This month we caught up with Carine

Tell me about you and your business.

Hello, I'm Yongpian Cai (Carine). Originally from China, I've been living in the UK for over 5 years. I'm a marketer, dancer, and TEDxTalk speaker, fluent in English, French, Chinese and Khmer.

I am the marketing manager for Harford Control. Harford Control offers MIS/MES solutions to provide real-time actionable data for FMCG, pharmaceutical, chemical and cosmetic manufacturing across the UK, US, Canada, Europe, India, Australia, Africa and South America. I am responsible for developing marketing strategies and delivering end-to-end marketing campaigns covering strategy, campaign planning and execution, budgeting, SEO, PPC, social media, events, media partnerships and measurement.

Why did you join Mosaic?

I joined Mosaic in 2020 while working as a marketing intern for Archmon and discovered this amazing digital hub. After my internship ended at Archmon, I was very fortunate to land a marketing job at Harford Control as marketing manager.

Since it was a remote role, I didn’t have many interactions with other people apart from meetings on Teams during the pandemic. I felt isolated and found it difficult to separate my work life from my home life. Therefore, I decided to return to Mosaic to adopt a hybrid working style. My company understood the challenges I faced while working from home and graciously supported my return to Mosaic.

What do you find beneficial about working in Mosaic?

I love meeting like-minded people at Mosaic. Everyone has their own specialised areas, such as marketing strategy, advertising, eCommerce, web development, software, etc. I enjoy engaging with different individuals to broaden my understanding of various domains.

I appreciate the community events organised by Mosaic. Whether it's breakfast sessions, Mosaic talks, Christmas parties, or Digital Drinks (organised by eComOne), they are always professional and enjoyable. These events provide an excellent platform for networking.

The staff at Mosaic are friendly and welcoming. They always ask 'how are you?' when I come to the office, and our conversations turn into enjoyable chats. A special shout-out to Ben, Ade, Gail, and Adele!

Where do you see yourself and your business in the next 5 years?

In the next 5 years, I would like to take more responsibilities in leading the international marketing efforts for the company. With my multicultural background and fluency in English, French, Chinese, and Khmer, I am confident in my ability to develop effective marketing strategies and campaigns on a global scale, thereby taking the business to new heights.

I have also been learning coding and Spanish for a while. My personal goal is to achieve proficiency in these areas within the next five years.

What has been your biggest challenge so far?

Juggling between various projects and passions can be quite challenging. I strive for continuous self-improvement, but sometimes find it difficult to manage everything at the same time.

To address this challenge, I've sought to enhance my productivity skills. I've turned to resources such as books like 'Atomic Habits' and YouTube channels like Ali Abdaal's, to learn techniques for maximising my time and balancing my diverse interests, while also enjoying my life. Implementing time blocks has proven to be particularly helpful. They not only assist in organising my projects but also enable me to focus on one task at a time.

Tell me about your biggest success so far?

As the first full-time marketer for my current company, Harford Control, I established the marketing department from the ground up. I created marketing standard operating procedures and templates for planning, execution, measurement and budgeting. Additionally, I led the website redesign project from start to finish and launched the updated product portfolio (solution wheel), transforming complicated technical features into easy-to-understand graphics and leading to YOY performance improvement.

In addition to my professional accomplishments, I have also: completed a TEDx talk at the age of 24 titled 'Be Brave And Speak Out - Find Your Own Voice In A Different Culture,' performed at the Eurovision London Party 2023 for Serbia champion Luke Black, and received a distinction for my master's degree in MSc Events Management at the University of Lincoln.

Any advice?

I strongly believe in cultivating a portfolio life. Each person is more than just a job title or a label. It's crucial to understand yourself and develop a diverse portfolio encompassing your passions, career, and life goals. Your portfolio serves as a tool to nurture your identity, create options, diversify your experiences and maintain flexibility.

Dedicate yourself to building your portfolio and seize every opportunity that comes your way. Whether it's a hobby, passion or career aspiration, the best time to take action is now.

Connect with me on LinkedIn: Yongpian Cai

Three words to describe Mosaic….

Supportive, Friendly, Knowledgeable