GBC Radio Gibraltar's Harriet Seed joins the Gibraltar Business Podcast team to host our 'What's New Gibraltar?' feature. This week, she meets Chris Headly from Little English, an independent language school in Gibraltar. Chris introduces us to their new podcast, 'Little Lingua', which promises to be an interesting platform for language enthusiasts.
Thanks for listening to the Gibraltar Business Podcast by the GFSB! Follow us on Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook!
Hello and welcome to the Gibraltar Business Podcast, where we meet the local entrepreneurs and experts leading in their fields. I'm your host, david Ravagliade, and whether you've just found us or have been with us since the start, welcome to the show. The Gibraltar Business Podcast is brought to you by the GFSB and is sponsored by Gibraltar International Bank, which shares our passion for all things business. It's a special episode too, as we welcome Harriet Seed to the team. Harriet will host our new what's New Gibraltar segment. Later in the episode, harriet meets Chris from Little English. Welcome to the team, harriet.
Speaker 1:This week, I am joined by media and PR guru and founder of Infrared Communications, isabel Richmond MBE. Isabel's career has touched many, many sectors across Gibraltar, including charity, health, politics and journalism. I really enjoyed recording this week's episode. It was really nice to be with a fellow communications professional. It was also intimidating in some parts because Isabel is a journalist herself and has done many, many interviews, whereas I'm relatively new to this. So during the discussion we learned more about her reasons for starting her business and why well-being is so close to her heart. Isabel also shares her tips for the small business on what PR is and how you can implement a PR plan for your business. I hope you enjoy the interview. So, isabel, thank you, thank you. Thank you so much for joining me today on the Gibraltar Business Podcast.
Speaker 3:Thank you for inviting me, David. It's a real pleasure to be here. I'm so excited actually about doing this with you.
Speaker 1:Oh wow, it's great.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the podcast and pasts are amazing.
Speaker 1:So well done, thank you. Thank you, isabel. Many of our local listeners, especially you, will know you, you've worn many hats over the years. Yeah, but for those who don't tell us a little bit about yourself and your journey to here, oh crikey, where do I start?
Speaker 3:I mean what I can say in a nutshell that it's definitely huge experience capital and, I'd say, conscience capital as well, because I've worked in the community and I've got a huge sort of diverse industry engagement, going from media, broadcast and print, education, politics, healthcare, the environment and, most importantly, working in the NGO and charity sector. So you know I've done a bit of everything, because I can't keep still. I always like to be involved, but I did. I qualified first as a sociology teacher, actually, and I was at base side for a little bit, but I always continued with my charity work and I was doing that ever since I was a child. I freelanced for GBC for many years. I used to read the news and I presented local programs and there's your community link. And then later I worked at the GHA as a cancer services coordinator. But I did really enjoy my brief stint during COVID when I ran the diary from the GHA.
Speaker 1:I remember them.
Speaker 3:Yep, that was great. So it was great community outreach and it was really showcasing what was going on behind the scenes of the GHA. So I did that in collaboration with GBC. And then I think a lot of you will know me from my NGO work, working with cancer charities and women's reproductive rights campaign, and you know, and I think I got an MBE for a lot of the stuff I've done.
Speaker 1:Yeah, this is a big congratulations. I remember even when we spoke before this recording. I said you know, congratulations on your MBE, because I thought it was quite a recent thing, but actually you've had it for a number of years, right yeah?
Speaker 3:2012. Well, I was granted it at the end of 2011 in the New Year's Honours list, and I received it on February, the 29th 2012.
Speaker 1:Wow, so clearly a proud moment, right.
Speaker 3:Yeah, definitely, yeah, very exciting.
Speaker 1:I picked up that. Going back to you know, there's a lot of kind of notable steps, if you like, through what you've mentioned, and teaching is one. I remember thinking you were a teacher before. Yeah, but it's quite different, or would you think it was quite different, to PR. How's your experience in the classroom, or has it your experience in the classroom informed your approach to communication now?
Speaker 3:Well, pr is about engaging with the public. It's relations with the public and your classroom, in effect, are your public. You're trying to put across a message to help them understand, to help them engage with it. So, in effect, it is public relations and I think that everything I have done, wearing all the different hats that I've worn, has actually been about public relations. I think that's the most transferable skill I have, which is why I'm doing what I'm doing now, because it's about relating to your target audience and whatever it is you do where it's cancer, healthcare, politics, the classroom it's reaching out to them and engaging with them at a very emotional. I think that's important for me and human level, and I think, as a consequence of that, I've actually amassed a huge network in Gibraltar. I think most people know me and that's actually helped me navigate Gibraltar society.
Speaker 1:Just on that. Just on that. I think this is something that when we met for a coffee actually before recording this you did use that term and I think for those of us working in Gibraltar, we know that the network is super, super important and making contacts really really is, and I've realized definitely that if you're not connected to someone currently, you may be in a few years. But that phrase that you mentioned, the whole navigating Gibraltar what do you mean? In what context?
Speaker 3:Well, I mean, gibraltar has its own, being a small place but at the same time big, in that position to the global map, as a finance center, for instance. We still have our own nuances and idiosyncrasies because we don't necessarily follow the usual like market forces and influences that you get somewhere else, like the UK or USA, for example, sort of fairly standardized and you can more or less slot into that. But it really is about who you know and, importantly, whether you're authentic actually in your actions, not your words, because you're always under the microscope in a small community such as ours. You know, and here's when the successful PR comes in. You know, are you authentically and genuinely delivering on what you're advocating? Because people in your board will know exactly whether you are or you're not.
Speaker 3:You know and and I think because I worked in the charity sector, private sector, public sector, I know my way around Gibraltar now and how to navigate it and how to approach and speak to different people. You know, I know how things are done in Gibraltar. So, and also you learn, and I have learned to develop a very thick skin over many years, and I mean that in a positive way, because you do ignore the minority detractors, if you like, because you're supporting the majority who believe that what you're actually offering or saying or the message you're trying to put across is actually authentic and it is for for the betterment of our society, our community. You know that it's honest, and the main message with navigating Gibraltar, in my view, is you have to be honest, you believe in yourself, in your product, whatever it is you're trying to promote. But if you like, you have that honesty has to shine through for it to gain traction in Gibraltar.
Speaker 1:So those who experience COVID in Gibraltar may be familiar with your GHA diaries. I know that I saw them and I loved them, but how did that come about?
Speaker 3:I think there was a need. A lot of us working in the GHA at the time, because services had been cut back for the sake of safety, a lot of us were were looking at what else we could do within the GHA in order to support the huge government initiative to keep Gibraltar safe. And I was seconded briefly to the public health department actually to to lend them support. I said, look, what can I do? Because a lot of the cancer services, in terms of appointments and routine stuff, had been put on pause and obviously they knew that. My background, if you like, was in media. And they said, look, if you can help us put out the message that everything is going well within the GHA, just reassure the public, just inform them of what's going on, that would be great. So I came up with this idea of the diaries. I said, look, why do we do a little something, a diary, every single day? Let people meet those behind the scenes and show Gibraltar what's being done preparing for COVID. And it was great. It was great fun.
Speaker 1:It looked, yeah, it looked. You know we were all going through a real kind of tough time and it's kind of you know, all this shared experience and actually you could tell there was a lot of fun, a lot of humanity and it just was enjoyable and the energy, your energy and your expertise came through. Yeah, yeah, well, and but from them as well.
Speaker 3:It really was infectious because it had wards sending in me little videos that they prepared. In fact, the community outreach aspect as well was great because our members of the public contacting the diary page saying, look, we've made a whole load of cases that we'd like to to give to the A&E department, for instance. Or people would say, look, we've got some guitars that were happy for nursing staff to use to play music to their patients. And this we did with the psychiatric unit. And it was. It was just the rapport, even though everybody was locked away, but there was still a lot of engagement between the community and the GHA. In that sense I was just about to say that. I think what was clear there was a lot of engagement between the community and the GHA.
Speaker 1:In that sense, I was just about to say that. I think what was clear, that it was like really dark time, we're all stuck, we're all in lockdown, but communication was just super, super important and it became alive, didn't? You, I think as a community, the love's talking. We certainly didn't stop.
Speaker 3:I tell you what I have a very guilty pleasure moment when I was. I was in hospital I mean, very few people did attend, but I overheard a lady with behind her mask chatting to somebody else in a waiting area saying you know, in Spanish, I can't wait to get home because I want to look at that little Facebook thingy to find out what's been going on today. You know, and this was, she was of an age, I don't think, maybe not necessarily a thing with social media, but it's actually knew about it. I was looking forward to finding out, so I thought that was great so for me that was just like OK, it's worked.
Speaker 3:I was doing the job.
Speaker 1:It's about starting a business. It's a major, major step. Given all your experience, given all the avenues, what was a catalyst for you to go out and do this and take the step on your own?
Speaker 3:Well, as I said before, I think the transferable skill, the major one that I have from all the work I've done in the past is public relations, and I actually retired from the public sector in April, so that's quite a few months ago and I got six months ago, but obviously I can't keep still. You know, I enjoy sharing my knowledge and skills and I also think I love the autonomy which comes from being self employed or doing your own thing, which is why I've always been involved in voluntary charity and geo sector. So, because everything I've done in the past has been to do with PR by raising awareness or lobbying for positive change, supporting people, organizing campaigns and events and because I've got that experience and know how I wanted to offer this as part of my business to others. So infrared PR, which I set up you know, self employed business back in, you know, end of April, if you like it's about giving businesses that opportunity to really look and think about their own PR and how best they're relating to the public in terms of the services, the products, the brand that they offer.
Speaker 3:We live in an age of technology and AI and that's all absolutely amazing, but I think what I bring to the table. Is that human touch, is that face-to-face, one-to-one relationship where I can actually go to your business? We can sit down, have a chat and try to understand what you're about and see how best we can implement what you want to achieve out of selling your business in one way or another.
Speaker 1:And I think this is more and more. Guests always say that when you look at business, doing business in Gibraltar, it's about that. Some of those what you just said before is like, some of those bigger trends, global kind of movements, are great, but when it comes to business in a smaller community like Gibraltar, especially one that's so entrepreneurial and so connected, it's that human, the to-do, the coffee, that kind of thing, and I think that's what Gibraltar needs a bit more of as well, absolutely.
Speaker 1:So you're going to be doing a GFSB breakfast club soon, so what can those attending expect?
Speaker 3:Well, I'm thrilled, I mean, I'm glad to be. I'm loving being a member of the GFSB, by the way you know. I think the networking events are great, good way of getting in touch and keeping in touch with local businesses. I know a lot of people already, but I'm doing presentation on PR tips for your small business and this is taking place on Thursday, the 9th of November, 9am. So if you're interested now, like selling myself here, pop along and join the conversation. But I think the main message, because a lot of people say what is PR?
Speaker 1:I was just about to ask you that question. Yes, exactly.
Speaker 3:Well, I mean, you're already a bit of a dap hand at all of this, so I think you know the answers. But for the listeners out there, I mean, it's not that, just that clever post on social media, even though that is important. But PR is it's about building trust and managing the reputation of your organisation and it's through boosting awareness of your business band, of the services excuse me and the products that you're selling. But importantly and this is, I think, where some people don't realise it's also about how best you engage with your staff and with the community, and all this together ensures you continue to position yourself or your organisation positively within Gibraltar and beyond. You know it's your staff, at the end of the day, are going to be advertising your company, your services, your products for free. If they are happy and they are engaged and they have ownership of being part of your organisation your small business, large business Then they're going to be doing a lot of PR for you without even realising it. So PR is also about how to best be engaged with your staff and then with the community.
Speaker 3:Community outreach is vital because your target audience needs to feel that somehow there is an emotional connection with you, and if you invest in the community, if you show that you have a strong sense of corporate social responsibility, then people will look at you and say, hey, you know, this is a company that also believes in the betterment of our community, also supports those that need a bit of a help, a little bit of promoting be it through a charity event or a sporting event and at the same time you know you're doing that you're supporting a local community event but you're showing off your products. So it works both ways. But specifically in terms of PR, I mean an old friend of mine from London I remember she always used to use a PR Supremo. She always says that two big things specifically for PR and how to do it and how to think about getting on the front.
Speaker 1:Okay, what did she say?
Speaker 3:Tell me, share, so she says now, as a small business, you need to think of one luxury. So what exactly is it that you offer that no one else does? So really have that luxury item, product, service or whatever it is in mind. And the second one is emotion, and that's the emotion linked to your business, what you were talking about before. How do your services or your product align with your target audience and how does it make them feel that they want to engage with your business, your product, your services? So it's luxury and emotion, and those are two very important things to bear in mind when you think about public relations.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely I think you're right and, as a marketer and someone who spends a lot of my careers in communications, there's so many similarities and crossovers In marketing. That would be your USP and your connection or your audience. I think PR goes a bit further. It's about actually how do you engage and what's your message and how to do that. So there's a lot of probably our listeners thinking, or our podcast listeners thinking, it could be a press release that goes out. It's actually so much more than that. So, yeah, it's really good to hear all of this as a little taster and I think you've already kind of given me a great explanation. But can you give us a little teaser of the Breakfast Club, like, what could a quick kind of strategy be for a small business, say?
Speaker 3:Well, the specifics, obviously. I mentioned your look, your thinking of your luxury and your emotion of your business. So how do you specifically deliver on that? So one is, as you said, the classic marketing. It's about brand awareness and visibility. Social media advertising, your press release Yep, that's all brilliant, but obviously PR is not just a well-written press release.
Speaker 3:It's also about how you're telling your story. Highlight your customer loyalty, really hold your customer close to you. You know things like blogs, who you are, the human side of things, people behind the scenes and personal experiences. Keep that connection going. Show that there are real people behind this product, behind this company. The other thing was a staff engagement. I mentioned before ownership. What are your talent management strategies? Do you have any budding systems? How do you go about your recruitment and retention in order to retain the talent? Because, at the end of the day, everybody should be a leader and a specialist in their whole area. It's about empowerment because, at the end of the day, your staff are your best advertisers, you know, and it's free. So happy staff equals happy work environment and successful business.
Speaker 3:Then the fourth one your corporate social responsibility side of things. How are you engaging with the community in terms of outreach, because this is actually the new direction of travel for any serious organization. You know, by aligning your PR strategies with social good, if you like, businesses can actually foster a legacy that resonates, it inspires and it'll uplift. So PR is not just a medium of promotion, but it's also a catalyst for betterment, for global betterment, if we think of sustainability and eco-warriors, if you like, and also events and campaigns. It's important to organize events to showcase your brand, if you like, and also to invite other industry experts, because sometimes partnerships will work really well. You can boost each other, work together, organize a campaign together, and that gives huge value to your whole PR strategy. And then finally and we talked about this at Coffey, this is one that I think everybody tends to forget about the crisis communications strategy.
Speaker 1:Yes, absolutely yes.
Speaker 3:Yep, everybody forgets about it until the shit hits the fan, basically.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. I remember again, I hate to talk about COVID, but that was one big thing. I remember being in a job at the time and we had to kind of do it. So, yeah, it's really good for businesses to be conscious of that, isn't it?
Speaker 3:Yes, absolutely, because it's natural, and I was talking also about the thick skin aspect when I mentioned earlier about you ignore the minority detractors and you focus on the positive, the majority supporters, if you like. So, with crisis communication, I think it's always important to remain actually calm, to almost take a step back and not react straight away. So your strategy really has to be about right. Is this factual If something has gone wrong, just to own up? Not to react or necessarily get into a tipped fatat exchange or to play victim, but is just to apologize, own up. These are the facts. We're not victims, but this is going to be the solution and just sort of keep it simple. And, in fact, politicians actually do it the best. If you watch that, they're just brilliant and the way they've been trained for the media as well, in terms of this is it?
Speaker 1:it's media training. So basically, if shit hits the fan, they've got to call you right.
Speaker 3:Yes, exactly, I'll put my old GVC hat on and do some more interviews with you, if you like Brilliant, brilliant.
Speaker 1:So, Isabel, only two more questions left.
Speaker 3:Oh God, it's got me so quickly.
Speaker 1:Looking ahead, given where you are now, where you've come from, your new business, which you know there's huge potential for and plans for. What are your aspirations for it?
Speaker 3:Well, as I said, the great thing about being self-employed is that I can actually do work that I feel aligned with as well. You can choose. I mean, it's lovely to engage in everything, but there are certain areas that I'm always interested in that sort of perhaps environmental ones and also well-being, mental health ones because I've just been working with Jib Sams during September in their Break the Silence campaign and promoting their amazing talking toolkit and also organize this wonderful corporate well-being day at the World Trade Center on World Mental Health Day in October, and that went really well. So I'd like to work a bit more with those individuals and we're hoping. Watch this space. I'm not going to mention very much yet, but if we can bring over some huge we're talking about global motivational speakers to Gibraltar, that would be amazing.
Speaker 1:Oh well, I want to know more, but I don't understand. You can't tell us I can't tell you.
Speaker 3:I can't tell you, but that's maybe the direction of travel I'd like to get more involved with. So that's very exciting. And I'm always positive and just like the message I give about public relations, it always has to be PR. Even if it's a crisis, it always has to be positive communications. I'm positive about my future.
Speaker 1:And it comes across honestly. It really really does. You've got good vibes. Thank you, yes. So when you reflect on your career again, you know, going back to where you are now and this isn't a question that I ask all my guests and I've heard all sorts of answers and everyone is different, as fabulous and interesting as the next. What is the singular? This is where that gets hard. Most impactful lesson that you've learned so far.
Speaker 3:Yeah, actually, I think it's quite easy, and this actually means going to sound a bit cheesy, but basically, the biggest lesson I have learned is having faith in me. I have faith in myself. You know, I consider myself a warrior empress and I don't let challenges, setbacks and disappointments have been. Of course, I've had many, just like so many others, but I don't let these get me down. You know, it's all about experiences from which I have learned lessons and grown from them, and you know what I think my courage and passion has helped me and hopefully helped others as well. So it's faith in me and I hope you know listeners you have faith in me too.
Speaker 1:Yes, and listeners, have faith in, in, in yourselves as well. I think there's a lot of imposter and negative self-talk and I think that exists in all sorts of ways. So, yes, believe in yourself, have faith in yourself and thank you, thank you so much for joining me today.
Speaker 3:Thank you, and for inviting me. It's been a real pleasure. Hi Chris from Little English, thank you so much for joining us today. Can you just tell us who is Little English and what do?
Speaker 2:you do so. We are an independent language school in Gibraltar teaching English, spanish and French online.
Speaker 3:Okay, brilliant and what's new in the business recently. What's?
Speaker 2:new. Well, we've got some new courses coming up, from beginner Spanish to advanced Spanish, really, and all of those eight week courses start in the beginning of October. But the newest thing, the best thing, is we've just launched a podcast called Little Linguia. So you can search for that on Spotify or Apple or whatever. Yeah, and that's a intermediate Spanish podcast. So it's me, it's got my, my droning voice, trying to trying to get my head around Spanish with another student, annette, and one of our teachers, miguel. We've just launched the second episode today.
Speaker 3:Okay, so come up weekly or weekly.
Speaker 2:That's the plan. Yeah, we are going to do it in blocks of ten. So the first ten is with Miguel and the idea really is to like showcase the styles of each of our teachers. So Miguel's style is very much getting us to talk. So if you listen to the podcast, he's really trying to engage, get us talking. So for people listening, I guess it's listening practice and they'll pick up a few words here and there. For the next ten, I think it's gonna be Angie the teacher who styles is a lot more based on language points, so it'll be this is your grammar point for today. Or, you know, this is the kind of language that you use in the situation where you're I don't know being arrested or something the important bits that everybody needs to know.
Speaker 2:So I guess there are two main focus points when you learn language, which is fluency and accuracy. So Miguel, the first ten will be very much focused on fluency, and then Angie, while she does like to encourage fluency as well, it will be more accuracy based. So you know there'll be a change after about ten episodes, so should be good. How's it Spanish?
Speaker 3:Not well, though I am trying to learn. I have lived here for quite a long time. I do think it's quite disrespectful that I don't know.
Speaker 2:Same same. I own a language school. That was part of the inspiration, actually, because I don't practice enough. This is like a weekly thing, so I have to practice Spanish. Hopefully, if you listen along, you'll you'll hear us both improving as the weeks go by. That's the plan.
Speaker 3:Okay, so what level is your Spanish at the moment?
Speaker 2:would you say we say intermediate, it is intermediate once we get going. Yeah, we should technically know intermediate grammar. So present and past tenses, future tenses, we should know how to talk about various topics.
Speaker 3:You say that like you're not very sure, though.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I was listening to it today actually, because we just released one and I'm the one doing the transcripts as well, which is a bit testing, so you get that's good practice though. Yeah, we've got the AI transcripts which says it's like 99% accurate. I don't know if you guys use that for this one. You have to change some things definitely.
Speaker 2:It needs a bit of proof reading, so yeah, if anyone listens and reads the transcripts and there's any mistakes, then let me know how should people get in touch with you if this is something they're interested in? Well, for everything, the best way is by email. So that's info at littleenglishgi, that's for courses as well as feedback or anything else that you want to hear on the podcast. Open to suggestions, open to criticism as well, if there's any, if there's any about yeah, that's the best way.
Speaker 3:Okay, and can you just remind us of the name of the podcast Little Lingua.
Speaker 2:So that's L-I-N-G-E-U-A.
Speaker 3:You got it. Have to look around.
Speaker 2:Well, thank you very much for coming down to talk to us.
Speaker 1:Yeah, thank you, cheers. And that's a wrap for this week's episode of the Gibraltar Business Podcast. Thank you to our guests Isabel Richmond, chris Headley and, of course, to our newest team member, harriet Seed, as well as our sponsors, the Gibraltar International Bank. I'd like to thank everyone who contributes to the project and keeps the podcast going from strength to strength. Thank you for tuning in. I hope you found this episode informative and engaging. If you want to contact the show, have a chat with me. Please do so in any of our social channels. We're on Instagram, linkedin, facebook and Twitter. Also, click, follow and subscribe so you never, ever, miss an episode. So that's it. It's a goodbye from Harriet today for another week. See you next time.