Panda Q&A - Marketing Manager Chris

Chris our Marketing Manager here at cranberry panda is usually the one asking the questions not answering them, so we decided to have a swap. Chris has been here for over three years now and has seen so many changes and progression in the company.

Chris,

If you could sum up what you have learnt and love from cranberry panda what would it be?

I couldn’t name one thing as my biggest learning – there is far too much to choose from. I’ve always maintained that the learning and growth I’ve found here would be very hard to find if I were to start my career all over again.

The best thing about cranberry panda is having a chief who is invested in the team and their development. It certainly helps that hard work is rewarded with holidays to Portugal or skiing trips, but they wouldn’t be as enjoyable without a chief who urged you on the get there in the first place!

What are you looking forward to the most in 2019? Professionally and personally!

Continuing on from question 1, I’m most looking forward to continuing my learning and progression in marketing. We also have a new website on the way which will really give the marketing team the chance to try new things and build on a great foundation! (I’m writing this in December 2018, so you might already be looking at the new site!)

Personally, I’m going on a few more travels though will have to tone it down after my big Australia trip this year…as I’m saving to buy a house, I will have to resist the big trips! However, I don’t want to be so strict on myself that 2019 will be forever known as the year of saving. I can still save for the dream house and have fun along the way!

How is your writing going? Will we see you published soon? Why do you enjoy writing so much?

I’m always writing something down, be it a poem or an idea for a story I’m working on. It has taken a back seat this year as I focus on my progression and learning in my career, but it is always there for me to visit when I need some creative time!

I am considering the self-publishing route, however I’m not in as much as a hurry to do that as I was before. I want to be 100% happy with what I’m writing and how I connect with it before I share it.

I have always enjoyed writing – I remember being excited at school, even at a very young age, when it was time for creative writing. It’s your chance to bring imagination one step closer to life. It rings true with one of my favourite quotes/lyrics EVER: ‘There is no life I know to compare with pure imagination. Living there, you’ll be free if you truly wish to be.’

It is the typical desert island question, you can choose one person, an object, type of food and one type of drink … what would you choose?

The person would either be a loved one or someone like Bear Grylls, just so I actually stand a chance. Though how much of his TV show is real, I don’t know! My object would be a big notebook/pen…I know that’s two objects, but I’d buy the notebook that comes with a pen…that counts as one, right?

The food one is tricky as I love cooking so much…so I would bring herbs & spices so that anything I forage, or catch can get some flavour! The drink would have to be beer… (I can boil sea water when I need hydration!)

You can only go to three more places in the world, where would you go and why?

This is a tough one! Being from Ireland means that claims the top spot! Australia would take second place as I absolutely loved it – plus my brother lives there! The final one would be space…I might be throwing my third option away but if there was ever a commercial trip to Space, I’d LOVE to go!