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Escaping Your Comfort Zone: Career Evolution at Pace Six Four

March 27, 2024

Adaptability and versatility are crucial to success in motorsport, and since joining Pace Six Four in 2021, Sophie Godfrey has used both to her advantage.

As Business Operations Manager, the variety of Sophie's role is rich and her day-to-day diverse, as she works to manage and refine operations across all areas of the agency.

Hired originally as a Social Media Officer, Sophie's transition from the creative side of the agency is a story of growth and advancement.

It was a single opportunity that prompted the change, but by embracing the unknown, Sophie embarked on a journey of professional evolution.

In her own words, it's been quite the journey so far.

Pace Six Four's Sophie Godfrey with the F1 pit walk at Silverstone in the background.

"I originally worked on our account with Aston Martin F1 Team, but I also got the opportunity to work with a variety of clients across GT racing and single-seaters while on the social team.

"I was initially looking to develop my career in content management, but when the opportunity arose to join the Business Operations team, I took it.

"Before starting as Business Operations Manager, I had limited experience in that field. I had only been on the creative side to that point, but I was trusted to do the role and supported to learn on the job.

"I'm responsible for a lot of areas, including staff engagement, internal communications, careers and recruitment, internal event planning and management, invoicing and expenses, and onboarding new employees."

Sophie Godfrey above the F1 pitlane at Silverstone

When Sophie says she had limited experience in business operations before making the switch, she means it. In fact, she had none.

But taking such a leap sums Sophie up as a person.

She loves having the opportunity to grow and firmly believes that stepping outside one’s comfort zone is often the best route to development.

In her case, that belief has been fully vindicated.

"I've worked with a few different departments now and, looking back, I have had a lot of diversity in my career here already. It's been quite the journey so far.

"Moving to a different side of the agency has been a big learning curve just because it’s so different, but it’s been a switch that I've enjoyed," explains Sophie.

"At first, I think the scale of the change was quite overwhelming, but I was glad because I wanted to push myself outside of my comfort zone by taking on a new challenge.

"I really enjoy pushing myself. It might sound strange, but sometimes I find that I do my best work and learn the most when I'm under pressure and outside of my comfort zone.

"I think having this mindset has allowed me to embrace challenging situations, but I've also been able to learn and grow in scenarios I'm not completely used to.

Pace Six Four's Sophie Godfrey interviewing 1996 F1 World Champion Damon Hill.
"I received some incredible support when I was learning the ins and outs of my role.

"The excitement of the challenge made me realise that I can lift so much more from my career. With time and experience, I got used to the role and things became easier.

"In general, I think I'm quite good at picking things up quickly and running with them. I'm still learning all the time, but growing in a completely new area has been very rewarding.

"Looking back on previous parts of my career when I was working trackside, my workload was constantly changing and evolving. It required a lot of quick thinking with snap decisions.

"It was challenging, but I adapted to it, and I think that's why I'm acclimatised to adapting well in new scenarios. It's made learning the Business Operations side very enjoyable.”

Sie Godfrey attending a motorsport museum while working for Pace Six Four.

By blending her creative expertise with her new experiences in business operations, Sophie has acquired a unique view of digital media's relationship with the wider motorsport landscape.

"Being across everything and being across so many different areas of Pace Six Four has given me a very different perspective," she adds.

"Coming from the digital side, I found that I was able to apply some of that to the operations side, but now understanding operations has given me a broader insight as a whole.

"It’s a point of view that not many people will have, but I think it puts me in a good position. I know what we can do in different areas, both internally and externally, to continue to drive forwards."

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