If I Knew Then: Jaya Chakrabarti

Nameless, is an ethical digital agency born in 1999 with a mission to work with brands who keep their promises. A small team works to make compelling online content as well as providing design, development, marketing and database services.

CEO Jaya Chakrabarti is passionate about using technology to connect business with community to improve lives. As an active advisory board member with the West of England Initiative and a non-executive director of the Bristol Chamber of Commerce, she has contributed to initiatives that use modern technology to increase social inclusion, and chairs a local democracy organisation, Bristol Manifesto, aimed at ensuring the disenfranchised are re-engaged. In June 2014 she was awarded an MBE for services to the creative digital industry and community in Bristol.

•  How did you start Nameless?

My husband and I had actually already started a search engine technology company back in 1998 with another genius, Simon Holliday, but in our naivety we tried to fund it ourselves through freelance work. By the time we had got that going, Google had already launched. Stuart and I went on holiday shortly afterwards for a bit of a rethink, there and by the pool both read No Logo by Naomi Klein mulching over plan B. When we got back, we went to our soon-to-be partners Stewart Morgan and Colsin Leung at our old company, and set up Nameless.

•  If you knew then what you know now, what mistakes might you have avoided? 

For many years I spent time trying to compartmentalize my life, thinking that you couldn’t mix up business and pleasure. How wrong I was! Connect your passions. You can bring your day job alive if you link it to things you care about. My passion for technology rose to a new level when I found that I was able to use it to make a difference to the lives of people. I’m finding new ways to use my knowledge to connect up the dots. I have finally found that even when the going gets tough, the thought of doing something even slightly meaningful can stop me feeling sorry for myself for too long.

•  What advice would you have given yourself when starting out?

Have yourself a midlife catharsis or have one at least every decade. Clear out negative relationships, bad memories, futile guilt, old paperwork, your to do list. Face those things you’ve put off for so long. Freeing up your headspace makes you far more creative and open to solving your own problems.

•  If you knew then what you know now, would you still be sitting there? 

I think that I could have been doing so much more, sooner, if I had realized that it wasn’t size or seniority that gave you power – it’s how you lead by example. I had a microbusiness complex for a few years before I took steps to empower myself. Never let yourself believe that you can’t make a difference.

You have to totally believe that you’re doing what you do for all the right reasons. The number of people who thought I was running the Yes campaign for elected mayors because they thought I wanted to stand myself were significant. I’m hoping they now know better!

•  What do you know now that you didn’t know then? 

20:20 hindsight is a painful thing! I underestimated contracts in the early days. It’s vital to understand contracts completely before you sign them. Remember they’re there in case a relationship goes wrong, and not when everything is going right. You can do many things on a handshake, but treat a contract as ground rules for a strong relationship and understand what those ground rules are. Make sure your contracts back up your business ethics. Your word is your bond.

•  What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received so far? 

Pay it forward. Lead beyond your authority, help someone who couldn’t possibly return the favour, introduce people who could really help each other. Whatever you do, do it from the heart.

•  What is your business highlight? 

Being recognised for our work within the creative and digital sector with an MBE. I take greater pleasure from having freaked out Her Royal Highness by requesting that women could opt for being knights as well as dames (who wants to be a dame if you can be a knight?).

• What is your business low point? 

Being too tired to check the facts. We had an avoidable bad debt that transpired whilst I was on maternity leave, running the company finances between feeds, nappy changes and during baby-naps. I’ve since learned it’s never too late to sharpen your critical thinking. Check your sources, question everything, never do anything as a knee-jerk reaction.

•  What keeps you awake? 

Balancing several things at the same time. I jokingly refer to myself as a mothering director, and strive for work-life balance. Like many others I have a working-mum’s guilt about not spending enough time with the kids, and even when I am, my mind is often elsewhere. Whatever else goes on in life, it’s important to be with your loved ones. I mean really with them. Take time daily to look in their eyes and really connect: I draw my power, my passion, my energy from the love I feel for them.

•  What’s changed from when you started out? 

It’s never been easier to stand up for things you believe in, if you are able to take the time.  It excites me that our reach grows daily as more and more of the electorate become digital citizens. Be an IMBY: start In Your Back Yard, on your sofa, from your smart phone, at the watercooler. Sign those petitions, write letters, talk about important issues with your friends and family, challenge destructive beliefs.

•  What’s still on your to-do list?         

Ensuring that the West of England doesn’t miss out from further devolved powers by making the case for a region-wide metro-mayor. Becoming a black belt ninja geek. We’ve just started doing krav maga at our company once or twice a week to go with our regular yoga sessions. Credit control may well get much easier as a result.

•   What’s next for Nameless Bristol?

Ending modern day slavery. We’re bootstrapping a tech social enterprise start-up called Semantrica, focusing on solving global problems with clever data. I don’t think I’ve ever had as much of an opportunity to use my technology ‘super powers’ to make a difference on such a scale. If we even achieve 5% of what we’re aiming to do with our partners, including a brilliant charity called Unseen, lives will be saved.