Amanda Perry is an agency owner, investor and digital marketing expert. She runs Sheffield-based SOUP agency, which works with growth-driven ecommerce brands, and founded online training platform, The Ecom Growth Hub. Amanda has built a strong following on Instagram and has two podcasts: The Amanda Perry Podcast, where she shares business advice and digital marketing tips, and Work Life Blend, which sees her interview leading founders about how they create a life they love.
- Tell us a little bit about your business…
SOUP is a Sheffield-based agency that works with e-commerce brands to help them scale-up using digital marketing. We focus on paid social and other online routes to market, and we were nominated for ‘Marketing Agency of the Year’ in The Drum Awards for Marketing, as well as ‘Best Start-Up Agency’ in the UK Social Media Awards this year.
- How did you get into the industry?
SOUP actually started as a result of me helping other brands to grow.
I started a cupcake business back in 2007, which had seven stores, with 70 staff, turning over £1 million a year selling £2.50 cupcakes. It was pretty incredible! Unfortunately, it grew too quick too fast and I ended up going bankrupt. Whilst a horrible – and extremely tough experience – I learnt so much and after a year I came back with a new version of the business that allowed me to keep doing what I loved. I got rid of the stuff I hated – the high rents, business rates and dealing with staff – and launched a baking kit subscription box. This is what led to me launching a few e-commerce brands and really falling in love with the power of digital marketing.
The growth that I had then attracted attention, which is what led to me consulting businesses and then setting up SOUP.
- What are the biggest opportunities and challenges in your industry?
E-commerce has been on the rise for the past decade but, of course, the pandemic has really accelerated some of this success. The growth that we’ve seen as an agency is testament to that: during lockdown, we grew from five to 27 people (now we’re a team of 30) and increased our revenue by 380%!
The biggest challenge lies in the power of digital marketing when it’s done right. Platforms are becoming savvier and easier to use, but consumers do also have more choice, so brands are fighting for attention. It’s this that means online brands have to truly understand their customers and add value that goes way beyond a price promotion or influencer collaboration.
- How would you describe your leadership style?
I would say I am pretty relaxed (my team might not agree!) but I like to have the right people in the right roles, and let them get on with it! I’m not a great people manager, so have a brilliant team of managers, but my role is to lead the team and business towards our vision and goals.
Being a leader is a privilege and I count myself very fortunate to be in a position to create a vision and have a team capable of delivering it.
- How do you get the most out of the people who work for you?
Trust and autonomy – that’s huge in our business. I’ve seen and done it all over the years, and for me it’s crucial that I have a team who I can trust but who also know that I’m not looking over their shoulder and micro-managing them.
I spend time with my Senior Leadership Team planning the next steps for the business and what that growth looks like on the inside, and how it impacts people. We then make sure that processes are in place – even more important when onboarding 20 people during pandemic – to deliver the strategy. It’s important that the team understands the overall vision and direction of the business, and gets how they play into that.
Then, aside from this, I respect their priorities. We’re really big on the ‘Work Life Blend’ at SOUP, and working in a more flexible way that goes beyond being at a laptop from 9-5 and then living your life from 5-9 and at weekends. I encourage everyone to have a more intentional integration of life into work, and vice versa, but also giving them accountability when it comes to getting the job done!
- What are the most crucial elements to your business running smoothly and being successful?
There are specific processes and systems that we just couldn’t live without – namely Slack and Notion. They help keep the team organised and connected, whether we’re working in our office or remotely from elsewhere. Beyond this, a key to our success is a growth strategy that everyone is on board with, but clear roles and responsibilities that are defined so that everyone knows how they fit into the bigger picture.
- How has the past 12 months been for you?
It has been tough, of course… running a business always is. Thankfully, we’re in an industry that has seen a huge amount of growth during the pandemic, so we’ve welcomed over 20 new team members and increased our client base and revenue. The Ecom Growth Hub, the online training platform that I founded, has also mirrored this success with our 600+ members collectively generating over £15 million in revenue over the past year.
Personally, it’s also had its highs and lows but, right now, I’m on a huge high as we’ve just moved into a dream house. We’ve been building it for months and it’s something that I’ve always wanted to do, but thought was out of reach.
- Is there anything you’ve learnt during the pandemic that you’ll take forward in your business?
I’ve had many lessons in life, and I guess bankruptcy has been the biggest! I had the cupcake business for around seven years before the wheels fell off, as a result of growing too quickly, and me ending bankrupt. That really was my life (and business) defining moment!
Going through a public failing is a real turning point – it was horrible and impacted every single area of my life, including family relationships as well as my mental and physical health. The sense of shame was enormous: it either breaks you or leads to huge growth. I am so proud that I have grown from the experience and been able to make amends on a lot of the fall-out from it.
The learnings from that time have helped me embrace SOUP’s growth in the right way, putting a plan in place to ensure that we can sustain it.
- What will the next 12 months look like for your business?
I’m not a planner – I honestly believe that a business plan can lead to missing out on opportunities and can often make a business less agile. I live by the saying ‘fixed on the destination, flexible on the journey’ – we are clear on the vision and where we are going, but completely open to the opportunities that present themselves along the way.
- What are the highlights of your career so far?
Getting nominated for The Drum ‘Marketing Agency of the Year’ in our second full year of business was pretty incredible! In a former life, I made Louis Theroux’s wedding cake – which will take some beating!!
- What’s the best piece of business advice you’ve been given?
My Dad always used to say, ‘run your own race’. I love this saying, it’s so simple, but such a powerful reminder to focus on what you are doing and stop looking over your shoulder as it will just put you off.
