Success Stories: An Interview with Cat Yaffe of Topic UK
Our next success story is all about a lady who’s never stuck for words – Cat Yaffe.
Armed with a wealth of writing, editing and marketing knowledge, she started her digital marketing agency (Cat Creative Marketing) in 2000, and has recently become the South Yorkshire Editor of Topic Magazine (a community based business magazine that reaches up to 40,000 people).
We managed to grab her for a quick interview and here’s what she had to say;
The Interview
Helm: Please can you tell us a little about yourself and your business?
CY: I am the editor of South Yorkshire business community magazine TopicUK. I have been a freelance journalist and editor for about 20 years, and I took the South Yorkshire franchise in May 2016. I’m also a copywriter and online marketer for other clients.
Helm: Why do you do what you do?
CY: I love words! I like the pressure of deadlines and finding pages of content for every issue. The satisfaction when the printed copy is delivered to me never changes and the sense of pride and achievement is unlike any other job satisfaction I’ve ever had.
Helm: What’s your most memorable experience in business?
CY: In 2007 I launched my first magazine ‘Recruit Yorkshire’ and sold it 2 years later for a substantial profit!
Helm: What popular business advice do you disagree with?
CY: “It’s not about the money” – of course it is, on some level it has to be unless you’re a multimillionaire that does things just for fun!
Helm: What’s the single most important reason for your success?
CY: Determination. I’d never worked on a magazine before starting Recruit Yorkshire though I had been freelance writing for years. I came straight from the corporate world, with no business contacts and not much of a clue what I was doing. So many people wrote me off and said I’d fail which just inspired me more to make a success of it.
Helm: What’s your favourite metaphor for describing business/entrepreneurship?
CY: ‘If you’re not striving to achieve your best then someone else will and will take what should have been yours.’
Helm: How is running a successful business different than what you thought it would be?
CY: When I first started I was very naive and put a lot of hours in that took me away from spending time with my son. I thought running my own business would be easier than the 9 to 5 but I couldn’t have been further from the truth. Now he’s left home and I wish I could take some of that time back.
Helm: Looking back, what’s one thing you wish you understood about business before you got started?
CY:I had never really been held back in my career or ambitions because I’m a woman. Self employed women have a much harder time being taken seriously I think, and I have had to fight for every success I’ve had.
Helm: What sales advice would you give to someone new in business who’s looking to get their services in front of new clients?
CY: Be yourself, be genuine and authentic. Honesty goes a long way and building trust and relationships is so important. Don’t be afraid to ask for their business if you feel you can work well with them.
Helm: We couldn’t agree more! Thank you for talking to us Cat, you’ve been great.
Interview Takeaways
- Determination is key to success.
- Always give your best.
- Being an entrepreneur isn’t 9-5. Expect to work so much more!
- Be authentic. Be yourself. Be honest.
If you want to talk to Cat about how Topic can help advertise your business you’ll find her contact information here. Make sure you check out the latest edition of the magazine too. If you’d like to take a look around Helm and see how we can help your business – give us a call on 01302 283 238 and arrange a time to drop by.
