About

So who is Claire Raikes? I’m a heart-led creator, an intuitive ‘soulopreneur’, a lateral thinker, a nature-loving, wannabe geek, Renaissance Soul/Scanner and a champion for authenticity.  My passions and areas of expertise include online business, personality/authentic digital marketing & branding, natural health, woo-woo (do ask!) & angels, all types of voice work incl. radio presenting, being a Goddess-in-training and dogs!

How I make my living can be summed up in one sentence: Client Attraction for Small Businesses with Big Hearts! That’s the short answer, but in truth…. I’m not known for those, so here’s a rather longer version… 

In The Beginning

I’ve been in ‘Communications’ of one form or another, pretty much my entire working life, from broadcasting and voice work for the BBC and WDR in Germany, to corporate marketing. I’m also a trained coach, a certified NLP Practitioner and an accomplished speaker and presenter.

Before focussing on online and digital business, I spent over 10 years creating and delivering experiential and integrated marketing campaigns for blue chip brands. My entrepreneurial bent was obvious early on; in my first agency job, I rose from Junior Account Manager to Board Director (Client Services) in just 4 years. Turnover increased from £250k to £6.5m over the same period. I went on to set up a number of rival companies, including a couple of my own, both of which achieved second year turnovers in excess of £1m. Key clients over the years include Birds Eye Walls, Muller Dairy, Nestle (UK), Royal Opera House, Van den Bergh Foods, Master Foods and Fox’s Biscuits.

The Turning Point

But the ‘work hard, play hard’ lifestyle caught up and when the business hit financial difficulties, having lost touch with ‘the real me’, I decided to bow out gracefully, take a sabbatical and work out who I was again. Fuelled by my interest in personal development, I retrained as a coach and after 15 years’ practical experience of it, finally certified as an NLP Practitioner.

Around the same time, I became ill with a life-threatening digestive condition. Stubbornly refusing to accept conventional medical intervention, I embarked on a natural healing adventure. Documenting the entire journey on a blog, it was 2 years before I became well again by overhauling my diet and lifestyle choices and developing my spiritual and noetic science understanding.  What I now see as the ‘gift’ of this experience led eventually to my involvement with www.Simply-Nutrition.co.uk with friend and registered Nutritionist Lucy-Ann Prideaux.

As an early-adopter of the blogging phenomenon, it wasn’t long before I found myself being perceived as something of a social media expert and so, in early 2006, BusinessBlogAngel.com was born. Creating business blogging and social media marketing blueprints and blogsites for SMEs, entrepreneurs and global micro-brands, I was was able to combine my coaching, training, technical and marketing skills whilst achieving my own goal of creating a life where I could work from home and live anywhere. And so, after 18 years based in London’s Battersea, I was able to honour my ‘hiraeth’ and return to Wales where I now live, by the sea, in Penarth in the Vale of Glamorgan.

How I Make My Living Now…

Using the lessons I’ve learnt along the way – about being true to your self, combined with my own unique talents and skills, I’ve recently created a 91 day, fully supported, self-study program designed to encourage and enable other people, like you perhaps, to create and lead YOUR OWN authentic business and life: http://authenticbrand.me

I still continue the work I started as BusinessBlogAngel – designing and creating dynamic blog-based websites, brand identities, graphics & digital images and authentic, social marketing skills & strategies and I train, teach and coach others to do the same.

What I Do Solely For Fun…

In my free time, I enjoy seeking out new experiences; over the years, I’ve raced motorcycles, walked on hot coals, got booted out of drama school, delivered motivational talks in a second language, exhibited a painting at Dulwich Museum, paraglided off Mount Babadag and been a saucy centrefold! The last 5 years or so have been primarily about spiritual growth for me though and I’m finally delving more deeply into my intuitive and healing gifts, exploring angels and angelic reiki, the divine feminine and sacred sexuality.

Get to know me better via the networks listed under Let’s Connect below…