Going on a reality TV show should not negatively impact someone's career, a former high-up boss at software and retail giant THG has said.
Sophie Brown appeared on E4's Married at First Sight UK series last year, taking a sabbatical from her role as global head of channel at THG Ingenuity Cloud Services to do so.
Since leaving her job earlier this year, Ms Brown has worked at Tech Nation as well as "diversifying my portfolio" in the wake of her sudden fame after appearing on the popular show.
READ MORE: Click here to sign up to the BusinessLive North West newsletter
Speaking to BusinessLive, Ms Brown also detailed why "it's a shame" Tech Nation closed down after it lost £12m in funding in favour of Barclays and why the tech industry is becoming less of a boys' club. Tech Nation was set up by the coalition government in 2010 and employed around 100 people.
"I loved working there and it's a real shame that it closed down. Even though I was only there for a couple of months I saw that it was a really fantastic community. Being part of it was a really lovely role as I got to speak to founders", Ms Brown said.
"It's a shame really to lose it to Barclays and that they didn't get to carry on in any way. It was such a communal area for people in Manchester.
"I worked in Bonded Warehouse and there were loads of founders there and it was a really nice environment. I do wonder how Barclays are going to replicate that.
"There may be something similar but I think there will be a bit of a gap until there is."
On her time at THG, she added: "It's a very big company that's so fast moving and every day was different. I had a good journey there.
"I had a good experience even though it's a very large company which meant it could be difficult at points. Because it's publicly listed you would hit barriers where you might not in a small business.
"I was very autonomous in my role so I did my own thing most of the time."
Ms Brown left her role at THG earlier this year, having first joined the group in May 2021.
"I had too much going on, to be honest. I was juggling having been on a TV show and working in quite a high responsibility job and I give everything to everything that I do so my brain was frazzled in the end and I had to make a decision over what I wanted to pursue", Ms Brown added.
"I had all these opportunities that had come around having been on Married at First Sight and they were not going to last forever. I was in a position where I could go freelance and be able to put more time into other things.
"I worked really hard to get where I am in my career. I went on the show and I didn't want to jeopardise that and I don't think it has."
As well as working as a public speaker and giving talks to students about their future careers, Ms Brown is also a vocal advocate for women in the tech industry.
"It's a lot stronger than when I started. I was 19 when I first went into a tech job and, granted, it was a commercial sales role but I was the only girl. It was heavily male orientated", she said.
"I think now there's much more of a shift but there's still a lot more that we can do. That just comes with educating younger people on what their options are.
"I dropped out of university and I feel that at the time I didn't really know what I was doing. If I knew that there were more options for me I could have potentially pursued them.
"I think we're definitely bridging the gap and we can still do more but it is fantastic to see the number of apprenticeship schemes that are taking on so many more girls, for example. It's becoming more appealing for females to get involved with."
Asked if the UK tech industry could be considered less of a boys' club these days, Ms Brown added: "I think it's getting there. I do think it's adapting, especially with apprentice schemes.
"There's a lot of work to do; when you compare how many directors and CEOs are male compared to females in particular.
"I do feel that people are becoming more vocal myself need to be more vocal about being a woman in tech and talking about my experiences.
"Equally there are some really strong women who speak up and they are great role models for younger women as well."
Ms Brown gained fame overnight when she first appeared on E4's popular Married at First Sight UK show last year. But becoming a social media influencer was never her main goal.
"Going on the show has helped diversify what I do. I love my career and there's certain elements of that which I still get to do such as public speaking and chairing panels for the likes of Manchester Young Professionals as well as working with students", she said.
"It has allowed me to do more stuff like that and I want to do more of that in the future.
"When I first came off the show, because I was such a known face and name, it was quite easy to monetise my activity on social media. So many people were going on my accounts but obviously now it's not quite the same.
"When I went on the show I was granted a sabbatical so I knew that I had a job when I got back. I wanted that as a fall back because I didn't go on the show to become an influencer. I wanted to continue my life and then maybe have some extra things on the side and have a bigger reach.
"I want to keep on focusing on my career because my Instagram account could be deleted tomorrow. Someone could hack it and I could lose everything. I have to be aware of that and have other things going on as I wouldn't want that to be my only option.
"It's hard enough sometimes being a woman in the tech industry and then if you're labelled as being off reality TV. But with having a sabbatical granted, I had my job at the end of it and they were really good about it.
"I would never do anything that would overtly ruin my career and if someone didn't want to work with me because I had been on a reality show then that's their problem. I would hope that my talent and skill set would show through.
"Don't get me wrong though, I've been to work events and I've had people come over and say they had watched me on TV and it does change the dynamic. Equally I have faith in my own abilities and I would hope it does not affect my career in a negative way."
On her future plans, Ms Brown added: "I'm in such a transition period at the moment. I still do public speaking and give talks to universities on getting into the working world and about women in tech and I do want to do more of that.
"I'm looking at the moment at offering consultancy to those early in their careers and getting them into the workplace. Things like salary negotiations and things that people may lack a bit of confidence in.
"I'm in the process of diversifying my portfolio I would say. I'm pursuing some of the social media stuff which is fantastic.
"I want to keep a hold of my career because I don't want to let it go. I miss it and being in a workplace environment. I like the culture but it would be nice to have a mixture. There are not enough hours in the day."
READ MORE:
Kellogg's to no longer require prospective employees to have a degree
Timpson hails record results as profits surge 'way beyond our expectations'
Manchester United handed ultimatum by Sheikh Jassim after fifth offer submitted
Wigan Athletic, Dechra Pharmaceuticals and The Co-op: The 13 latest North West deals
