Conversation with… Jodie Sanders of Pooky Lighting
Here we chat to Jodie Sanders, chief marketing officer of Pooky Lighting, about finding her dream role, the power of personalisation, and why the brands we love can shape careers in the most unexpected ways.
Your career has taken in some brilliant brands. How did it all start?
Subscribe to TRBMy career has always centred around homeware, and I think that stems from being a complete home bird. As a child, I’d ask to redecorate my bedroom for my birthday, happily picking out paint colours, putting ‘art’ in tiny clip frames and obsessing over every detail. Looking back, it’s slightly cringe-worthy, but the truth is, I’ve always been drawn to the home.
My first role out of university was at the Ceramic Industry Forum which introduced me to the brilliant world of tableware. From there, I joined Portmeirion, where I relaunched the Sophie Conran collection. I then moved into Jamie Oliver’s homeware licensing business, followed by a role as brand manager at Royal Doulton. Later, I was promoted into a global communications position spanning Wedgwood and Waterford.
After completing my MBA, I spent time at Birchbox. While I loved aspects of working in beauty, the experience confirmed something important to me: the homeware sector was where I truly belonged.
How did you end up at Pooky Lighting?
After Birchbox, I moved into consulting. My final contract was B2B-focused and turned out to be one of the most challenging periods of my career. I struggled to connect with the product; there was no authentic story for me to tell. It became a pivotal moment where I had to step back and ask myself: What will genuinely make me happy? Where will I do my best work?
At the same time, my partner and I had bought a complete wreck of a house. It was built in 1860 and had remained untouched for sixty years. We embarked on a full renovation. That process reignited my passion for interiors. I remember sitting at the dining table the previous owners had left behind, scribbling a list of the brands I’d most love to work for. At the very top was Pooky.
Two or three months later, the marketing director role at Pooky appeared on LinkedIn. People have since told me I “manifested” it. I’m not entirely sure I believe in that. I worked incredibly hard for the opportunity, but it did feel as though everything had led to that moment. I was already a Pooky customer, so I instinctively understood both the brand and the consumer. In many ways, it felt like a natural fit and I think that alignment has made me very effective in the role.
What are the biggest challenges and opportunities in the homeware sector right now?
Personalisation is a major opportunity, and I don’t mean simply adding someone’s name to a product. I mean truly empowering consumers to find products that they connect with. Largely driven by platforms like Instagram and TikTok, homeowners are now far more design-literate and conscious of how a space makes them feel. They’re watching extraordinary before-and-after transformations and thinking, I can do that and I don’t necessarily need an interior designer to make it happen.
At Pooky, we offer around 450,000 combinations on our UK website through mix-and-match shades and bases. But personalisation goes far beyond product configuration. It’s about how you communicate, how you guide customers, and how you help them discover what feels right for their home.
There’s also a powerful emotional dimension. The world feels uncertain, and home has become more of a sanctuary than ever. People want to feel calm, safe and entirely themselves in their spaces. Brands in this sector need to lean wholeheartedly into that emotional connection.
And then there’s colour. Consumers are becoming braver, embracing maximalism, pattern on pattern, bold layering and expressive interiors. There’s something nostalgic and heritage inspired about it. Our homes are starting to echo those of our grandmothers; rich, characterful and full of personality.
Have you had any standout mentors in your career?
Two people stand out immediately. The first is Regan Iglesia, who was brand director at Wedgwood and Waterford during my time there. He was based in the US, and I was in awe of his deep understanding of brand. His passion was infectious.
There’s a lovely full-circle moment in that story. When Pooky launched in the US, my chief executive asked who should lead it. I didn’t hesitate – Regan was the only person for the job. He’s now president of Pooky USA, and it’s been a joy to work alongside him again.
The second is Sally Scott, my managing director at Birchbox. She is razor sharp, incredibly kind and completely formidable. She takes up space, uses her voice and is unapologetic about both. Beyond Sally, I think of the many brilliant women I’ve worked with throughout my career; creative, intelligent, outspoken and fearless. Each of them has shaped and inspired me in different ways.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Be kinder to yourself. You don’t need to agonise over every decision. You won’t always have the answer and that’s perfectly fine. I’ve always been a perfectionist, a classic eldest-daughter type, carrying enormous pressure not to make mistakes. What I’d say now is: embrace the uncertainty. The bumps in the road are part of the journey.
Another lesson, and one I’m still learning, is that not everyone will care as much as you do. You have to choose your battles and, sometimes, let things go. For someone who will happily work until midnight to get something just right, that’s not an easy realisation.
Ultimately, my guiding principle is to focus on the customer. Why are we doing this? It’s about the person visiting the website, the person buying the product. It’s not about what’s easiest for us. It’s about giving them the very best experience possible. That’s what drives me, even on the hardest days.
