Carefully crafting 25 years…
19 September 2025
An interview with Lisa Barker as she celebrates a Quarter of century at Researchcraft
I had the pleasure of catching up with Lisa Barker, Researchcraft’s longest standing employee to help celebrate her 25 years of achievements and to learn what keeps you successful after a quarter of a century in market research.
Di: Huge congratulations to you Lisa, on your 25th anniversary at Researchcraft. What an amazing milestone! I have to ask, how did you end up at Researchcraft? Was this your first job in market research or had you worked elsewhere before coming here?
Lisa: I joined Researchcraft in 2000 after taking some time away from my career to start a family. I spent my early career in advertising and product marketing at HSBC but moved into the insights team there to broaden my experience. I then jumped ship to try agency life at a small consultancy in Leeds and then joined a large agency - Millward Brown, when my partner relocated to the Midlands. In contrast to my current 25 years at Researchcraft my tenure at Millward Brown was brief (parenthood beckoned), but I did meet Jeremy (Atkins), who subsequently offered me a job at Researchcraft!
Di: It was clearly meant to be! What would you say makes Researchcraft different from other research & insight agencies? You’ve dedicated most of your working life here so far, so the company must be doing something right?!
Lisa: I’ve experienced the Corporate life both Client & Agency side, but I soon realised I was happiest being part of a smaller team, where I could contribute to every stage of the research process from start to finish and at Researchcraft I’ve been able to do just that. Dull moments have been few and far between, I’ve learnt many new skills and been able to work closely with experienced and talented colleagues who share the same enthusiasm and genuinely enjoy the process of delivering quality and actionable insight for our clients. So, if anything, it’s the people I have worked with over the years that have kept me here so long!
Di: What is your most favourite part of the job? Do you find it rewarding?
Lisa: My involvement in projects has been so varied and I’ve enjoyed it all. In my early days I was heavily involved in quantitative and qualitative research for a major retailer. As a big fan (and still am) I really loved meeting their customers in store and at events, getting a good sense of what they were doing right (and wrong!) and providing the insight to guide change and improvement.
I’ve also been lucky to work for several growing and established global brands, particularly in the healthcare and food and beverage sectors. As brand research has been at the heart of our business since its inception, I find the process of tracking a brand’s performance rewarding, looking at the impact (or not) of brand building activities & ad campaigns and measuring the outcome in terms of brand growth and building and maintaining loyal customer bases.
I also really enjoy pulling together the results, finding the story in the data and providing the insight our clients need to do their jobs. The partnerships we build with our clients and our involvement in helping them making the right decisions for their brands has been at the heart of keeping my job enjoyable over the last 25 years.
Di: What are you most proud of in your time at Researchcraft?
Lisa: For me it’s all about teamwork. It’s turning your hand to whatever is needed to provide the best possible service and delivering actionable results to our clients. The fact that clients stay with us for many years and seek us out when they change companies is testament to the quality of the work we have been delivering for 30 years.
On a personal level I’m also proud of the fact that I’ve been able to balance raising my family and contribute to a growing small business for a quarter of a century. Throughout that time, I have been able to fit my work around my family life and vice versa when working both full and part time. There has always been flexibility and support and that’s been a key factor in staying at Researchcraft.
Di: You must have some funny stories that you can share with us… What’s been your best (or worst moments!) over the last 25 years?
Lisa: I think my worst moment was not long after I joined and still slightly overwhelmed with the prospect of being back at work, post pregnancy brain etc. I was assigned a project, handed 2 sets of data tables each 10cm thick and left to produce a report. It was fight or flight – the latter won out and I was found in the ladies by a director in full melt down mode. I did manage to have a talk with myself and get the task done, but at the time it was all rather embarrassing!
Di: What one piece of advice would you love to go back and give your younger self when you first started at Researchcraft 25 years ago?
Lisa: After recounting that last episode I think it would have been to have some self-belief and confidence in your ability to do the job! I don’t think impostor syndrome was a thing back then, but I frequently felt that I would be found out as not having a clue what I was doing. The fact that I am still here a quarter of a century later brings some comfort to me that I was wrong!
Di: What does the next chapter hold for you, Lisa?
So, my long service has paid off and I’m very grateful for the flexible work pattern I currently enjoy. I am living my dream of a quieter life in rural North Norfolk, with beaches, country walks, excellent country pubs and birdwatching in abundance. Once a month I’m back in Leamington catching up properly with the Team, but weekly meetings and Teams calls keep me in the loop in the meantime.
Thank you so much for your time Lisa! Researchcraft just wouldn’t be the same without you 😊
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