9 Questions for...Rosie Hawkins

"9 Questions For…" is an interview series in which I ask soloists, founders and leaders working in the Shopify ecosystem, as well as the wider digital and creative industries, to share their experiences of doing "their thing, their way". The questions might be the same but the insights certainly aren't! If you fit the bill and would like to share your learnings please get in touch.

In this edition of 9 Questions For…, we head down to Exeter to chat with Rosie Hawkins, founder of event consultancy Redhawk Events.

I first met Rosie when we were both working on an event for a UK ecommerce agency. Sadly, the COVID pandemic meant the event in its original form never came to be, but we've kept in touch since. Rosie also kindly agreed to be one of the first presenters at the inaugural Craft+Work event, which took place in London in 2023.

Rosie Hawkins - Founder of Redhawk Events — Rosie Hawkins — Founder of Redhawk Events speaking at Craft+Work: London 2023

Q: Are you a founder, co-founder, solo entrepreneur, consultant or something else?

Founder and consultant. I have designs on being a solo entrepreneur — I just need to actually start one of the second businesses I have a million ideas for!

Q: What type of business do you run?

I run RedHawk Events — we exist to craft experiences that spark connections, spotlight your genius, and drive business growth. We principally work with founder-led businesses to help them achieve growth through impactful events.

We work in three ways:

Strategy creation and delivery
Event production
Event mentoring

Our ideal clients are forward-thinking businesses ready to use events to build visibility, showcase expertise, and move their business forward.

Q: Why did you start your business?

I'd wanted to run my own business since the start of my career. For years, I told myself that fear and the reliable cycle of traditional employment were holding me back. Eventually, though, the universe had other plans, and I suddenly found myself running my own business. Looking back, those years in employment gave me the skills, knowledge, and experience I needed to become a consultant.

Events are often viewed as disposable and are typically the first things cut when budgets are tightened. Yet, their value spans multiple channels: they market what we do, demonstrate it live, help us sell, and deliver impact. Done well, events are one of the most powerful and versatile tools we have to grow our businesses.

Q: What's the biggest challenge you are facing in your business?

Helping people see the true, multidimensional value of events—beyond just sales, networking, conferences, or awards and demonstrating the complexity of event strategy, especially when combined with effective marketing. And ultimately showing that what we deliver is far more than simply "having an events person".

Q: What's going well in your business?

Being able to explore different means of generating business — whether through content, collaborations, networking, or delivering events myself. The creativity that is available behind business development is one of the best things about running a business.

Q: What skill do you excel at, and which one do you want to get better at?

I excel at good, creative ideas. I want to get better at taking things in my stride!

Q: What will be different about your business this time next year?

Since pivoting from event delivery to pure consultancy, the model has taken refining.

This time next year, it will have 12+ months of being a slick(er) machine that has settled in its process, delivering tangible results.

Q: What's the one thing you wish you'd known before starting your entrepreneurial adventure?

Everything is about the process, not the finish line.

Successes, failures, temporary situations, long-term situations, collaborations, great clients, sh*t clients, worldwide pandemics! It isn't all leading 'somewhere' as part of a final destination; it is all just leading to 'the next bit' that keeps you moving forward.

Q: Where do you live, and what do you love about your city?

I live in Exeter in the South West of England.

I love that it is a walkable city that is as close to the moor as it is to the sea; it has more to offer than people realise in terms of culture, the arts and live music; and it boasts some of the best hidden pubs outside of Bristol.