Denise Tyler

Where You Live: Brighton
Company: Tyler Publishing and mother@work
Job Title: Managing Director and Editor

Describe your job/role?
There are two roles. One is running the business side of Tyler Publishing and the online magazine mother@work.

The other side is being the Managing Editor of Mother@Work, which involves commissioning freelancers, doing a bit of sales and sorting out the technical side.

What is the best thing about your job?
I love it. I think the best part is that because it's my company, I can live my life the way I want, doing a job I enjoy because I'm in overall charge. It's a good combination, especially for a working mother

What attracted you to it?
Having worked for many years as a feature writer, I've always been attracted to having my own publication. I've always been interested in the internet and wanted to combine the two in a web-based magazine. It was a golden opportunity for me.

What schools did you go to and what subjects did you take?
I went to Thurstable Comprehensive in Essex where I took English Literature, Economics and Sociology at A Level.

What was your favourite subject and why?
I love the use of words and the power of words, I love writing for myself and I love studying text so, naturally, English Literature was my favourite subject.

Did you go to University / College and if so what did you study?
I did a BA (Hons) in Media and English Literature at Leeds University. I then did an MA in Text and Performance at King's College London which is taught by the university's Humanities department and RADA.

What was your first job?
Other than waitressing and cleaning as a student, my first real job was for Dewynters, which handles marketing and promotions for West End Theatres. I was in the marketing department there promoting West End shows.

What does your career path look like?
I left Dewynters to go travelling. I went around Zimbabwe with Operation Raleigh, South Africa and Botswana for a year before I moved to Switzerland to work for TEAM Marketing on the Uefa Champions League. I was there for three years and then went back to London to work for API (now Octagon) promoting international rugby, athletics and football.

Then I set up on my own company, Vision Sports PR in 1999. We work with the press and public relations teams for major events, such as the Olympics, the Commonwealth Games and the London Marathon, as well as grass roots events.

In 2003, I set up a private publishing business aimed specifically at mothers who work, which brings us up to date.

Which women have inspired and influenced your career?
I don't think I could specify an individual woman because all women who have something to say and are not afraid to say it are inspirational. Throughout history women have not been expected to come out with anything inspirational or strongly opinionated.

What would you say is your strongest attribute/s?
I'm bloody minded, tenacious and determined but I also think I'm very fair. I'm also good at being able to judge a situation, important in journalism and PR.

What do you think is the most exciting/interesting thing about working in the digital media industry?
The vastness: the online medium is massive these days. The fastness: something new and exciting is happening every day. The technology behind it all is just fascinating, too. I don't pretend to understand it all but there is a bit of a wow! factor behind it all.

What advice would you give to people who consider entering the digital media industry?
Be prepared to learn a lot fast.

It's easy to get sidetracked in the media, as well, so try to stay focused on delivering your product or service and getting it right. Otherwise you end up trying to cram in too much too soon and you end up with a very diluted product.