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Chris Rushbrooke
Creating powerful brands for charities, CEO’s and founders to help them grow and realise their full potential to Do More Good in the world 🐻
Professional Background
Chris Rushbrooke is a dedicated entrepreneur and creative professional with a passionate commitment to uplifting brands and supporting charitable organizations. He is the founder and Chief Bear at Northern Bear, a creative agency that excels in branding, graphic design, and web development. Under his leadership, Northern Bear has become synonymous with cutting-edge design solutions that not only capture the essence of a brand but also resonate deeply with the intended audience. Chris's entrepreneurial journey doesn’t stop there; he is also the proud founder of GoodStitch, a Community Interest Company (CIC) aimed at transforming the clothing landscape for charities. GoodStitch operates on a unique zero-cost clothing platform that directly benefits charity partners, with over 60% of profits allocated to support meaningful causes.
In addition to running his own businesses, Chris has played various pivotal roles throughout his career, including positions at FEARLESS Advertising Consultancy, Rave Communications, and Gingernut Creative, where he honed his skills in account management and new business development. He is also a former marketing manager at Holland & Barrett, contributing significantly to brand marketing initiatives that propelled the brand forward in a competitive marketplace. As a mentor at the Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce, Chris has generously shared his knowledge and experience with budding entrepreneurs and industries, helping them navigate the dynamic business landscape.
Chris holds an impressive educational background with a 2:1 in Advertising & Marketing from the University of Lincoln, paired with diplomas in Promotional Marketing and Graphic Design from the IPM and Shaw Academy, respectively. These educational credentials have equipped him with the know-how and expertise needed to propel brands to success.
Education and Achievements
Chris’s commitment to personal and professional growth is evident through his diverse educational pursuits. He graduated with a 2:1 degree in Advertising & Marketing from the University of Lincoln, where he deepened his understanding of market dynamics, consumer behavior, and effective communication strategies.
In addition to his degree, Chris has earned diplomas in Promotional Marketing with credit from the Institute of Promotional Marketing (IPM) and in Graphic Design with merit from the Shaw Academy. This training has been pivotal in shaping his approach to design and brand strategy, equipping him with practical skills that translate into high-quality service for his clients at Northern Bear.
Notable Achievements
Chris Rushbrooke is recognized not just for his entrepreneurial ventures but also for his commitment to social responsibility. Through GoodStitch, he has redefined how charities can receive clothing donations, making the process accessible and beneficial for all parties involved. By directly supporting charities with a significant percentage of profits, he exemplifies the fusion of profit with purpose, demonstrating that business can be a force for good.
In his role as a children’s author with the book “You Can’t Climb the Stairs in a Princess Dress,” Chris showcases his creative storytelling abilities, merging his passion for creativity with educational objectives aimed at inspiring the next generation. His empowerment of young minds through literature highlights his dedication to foster creativity and learning in every possible avenue.
Through his extensive career, Chris has not only built brands but has also forged vital connections within the community and industry, establishing himself as a trusted authority in marketing and branding initiatives. His experience with significant organizations like NBTY Europe and Life Agency has enriched his perspective on effective marketing tactics, solidifying his reputation as an expert in the field.
Call to Action
If you are looking to improve your brand's visibility and impact, or if you are a charity seeking a supportive partnership that prioritizes community over profit, Chris Rushbrooke is ready to assist you. You can reach him at [email protected] or call him at 07958919317. For more information about his work, visit www.thenorthernbear.co.uk.
Highlights
The charity sector has a pay problem!
With Shelter's staff starting incredible strike action yesterday the latest in a raft of signs that all is not well in the charity sector, is it time for the charity sector to review its pay policies?
I regularly hear of charities struggling to fill posts, and the feedback and obvious issue is that the salary on offer just isn't appropriate.
I've seen Head of Fundraising posts advertised at under £30k... this is the person tasked with bringing £100,000's, even millions into the charity to perform its incredible work.
I've seen mid-level posts advertised under £25k - the key cogs in a charity, paying entry-level graduate wages.
And I regularly see minimum wage advertised for a plethora of skilled and pivotal roles.
I get why this sometimes happens - charities have to show value for money, and that they're spending donors' money wisely, but paying these hugely marked-down rates will only lead to under-qualified people working in your charity.
This isn't value for money, this is poor management. It's letting your charity down. Badly.
No one wants to see huge, unneccesary swathes of a charity's money going into admin and running costs, but the reality is, if you invest in your people and pay them appropriately, you'll generate more money, you'll reduce your staff turnover, you'll have happier staff and a much better charity.
The impact on your charity will be huge.
So, please STOP cutting costs in the most important element of your charity.
The people you employ ARE your charity.
Invest in them.
#charity #salary #fundraising
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Mesh works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
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Mesh is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
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Mesh is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Mesh offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Mesh's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Mesh has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Mesh is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Mesh beneficial.
Mesh offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Mesh offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Mesh's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Mesh offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Mesh focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Mesh also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
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