Jody Haley

Why this persona fits the audience

Leads a team of three at a UK-based e-commerce startup (25 employees) selling home goods. Currently relies on internal spreadsheets and free Google Search Console data to manage link-building campaigns, feeling overwhelmed by the volume of manual outreach required.

• Age: 29
• Location: Manchester, UK
• Occupation: Head of Growth
• Income: £45,000 - £55,000
• Education: Master's Degree
• Company size: 25
• Years in role: 3

“I just want to make sure we're spending our time and resources as effectively as possible, so we can actually grow without burning ourselves out.”

Jody Haley's journey into marketing began with a fascination for how businesses connect with their audiences. After completing a Master's degree in Digital Marketing at the University of Manchester, she was drawn to the dynamic environment of startups. She joined the nascent home goods e-commerce company three years ago as a Marketing Executive, quickly demonstrating a knack for data analysis and strategic thinking. Her ability to manage projects and foster collaboration led to her promotion to Head of Growth eighteen months ago, overseeing a team of three. She’s deeply invested in the company's success, seeing it as a reflection of her own capabilities and hard work. Jody is acutely aware of the time constraints inherent in a startup environment and the pressure to deliver results on a limited budget. This has fuelled her drive for efficiency, pushing her to constantly seek better ways to manage campaigns. Her current challenge revolves around the labour-intensive nature of their link-building efforts. She spends a significant portion of her week manually identifying prospects, crafting personalised outreach emails, and tracking responses using a complex system of spreadsheets. This process, while yielding some results, feels inefficient and limits her capacity for higher-level strategic planning and team development. She recently decided to pause a planned expansion of their content marketing efforts to focus on optimising their existing link-building workflow, believing that a more streamlined approach will yield better immediate returns and free up valuable resources. Jody views her career progression as tied to her ability to innovate within existing constraints, rather than relying on significant budget increases. She values autonomy and strives to empower her team, believing that well-supported individuals are the most productive. Her personal life, particularly her interest in digital minimalism and urban gardening, reflects a broader desire for control, order, and sustainable growth, principles she tries to apply to her professional life as well.

Background & daily life

A day in their life

Jody's typical weekday starts around 7:30 AM with a quick check of urgent emails and Slack messages while making coffee. She cycles to the office by 9:00 AM, often listening to a podcast. Her mornings are usually dedicated to team meetings, reviewing campaign performance data, and planning outreach strategies. Lunch is a quick affair, often a packed meal eaten at her desk while catching up on industry news. Afternoons involve more hands-on work, such as refining outreach templates, analysing competitor backlink profiles, or troubleshooting campaign issues. She aims to leave by 5:30 PM, but often stays later if a deadline looms. Evenings are for decompressing, either with her plants, music, or a quiet dinner.

Lifestyle

Jody lives in a rented two-bedroom flat in Chorlton, Manchester, with a small balcony she's transformed into a surprisingly productive urban garden, growing herbs and a few vegetables. She’s conscious of her environmental impact, favouring public transport or cycling when possible and trying to reduce digital clutter in her personal life. Her evenings are often spent listening to indie folk music while tending to her plants or catching up on industry podcasts. Weekends are a mix of socialising with a close-knit group of friends, exploring local markets, and occasional day trips to the Peak District. She’s generally good with money, saving consistently for future travel and potential property ownership, but isn't overly frugal, enjoying good food and experiences.

Work life

As Head of Growth, Jody juggles strategic planning with hands-on execution for a growing e-commerce home goods startup. Her primary focus is driving qualified traffic and conversions, with link-building being a significant, time-consuming component. She manages a small, capable team of three marketing specialists, fostering an environment where they can take ownership of their projects. The current reliance on manual processes and spreadsheets for tracking outreach and results is a constant source of frustration, eating into valuable time that could be spent on strategy or team development. She feels the pressure to demonstrate tangible ROI from marketing efforts to the founders.

Relationships

Jody is close with her parents, who live in a village outside of Leeds, and speaks to them weekly. Her core social circle consists of about five friends from university, with whom she shares most of her social life. Within the company, she has a good working relationship with her direct reports, valuing their input, and a respectful, professional dynamic with the founders.

How they decide

Jody is a research-driven decision-maker. She values data and evidence, preferring to explore multiple options and weigh pros and cons before committing. While she trusts her team's input, she ultimately seeks a logical, efficient solution that demonstrably improves outcomes. She’s not impulsive but can act decisively once she’s confident in her analysis.

How they sound

Speaks with a clear, articulate Northern English accent, but avoids overly strong slang. Her tone is generally professional and measured, though she can become more animated when discussing marketing strategies or new ideas. She tends to use phrases like 'essentially', 'the thing is', and 'we're finding that'. She’s direct but polite, and dislikes overly aggressive or salesy language.