Team Spirit at Work: Q&A with Aimee Pooley

Role: Office Administrator

Joined Rawnet: March 2026

Favourite sport: Cheerleading

Fun fact: Aimee has competed in Florida 3 teams for cheerleading!

Starting her first agency role can be both exciting and challenging, however for Aimee, her background in team sports, particularly cheerleading, has given her a unique advantage.

We sat down together to talk about how her athletic experience is shaping her early career, what she’s learning, and where she hopes to go next.

Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background before joining the company?

Hey! So a bit more about me…

I have been involved in sports for practically my whole life, from starting gymnastics at the age of 6 to then moving over to cheerleading at the age of 12. My entire childhood years have been shaped by the sports I have done, and I wouldn’t change that for the world! My parents decided to put me into sport from a young age as I could never sit still. I think they actually just needed some peace and quiet during the weeks lol but regardless it was the best decision. I am an only child which meant joining clubs and sporting teams really allowed me to build my social skills, enabling me to become the confident person I am today. I studied media, criminology and law at college, and I loved every minute of it. My favourite course was media, as I had so much freedom and was able to be creative and open minded.

"I truly believe that I wouldn’t have found it as easy joining an agency if I didn’t have my sporting background" 

Q: What has it been like starting your first agency role?

Starting my first agency role has taught me so much and it has been a crazy learning experience. Before starting Rawnet, I had no office experience, I had only worked in hospitality, so starting this role at Rawnet has been a massive change. I truly believe that I wouldn’t have found it as easy joining an agency if I didn’t have my sporting background.  I have thoroughly enjoyed starting at Rawnet and it has really opened my eyes to the opportunities that come from working within this environment.

Q: You’ve been heavily involved in team sports, and recently in a coaching role within cheerleading. What skills have been most valuable in your role so far?

Firstly, being an athlete myself for many years has taught me many valuable lessons that I will use throughout my life. I was team captain for 3 years, essentially leading my team to America and ensuring we were confident within ourselves. This experience on its own gave me the tools to know: how to be motivated, how to lead a group of people with confidence, how to maintain positivity even when faced with struggles…there is honestly so much I could mention. Translating these core elements into my agency role has been so helpful. Reasons for this being: I am confident to speak in front of a crowd of people regardless of who is in that crowd. I believe I stay positive even when learning new parts of my role that may be challenging. I am also motivated to always do more, to always be the best version of myself and that drive has come from being an athlete who wants the best for their team.

Secondly, coaching is a new adventure for me but from the short time I have coached cheerleading, I have learnt so much. I coach two teams within our programme, my first team being aged 9-11 and my second team being aged 10-13. Coaching has taught me how to be patient. I think it is amazing how more children are being diagnosed with learning difficulties earlier in their life. It is so interesting watching how they engage during practice and how they take things in. And learning how every child is different has genuinely taught me how important it is to take the time to understand the value of what you are teaching as these moments they are experiencing, will shape them for their life, the same way it did for me. I believe just learning how to be more open minded to every individual's struggles and challenges is a fundamental lesson I have taken into my agency role.

Q: Which skills do you feel you have developed outside of work (in sport, previous jobs etc) that you didn’t expect to use in an agency environment?

Working in hospitality, specifically in cafes, has definitely taught me the importance of customer service. Hospitality is such a face to face job, where anything you say or do will always be taken at face value. This has taught me to be unapologetically myself, as I truly believe that there is nothing better than keeping it real and genuine with anyone you’re working with.

I didn’t expect to take this into my new role here because in my head I created this idea of the role being super serious and very robot like. Obviously, it is far from that, and the beauty of working in hospitality beforehand has really allowed me to keep it real and genuine at all times - creating natural relationships which I hope I can translate into client work.

Q: How does being part of Rawnet compare to being involved in team sports?

To keep it simple. Rawnet is a team. Cheerleading is a team sport. Rawnet functions the same way a sporting team does. For example: someone in the team is feeling confused/ stuck on a task and simply can’t rack their head around it - multiple people within the team will support them in understanding their task. This is the same way a sporting team functions. For example: someone didn’t land their tumble in the routine and it has completely knocked their confidence. The whole team will come together, cheering for this one individual, giving them that confidence that they can do that skill and they will land it.

Another part of being in a team is that everyone feels like a family. You bond and get to know each other the same way a family knows each other. Being in a team within cheerleading and travelling to places within the UK and travelling internationally, you really do bond like sisters.

I believe that Rawnet functions the same way, and it is truly beautiful. Every time I come into the office, the first thing everyone does is check on each other, ask about their weekend, have silly talks about aliens, and it’s these moments that really create that family environment. Regardless of age, gender etc, we are all as one.

"I have also learnt the importance of understanding what you're talking about - really taking the time to educate myself on what it is that I am teaching"

Q: How has cheerleading helped you develop communication skills that you now use at work?

Especially with being a coach, it is so important about what you say and how you say it. Children naturally are influenced by what is demonstrated in front of them. Therefore, everything I say, everything I do must be spot on. I’ve learnt to take my time with what I'm saying, there is no rush. I have also learnt the importance of understanding what you're talking about - really taking the time to educate myself on what it is that I am teaching. These skills have helped me in my new corporate role, as it means that I am more precise and have attention to detail in all aspects of my job.

Q: What have you found most challenging about the role so far?

I think self doubt has definitely been a struggle for me personally. I think in my head I had no idea what I was walking into, and everyone else had already been in this environment for a long time. However, when you actually take a step back and realise that everyone is facing new challenges everyday, that they also probably don’t feel the most confident in, you really realise that any self doubt you did have, disappears.

Q: Similarly, what have you found the most rewarding?

There are lots of things that have been super rewarding about starting my new role.

Firstly, the turnip system is amazing (a reward system which we have within the company). I have been given turnips for things I’ve done that I thought weren’t even super helpful, but then receiving a turnip and knowing you have actually helped someone out is an amazing feeling. I guess it is just that feeling of being praised and recognised for doing well - it’s so rewarding, especially when you are so new to a role.

Q: What habits from your sports background help you stay organised?

Essentially, when you are an athlete that travels abroad to compete at the biggest competition, it is so important to keep track of time. For some background, the UK cheerleading season starts in July so you have from July to April to have a perfect routine! Although this seems like a long time, it really doesn’t feel like it lol.

Also as a coach, on competition days, you are responsible for however many children, making sure they are in the right place at the right time, making sure I am in the right place at the right time. It requires so much organisation in advance.  I can apply both of these things into my role as it is definitely important to be organised in advance so that I can ensure everything is running smoothly and done on time.

Q: How do you feel you’ve grown since starting this role?

I think I have grown massively in confidence since joining Rawnet. As someone who doubted whether this role would be right for me, in the sense that I have only ever worked in hospitality, I now believe that any role I really set my mind to and am ambitious about, I can do. I can confidently say that I am: confident in answering phone calls, helping out teams within the company, using online services which I have never used. Overall, my confidence has grown so much since starting at Rawnet.

Q: How do you bring energy and enthusiasm into your work?

I think having the understanding that my role is to help everyone, and support people when they need it the most. It means the most to me to be the most positive I can when people come to me. I think also just being grateful to be where I am now, at 19 working in a role which is so rewarding and challenging at the same time, gives me every reason to be enthusiastic everyday.

Q: What advice would you give to someone starting their first corporate job?

Trust yourself.

At the end of the day, everyone had a first day at some point so there is truly nothing to be worried about.