Success Stories
Tell us about a barrier you faced and how you overcame it; what’s the practical advice you’d give someone hitting the same wall? “The biggest barrier I faced was myself, but the environment I was in often amplified that. Perception, imposter syndrome and a constant sense that I needed to prove I was “enough” slowed me down more than any external factor. I pushed through too much for too long, trying to earn my place rather than recognising I already had one. When belief isn’t consistent, you start shrinking yourself without realising it. You over-prepare. You over-deliver. You stay quiet when you shouldn’t. What helped wasn’t a single breakthrough, but perspective and people. My practical advice would be this: reach out to someone you admire and ask for help. Not when you’re perfectly prepared, but when you’re stuck. Mentorship, honest conversations and the right environment can shortcut years of self-doubt.”
What does “great” look like in your role day-to-day, and which skill or tool most transformed how you work?
“For me, great work is entirely about people.
Mariam Aslam-Digger Founder | OffType
On a good day, I’m thinking, listening, connecting and challenging with my team, our clients and our partners. We work with both our heads and our hands. The skill that’s transformed how I work most over time isn’t a tool or framework, but people skills: being clear, being concise and being intentional. I’ve learned that how you show up matters more than what you say. I care far less about what someone can do for me, and far more about how I can show up for them, whether that’s time, advice or support. Those things always come full circle. Kindness isn’t soft; it’s strategic.” “I think I was lucky early on, because the allyship I experienced was never framed as men versus women. It was simply about exceptional people doing great work. In my formative years at Hillendale, I walked into an agency led by a female Managing Director. When I moved into the retail environment, the top salesperson was a woman, Caroline. Not long after, we had our first female Business Manager, then a female General Sales Manager, Sales Manager and Aftersales Manager. None of it felt performative or done for the sake of representation. They were there because they were exceptionally good at what they did. Who or what helped you feel included, and what should others copy from that support?
What first drew you into automotive, and what was your earliest “I belong here” moment?
“I fell into automotive by accident. Fresh out of university, I applied for a business assistant role at a small marketing agency in Nelson. I turned up for the interview and realised it was inside a Land Rover dealership, and genuinely thought I was in the wrong place. I wasn’t. As I was taken upstairs, I met Sue, the Managing Director of Image Red, and learned that the owner of the dealership had invested in building his own in-house agency. Two things stood out immediately: the standards and the people. The dealership was immaculate, right down to the best-presented toilets I’d ever seen, and the agency itself was female-led, with deep experience across the automotive sector. This was 2011, and they were already ahead of the curve.
That was my first I belong here moment; not because I knew everything, but because I was surrounded by people doing exceptional work and being trusted to do it.
Very quickly, I was immersed. I helped shape a full research and customer experience programme, supported and curated experiential events, and worked on campaigns like JLR’s Hibernot activity at a local level. Within a year, I moved into a marketing role for the JLR group, and soon after into a Group Marketing Manager role following an acquisition, landing right as the Evoque launched, which was a pivotal moment for the brand and a steep, rewarding learning curve for me. What I realised along the way was that I didn’t need to love cars to belong in automotive. I loved building brands, creating experiences and advocating for customers, and automotive gave me a place where all of that mattered. I was learning fast, being trusted early, and seeing the impact of the work in real time. At some point, it stopped feeling like an industry I’d stumbled into and started feeling like one I was actively shaping. Once that happens, belonging stops being a question altogether.”
What that environment gave me was belief, but also permission. Inclusion showed up through trust, challenge and real responsibility, being listened to, backed and expected to deliver. It wasn’t about being invited in as a gesture; it was about being relied on.”
Which milestone are you most proud of, and what did you do to achieve it?
“Launching OffType is a huge personal milestone for me. From the moment I joined Image Red, I remember quietly thinking, one day I’ll run a marketing agency.
It wasn’t something I ever said out loud; it was more a steady, internal certainty that formed from watching brilliant women build brilliant things and feeling something click about where I belonged. There have been many proud moments along the way, building deep sector knowledge, growing confidence, earning trust, and being nominated for the Barbara Cox Woman of the Year Award, but OffType represents the culmination of all of that.
It’s the result of resilience, relationships, a strong network and a willingness to take responsibility not just for the work, but for the kind of business I wanted to build.”
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Copyright Rygor Group 2026
Copyright Rygor Group 2026
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