Who You Know: Meg Screeton

NAME: Megan Screeton

ROLE & COMPANY: Account Executive, Seen Connects/Founder, Crochetti

HOMETOWN: Bury, Greater Manchester

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: London

Describe your typical day to day at work:

Having only been at my new place for a few weeks, I’m still getting into the swing of things, but working in an agency is really fast-paced, which makes every day completely different! A typical day will involve going through my inbox first thing, reading through newsletters and researching online with a coffee. I always write a to-do-list first thing and make sure to prioritise any deadlines. There’s always campaigns running at different stages so the work is really varied, but generally I’ll either be working on influencer databases, outreaching to influencers and agents, attending zoom meetings with clients for status updates or working on wrap-up reports.

The company I work at is really collaborative which means we are constantly helping each other out when needed. This often means jumping in to help find influencers for campaigns, assisting with creating databases or researching for pitches, as well as generally helping each other out. It’s really amazing to work in a team with so many experienced creatives!

In terms of running my side business, I’m still working out exactly how to manage my time. But currently I’m crocheting at every free moment, so lunch breaks, after work and on the weekends. It’s quite hard to manage but I don’t want to give it up, so I’m sure I’ll get there!

Tell us about your career journey and how you got your current role:

I started working in fashion PR whilst at University in Falmouth, when I took an unpaid internship at a company alongside studying Fashion Marketing. After graduating, I did another unpaid internship in fashion events, before getting a paid role at a company I was at for 18 months. Whilst there, I worked on clients ranging from Converse, Uniqlo & Dr Martens, as well as helping on events such as London Fashion Week.

From here, I moved to another PR agency where I worked on more independent fashion brands, before deciding that I wanted a new challenge, and ended up being accepted for an internship at MTV, working in the International Talent and Music Team. Even though it felt a bit like a step backwards, being an intern again, it was the right choice for where I saw my career going, as I’d always wanted to get into the music industry. During my time at MTV, I assisted on creating music campaigns as well as the organisation of the MTV’s European Music Awards, Liam Gallagher’s MTV unplugged, alongside various other events. Due to the pandemic, my role was extended, and after a few months I was offered a 3-month contract working as a Production Assistant for the EMA’s.

My role came to an end at in December of last year, and whilst searching for roles at a difficult time, I focused my time and energy into my side hustle: Crochetti, before taking my current role at Seen Connects.

What’s your most memorable career moment?

I have to say, I’ve been very fortunate so far in my career to be involved in some amazing projects. I’d say the most memorable was working on the MTV EMA’s in 2019. Getting flown out to Seville, working non-stop and the late nights drinking at after parties was an incredible experience. Being able to work on such a fast-paced event in the music industry was a real milestone for me, and I learnt so much from it – it’s definitely something I will remember forever!

What’s one motto that you live by?

“What’s for you, won’t go by you”. It’s a phrase my mum and grandma have used since I was young, and it’s something I’ve carried through my life. It helps me to stay positive if I’m ever feeling lost or down, and reminds me that there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel!

Name three women creatives who inspire you:

This may not be a specific woman (or only three), but I’d have to say, from my experience of running Crochetti, all of the incredible women I’ve interacted with who have started up their own small businesses – the support and encouragement I’ve received has been invaluable, and there are too many I could choose, to pick just one!

What advice would you give to someone wanting to get into your profession?

Just keep going, and never be afraid to take the plunge. When starting out within either the fashion or music industry, you have to put your all into it – it’s not going to be easy! I feel I got the opportunities I did because I was always willing to work and learn, take on board feedback from other people, and have never been afraid to try new things.

Build relationships! It sounds a bit cliché, but it really is largely about who you know. I’ve built amazing connections with work colleagues, which have turned into lifelong friendships. They have helped me in my career with everything from advice, to assisting with job applications and recommending me for roles. Make sure to build great working relationships as soon as you can, as they can pay off later down the line!

Anything else you’d like to add?

Sometimes life doesn’t take you on the path you’d planned out, or may have thought it might, but that doesn’t always have to be a problem. It’s amazing where your experiences can take you, so just remember that that it’s okay if your career doesn’t pan out exactly how you envisioned – if you keep moving forward, life has a funny way of rewarding you when you least expect it. Don’t forget: what’s for you, won’t go by you.