Sam Brewin is senior content team lead at Leeds-based digital agency Flaunt Digital.
The agency, founded in 2015, recently celebrated becoming B Corp Certified and has a range of clients including furniture manufacturer KI Europe, Oakland Group.
Brewin joined Flaunt Digital in 2023, following previous content roles at WMG Agency and Fox Agency.
From reflecting on the advice he’d tell his 21-year-old self, to his best failure and luckiest break, he shares all the lesson he’s learnt…
Which single daily habit or practice could you not do without?
A brisk cycle to the office – PB stands at ~8m – followed by two coffees. Up until recently it was a large cafetiere sipped throughout the morning, but I had a word with myself.
What’s been your luckiest break?
Getting hired by Epiphany in 2015. I finished uni and went freelance for a year, writing for decidedly black-hat link farms and a sketchy Maltese website where you could gamble on the outcome of lotteries around the world (still wondering how that’s an actual thing). It was a hectic time: there wasn’t much work about for a newbie, and a fair chunk of my time was spent chasing invoice payments.
Epiphany changed that. Entering the agency world at arguably the most energetic and creative firm in Leeds at that time dispelled my growing listlessness and completely primed my career.
What’s your best failure?
Being made redundant from Epiphany. A sobering experience, but one I’m glad I went through early in my career, and the springboard for me to join Fox Agency and get an education in B2B marketing and content strategy.
What is the best investment you’ve ever made, either financial or time?
When I was young, I was not financially savvy in the slightest. As such, throughout uni I burned through a grand or two given to me by a relative, when I should have popped it in an ISA and got a part-time job.
Not a good look and definitely a regret, however the uncomfortable realisation was perhaps the best financial education I could have ever invested in, which has paid dividends for many years since.
Which podcast or book would you recommend others to read and why?
Fall of Civilisations by Paul Cooper. He’s a history writer who investigates the rise and fall of ancient cultures and civilisations around the world, emphasising the experiences of everyday people.
As well as just generally being super interesting, the delivery is pristine: quality voice actors, period-specific background music and inventive storytelling. It’s a masterclass in how to give life to incredibly dense and inaccessible information.
What one piece of advice would you give your 21-year-old self?
Work a little harder on, like, one or two of your essays and you won’t finish your degree with an average of 0.5 marks off a first. Lots of little efforts add up!
Who or what has had the single biggest influence on your working life?
Both my parents grew up working class and didn’t go to university when they were younger, but climbed quickly and found success by their mid twenties. Both taught me the value and importance of having lots of drive, while making sure it doesn’t come at the expense of life outside work, or your mental health.
Tell us something about you that would surprise people.
I’m a trained scuba diver. I couldn’t be less of an extreme sports guy, but once you get past the cartoonishly severe risks, it’s a truly serene pastime.
What does success look like to you?
Inventing and implementing something, then seeing it have a positive effect on people, whether that’s team members, clients, or yourself. I’m a people pleaser at heart, and that’s arguably the most constructive type of people pleasing there is!
