Meet Jazz, global marketer, mentor and advocate of young women, and mum-to-be.
Jazz shares her experience of what it’s like to join an organisation in the latter stages of pregnancy, how her love for language led to a career in marketing and her passion for Costa’s sustainability agenda.
What’s your name and current role?
Jazz Berry – Global B2B Marketing Manager – Costa X
How long have you been with Costa Coffee?
1 month!
What’s your favourite Costa Drink?
Iced cappuccino
What was your first job?
I worked in Waitrose from age 16-21 whilst studying
As a child what was your dream job?
I wanted to be an actress from age 3, and actually studied drama at university where I fell in love with writing and switched my degree to drama and creative writing, and eventually leveraged my writing skills in my marketing career!
What attracted you to Costa?
Costa is such a well-known and respected brand in the UK, but I was really excited that my role is global and all the exciting global initiatives that are happening at Costa are what really sold me the role.
What did you know about Costa before you joined?
I knew that they made great coffee, had an excellent loyalty program and had great brand presence over the UK, I’ve learned since just how innovative and ambitious we are.
What’s the best career decision you’ve ever made?
I’ve always made my career a huge priority and focus for my life and future. From a (very) young age, I was giving myself more homework, extending projects at school and taking on extra-curricular responsibilities in an effort to get ahead. I think saying yes to opportunities, even if they feel like a big step up at the time has been, and continues to be, the best career decision I’ve made.
What do you think is your greatest strength?
Marketing corresponds to and touches so many other roles and departments of a business. Therefore, I always think it’s really important to try and see the bigger picture which is definitely one of my main strengths.
What do you think are the secrets behind getting to where you’ve got to?
B2B Marketing is fairly uncommon compared to B2C, especially B2B marketing for a big consumer brand like Costa. I’ve always loved branding and have had the opportunity to work on 3 B2B rebrands in the last 4 years. Looking at a B2B brand in the same way as you’d look at a B2C brand is important, as B2B companies and brands still want to resonate with their customers in the same way; they want to build brand trust and love over time. I have always held the narrative that ultimately people approach buying decisions in an emotional way, just because someone is buying on behalf of a business doesn’t mean they are wholly rational, there will be an element of buy-in to the brand themselves.
Maintaining this vision and being able to clearly articulate it to multiple stakeholders is one of the ways I have managed to find success in B2B marketing.
What is one thing that surprised you about working for Costa?
I joined Costa 6 months pregnant. I was very surprised to be starting a new role in such a friendly and supportive environment, with welcoming colleagues and a great plan for my maternity cover in full swing. Although it’s definitely daunting to start a new role and prove yourself in a new company when in your third trimester, I have always felt very well supported by the Costa team and I’m very excited to come back to such an interesting role at the end of my maternity leave too.
What advice would you give someone else considering starting a new role whilst pregnant?
Firstly, recognise the skills you have and know that they don’t disappear magically overnight when you start a family. You are still of value to many employers, and you’re still a desirable candidate. Some companies will naturally not want to hire a pregnant woman, but these companies are short sighted and unlikely to align with your values as a person, so that’s a useful screening tool. I was very candid and transparent about my situation which was a personal choice.
Make sure you’ve done your due diligence on the company and role, so you know they’re a family friendly employer and the role will be set-up for success so you can (temporarily) leave knowing it’s in good hands.