Meet Bryony
The unconventional path that created the entrepreneur’s marketing expert
My upbringing probably isn’t what you’d expect of one of the UK’s most sought-after business speakers. No role model parents. No private school education. My journey began in the hills of West Wales, where my brilliant but troubled father raised me and my sister in what could generously be called an ‘alternative lifestyle.’ Think hippy commune meets academic intellectual – it was what he liked to call “character-building!”
Frequently Asked Questions
“What’s with the cat metaphor we keep hearing about?”
Ah, you’ve heard about The Multi-Million Pound Cat Thief! I discovered I have this weird ability to explain complex business concepts using completely ridiculous analogies. Apparently, when I explain customer acquisition strategies using the idea of stealing your neighbour’s cat, it sticks. People remember it, they laugh, and more importantly – they actually implement what they’ve learned
“Why are your sessions described as ‘unexpectedly funny’?”
I’m trained in stand-up comedy and improvisation – it felt natural having spent much of my spare time as a teenager in youth theatre. Humour isn’t what audiences think is coming from a business strategist! But laughter creates connection, and connection creates change. When people are laughing, their defences are down and their minds are open.
My sessions get described as unexpectedly funny because it’s a welcome surprise for someone talking about marketing funnels and business resilience to have them in stitches. But humour makes the hard truths easier to swallow, and the complex concepts easier to remember
“You’re a marketer at heart, aren’t you?”
I’m a communicator and change maker at heart. But, yes it’s true, my professional background is as a marketer. Initially, the corporate world beckoned, and by 26, I was managing the Microsoft small business marketing account for a top advertising agency. By 28, I was one of the youngest divisional Marketing Directors at FTSE 100 company Experian, managing budgets and teams that would intimidate many twice my age. By 30, I had an MBA with distinction, and my corporate career was on an upward trajectory. But the entrepreneurial calling was too strong. In 2008, I took the leap and started my own consultancy – building it to six figures within a year.
“What is Watertight Marketing?”
It’s the methodology that changed everything for me. My approach is captured in my best-selling book, Watertight Marketing. What started as a way to help my growing business clients stop wasting money on marketing that didn’t work became a bestselling book and a system now used by over 3,500 organisations. The secret? I treat marketing like plumbing – find the leaks, fix them systematically, and watch the results flow. No doubt there’s a little nod to my builder father in this no-nonsense analogy.
“What’s with your Dad’s faint praise?”
You’ve spotted his testimonial on the book, then! “I think it might be quite good” – these were his words on reading my book, as he was dying of oesophageal cancer. I think it says a lot about the way he raised us that not only did he not say it to me directly, but his words echo his lifelong efforts to ‘keep my feet on the ground’. He was a wonderful and terrible father. I doubt I would ever have had the drive to write a book I’m so proud of without his critical voice in my head!
“How did losing your mum so young shape who you became?”
Losing my mum to suicide when I was five taught me early that life doesn’t follow the script you expect. It sounds dramatic, but it gave me a different relationship with my own potential. My mother was a deeply intelligent, but unfulfilled woman. I became determined to learn lots, live well, and dig into my fullest potential. This means that I make myself heard, and have done from a young age.
She died when she was just 28, so I think I’ve always been in a bit of a hurry in life. By nineteen, whilst supposedly focused on my Politics degree at University of Bristol, I was already running national fundraising campaigns for major charities. I had this knack for seeing how systems could work better – and the confidence to suggest improvements to people old enough to be my parents. Some called it precocious; I prefer ‘entrepreneurially minded.’ It’s a pattern that’s continued.
“How did cancer change your perspective on business?”
Being given twelve weeks to live when I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2019 was the ultimate stress test of everything I believed about resilience and systems. Suddenly, all those business frameworks I’d taught for years became life-or-death relevant. The same principles that create sustainable business growth – clarity on what matters, focus on controllable actions, building supportive systems – turned out to be survival skills. I discovered that everything I’d been teaching actually works under ultimate pressure
“What philosophy guides your approach to challenges?”
I’m deeply moved by the truth in the Serenity Prayer, though I frame it in secular terms: ‘Allow yourself to accept what you cannot change, choose to change what you can, and tap into the wisdom to know the difference.’
I believe these strengths – acceptance, choice and wisdom – exist within each of us. We don’t need to wait for external forces to grant them; we need to learn how to use what’s already there. Whether it’s facing cancer or navigating business challenges, we’re almost certainly stronger than we think.
“We hear you ran a marathon – what’s that about?”
When I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, I was given a 7% chance of being alive five years later. To mark that milestone, I decided to run the London Marathon. On the day, I had to walk it – and I finished in the top 200 of runners who stayed out there the longest. I am an endurance rockstar! Completing the London Marathon post-recovery wasn’t just about proving I could; it was about demonstrating that comebacks are possible. Every mile was a metaphor for business and personal resilience.
“What do you do outside work?”
When I’m not on stage or helping business leaders transform their thinking, you’ll find me in rural Gloucestershire with my teenage daughter (who keeps me grounded with her impressive eye-rolling skills), volunteering for my local hospice, working in the garden (there’s something beautifully therapeutic about growing things after facing mortality), napping with my cats, or planning my next adventure – because life’s too short and too precious to waste.
“What do you want audiences to take from your talks?”
That they are stronger than they think. Whether it’s a business crisis, market disruption, or personal setback, the same principles apply: get clear on what you can control, build systems that support you, and never underestimate the power of just showing up consistently. Topping up your own bucket is essential. Oh, and that bringing others with you in a decision or process of change really is like stealing cats – once you understand the methodology, it all makes perfect sense!”
