Name: Drew Cockton
Job: Creative director at Owen Drew Luxury Candles
Where were you born: Liverpool
Where do you live now: I was brought up in Handbridge, Chester but now live on the Wirral. My family are all still in Chester so I feel I live there most of the time!
Education: Queen’s Park High School, Chester. BA Hons, German & Politics from University of Manchester, Post Graduate in International Business from Manchester Business School
Family life: Partner, two cats
No day in the job of running Owen Drew Luxury Candles is like the next!
I get up very early for coffee and then usually start the day with a meeting with my business partner Mike and our operations manager Angelica to plan our strategy for the week or even that day.
We each have a list of things we need to get done and we make sure they are completed.
Then I’ll check our social media and reply to customers and followers.
I really love this as I get to see customers using and enjoying our candles.
Then I’ll pop into our workshop where all of the candles are lovingly made and have a chat with our apprentices, check the quality of the work they are doing and see if they have any ideas.
Some of the best ideas we get in the business come from the grass roots level, so I’m always interested to hear their opinions.
In the morning, I’ll typically have a few calls with our stockists or potential stockists, check if there’s anything we can do to support them and gain feedback on how things are selling.
At least twice a week we have a photoshoot of our new products and designs where I am very hands on, directing and styling the sets.
We spend a lot of money on our photography but I think it’s well worth it and is the reason our Instagram is so popular.
I’ll also have a few meetings where we come up with new concepts and designs for fragrances - we have some really exciting things in the pipeline!
We try as often as possible to attend trade shows and do pop-up shops.
We find that interacting with customers in this way is invaluable and we’ve gained so many loyal customers in this way.
I usually don’t finish work until about 7pm or even 8pm as I am working on social media in the evenings.
My best ideas come out of hours, before or after I have started work.
On Saturdays I work in our new shop so Sunday is my only day off!
What do you wear to do your job? Smart business attire - first impressions are everything and I’ve always believed in dressing for success. When I used to work doing admin in Liverpool, my very first job, I’d dress like I was a Wall Street banker. Dress for the job you want, not the job you have!
What is the favourite part of your job? My favourite part is hearing how much people love my candles, how they are the best candles they have ever used and seeing how much happiness my products bring people. That makes everything worthwhile.
What would be your dream job if you weren’t doing what you do now? I always wanted to be an actor when I was younger but never got the chance to do anything like this. I’ve always been very creative so I’m happy I have found a job in which I can channel this!
How do you relax when you are not working? I love spending time with my best friends, my family and just doing nothing, relaxing with red wine and a good film!
What is your favourite film? Death Becomes Her - amazing, 90s camp classic!
What is your favourite book? The Book Thief
What is your favourite song? Stars are Blind, by Paris Hilton. Such an underrated song! I love how summery and reggae it is!
If a film was made of your life, who would you like to play you? Oh, gosh! I’d like to think someone good looking would but I expect it would be someone like Brad Pitt!
Have you had your 15 minutes of fame yet? Not yet!
If you'd like to take part in our A Day in the Life feature, please email leah.jones@trinitymirror.com for details.
