A BASINGSTOKE mum has turned her misfortune around after being made redundant from the AA.

Vicky Glanville took voluntary redundancy from her job as head of digital content at the Basing View based company, and decided to set up her own marketing business.

The mother-of-two, from Lychpit, launched Marketing Harmony Limited and is now offering marketing, coaching and strategic planning to corporate companies, SMEs and start-up businesses.

Vicky told The Gazette: “When I was at the AA I felt like I was working all the time but not getting any personal benefit and my kids were seeing a tired and worn-out mum, and I felt that I owed it to them to show them another way – that life didn’t have to be like that.”

With 20 years’ experience behind her, Vicky has been building up her client base, and has big ambitions to become the go-to marketing, strategic planning and business coaching provider in the South East.

She is now able to spend more time with her two young daughters, and has involved them in the business, using her increased time at home to teach them key skills such as accounting.

She said: “When I first left the AA the girls were scared. I had been there for 13 years. But I said to them ‘I’m going to work for a boss who really cares about me and has my best interests at heart.’ They said ‘who?’ and I replied ‘me’. I’m now there for them during the day. I’m working harder and longer hours than before but it doesn’t feel like work. It means I can take the kids to school and pick them up from school. It’s a different type of work-life balance.”

Not content with setting up one business, Vicky has also turned her hobby and love of beading into a second business venture, and has been hosting parties in the town for people to learn how to make bespoke pieces of jewellery.

Basing Beads offers people the chance to use their creativity to design and create unique pieces of jewellery using semi-precious stones.

Vicky has been hosting ‘Beads and Banter’ sessions for groups of friends, running workshops for children and holding jewellery making parties for both adults and children.

She said: “The Beads and Banter sessions have been very popular and give people the opportunity to meet others, make a one-off piece of jewellery and have a chat and a coffee. I help those attending to come up with designs and assist with finishing so that the pieces of jewellery are to a professional standard.”

Since leaving her job at the AA, Vicky said she has never looked back, and thanked her husband for his on-going support, adding: “I couldn’t have done it without him. I’ve been so busy since leaving the AA but I’ve been doing what I enjoy so it doesn’t feel like work.”

For more information visit basingbeads.co.uk or marketingharmony.co.uk.