I’ve worked in advertising for over thirty years, the majority of that time was spent working for a local newspaper and radio station. Ten years ago, I took the plunge with my partner Geoff to publish our own magazine titles. I have lived in Wolverhampton all my life and know the surrounding areas very well; this knowledge has been invaluable to the success of the magazine.

Following the success of Wolverhampton West Magazine, we decided to publish Town & Village Life Magazine.

I quickly realised that running a business was challenging but also very rewarding, especially when receiving positive feedback from advertisers and readers.

I have always enjoyed meeting new people so the sales side of the business comes very natural to me. Over the years I have met some lovely clients who have become really good friends.

Out of work I enjoy keeping fit by going to the gym, a bit of ‘girly’ pampering, nails, facials and getting my hair done and of course eating out.

My work background is Quality Management in the Aerospace and Automotive sector – how did I get here I hear you ask!

I stumbled into running the magazine with Gisella 10 years ago. I remember telling Gisella to ‘go for it’ despite her having a successful sales career working in advertising sales. Little did I know, at the time, that I would become a partner and an integral part of the business

My number one priority with the business is customer satisfaction, being in the advertising game I know that satisfied customers is our best source of advertisement. No two days are ever the same, I enjoy getting involved with all aspects of running the business

The best bits for me – hearing from customers that their advertising campaign has increased business.

Worst bits – trawling through the mountains of paperwork from our friends at HMRC!

Away from work I enjoy playing golf, watching golf and talking about golf (can’t understand why Gisella says I’m obsessed). My beloved football team is WBA, I tend not to mention this when meeting customers for the first time at it might affect business.

Studio 28 Design and Print is a freelance graphic design and print broker duo based in Belper, Derbyshire. Ed Wilde (above), has worked in the industry for over twenty years, starting out in public relations (working on newsletters and corporate branding) before moving into work for a number of design agencies doing design and print work for companies based in the midlands, such as Rolls-Royce, the NHS and Bellway Homes.

“I started out on my own in 2008 and have been providing graphic, print and web design services to a variety of clients across the United Kingdom ever since. As business grew I asked close friend, photographer and designer Dan Elmore to join me. Dan up until then had worked within the newspaper industry, working for the (then) Burton Mail, and moving upwards to work within it’s parent company (at the time) The Mirror Group (now Reach PLC).”

“We can both honestly say Gisella and Geoff are both a joy to work for and it has been a pleasure doing so since the launch of their first magazine in 2010. They have always had wonderful ideas and care very much about their customers and what they may need, we have always done our very best to interpret their requests for their customers to the best of our ability.”

It’s been ten years since I joined the Town & Village Life and Wolverhampton West team and over the last decade I’ve had a fantastic time working with clients to create tailored advertorial and editorial content, as well as plenty of interesting features.

Every month brings a new challenge and whether it’s finding out about a brand-new business, reviewing a restaurant or writing the latest fashion feature, there’s always something exciting to do.

When the weekend finally arrives, I love nothing more than spending time with my family and friends, enjoying meals out and making time for some much-needed pampering.