FEATURE
HAYLEY JULIE
Hayley Parker is Vapouround’s Head of Design, a crucial figure in
correcting, maintaining and evolving the signature look that has
become synonymous with the vape industry on a global scale.
“I’d worked with Paul previously; I was working for another publishing
company. I spotted the vacancy here and liked what I saw. That
was in August 2014. I wanted a chance to do something different
and I got it. I never thought I’d be part of a magazine like this. We
were still in the Derbyshire Guardian when I started. We did a small
supplement for the paper which we took to Vaper Expo.”
Hayley is familiar with the art of crafting the perfect guide, having
worked on printed media for antique shows. Everything about working
vaping feels different. “Everybody’s so friendly. No one just shows
up for business, they have fun too.
“I’ve got a lot more freedom here, and I’m much closer to doing
what I want with my life in this kind of role. So when we started I
knew it was something I could get my teeth into. I’d done my share
of work for other magazines, but never anything on this scale.”
Like most here, Hayley has been able to expand her skillset in a
workplace offering diverse experiences.
“Most of the time my work was with sales as well as graphic design.
Moving into the graphic design role fully and running it was one of
my favourite moments. I realised I’d arrived, I was where I’d always
wanted to be.
Even a Vapourond veteran can’t quite believe how we’ve come this
far this fast.
“This time last year we were all scattered about a three-storey
house. The magazine’s only going to get bigger and better. We’ve
always been able to make the most of what we’ve got, and we’re
gaining new abilities and opportunities every day, and in design
we’re always mindful of how we can improve the look.”
Fondest memories:
“The mega-shift from October 2016 – James and I did a 36-hour
shift to get the show guide ready for the Expo. I enjoyed it; it was
a tough day – or day and a half, but good teamwork. I’m proud of
what we did.” Julie Carpenter and Paul go back eight years, starting their
professional time together in the newspaper industry.
“I’ve always been in the media game, selling to clients. In my early
days I was in field sales for the motoring industry. I was working
on the Young at Heart Magazine, and I loved it, I wouldn’t move
from it. But then all my staff were looking at how well things were
going for this fantastic new magazine – Vapouround. In the end,
I did jump ship.”
Old habits die hard, but Julie hasn’t regretted her move for a moment.
“It was a hard decision to leave the newspaper industry behind, but
on the plus side I gained a lot. I felt very settled in my role there,
and it was kind of an unknown for me, entering vaping.”
46 ISSUE 12 VAPOUROUND MAGAZINE
“I knew with Paul behind it, the
magazine would make a very big,
bold impression, but Vapouround’s
success came a lot sooner than I
could have predicted. Not only so
quickly, but to such a standard. It
takes serious guts to get this far.”
Fondest memories:
“Being part of a strong team for so long, I feel so at home here. That
comes from the top, I think. We’ve got a brilliant boss holding things
together. I’ve also really enjoyed dealing with partners in Malaysia
and China, and seeing how much they like the magazine.”