Francesca Sieler
Marketing & Comms Director
I’m Francesca Sieler. I am married, and a working mum of a 2 yr old. I am a Marketing & Comms Director.
I started working at AllSaints as an intern when I was at university and it was an amazing business to be part of at that time and I was given a lot of responsibility at a young age.
Why do you want to be a Mentor on the Mentoring Young Creatives programme?
I have been through such a journey over the course of my personal and professional life, and I have recently felt compelled to guide and offer help or advice to others starting out on theirs. This kind of programme is something I would have welcomed if it was available when I was at the same point in my career.
How did you hear about Mentoring Young Creatives?
Through following the British Fashion Council and the partnership they have formed.
What past experiences do you have which you believe will help you to mentor a young person in the creative industries?
I have overcome the challenges of an extremely intense and stressful working environment whilst battling personal mental health issues. I have learnt so much from these definitive moments in my life that they have now shaped who I am as a leader of a team, a wife and a mother and I believe that gives me the tools I need to help mentor.
What do you hope to achieve from the Mentoring Young Creatives programme?
I hope to make a difference and to help my mentee to move forward.
What are you most excited about in starting the Mentoring Young Creatives programme?
I am most excited about having a positive impact on someone’s life – and helping them to overcome something that has been holding them back.
How do you think your career and health would have been affected had you had the opportunity to be mentored early in your career?
Seeing it through someone else’s lens, and understanding that I wasn’t the only one going through those challenges could have helped me from holding back and developed my confidence.
What is the best piece of advice that you have been given by a mentor/colleague/friend?
You can’t change some else’s actions, but you can shape how you frame your response and how that action affects you, it is possible to turn a negative narrative into something positive.