5 Minutes with Harriet Wolstenholme
06.10.26
Discover the perspective of Harriet, Marketing and Communications Consultant at NHO, whose background across journalism, fashion, interiors and design brings a multidimensional approach to brand strategy and storytelling. Drawing on her editorial sensibility, visual instinct and practical understanding of brand impact, Harriet reflects on the importance of finding the human story, the value of holistic communications, and the role of creativity, collaboration and considered detail in building meaningful brands.
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Q: What’s the first thing you look for when you’re getting to know a new client or project?
A: I’m a visual person, so I’m always looking for the one key image that sums up a brand. But my journalism background means I’m equally hunting for the story – the human touchpoint people will actually connect with. Sometimes it’s obvious, other times it requires a bit of imagination to really get to the marrow of a good story, but that’s part of the fun too.
Beyond this, I like to understand the original inspiration in its purest form – where did the project or brand actually start? From there I think about it sensorially: if a client had to describe their vision as a song, an image, a scent, a word – what would it be? It’s a framework that makes sense to me and helps me relate to what they are trying to communicate on a deeper level.
“I’m a visual person, so I’m always looking for the one key image that sums up a brand.” – Harriet Wolstenholme
Q: You’ve worked across journalism, fashion, interiors and communications. How have these different disciplines shaped the way you approach your work today?
A: I’ve never wanted to be pigeonholed, and my career reflects that – curiosity, creativity, and an occasional talent for decision paralysis. I’ve never been interested in “climbing the ladder”; I’m more of a magpie, pulled toward whatever’s shiny and interesting. At NHO, I finally found somewhere that could hold all of it – the strategic thinking, the creative instinct. It’s given me a 360-degree view where I understand the business objective and the creative inspiration behind it in equal depth.
I’m always drawn to people whose careers haven’t been linear either – the architect-turned-chef types. It makes sense to me.
My journalism tutor at Central Saint Martins drilled the fluff out of me – I’m pragmatic, to the point, no nonsense. And my background in fashion and textiles and interior design keeps me genuinely connected to materiality and craftsmanship, which matters a lot with the client base we work with.
Central Saint Martins, London.
Photograph by Hufton + Crow.
Central Saint Martins, London.
Photograph by Hufton + Crow.
“At NHO, I finally found somewhere that could hold all of it – the strategic thinking, the creative instinct. It’s given me a 360-degree view where I understand the business objective and the creative inspiration behind it in equal depth.” – Harriet Wolstenholme
Q: What have you learned from working closely with designers, architects and other creative practitioners, and how has it changed the way you communicate their work?
A: Design is deeply personal, and knowing how much care goes into a project makes advocating for it feel genuine – sometimes even sentimental. It’s easy to talk about beautiful spaces and objects, but going to the Living Cities Forum recently reminded me that design sits at the centre of how we actually experience the world – from the homes we live in to the less obvious but vital systems like healthcare that determine how a society operates. It’s everywhere, and it deserves proper investment from people in power.
Living Cities Forum, Melbourne.
Photograph by Michael Pham.
“Design is deeply personal, and knowing how much care goes into a project makes advocating for it feel genuine – sometimes even sentimental.” – Harriet Wolstenholme
Q: What’s one thing you wish more people understood about marketing and communications?
A: Good marketing and communications comes down to storytelling – a red thread that has to run through every part of a business, not just a campaign.
I always come back to restaurants as the example people get instantly – it’s never just about the food. Every touchpoint should be considered: service, glassware, music, the room itself. Bistra—one of my favourites in Melbourne—does this better than most. There’s nothing worse than the jarring whiplash of a restaurant with the big light on, playing the Top 40 – unless that’s your brand, in which case turn up the volume, but you won’t see me there.
It’s the same principle behind good marketing — everything needs to feel considered and on brand, because there’s a lot more creativity and strategy behind it than people give it credit for. And it can’t work in isolation. A holistic approach to strategy will always work harder for you than a siloed one that separates sales or business development from communications.
Bistra, Carlton.
Photograph courtesy of Bistra.
Bistra, Carlton.
Photograph courtesy of Bistra.
Bistra, Carlton.
Photograph courtesy of Bistra.
“Good marketing and communications comes down to storytelling – a red thread that has to run through every part of a business, not just a campaign.” – Harriet Wolstenholme
Q: What’s a piece of career or life advice that has stayed with you?
A: One of my favourite podcasts is How to Fail with Elizabeth Day. There’s a particular episode with Mo Gawdat, who developed an equation for happiness: “Your happiness is greater than or equal to your perception of the events of your life, minus your expectations of how life should be.”
Basically, happiness is a choice and a responsibility – not something determined by external events, but by how we interpret them. I’m a fairly proactive person, so that approach resonates: you take accountability, you understand and correct faulty thinking patterns, and you can genuinely train your brain into a state of enduring happiness. If you don’t know Mo or Elizabeth, look them up.