Member Interview with Sarah Fleming

We are delighted to bring you a Member Interview with Sarah Fleming, Founder & Director, The Right + The Left

What’s your golden rule?

If there's no customer insight or evidence to back up what you're doing, go back and find it first 

Who has been your biggest influence?

My art teacher opened up the world of advertising and marketing and the array of jobs available to me early on. He turned what was a passion into a career path. Since then, I have tried to reflect and learn from people and experiences (both good and bad) along the way - the trickiest of clients, a brilliant boss or a challenging direct report can teach you a lot about yourself and how you handle different situations - at work and in life. You can never quite see it at the time, but some of the most influential experiences and periods of my career have come as a result of looking back, sometimes months or years later. 

What is your most hated business expression?

I could think of many, mostly those that get in the way of smart thinking and effective actions but 'loop back' is probably my most hated - usually when it's being used to delay tackling a challenge or problem there's no easy answer for

What’s the smartest business idea you’ve ever had?

To say yes to things when you can't quite see where they might head, or join the dots - often these opportunities, and projects (as long as they align with your values and interests) - I tend not to think about the long-term outcome too much

Which leader do you admire most and why?

Beyond marketers, I find myself reading about those who have grown businesses, often disrupting categories or models such as Victoria Prew (Hurr) and Grace Beverley (Tala) because of their obsession with the customer and the role deep insight into their needs and wants has in driving growth. There is more often than not a level of intentionality and prioritisation across the business that gets lost as things grow and there's more that could be done, and I think in the age of driving effectiveness in marketing, there's a lot we can take from these successful leaders. 

What is on your mind the most right now as a marketing leader?

Ineffective marketing and how much money, time and resources are wasted on siloed marketing activities and doing 'stuff', often several times over, across organisations. The more channels and touchpoints we get, the harder this is getting to execute effectively 

Why is being part of The Marketing Society important for your career?

At the heart of being a good strategic marketer is the need to have one eye constantly on culture, emerging trends and behaviours, and the thought leaders shaping the way people see and interact with their world. Being part of organisations such as The Marketing Society is one way I keep up-to-date and close to new ideas and perspectives

Why does marketing matter to you?

Marketing is one of the fundamental external facets of any brand or business, and it has the capability to drive positive outcomes - whether that's economic growth, behaviour change or shining a spotlight on a taboo topic. We don't necessarily need to be working for a charity or not-for-profit organisation to do good that will benefit our collective world, and as marketeers we have the power to advocate for this

Tell us something that’s not on your CV

Before I stepped foot in the world of advertising and marketing, I actually wanted to become an architect. I had a love for creativity and numbers and whilst today, those are both luckily in my everyday and a bit of a superpower, I saw architecture as another way to use them both. (I've since channelled that passion via house renovations instead!)

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Published on 24 February 2025