North East coaching goes from strength to strength with the help of the Digital Track programme

Founder Katie Manasse is no stranger to entrepreneurship, having launched her first business – Polyphony Arts – in 2018. While this artist management and coaching business helps creative minds blossom, Katie was keen to expand her horizons outside of just music.

She says, “I live in Whitley Bay and, after years of remote working, I’m keen to reconnect with my business community. I’m working with a lot of creatives, as well as executives in organisations like trade unions. You have to cater your services to fit the client, as there are profound differences in the challenges people face, depending on their backgrounds. You have to consider differences in power, responsibility, balance, and circumstance.”

As part of Katie’s efforts to build the Sea and Sky brand, she enrolled in TEDCO Business Support’s Digital Track programme and completed both the leadership and digital marketing modules. These are funded by the North of Tyne Combined Authority as part of the Digital Pipeline programme.

Offered exclusively to businesses based in North Tyneside, Newcastle and Northumberland, the short courses consist of a combination of in-person and online marketing workshops.

Katie says, “I was looking for support, and to connect with more people in the local business community. Having been a member of the North Tyneside Business Forum for a while, I knew there was support there.

“A lot of my energy comes from connecting with people, so the courses were great because I got the opportunity to reflect on my own business while connecting with other organisations, most of which were completely different to mine.”

While far from being a business novice, Katie says even when the information on the course wasn’t new to her, it was still incredibly useful.

“When you're on a course that's run well, by someone who's knowledgeable, even when they're talking about something you already know, you still benefit from hearing that information again.”

TEDCO Business Advisor, Jeff Thompson, who is part of the Digital Track delivery team, says, “Digital Track is designed to help business owners like Katie expand their horizons and embrace the tools available to them. The added ability to network with other entrepreneurs has already proved itself to be productive for Katie as she continues to find success with Sea and Sky. I’m delighted the courses have been of benefit to her and that she’ll be looking to utilise what she’s learned as both her businesses continue to grow.”