White Bear Studio

Founder and Creative Director

Bold Bean Co | B Corp™

Fractional brand strategy and creative advisor at one of the UK's most exciting food brands. 
On a mission to make people BEAN OBSESSED!

Fractional Brand & Creative Strategist

People Like Me

Founder

The Big Idea - Ireland

Director

Carter Wong Design

Carter Wong Design is an independent, London based graphic design agency. It combines intelligent solutions with outstanding creativity.

Senior Creative

WMH&I

Middle Weight Creative

Imagination

Imagination is a world-leading communication agency, a global concern with full service offices on four continents. 

During my time at Imagination I worked across a number of disciplines from branding and identity to design for print and experiential.

Landor

Landor is a global company which provides a full range of integrated brand consulting, creative, and design services to help clients create, build, and revitalize their brands.

Zinc Design Consultants

Tackling briefs such as branding and identity, campaigns, promotions, web design, corporate publications and advertising. 

In 2010 I attained an Institute of Designers in Ireland Award for branding and identity working as part of a team on the Rua Red South Dublin County Council Art Centre project.

Junior Creative

Graphics IT

Work experience while under going my visual communications degree. I was mentored by creative director Paul Keane, designing stationary, printed ephemera, company identities and websites.

Junior Designer

Founder & CD at White Bear 🐻‍❄️ | Top 22 Female Founder 2022 ⚡️| Small Agency of the year 2022 🥇| CP Top 5 Agencies in UK ✏️ | Speaker and Host 🎤 | 16x Award winner 2022 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆

I'm Kelly, the founder and creative director of White Bear, an agency built on brilliant strategy and big idea creativity. All in the pursuit of creating brands that are impossible to ignore.

Learn more at http://www.whitebearstudio.com
Subscribe to our newsletter at: https://mailchi.mp/whitebearstudio/newsletter
Or contact me directly at kelly@whitebearstudio.com

Kelly Mackenzie 🐻‍❄️

Career Coach | 6 Promotions in 7 Years | From $40K to $200K | I teach a proven blueprint for landing 6-figure promotions | Follow for career growth strategies

Hi, I’m Alec, I went from a burnt-out assistant manager, to being promoted 6 times in 7 years, into a global leadership role. 

🟢 Promoted 6 times in 7 years at global leaders like L'Oréal and Johnson & Johnson.
🟢 Led multi-million-dollar brands and received an international move to the US. 
🟢 Recognized with marketing & customer awards across companies.
🟢 Coached 150+ ambitious professionals across marketing and commercial functions.
🟢 Followed by +80,000 top-performers for daily posts on how to be promoted.

Here's the truth HR, your boss, and mentors won't tell you:

Just working hard, performing in your role, won’t get you promoted.

I learned this the hard way.

Early in my career, I was that person:

❌ Going above and beyond
❌ Putting in endless hours
❌ Looking for approval
❌ Waiting for my turn

The result? 

Burnout, self-doubt, and frustration, watching others get promoted past me.

The game-changer wasn't working harder. It was working strategically.

I developed a 3-step strategy that accelerated my career:

✅ Accountability strategy
✅ Relationship strategy
✅ Competency strategy

Now I teach ambitious professionals how to do the same.

No more:

↳ Grinding without direction
↳ Being told to wait your turn
↳ Hearing it isn't  within policy
↳ Feeling stuck and undervalued
↳ Missing out on opportunities you deserve
↳ Watching peers get promoted ahead of you

Instead, you'll learn:

→ Why most "hard workers" fail.
→ What actually drives career progression.
→ How to build your dream career roadmap.
→ How to position yourself at the front of the line.
→ How to execute a strategy that gets you promoted faster.

Follow me for winning strategies to be promoted to 6 figures roles. 

Want to be promoted?

🟢 Book your 1:1 strategy call: https://calendly.com/arc-coaching/strategycall

To partner with me as a content creator or public speaker, please email: enquiries@alecrickard.com

Alec Rickard

Many teams still hire like it’s 1998.

They scan for perfect experience, titles, and boxes ticked.

But here’s the truth most leaders avoid:

Experience helps.
But attitude decides everything.

The people who lift a team the fastest?

They’re not the ones with the longest CV.
They’re the ones who show up ready to learn and ready to grow.

Here’s why they stand out:

1/ They ask real questions instead of trying to look perfect.
↳ Curiosity shows they care more about getting it right than looking right.

2/ They take feedback without getting weird about it.
↳ They improve fast because they’re not stuck in old habits.

3/ They make the team better just by how they show up.
↳ No drama... just effort, ownership, and good energy.

4/ They volunteer for the work others avoid
↳ Initiative is the clearest signal of future leadership.

5/ They build relationships early
↳ Trust accelerates performance more than any skill does.

Skills can be taught.
Attitude shows up on day one.

The person who wants to grow will always pass the person who thinks they already know it all.

Tag the person who proves this true. 👇 

♻️ Repost to spread better hiring habits.
✅ Follow Alec Rickard for career growth strategies

Founder building for 2026 | Corporate marketer → first-time Founder | Sharing stories along the way | I teach people strategies to advance their personal and career goals

If your job doesn’t grow you, it’s shrinking you.

They call it loyalty.

But after working with hundreds of professionals, 
I’ve seen this truth repeat...

The ones who grow fastest aren’t the ones who stay longest.
They’re the ones who move with purpose.

Here’s the thing about “staying loyal”:

It often means staying still.
And stillness slowly turns into stagnation.

You start to:

 → Trade curiosity for comfort.
 → Tell yourself it’ll get better next quarter.
 → Confuse being reliable with being replaceable.

But if your company isn’t investing in your growth,
Your development, your confidence, your next step.

You’re not being loyal to them.
You’re being disloyal to yourself.

You’re not leaving them behind.
You’re catching up to yourself.

Because every time you move toward a challenge, you evolve.
And every time you stay for comfort, you shrink.

So ask yourself:

If you stayed here for two more years…
Would you be more valuable, or just more tired?

Leaving isn’t just quitting.
It’s choosing progress.

The right job doesn’t just keep you safe.
It helps you soar.

Have you ever outgrown a role and known it was time to go?
Drop a comment below. 👇

♻ Repost this to help your network.
✅ Follow me Alec Rickard for career growth strategies to grow your career faster.

10 Behaviours That Make You a Leader

(Before the Title Does)

You don’t wake up one day and become a leader.
It’s not a title. Not a headline.

It starts in the quiet choices you make when no one’s watching...
And people start following you long before HR gives you the title.

Here are the behaviours that actually show you’re already leading:

1/ You take ownership
↳ You handle problems without waiting for someone to fix them.
Example: A deadline slipped, so you pulled the team together, reset the plan, 
and got it over the line.

2/ You stay steady when things get messy
↳ Stress hits, you don’t spiral.
Example: Everyone panicked during a last minute change, you kept it calm 
and told folks what mattered first.

3/ You help others win
↳ You lift people up without keeping score.
Example: You shared a teammate’s idea in a meeting so leadership actually heard it.

4/ You communicate so work gets easier
↳ Clear, simple, no confusion.
Example: Instead of a long chat, you sent a straight to the point summary so the team knew exactly what to do next.

5/ You keep your word
↳ If you said you’ll do it, you do it.
Example: You delivered your part early so others weren’t blocked.

6/ You face problems early
↳ You don’t let awkward stuff pile up.
Example: You pulled someone aside and sorted a small issue before it became a big one.

7/ You treat everyone w/ respect
↳ Titles don’t matter to you.
Example: You thanked the intern for catching an error and made sure the team knew it.

8/ You stay curious
↳ You ask questions instead of pretending you know everything.
Example: You joined a call just to learn how another team works, not because you had to.

9/ You step up before you feel ready
↳ Action first, confidence after.
Example: You volunteered to present even though it scared you, and it changed how people saw you.

10/ You make decisions
↳ You don’t wait for perfect info.
Example: You chose a direction when the team got stuck, and it moved the work forward.

Which one feels the most real for where you are right now?
Drop it in the comments 👇

♻ Repost to help someone who needs this
✅Follow me Alec Rickard for more

Growth Coach | Building something new for 2026 | 6 promotions in 7 years from $40k to $200k | I teach people how to advance their careers | Follow me for strategies to grow personally and professionally

I’ve coached 150+ ambitious professionals.

These 10 traits stand out in every high performer. 

Not buzzwords.
Not personality types.
Just proven behaviors anyone can learn.

Here’s what I’ve seen in every high performer:

1. They take responsibility without being asked
→ Notice problems before they escalate
→ Take action before you're told

2. They treat problems like puzzles
→ Break challenges into small parts
→ Test ideas instead of waiting for perfect answers

3. They protect their energy
→ Block time for rest, sleep, and movement
→ Remove energy-drainers from your calendar

4. They seek feedback before it’s offered
→ Ask your manager “What should I improve next?”
→ Review feedback weekly and track what you change

5. They stay calm under pressure
→ Breathe, pause, and write down the next 3 actions
→ Speak less, listen more, and focus on solutions

6. They do the basics better than anyone else
→ Prepare for meetings like they matter
→ Send updates before anyone has to ask

7. They stay curious, even when they’re busy
→ Schedule 30 minutes a week to learn something new
→ Keep a running list of questions you want answers to

8. They move quickly but carefully
→ Set deadlines even if no one asks for them
→ Do one review before you hit send

9. They take pride in their work
→ Check the small details before sharing
→ Ask yourself, “Would I sign my name to this?”

10. They make the team better
→ Share tools, tips, or templates that helped you
→ Encourage others when they step up

These traits aren’t reserved for the lucky few.
They’re choices.

Start with one. Practice it daily.
The results will follow.

Which one do you already have?
Which one’s your edge for 2026?

Let’s talk in the comments 👇

♻ Repost to help someone grow faster
✅ Follow me Alec Rickard for practical career growth strategies

8 Signs You’re in a Job That Fuels Your Growth

(Not Just Pays the Bills)

Some jobs check the boxes:

Decent pay.
Nice people.
Comfortable pace.

But they don’t grow you.

You don’t feel stretched.
You don’t feel proud.
You’re just, coasting.

Here’s what a growth-filled job really looks like:

1️⃣ You’re stretched often
↳ New tasks, bigger challenges, higher stakes.
↳ It’s uncomfortable but exciting.

2️⃣ You take on what you once avoided
↳ You used to dodge those convos or responsibilities.
↳ Now you step up.

3️⃣ You’re surrounded by people who raise the bar
↳ They challenge your thinking.
↳ They push you forward.

4️⃣ You feel awkward before you feel confident
↳ The learning curve is real.
↳ But you keep climbing.

5️⃣ You’re tired but in a good way
↳ The work drains you, but it means something.
↳ You’re proud of what you did.

6️⃣ You’re becoming more resourceful
↳ You figure things out faster now.
↳ You’ve stopped waiting to be told what to do.

7️⃣ You’re proud of how you show up
↳ You like your work ethic.
↳ You like your progress.

8️⃣ You know you’re going somewhere
↳ Maybe you are not there yet.
↳ But every month, you’re stronger.

Growth doesn’t always feel good at the moment.

But looking back, it always makes sense.

If your job stretches you, challenges you, and makes you better...

You’re not just working.
You’re growing.

Which of these signs are you seeing in your current role?
Share it below 👇

♻ Repost this if it made you reflect
✅ Follow Alec Rickard for career growth strategies

13 Brutal Career Truths

(That Grow Your Career)

Some lessons sting.
But they grow you the most.

Here are 13 career truths no one says out loud,
but you need to hear:

1. Your boss is not responsible for your growth.
→ Set your own learning goals and build your own roadmap.

2. Hard work without visibility gets ignored.
→ Share updates regularly and document your wins.

3. Being liked doesn’t mean being respected.
→ Speak with clarity, hold your boundaries, and deliver results.

4. Your reputation travels faster than your résumé.
→ Follow through, show up prepared, and treat people well.

5. Staying in your comfort zone delays your potential.
→ Say yes to stretch work that makes you nervous.

6. If you don’t ask, you usually don’t get.
→ Ask for feedback, raises, stretch roles, clearly and early.

7. Feedback is not an attack.
→ Write it down, review it later, and adjust your approach.

8. Saying yes to everything makes you average.
→ Say no to tasks that don’t align with your priorities.

9. No one is coming to rescue your career.
→ Own your progress. Schedule regular check-ins with yourself.

10. Doing everything yourself limits your impact.
→ Delegate where you can and involve others early.

11. The quietest person in the room still has influence.
→ Ask sharp questions and offer value when you speak.

12. Your title means nothing if no one trusts you.
→ Deliver consistently and keep your word, especially under pressure.

13. Staying too long in a role can stall your growth.
→ Set an exit point or growth benchmark for every role.

Brutal? Maybe.

But these truths have helped the fastest-growing careers I’ve seen.

Which one hit the hardest today?
Let’s discuss in the comments 👇

♻ Repost to help someone grow faster
✅ Follow me Alec Rickard for more career growth strategies

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The Battle

Kelly Mackenzie 🐻‍❄️

Alec Rickard

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The Battle

Kelly Mackenzie 🐻‍❄️

Alec Rickard

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Alec Rickard's LinkedIn Performance

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