Introducing C81 – Meet Michaella

Q: Describe yourself in a couple of sentences.

Hey, I’m Michaella! I’ve been with Chapter 81 for a couple of months now, and officially began freelancing in January 2018. I graduated in PR & Communications from Leeds Beckett University and have worked with various companies in the city including Welcome to Yorkshire and D&D London. I was born here in Leeds and currently live in the suburbs of East Leeds with my gorgeous Springer Spaniel pup, Chester, and an ever-growing collection of cats that keep adopting us. When I’m not working, you can typically find me outside with the dog, reading something non-fiction, playing rounders or cooking delicious vegan food!

Q: Give us the lowdown on how you got to freelancing for Ch81

I actually applied for a job with Simon a couple of years ago, and although I wasn’t quite what he was looking for at the time, I stayed in touch, kept bumping into him at events and stayed on his radar, which led to him reaching out to me when he was recruiting new freelancers for Chapter 81.

Q: What other work do you do?

I work on a couple of other clients alongside Chapter 81, including another integrated agency in Leeds and a luxury hotel in York. My passion is definitely the hospitality and tourism industry, so I try to tailor my work to fit within that, and although I’m a PR specialist, I do a combination of social, marketing and advertising for my clients. I also recently became a member of my local parish council, so I work on their communication strategy and social content on a voluntary basis!

Q: Why work for Chapter 81?

Aside from the team, of course, I absolutely the love the projects Chapter 81 work on – from Leeds Indie Food to Leeds Bid and the International Festival. I’m truly passionate about our clients and it’s great to work on things that you can get genuinely excited about. The work also feels valuable and I really believe the things we do at Chapter 81 have a positive impact on the city, making it a better place to live and visit.

Q: What do you do at Chapter 81?

At Chapter 81 I focus on PR, so mainly creating press releases, thinking of creative ways to secure coverage, working with journalists and engaging influencers on behalf of our clients.

Q: Where do you hope to see Chapter 81 in the future?

Of course I hope to see our client roster grow, but I’m also excited to see what the future brings for our own projects and how we can put our collective knowledge and experience into creating innovative experiences and projects in the city. I think the collaborative nature of Chapter 81 is going to create the perfect environment for bold, new ideas to come to life.

Q: What does Leeds mean to you? Do you like the city?

I absolutely love Leeds. I’ve always lived in the suburbs so coming into the city centre still feels like a treat for me, and I just love the vibe in the city centre. There’s always something happening, but it isn’t such a big place that it feels overwhelming. It also feels like a place of never-ending potential and opportunity, and that’s the most exciting thing; there’s always something new – new businesses opening, new brands choosing to move to Leeds, new areas of the city being developed – and that’s what I love.

Q: What does the future hold for Leeds’ food, drink & lifestyle sectors?

There’s space in every city for high street stores and chain restaurants, and the offer in Leeds really is exceptional, but as new areas are developed and broader initiatives celebrating the city’s culture are rolled out, I think there are opportunities for the unique indies in the food, drink and lifestyle sectors to thrive. I hope the demand for new and unique experiences encourages businesses to be bolder with new, innovative and immersive experiences and partnerships. From a personal perspective, I really hope the vegan offering in Leeds continues to grow, and the city becomes a real destination for plant-based travellers.

Q: Tell us a weird fact about you

I sneeze like a Disney princess…you’ve been warned!