What I learnt from Creator Day (and a seaside dip)
On Wednesday the 14th May 2025, I made my way down to Poole for You Are The Media: Creator Day, hosted by the brilliant Mark Masters—and let’s just say this blog isn’t short, so grab a brew and settle in.
The Journey Begins (With a Cry, Obviously)
Truthfully? I had a right wobble before leaving. A full-on ugly cry kind of morning. My anxiety was through the roof. But I alway try to not let my disability rule the show (mentally or physically), so off I went—with my lovely friend Leyla Alexander (award winning Graphic designer)
Somehow, between her brilliant company, the laughs and the none stop chatter and music, my anxiety just melted away over that four-and-a-half-hour drive. Having someone to ground me and distract me was really helpful and I am so grateful that she was willing to put up with a passenger in her car for that length of time!
Lesson learnt: Travel with someone who makes you laugh and plays banging tunes.
Sun, Chips & Business Chats
Once we arrived and dumped our bags, we headed straight out and—like magnets—found fellow business strays (and pals) at the harbour. Steve Folland, Becky Greaves, Michaela Parker, Anja Poehlmann, and Stefanie Mellano (all online business chums from Being Freelance membership) joined us for fish, chips, pints, and belly laughs in the sun.
Lesson learnt: Surround yourself with people who make your face ache from laughing. It’s like a mental health vitamin.
Skipped the Fringe, No Regrets
I skipped the evening fringe event. Yep. Me. I ignored my own FOMO and prioritised rest. And do you know what? It worked. I woke up calmer, less foggy, and ready to actually enjoy the main event.
Lesson learnt: Rest is productive. You don’t have to do all the things.
The Main Event: Hugs, High Vibes & A Lot of Learning
Creator Day kicked off with hugs (hello Gus Bhandal and Angela Lyons), chats with people I’ve only ever seen as LinkedIn profile pics (Mel Barfield, Ben McKinney), and enough coffee to power a small village.
Into the auditorium we went, and honestly, the buzz was unreal. Then Mark bounded on stage like an enthusiastic puppy in a blazer, and the day properly began.
Side note: Mark isn’t just the face of You Are The Media—he genuinely gives a toss about the people there. You felt looked after, seen, and included. That kind of stuff matters.
The Talks That Hit Home
I’ll keep this bit brief-ish, but here’s what stood out:
Phill Agnew: WALKED to Poole (not a typo), then gave a brilliant talk on effort = value. Real, raw, and clever. Loved it.
Steve Folland: Talked about longevity in business using a running analogy. Even I followed it, which is saying something.
Tamara Howard: Reminded us to stop bouncing between tech tools like hyper squirrels. Be intentional.
Mel Barfield: Pancakes, luck, and grabbing opportunities.
Jess Bruno: “F*** the Algorithm” a gorgeous mix of honesty, resilience, and permission to show up as you are.
The Bits In Between Matter Too
Tea, chats, and carbs—honestly, that’s where some of the best takeaways happened. I finally met Ella Orr in person (what a joy!) and chatted with some lovely humans like Marianne Avery and Sarah Burgess. Oh, and Amy Nolan joined us later too. Legends, the lot of them.
Later that evening, I met everyone at La Mia’s on the harbour. Mezze boards, paella, good company, and lots of belly laughs. Honestly? Perfect end to the day.
Lesson learnt: Make time for chats. Processing is just as valuable as note-taking.
And Then... We Went for a Dip
Credit: Angela Lyons of Lyons Creative
The next morning, we were up at 6:30am and jumping in the car to drive to the sea and meet up with lots of people all to take part in the Friday early morning dip.
I had been nervous about doing this as I would have to take my leg brace off and walk into the sea, which actually is not the hard part I just felt a little embarrassed. The hard part would be if I got knocked on my ass by a wave as I would not be able to get back up again or walking out of the sea where my weak leg would struggle pushing forward through the water but I needn’t have worried because the supportive community made sure I was ok, and helped me back out the water at the end and the experience was exhilarating.
Lesson learnt: Fear can make you worry about things that haven't happened yet.
Don't miss out because of fear.
With my train at 1pm, I went to do real life coworking, lets just say I was very giddy and if you are pushing yourself around in a chair with wheels remember to use your feet to slow you down!
Then off I went to listen to indie business club podcast having a live recording, this podcast is great, especially because of the dynamic that Ben and Mel have together and the genuine interest they have in their subject matter and listeners. You can listen to the live recording here.
Final Thoughts
Was it a faff to get there? Yes.
Did I cry beforehand? Yep.
Was it worth it? 100%. No regrets.
Will I be attending in 2026? Hell Yes!
And you can too! follow this link for tickets
