The Tecmark 10 – with account manager AJ Mussell

AJ Mussell joined Tecmark in March 2016 as an Account Manager. In his Tecmark 10, he talks about his day in the office and amazing things he does for charity. Follow AJ on Twitter.

What does your typical day look like?

The day starts with walking my dog! I’m then at the mercy of public transport, the commute does give me some time to look through any emails that may have been sent through over the night.

If I’m not battling to get a seat on the train, I will be visiting existing or new clients’ reports, planned and ongoing activity.

As the office resident DJ, I make sure that the playlist is on and then it’s down to work. I could be working with our delivery team ensuring that all our clients are serviced correctly or, for example, working on new proposals and tenders for new clients.

What is the most satisfying aspect of your work?

I have come from a military background. I love being challenged both physically and mentally. The most satisfying aspect of my work is constantly being challenged by the variety of clients we work with.

What is the best campaign you have been involved with since joining Tecmark?

I’ve been involved in a number of wicked campaigns, here at Tecmark. One visual piece that has recently generated huge amounts of coverage started with the wrong brief from me. I briefed our design team incorrectly on how the visual should look (sorry everyone). As it happened, it turned out really well and went viral! The team did a great job.

What is the biggest thing you’ve learned since you started working at Tecmark?

The digital marketing industry is constantly changing; I’ve learned a tremendous amount from our delivery team in a short period of time. Aside from delivery, I’ve learned a lot from our MD on the commercial aspects of the business.

What do you expect to be learning over the next 12 months?

I want to understand further SEO and the wider digital marketing industry while continuing to develop my commercial acumen.

How do you relax after work?

Relax? I find it hard to relax. I have to find ways to burn my energy. Yes, I’m a lycra loving warrior. I love nothing more than getting out on my bike. I really enjoy being outdoors and seeing places that I’ve never seen before.

People travel to the other side of the world to find new places, but we have some of the best scenery in the world on our doorstep.

I’m not sure why but I also love gardening, partly fuelled by an old boss of mine. I’ve become a bit of a vegetable growing nerd! Something strangely satisfying about digging carrots you have grown.

What is the best vegetable to grow at this time of year?

Garlic, I’m going to be planning garlic in the next couple of weeks! Fingers crossed they turn out better than this year’s onions

You participated in many marathons and other charity events, is there one that stands out for some reason?

I’ve participated in quite a few events. One that sticks out is a charity event that myself and a number of close friends did this year. I cycled from my home in St Helens to London (220 miles) the day before the London marathon, then I ran the marathon.

The purpose of the event was to raise money and awareness for a number of charities that help my mum through her battle with breast cancer.

All these sports events are always for a good cause, is there any charity close to your heart?

I’ve raised money for a number of charities over the years but one that is particularly close to me is the Steve Prescott Foundation. They do some amazing things for some truly amazing people!

And finally, any future charity activity we should know about, and how can we support you?

Yes, Steve White, one of the trustees of the Steve Prescott has been recently diagnosed with a life-threatening brain tumour. The condition is called Glioblastoma (GMB) and is often referred to as ‘the terminator’ due to its aggressive nation and resistance to current NHS treatment.

Steve and his family are trying to raise funds for treatment not available on the NHS. This treatment is privately funded, so please watch this space for events I will no doubt be taking part in next year to support Steve.

You can read more about Steve’s story here.

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