SOFT IS STRONG: WHY EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IS MY BIGGEST BUSINESS ASSET

When people think about a successful tech or design agency, they usually imagine sharp branding, big pitches, confident strategy decks. And yes, we do all that at Unary. But honestly? That’s not what makes us good.

The real secret weapon—for me, for our team—is soft skills.

I’ve worked in a lot of different environments: fashion ateliers, corporate consultancies, rugby stadiums, boutique studios. The through-line in every role has been this: what moves people, what gets the best work across the line, isn’t always the smartest idea. It’s the way you listen. The way you make space. The way you treat people like… well, people.

At Unary, I lead projects that are highly technical and often high-stakes. We’ve replatformed legacy systems for wine brands, built digital homes for artists, and guided founders through big, identity-shifting changes. What gets us through isn’t just skill. It’s emotional intelligence.

We know how to ask the right questions. How to hold tension with grace. How to navigate a client’s fear of change or a team member’s self-doubt. We don’t bulldoze our way to the answer—we listen, we adjust, we co-create. That’s where the magic is.

I’ve learned not to hide my empathy or downplay my intuition. Those qualities used to feel like weaknesses in certain rooms—now, they’re the reason I’m in the room at all.

At Unary, we lead with both head and heart. We treat relationships as part of the creative process. We honour emotion. And in an industry that often values noise, I’ll keep championing softness, nuance, and connection—because I know that’s where real leadership lives.