Natasha Courtenay-Smith is one of Europe’s leading experts on integrated digital marketing, paid social advertising and PR. She is also a a best-selling published author, inspirational keynote speaker, accredited Facebook trainer, CEO of Bolt Digital and mum of two. 

Natasha has an extensive media and journalism background, having worked for national newspapers in a variety of roles, before striking out on her own in 2007.  Over the next seven years, she created and built the UK’s leading digital press agency, before selling her company in 2014 to the UK’s largest press agency group. Tash quickly concluded that she was not suited to early retirement and started two new businesses, alongside carrying out some major property renovations. 

Her main business focus today is as CEO of the performance marketing partner Bolt Digital.  Unlike many marketing companies that make pretty pictures, Bolt is relentlessly focussed on delivering commercial value and a measurable financial return on investment to its partners and clients.

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Tash is one of 8 accredited Facebook She Means Business trainers in the UK. 

Through this initiative, 10,000 female founders per year have been taught how to use Facebook for business and she regularly gives keynote talks on behalf of Facebook at industry events around the UK.

Tash was trained at FB HQ in Dublin

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Tash is often asked to talk about digital transformation, female entrepreneurship & SMEs.

As well as regularly speaking for Facebook, Enterprise Nation, Stylist Live and the European Commission, she has been interviewed by media outlets including BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 4, The Observer and Grazia magazine on topics surrounding online business, blogging, social media stardom, content strategy and promotion for small businesses.

She has also advised the UK government on strategies to help business owners cope with the pace of innovation in the digital age.

All of this began in 2008…..

…..when, having left the Daily Mail newspaper, Tash started one of the UK’s first online press agencies, Talk to the Press. The business provided publicity, news coverage and crisis management for thousands of ordinary members of the public. It depended entirely on Google & digital marketing techniques for leads, giving Tash the dual understanding of online business alongside media, news and publicity.

Talk to the Press helped thousands of people from all walks of life secure publicity and was responsible for numerous front page stories & often lead the news agenda in the UK. The agency won a number of awards and Tash was featured on Management Today magazine’s 35 under 35 list of female high flyers. She also became a regular television newspaper reviewer and featured in a documentary about the media.

Talk to the Press was acquired by the SWNS News Group in 2014 and Tash exited the business following a handover.

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