The Mastered team you can hire now
We’re famed for our team and culture at Mastered, so you can always count on us to be agile, collaborative, relentless, focused and kind. Here’s a handy list of team alumni who are freelance/run their own service businesses.
My coach asked me one day — what do you hope for in the future? One answers was “I hope that our company, Mastered, lives on well beyond my working there.”
Turns out, that happened much sooner than I expected. I’m still at Mastered, but so many people who have worked with us have joined, grown, then left and gone on to do brilliant things. I often hear people extol the virtues of someone who has been through our doors. That they are all have the qualities above and more, and can always be relied upon to be a superb teammate or leader. (I take only very minor credit for this — it’s a mixture of great hiring, robust culture, and everyone who joined leaving something of themselves with us). The working experience we all created leaves an in-dent on everyone who helped build it.
I often get asked “Mastered people are awesome — can you recommend a XX’, so for ease, here’s a list of our formerly permanent team members now freelance or running their own businesses. (One day I’ll do a list of our freelancers … now that’ll be a long one). Team — if I’ve missed anyone off, please do accept my apologies and let me know immediately!
Beauty
Kirsten Bassett: the expert producer on our collaboration with Wella Professionals is a session stylist and a copy writer, specialising in all things hair.
Racheal Gibson: AKA the Hair Historian, is a writer, commentator and consultant on all things hair, and is a former producer of Hair: Mastered.
Coaching
Cheryl Clements: OG Mastered co-founder who now supports “people who want to change the world” — especially founders, execs and leaders.
Dina Grishin: our former head of coaching specialises in working with creatives and career changers.
Katie Campbell Quinn: this ex Mastered talent manager who liked after makeup artists, nail technicians and hair stylists now works as a coach.
Lou Cullum: our first ever full-time coach works with everyone from creatives to entrepreneurs.
Creative / content
Chris Scott Studio: the former Photography: Mastered producer worked with Nick Knight for us, and directs, shoots and edits.
Helena C-J: a creator who shot/edited everything from marketing ads to longform teaching at Mastered and now focused on directing.
Kaya Strehler: the former producer of Art direction: Mastered is now, quell surprise, a freelance art director working in fashion, beauty and lifestyle.
Parkview Creative: a creative studio with a focus on supporting sustainable businesses is led by Rachel King (ex Photography: Mastered and Leadership: Mastered). Maddy Valder, one of our talent managers and a producer for Mastered Lives, heads up production there.
MAN Creates: Ex partnerships manager Mollie Anne Nathan does everything from strategy to creative direction — and often hires Mastered alumni to shoot with her.
Meldrum Dent: a production house run by Stu Meldrum (ex Streetwear: Mastered with Virgil Abloh producer). Expect to find a fair few Mastered shooters and editors there.
Olly Cooper: a director, shooter and editor who’s been creative director of agencies and now works with a wide range of clients
Sandeep Gill: a director and content maker who specialised in marketing at Mastered and now focused on narrative storytelling
Thank You Content: copywriting and brand work by Sally Stevenson, producer of Nails, Makeup and Hair Mastered and our in-house writing trainer.
Events
Kelechi Amadi: this producer led Mastered Live: Iceland and Mastered Live: Croatia before moving to Iceland to become a freelance senior integrated producer, producing across IRL and virtual spaces.
Fashion
Emily McGuire: she’s an artist, writer and workshop host who uses the medium of textiles to talk about fashion and sustainability.
Fiiri agency: former talent manager of Hair: Mastered and Styling: Mastered, Mona Ali, runs this model agency based in Sweden.
Institute of Digital Fashion: ex partnerships director Leanne Elliot Young now runs a consultancy focusing on all things metaverse and fashion.
Key Connections: the design and production studio was founded by ex talent manager of Menswear: Mastered, and an in-house production expert, Mike Key.
Management Twenty Two: the ethical model agency was founded by two Mastered team members — producer Lauren Smith and admissions manager Terence Webb.
Mekel Bailey: with us he selected and enrolled stylists in Styling: Mastered — now he styles and does costume design, everything from TV commercials to movies.
Nav Gill: our former assistant producer is now a writer and consultant focusing on streetwear and much more. She is currently writing a book on sneakers.
Samantha Southern: this journalist-turned Mastered expert producer for our Accessories and Styling accelerators writes about luxury brands, fashion and culture.
Fitness and well-being
Kim Ling: our previous talent scout and trainer swapped admissions for yoga teaching.
Michael Walker: this fitness, nutrition and lifestyle coach used to be Mastered’s head of people.
Growth
Stefano Pochet: this ex Mastered growth manager now works with startups across the world.
Games
Time4Talent: our former admissions manager Russ Blackney specialises in recruitment and career coaching for the games industry.
Life
Ruth Arnold: our former alumni manager is now a celebrant, officiating weddings, funerals, baby naming ceremonies and more.
Music
Taylor Glasby: our ex social media manager writes about and consults on all things K-Pop.
NFTs
Streeth.io: Danilo De Rosa, our ex marketing manager, is founder and COO of the blockchain NFT startup for graffiti.
People/HR
Sarah Gigg: Mastered ex head of people, previously head of finance, now supports small businesses with everything from onboarding to retention with her GAP journal method.
UX
Tom Moody: our UX designer can be found freelancing across some of the UK’s best startups.
Special shout out too to …
The ex-perm team members who don’t sell services, but do sell real stuff…
Goodordering: our former Accessories: Mastered expert producer, Jacqui Ma, is also founder of the cycling-focused accessories brand.
Ps. I used my previous codification to help me decide what to write next. This is firmly about work, but also factors creativity in too as it’s what so many of our team focus on.
Pps. I bet I’ve missed someone off. If I have, please DM me and I’ll add to this list.
