A veteran business journalist, editor, publisher and marketer, Barney Jameson founded The Inside Story in 2016. A proud dad to Robert and Alice, he is a recovering singer-songwriter turned trustee of Local & Live Music, a UK-based grassroots local music charity. He also sits on the board of Make Music Day UK, is CMO of pro AV cross-rental platform Second Warehouse, co-founder of Security on Screen BV and co-director of the Security Industry Group. He likes to think that his baldness grants him an ageless quality.

A highly respected business and technology journalist, James Ling has expertise of B2B markets in the Middle East and Africa as well as a pedigree in financial technology. Having switched to the world of marketing, James produces the best copy in the business while drawing on his fundamental understanding of B2B media to help clients maximise press opportunities. As the proud dad of Isabelle and Melody, he also co-chairs our Parent’s Group with Barney, whom he enjoys taunting about hair loss and rapid ageing.

Formerly a pioneer of paid digital marketing in the home audio retail sector, Mike Rodel joined The Inside Story in 2019 and quickly set about transforming the social media, SEO and PPC strategies of our clients. An entrepreneur at heart, Mike began his career selling confectionary to his school-friends and has never looked back. He is also a skilled chef with a deep passion for international cuisine, a love of long-haul travel and a sincere joy of winding James up by sending him messages composed entirely of emojis.

A deeply multi-talented, multi-media artist, John Hull is equally as comfortable creating ground-breaking music videos and animated art installations as writing and producing orchestral scores and acclaimed albums with his band Khaidian. John brings the full weight of his creativity to The Inside Story. From simple location-based case studies to motion graphics, VR and hand-drawn animation, every piece of work is a passion project. He also enjoys balancing things on his dog, Indy.

Ah, Mrs Simmonds, nee Vallandaaaaaar. How do you describe a woman of such presence, power and poise? A mother? Of course. The PTA Chair? Not if she can help it. A passionate devotee of Friday night spritzers and moonwalking? Undoubtedly. Most of all, she really likes Jungle music, Asana and cheese that’s not melted. Once, she was a take-no-prisoners sales demon armed with knife-edge sarcasm and a side-eye that could kill. Now, she dresses up in shark costumes at trade shows. She’s our Project Manager, dammit, and we love her. (She still does the side-eye.)

A seasoned B2B journalist and editor turned marketer, Zoe Deighton-Smythe had already earned an enviable reputation prior to her arrival at The Inside Story, in sectors including high-end global security and fire prevention. A deeply gifted writer, she brings all of her knowledge and expertise to her role at The Inside Story, from razor-sharp press releases and case studies to scroll-busting social posts. Outside of the office, Zoe can occasionally be found on-stage doing stand-up. She also has a thing for Elvis.

An expert in organic social media, pay-per-click advertising and search engine optimisation, Amber Harty has the knowledge and skillset to ensure that digital campaigns are successful and efficient. As effective as she is when presented with an organic Instagram campaign or Google Ads budget, Amber is equally adept being the ultimate mum to her growing menagerie. The latest addition is her puppy Wally who Amber is personally developing into our new Chief Barketing Officer.

A talented copywriter and digital marketer who knows everything there is to know about social media, Paige Holland joined The Inside Story from Ladbible Group, before which she was at The Daily Mirror, having earned a first-class in Journalism at the university of Portsmouth. If you’re asking yourself what on Earth she’s now doing at The Inside Story… well, we’ve decided not to ask too many questions. She also makes an amazing lasagne.

Possessed of the kind of creative mind that could find beauty and wonder in even the worst things imaginable, Maia is a really big fan of the Eurovision Song Contest. She’s also a brilliantly talented Graphic Designer who’s as comfortable creating motion graphics in After-Effects as reinventing a brand from the ground up. She joined The Inside Story with years of agency experience already under her belt, so goodness knows what she thinks of us lot.

An expert in company finance and strategy, Helen Barham was formerly the Finance Director of one of South East England’s largest accountancy firms. Alongside her husband, Phil, she now helps The Inside Story to navigate the financial landscape… and the black holes of mystery that are our expense claims. Helen is a proponent of EOS, the Entrepreneur’s Operating System, which helps businesses to organise and structure their goals. Despite the enormity of the challenge, she is trying to implement this with Barney, an experience not unlike training Norman the dog (pictured).

A talented web developer, digital marketer and entrepreneur, Ben Tiffin has more than 16 years of experience in digital communications. Working with his team of developers alongside The Inside Story, Ben devotes his time to building amazing web experiences for our clients. After work, Ben loves to split his time between renovating his family home (within current permits and regulations), spending quality time with his family, and watching Formula One.

With more than 15 years of experience in sales and marketing within global B2B technology sectors, Gemma Hickman is now spearheading growth at The Inside Story whilst somehow matching Barney drink-for-drink, lord help them both. A proud mum who has, unbeknownst to either of them, been battling Barney in school-run traffic for the past three years, Gemma is also a talented and enthusiastic singer. So far, her efforts to persuade Mike to try karaoke have not met with success.