From pioneering social and influencer marketing at ASOS to founding and scaling SEEN Connects into a £24M global agency, Sedge Beswick is proof of what happens when bold ideas meet relentless drive. She’s been at the heart of what modern community building really looks like: listening closely, evolving fast, and creating spaces people genuinely want to belong to. In this Q&A, she shares the lessons she learned building ASOS’s community from the ground up, growing a global agency, and how motherhood has both softened her and sharpened her focus.
Learn More About Sedge Beswick’s Journey
Q&A with Sedge Beswick
As ASOS’s first social media hire who helped build a 17M-strong global community, what was the biggest lesson you learned?
The biggest learning that I took from my time at ASOS is the importance of the customer – everything you do, each touchpoint and experience is about them and their needs. That filtered through into the community we built on social. The user behaviours and experiences were different across each market, and each channel – to build a community, it had to be two way thing. We had to listen to the customer, act, evolve, adapt based on their needs and what they wanted from the business. That was the magic where we built real loyalty.
What sparked the idea to start SEEN Connects?
It really was a happy accident! I’ve always been a brand-obsessed person — I grew up admiring the way companies like Nike and Dyson built campaigns and shaped culture through marketing. At the same time, I was completely immersed in the world of influencer marketing. ASOS was incredibly ahead of the curve with its creator programmes and ROI-focused approach, and one quick conversation there genuinely changed the course of my career. It opened the door for me to launch an agency dedicated to influencer marketing — and this was over 10 years ago, long before the industry looked anything like it does today.
What was your biggest challenge in growing SEEN Connects into a global agency?
Oh, there were many! In 2021, we went through a period of really rapid growth, and the biggest challenge for me was maintaining the culture of the business while expanding across multiple markets. Our team was evolving quickly — not just in size but also in how we worked, especially with remote working becoming the norm and hiring people I hadn’t met in person.
Balancing that growth with keeping our values and ways of working intact was a real learning curve.
What’s one non-negotiable that keeps you focused?
On a personal level, I genuinely think seeing an osteopath saved me from a lot — burnout, exhaustion, and chronic back pain. That hour every couple of weeks became a non-negotiable moment to switch off, reset, and focus on myself. I always encourage anyone running a business to find whatever version of that works for them; carving out personal time isn’t indulgent, it’s essential.
From a business perspective, since having my daughters I’ve made a point of not working on Fridays. It forces me to be laser-focused on what actually matters and to say ‘no’ to anything that doesn’t add real value to the business or my family.
And those Fridays are a lot of fun — equally exhausting, but in the very best way!
How has becoming a mum reshaped your idea of success?
Becoming a mum reshaped my entire career — there was no way I could work the way I used to and still be the present parent I wanted to be. Success used to mean bigger clients, longer hours, more travel… essentially more of everything.
Now, I still love what I do and I’m completely obsessed with the work and the clients I support, but success looks very different. It’s about building a career that fits into my life rather than ruling it.
That shift has been the most grounding and empowering change of all.
As an exited founder, what do you now see differently about growth and success?
For a long time, growth and success were tied very closely to revenue and operating margins. My focus was always on what was next — where we were expanding and which clients we were going to win. Stepping away from the business and resetting my career gave me the space to reassess my values.
Now, success is about doing work that genuinely drives impact and meaning. That might be building an incredible creator strategy for a brand, supporting a female founder through an exit and being the person who champions her, or spending my time teaching children to read through Bookmark Charity (which I carve out time for once a week!). And just as importantly, it’s being present with my own kids.
The spectrum is wide, but the common thread is purpose.
As a consultant and keynote speaker, where do you see the future of community building and creator partnerships heading?
This isn’t a space that’s slowing down — but like any industry, it’s evolving. We’re seeing a major shift toward the expert creator: people with real skill sets, whether that’s an athlete, a chef or a business owner.
Audiences want substance, and they want to learn from people who genuinely know their craft.
What’s driving this is connection. We love having access to how these individuals are building and evolving, and being part of their communities creates a sense of closeness that traditional media never offered.
Brands are responding to this too. They’re moving away from chasing pure follower numbers and focusing instead on building true communities — making people feel actively involved rather than passively marketed to. That’s where brand-led storytelling becomes essential: giving customers a reason to feel part of the journey.
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