about me

Having been in the industry for more than 20 years, I am convinced that small really is beautiful.

I strive for happy clients, which is exactly why I like to over-deliver and … to stay small. This approach delivers a kinder life-work balance, so it is better all round: for you, me and my family. And it means I only promise what I know I can deliver, which is better for you again.

I’m currently redesigning the website, and as it’s a busman’s holiday of a task … it might take some time, because clients and then family come first! So all you will find here is a little text about me.

my history

1989:
I began studying at Edinburgh University, a 4-yr masters (in Social Anthropology and German Literature), with an additional year at Ludwig Maximilians Universität (LMU), Munich (in Ethnologie, Völkerkunde), this was 1991.

1994:
I graduated from Edinburgh University and spent 4 years back in Munich working for Prestel Verlag, (now owned by Random House), delivering top-notch art books and catalogues for museums world-wide.

1998:
I returned to Edinburgh and set up and ran a pre-press agency working with publishing houses bringing book concepts to print. During this time I worked with publishers like New Holland and Blackwell Science.

1999:
I gradually changed the focus of the company to online media, and we won our first big project which was the first ever website for sportscotland. Very soon I employed 11 people. We worked largely with the public sector and many small-medium enterprises, as well as a handful of bluechip companies.

2004:
I then set up a new media agency (newmediabureau), a partnership, with a narrower online remit. We went on to win three awards over the next few years: for best Scottish and British marketing websites (The Scottish Advertising Awards for ‘Best Scottish Advertising Website‘ 2004 and 2005; and the ‘Roses Award’ for ‘Best British Marketing Website‘ 2004).

2009:
Five years later I sold newmediabureau, moved to France and set up wildvalleymedia. Don’t ask me in what order, because I could no longer tell you. We had a lovely daughter about the same time, and those of you who are also parents will know how wee ones can addle brains.

2018 – 2020:
I now no longer manage large projects: I research, write copy, design, build websites in HTML, CSS and WordPress. I’m also a Salesforce Consultant for a wonderful company based in Stroud (www.clouduku.co.uk).

And I run a gîte business, market it, build (I completed a 170m2 new build from scratch in 5 months), renovate, coppice our woodland (we are self-sufficient in fuel & water), grow vegetables organically (partially self-sufficient), and have our own livestock … but all of that is another story.

And if there is any time left over I play guitar and fiddle, and ride my bike.

so what is this to you?

You get a passionate, dynamic, intelligent, well-educated, well-rounded, experienced, workaholic, multi-lingual agrarian geek.

You get 20 years of experience in print and online media. You also get someone who speaks English and German fluently, French and Spanish to a good standard, and can read and understand Dutch fully.

Yet you won’t pay bloated agency fees, you’ll pay freelance rates … no fancy offices, no large overheads, no excessive workforce. Quality at about a third of the price.

I build great websites, well designed, well marketed and well supported at rates that large agencies cannot deliver, with a level of skill and experience that small agencies can rarely achieve. I’ll also host them for you on my servers and register and manage the domain names: the whole caboodle … less hassle for you.

If you would like to discuss your project or receive more information about wildvalleymedia, please drop me a line …. sjw@ (just add my url) 😉

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