Leadership
Gef’s 30 Under 30 2024 Winners: Q&A with Bayleigh Mitchell
Ten categories. Thirty young visionaries making their mark on the Isle of Man. Introducing the 2024 #Gef30Under30 winners: the next generation of our island’s leaders.
Whether it’s managing a young team in business or leading one to victory out on the court, the Comis Hotel & Golf Resort Leadership category winners all know how to command a room.
What is your name and age?
Bayleigh Mitchell, age 25.
Job title or role in the community?
Accounts Manager at a Local Accountancy Firm, Atla Group.
How did you start your career or role in the community?
Accountancy was something I genuinely just fell into. It wasn’t something I ever showed an interest in growing up. I applied to study Sports Science at university and during the summer after I finished year 13 I went to work for a company called Browne Craine & Co as an office junior doing very basic scanning and filing. After 4 weeks working for them, I was offered a full time job on a training contract to study towards my ACCA qualification. I’m now a fully qualified accountant and a manager at their re-branded firm Atla Group and I haven’t looked back since.
In one sentence, summarise your journey so far as a young and successful person under 30.
A blend of relentless hard work, seizing opportunities and continuous learning.
Tell us about your business/industry, is there something interesting about it that most people wouldn’t expect?
I work in the finance industry as an accountant for a local firm. Most of my days are spent speaking to clients, preparing accounts and training my team. I promise that being an accountant is not as boring as it seems though! No two days are ever the same. I get to meet and talk to so many different people, running different types of businesses with a variety of experiences.
Have you experienced any hurdles in your career or community efforts and if so, how did you overcome them?
First and foremost, training to be an accountant was extremely difficult. It took up four and a half years of my life and I sat 17 exams, each getting progressively harder. I spent all day working in the office and then studying every evening with only a few weeks off in between exams. I had to sacrifice social scenarios with my friends, time with my family and work Christmas parties for my studies and it was emotionally draining. However, I always reminded myself that the sacrifices I made were going to be worth it. I sat my last exam in December 2022 and qualified in January 2023.
In the middle of the chaos that was training to be an accountant, I ruptured my ACL playing netball in 2021 which was the biggest hurdle I have ever had to overcome. Netball was my entire life outside of work and studies, any spare time that I had would be spent on a netball court training or playing. It took all of 3 seconds for my ACL to rupture but almost 2 years of surgery, rest and rehabilitation to fully recover and start playing netball again. Going from everything to nothing was extremely heartbreaking and took me a while to wrap my head around the fact that something I loved so much was ripped away from me so quickly and completely out of my control.
To overcome the physical and mental struggles that this created, I couldn’t have just one long term goal of getting back on court, I had to break this down into hundreds of smaller goals each week such as being able to lift my leg off the bed after surgery, walking unassisted, getting into the gym to start rehab, being able to jump and land, being able to run, change direction and finally being able to play netball. My entire focus shifted onto the present rather than the future and I surprised myself at how much happiness I found in achieving those smaller goals. Of course I had bad days, but I allowed them to be bad days and goal setting made every other day a positive one and is ultimately what got me through my ‘knee-hab’.
Tell us about why you think you won in the Leadership category?
Nothing in my life (well… in the last 8 years) has ever come easy to me, I failed two of my A-Levels and I’ve had to work so hard and find things out on my own to get to where I am, so to even be perceived as a Leader is so special to me.
The ability that I now have to inspire and guide others is something that I have learnt. It is not something that comes naturally to me. It has taken time, dedication and is down to my own experiences and those who invested in my development in my personal and professional life. I have taken every opportunity that I can not to say no and put myself out of my comfort zone regardless of my experience in order to develop and better my knowledge in my profession.
Who are your role models, either on-island or off, in your sector or outside of it?
I wouldn’t say that I have many role models when I actually sit and think about it. I take inspiration from a number of people that I have met in my life but I would like to carve my own pathway. There is one person however that I always look for guidance from and that is my Grandad.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
To never give up and never underestimate what you can achieve.
What do you wish you knew when you were getting started in your career?
That success is a journey and not a destination.
What are your plans for the future?
My plans for the future are to continue developing myself professionally and sharing as much of my knowledge as possible to make those around me in work brilliant leaders as well and achieve their dreams. I am however, planning to take some time off next year to enjoy the world and spend a few months in New Zealand & Australia, where I will meet some of my family that I have never before. I have also just had planning approved to build a house with my partner which I am very excited about! Then I guess I’ll just see where my journey takes me next…
What changes do you hope to see in your sector or community in the coming years?
In my opinion, the Isle of Man Finance Sector still has a long way to go in terms of the use of available technologies and software’s. I would like to see our sector take advantage of the technological developments out there, such as artificial intelligence, which will be crucial to stay ahead of the curve in years to come, stay competitive and increase our job performance. Much of the same could be said about sustainability on the Isle of Man. We take great pride in our wonderful island and greener future initiatives are essential to preserving our Islands beauty.
What, for you, are the benefits of staying on or moving back to the island for young people under 30?
My entire life is the Isle of Man, and I have never known anything else. The biggest benefit for me is that my family and friends are here and they’re no more than a 30 minute drive away. The sense of community in the Isle of Man is unparalleled and the connections that we make last a lifetime. A life and career on the Isle of Man hold significant meaning and it is no longer just a retirement destination!
What does being a Gef’s 30 Under 30 winner mean to you?
Being recognised as a Gef’s 30 Under 30 Winner is an incredible honour. To know that the hard work, dedication and perseverance I have invested in my journey so far is noticed by other people means so much to me. I feel so lucky! It inspires me to make a greater impact in my community and fuels my passion for growth.
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