Armadillo Asks: Carolyn Carswell
We want to introduce you to the people who make Armadillo tick. So grab a coffee, settle back and say hello to Carolyn…
Name: Carolyn Carswell
Job Title: Conceptual Copywriter
Joined Armadillo: December 2018
What’s your biggest achievement (personal or professional)?
Learning to run and enjoy it, despite a lifetime of telling myself I couldn’t, and that I hated it.
What are some small things that make your day better?
Running through muddy forests, anything edible, and music.
Tell us something about you that might surprise us.
I love podcasts about neuroscience. Which surprised me too.
If you were stuck on a desert island, which book, film and album would you take?
Book? A dictionary/thesaurus. Film? Ghostbusters. Album? Black Lace’s ‘Party Party’, because Agadoo transcends all language barriers.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
When I get stressed out my mum likes to remind me, “Well, they can’t put you up against a wall and shoot you…” She’s dead right.
What inspires you?
Gladwell’s 10,000-hour rule, which is the idea that it takes 10,000 hours to get really good at something. I like the idea that practice is more fruitful than talent alone. (That and looking at stop-motion lino-carving videos on Instagram.)
If you won the lottery tomorrow, what would you do?
Sit very quietly in a darkened room for 10 minutes and breathe deeply… Then pop to the nearest supercar showroom.
What’s your favourite quote?
Everything in moderation. Including moderation.
What’s something you’ve been meaning to try but just haven’t gotten around to it?
Meditation. Apparently the mind thinks around 50,000 thoughts per day – or 2,100 per hour. It’s 10:40 pm and I’m already exhausted.
What stat for your life would you most like to see?
How many hours I’ve spent consuming other people’s creative work instead of producing my own creative work. I think I can guess how galling those stats might be.
What songs have you completely memorised?
Gangsta’s Paradise by Coolio. I promise I didn’t do it willingly. It just snuck in there.
If you could turn any activity into an Olympic sport, what would you have a good chance at winning a medal for?
Creating horrible-yet-original dance moves on request.
What have you only recently formed an opinion about?
Growing vegetables.
My recently-formed opinion is that I bloody love it. Welcome to middle age…
In another life, I’m pretty sure I was a…
Viking.
If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be?
Thanks to my big feet and freakishly long toes, I’d possess the ability to leap tall buildings in one stride.
What is your favourite word in the English language, and why?
There are too many to choose from, but anything remotely onomatopoeic. Although, if you want to know the first word that popped into my head, it was ‘blobby’.
What and where is Bristol’s hidden gem?
The Bristol to Bath bike path. It’s a great way to commute, and if you go far enough you discover disused collieries, fields of horses, apple trees…
What did you want to be when you were a child?
A journalist or an artist.
Describe what you do in 10 words of less
I think up ideas and write words that persuade.
How would you describe what Armadillo does?
We dig deeper to unearth genuine insights, then use them to create impactful campaigns.
What are the three best things about working at Armadillo?
Everyone’s really good fun; I get to laugh too-loudly every day (sorry everyone). Also, there’s a free gym on-site, we get incredible breakfasts on Tuesdays, the hours are flexible… but that’s four things so I’ll stop.
What’s the most inspiring part of your job?
There are some seriously talented people here – yet, incredibly, no egos. I really love how everyone’s individual talent layers up to make brilliant work.
What do you like most about your job?
Being paid to write, and examine psychology and consumer behaviour.
What advice would you give a candidate who wants to join Armadillo?
Be prepared to be active rather than passive, and come with an understanding of people. If you wouldn’t respond to a piece of marketing, why would anyone else? It’s essential to question everything.