Empowering Change: Interning in Strategy at Six

We caught up with Touka about her time at Six, her passion for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), and her love of strategic thinking.

Could you tell us a bit about the BCI internship program and how it works?

I came to Six by signing up to Babbasa, a Bristol-based charity helping marginalised young people get into jobs. Whether that means guidance to write a CV, prepare for an interview or develop connections.

Babbasa work with Bristol Creative Industries to offer young people placements across the city. It’s all about the experience of going through an interview and being given a warm welcome if you’re successful.

What was your experience like at Six?

Six was a great match for me as I’m especially interested in strategy. I’ve learnt a lot about the different niches – ways you can specialise and grow. Six were very open to helping me find where I could do my best work.

In my degree in Media and Cultural Production at University of the West of England, I was really interested in behaviour and inspiring change. Six saw that and asked me to do a strategic review of Six’s employee experience from a DEI perspective.

They understood my interest in strategy and my love for helping people and brought the two sides together. It gave me the chance to run with the brief and make it my own. 

It sounds like that approach worked well for you!

Yes! It was great to be supported in finding a path. I had to update my line manager and strategy whizz Joe Heywood on what I had been up to. I also had the chance to work with client services and the digital product team.

They helped me learn about the different ways I could approach strategy. From UX strategy to digital product strategy, there’s a lot to learn! I was given the chance to test a product with Sophia Duffy, one of Six’s amazing UX strategists, before it went live, which was really inspiring.

I began to get comfortable working in areas I didn’t know much about. It was a great way to discover something I love, which I hadn’t heard of before.

So, what’s next for you?

I’m looking at moving into strategy and finding my niche, which I think will be DEI. I’ve discovered I’m interested in seeing how I can create a more diverse and inclusive workplace culture.

I’m also going to be working on a charity called D&M, which I co-founded five years ago. It’s a community interest company, focused on giving a voice to emerging creative talent, whether musicians, designers or artists, in Bristol and across the UK.

Something I learnt at Six was not being afraid to put your ideas forward isn’t just important for you – it’s good for business. I feel empowered to bring that confidence to D&M and whatever I do next!

Intrigued by Touka’s time at Six? Head over to our careers page.