In our inaugural Impact Experts Question Time, who better to speak to than our very own founder Leigh Smyth?
At the age of 28, she redirected her career path to focus on impact and has since worked with the UK Government, several large FTSE, the United Nations as well as co-designing and founding several charities – experiences that ultimately led her to establish Impact Match.
We sat down with Leigh to discuss both her personal and professional journey, the importance of saying no, and the value of ethical leadership.
What inspired you to create Impact Match, and how has your personal journey shaped the vision behind it?
We’re on a mission to scale impact by matching great & ethical organisations with the right people, developing solid, evidence-based strategies, and emphasising driving tangible outcomes (not talk shops!) via our new ImpactRooms platform. Impactrooms aim to drive impact, with thousands of people impact matching at the same time if you like… and it’s all supported by #ImpactExperts to achieve social impact at scale.
The theory started when I was very young, I was once introduced to a teacher who showed me a different way. She believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself and introduced me to learning and education at age 16. My own life #impactmaker if you like. Since then, having had a great career in helping organisations deliver social impact at scale I have witnessed the power of matching the right people to the right organisations and also at 52 I know first-hand what happens when it goes wrong too so I know what to look out for!
Can you share some key milestones or proudest moments in your career?
A key milestone was when I decided to move to a role I could have more impact. I was working at PCW when I got the call that my Dad had passed away. I took some time off and that is when I knew I needed to have a career that could help more people. So I was lucky enough to negotiate a career change.
I loved introducing the first kid’s education range to the UK for PC World. Our local school children and our own boys designed the covers with my sister-in-law and our then 3 and 4-year-old sons appeared in the first magazine. Lorraine Kelly launched the range for us. This then led to me being asked to join a Department of Education program to run a Home Access Pilot, which went on to deliver free access to computing and connectivity for around half a million children. I was so proud as we were also innovative and able to put the grant onto a pre-payment card which enabled low-income families to receive the product just like everyone else, in a store.
Organising an event at No. 10 was also a highlight with around 20 Digital Champions with Martha Lane Fox to meet the then Prime Minister David Cameron to help influence his decision-making…It was a bit embarrassing though – like the “carry a watermelon” moment in Dirty Dancing – when I shared how I loved how the entrance was so like Love Actually! We did get the PM to budge the cabinet thinking a bit, but not enough… But we raised the profile & helped kickstart the champion movement – I have learned so much about systemic change since then.
I also loved it when we secured the backing to deliver the Consumer Digital Index & Lloyds Bank Digital Academy. The team and I had the honour of creating and delivering a program that now trains hundreds of thousands of people for free. It delivered so much impact under the leadership of the fab LBG team – it’s gobsmacking really.
Setting up ImpactMatch has been such a big thing for me. I have spent most of my time being someone’s No. 2, 3, or 4, so it feels scary at times having no air cover, and I caught myself checking if it would be ok to go out for breakfast to meet instead of the office the other day – taking a while to de-code I guess.
What were the biggest challenges you faced while building Impact Match, and how did you overcome them?
We are still building it, and every day brings new challenges, but more opportunities on the whole. That is why we are still here! When I first started, it was a time before I had a team, and I worked hard, but my goodness, I am talking about long days! Having a strong belief in paying it forward in both life and work is essential but it felt hard at first as there was just not enough time in the day to help everyone.
Our challenge then moved on to learning to say No. Learning to say no to unethical or perhaps tricky partners that don’t bring us #workjoy to also be able to say yes to others has been one of the biggest things we are proud of as a team. Working with kind people, partners and clients helps us to be kinder too. I’ve learned the hard way that life is far too short for anything else.
How do you define personal success, and how has that definition evolved throughout your career?
Being happy. For me, I used to think it was all about having a role with impact to be happy at work. But I did some work with a great coach called Jules Wyman when I left the FS sector, and the key to being happy is firstly about working with kind people and then impact. It might seem obvious, but it was a revelation to me and since then I have not looked back.
What advice would you give entrepreneurs looking to build a business that balances profitability with doing good?
Well, we are still learning but, for one, I truly believe this can be every leader and entrepreneur! Start with the assets you do have that can be helpful to others – data, people, products, places. I was impressed with how for example, Dyson donates fans to patients receiving cancer treatment as the chemo often causes hot flushes.
Paying it forward is one of the best things you can do in both life and business. Start building your network because it’s the right thing to do not with a view of how you need it by fostering real, meaningful connections & hopefully friendships. Take the time to find colleagues and partners who are just as impact-driven as you are—it makes all the difference. And remember, kindness is contagious. When you help others out now, it’ll come back around when you least expect it. It’s the good karma of business, and trust me, it makes work feel so much more of a joy and it works!
How do you navigate the balance between business growth and ethical practices, especially when faced with difficult decisions?
That is an interesting question. We had a situation recently where there was a great recruitment opportunity to place multiple people into one company which would have been wonderful for cash flow but we had to turn it down. We couldn’t sleep at night knowing we had put people into an environment that we would not work in ourselves at that time. You have to follow your gut and to be honest, it would not have worked out anyway. What might have seemed like a great opportunity without thinking through the long-term consequences can cost a fortune as well as being ethically wrong, so you just have to think about the short and long-term consequences of your actions.
What is your vision for the future of Impact Match, and how do you see it evolving in the coming years?
Our vision is to reimagine the world of work, where all organisations and leaders are able to deliver social impact at scale. And in the future, we aim to lead more innovation and digital-based impact, so we are always on the lookout for what’s next!
Who or what inspires you to continue pushing the boundaries of ethical business practices?
Well, we are lucky as we have ethical clients, team members, and mentors. I am so honoured to work with so many brilliant people. Having worked with Baroness Lane Fox, Sara Weller, Alex Birtles, Jemma Waters and our team, including wonderful Ellie and other great leaders (including some fantastic men!), has been so inspiring all for different reasons. I try to learn from the bits I love the best from all of them!
To give you an example, Martha Lane Fox, this year, committed to climbing the three highest peaks in the UK: Snowden, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis. In doing so she raised £400K for Ability Net, iamtheCODE Foundation, Horatio’s Garden, and Day One Trauma Support who all supported Martha’s mental and physical recovery following a terrible car crash twenty years ago. You can donate here.
Similarly, Sara initiated the #MSMUSTSTOP campaign and has raised money throughout her career to increase awareness of multiple sclerosis as a condition and to fund crucial research to find answers to stop the progression of Multiple Sclerosis. For example, in 2023, she completed the London Marathon in a wheelchair and raised over £250,000. You can donate here.
As for the future – so much to say – we love the #impactmaker community. Sara and I are planning with just fantastic partners something really cool (and of course impactful) so watch this space!
