Chris Bruce is managing director at Lane, an Edinburgh-based creative agency.
The Lane, founded in 2008, is a B Corp certified growing agency now with up to 50 staff and was awarded Employer of The Year by the Marketing Society Scotland.
Bruce joined the agency in 2011, following senior roles at the likes of Royal Bank of Scotland Group.
From lucky breaks to failures, he shares all the lessons he’s learnt across his life and career so far…
Which single daily habit or practice could you not do without?
Having 30-40 mins time on my own with no distractions, whether that be in the car driving to the office or out for a run.
I’d love to say running is my daily habit, but with three young children, finding the time for a morning run has become more difficult recently!
What’s been your luckiest break?
I’m not sure I’d ever refer to any of the breaks I’ve had as ‘lucky’ but the most important point in my career was Ali (CEO at Lane) calling me and asking if I’d be interested in speaking to her about an account manager role that had just come up.
I was at RBS at the time and thought, why not.
Fast forward 13 years and here we are – managing director and shareholder at one of Scotland’s top creative agencies.
What’s your best failure?
I once let a more senior colleague dictate an email for me to send to a client about an issue we were having with the account. I knew it was not the right thing to do, but went ahead with it.
It blew up in my face and impacted the relationship and trust I had with that client which I then had to work hard to rebuild. I’m happy to say we’re still working together today and are very good friends.
That taught me never to do something if your gut tells you otherwise – I’ve also never put anybody else in that situation.
What is the best investment you’ve ever made, either financial or time?
Running is probably the best thing I continually invest time in – being able to be alone with your own thoughts with no distractions for a couple of hours is absolutely priceless.
Which podcast or book would you recommend others to read/listen to, and why?
My three go to podcasts are:
– ‘The Rest is Politics Leading‘ for the insightful stories and intriguing points of view from some of the worlds most interesting people.
– ‘2 Bobs‘ which is an agency focused podcast aimed at owners and leaders on how to better run their business.
– ‘Undr the Cosh‘ a football podcast which is full of banter and brings some light relief to the stresses of daily life!
I should also shout out Holyrood Sources and the Leading Conversations podcasts, both brilliant and hosted by two of my good friends and colleagues.
What one piece of advice would you give your 21-year-old self?
Not to be scared of things going wrong.
Although we always try our best to avoid problems, I’ve learnt over the years that a negative situation is an opportunity to bring about a positive outcome and can often strengthen relationships.
Who or what has had the single biggest influence on your working life?
Three folk – my parents and Ali Findlay.
Seeing how my mum and dad went about their work and treated people has had a massive influence on me. Their tenacity and work ethic is also something I feel very fortunate to have inherited.
When things ever get a bit tough, my Mum’s voice pops into my head with a ‘Just get on with it, Christopher’ message!
And having known and worked with Ali pretty much 15 years, she has taught me so much. She’s an inspiration and a very special person.
Tell us something about you that would surprise people.
In my younger days I was three times Scottish Motorcycle Trials Champion.
During my early 20’s I was also part of a dance troupe and tribute band, the details of which can’t, shouldn’t and won’t ever be committed to print!
If there was one thing you could change about your career, what would it be and why?
Genuinely, nothing.
We have such a fantastic team at Lane with brilliant clients that it’s a joy to come to work – I feel incredibly fortunate to be in the position that I am, so there is nothing I need change.
I’d maybe not have sent that email, right enough…
What does success look like to you?
Ooft, that’s a big question!
Family always comes first for me, so being able to be the best husband and dad is an important measure of success.
But ultimately being able to look in the mirror and know that I’ve tried my best in any situation is key – if you can say that, then that’s a good measure of success for me.
