On paper, Amy isn’t a natural match for a global business resource such as The Lost Executive, but dig a little deeper and her experience of both working within and writing for large corporations makes her an exceptionally valuable team member.
If we told you that one member of the team here at The Lost Executive is a proud vegan who had their pet dog act as ‘best pooch’ at their wedding, you’d probably be surprised, yes? Well that’s exactly who Amy Buxton is, alongside being an experienced writer and business professional.
We can make all the jokes in the world about being a hippy, riding bicycles and tending allotments, but what’s the point, when they would all simply be telling the truth about Amy’s lifestyle? More importantly, these facets of her personality do nothing to diminish her ability to identify great business opportunities, exemplar customer service and those companies that seek to make their employees and clients feel like more than just a mere number. The question is…how does she do this?
Amy hasn’t always been a self-confessed lentil junkie, as she grew up imposing expectations on herself that would have been difficult for anyone to live up to, but university helped to quash these to more manageable levels,
“I think I went to uni just to have a valid reason for reading a lot of books and not looking for a full-time job, but the culture-shock of transitioning from high school was hard for me. It wasn’t as fun or easy as I thought it would be and I soon found myself a little isolated, as I went to the university in my home city, so had no need to live in halls. Without a slew of new friends to hang out with, I threw myself into my assignments and started competing with myself for better and better grades. Eventually, I got seriously ill.”
One breakdown and a gap-year later, Amy returned to further education and finished her English degree, but admits that something had changed,
“I was less concerned with impressing people and more interested in simply maintaining my health and enjoying my future career. That’s not an easy task when you’re not quite sure what you want to do, which is why I blitzed through quite a few roles before finally working for myself.”
Don’t go thinking that when she glibly mentions “a few roles” that Amy plumped for lowbrow jobs with no prospects, as that could not be further from the truth. Having enjoyed positions as a high-level executive assistant, PR professional, vehicle dynamics team member for a sports cars company and an editor, her experience is far-reaching and diverse, which has given her a keen eye for companies that operate on a stellar level,
“It’s a strange thing, learning what to look out for by working for large companies that fly in the face of basic levels of decency and credibility, but I actually tip my cap to them all, as they made me realise that I didn’t just want to be a cog in a crappy machine. Slippery-shouldering responsibilities, treading on colleagues and working tirelessly for no thanks just wasn’t for me, as it was turning me into the kind of person that I definitely didn’t admire, so I left full-time employment and took a chance on myself.
With the support of her, now, husband, Amy handed her resignation into the publishing company that she worked for, saw out her notice period and left, head held high, with nothing but a bunch of flowers and a John Lewis gift voucher to show for her efforts, but that was more than enough,
“I bought a fancy kettle with that voucher, so that I could start my freelance writing career on the right track; with good coffee in my hand at all times. My other half had created me a lovely but simple home office and three days later, I sat down to write my first few articles, as a totally free agent. That was four years ago and I’ve never looked back. We still have that kettle as well.”
So how has Amy come to be part of The Lost Executive team? Having worked with Donnie before, she was a natural choice when an extra writer became a necessity and she was only too delighted to get involved. It’s fair to say that her memory has glossed over some of the tighter deadlines imposed by Donnie in the past, but that’s bound to all come flooding back, given how time-sensitive business reporting is these days,
“I’ve been writing for the business sector for years, but when Donnie got in touch about a new opportunity, my interest was piqued. The Lost Executive really taps into something that I’m passionate about; making every experience count, so I am happy to be part of the team, despite all of the vegan jokes I have to endure! And no, I haven’t forgotten the deadlines either!”
With a steadfast desire to ‘enjoy life more’, Amy is choosy about her assignments and vocal about her beliefs, which will definitely read as unique perspectives throughout all of her pieces. The Lost Executive is the new face of business travel journalism and given that she doesn’t own a single suit, rides a bicycle and eats a lot of tofu, Amy is more than up to the task of adding to the team’s unusual, innovative and yet, informative reporting voice,
“One thing’s for sure; this isn’t your average team dynamic, but it’s going to be a lot of fun seeing how it works!”
Twitter: @amyvbuxton
Linked IN: Amy Buxton
Instagram: AmyvBuxton
