Never wait for the perfect plan: Sophia’s Petite Agency journey

Sophia Gowland, founder of Petite Agency, is a proud Teesside alumna with a degree in business management. Drawn to Teesside for its close-knit community and forward-thinking ethos, Sophia found the environment both supportive and inspiring.

Her degree provided a strong foundation in strategy, finance, and leadership, and helped her build the confidence to carve out her own path. That sense of empowerment became the springboard for launching Petite Agency, a creative social media marketing agency. Petite Agency helps businesses tell their stories online in ways that build credibility, connect with the right audiences, and translate social media presence into tangible growth. Sophia recalls that her first major challenge was hiring. Although the process was initially draining, it taught her the importance of working with the right people and building a strong, supportive team.

Since its launch, Petite Agency has evolved from a one-woman start-up into a company with international reach. Now celebrating five years in business, the agency has worked on major regeneration projects across the Tees Valley and picked up multiple awards. Sophia credits Teesside University for opening doors to valuable networks, mentors, and resources that helped shape the agency’s growth. The Launchpad and FUEL initiatives were especially pivotal in her early journey. ‘FUEL gave me the structure and accountability I needed, and Launchpad gave me something just as important: a base. Having access to the right people, as well as facilities like Launchpad, meant I wasn’t building Petite Agency completely on my own,’ she said.

Sophia valued the networking opportunities provided by Teesside University, and the 18-month office space gave Petite Agency credibility, a place to test ideas, and a supportive community that helped drive growth. Sophia’s said,’ My advice to anyone thinking of starting their own business is to never wait until you have the perfect plan or idea because you may never feel 100% ready. Consistency, hard work and building up momentum is needed. There will be mistakes and obstacles along the way. But it is resilience – nurtured both personally and through the culture at Teesside University – that helps lay the foundations for building a business.’

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