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Launch’s Jaye Cowle’s pioneering approach to workplace wellbeing sees her triumph at ±±¾©Èü³µpk10’s Inspiring Women Awards 2025

Agency leader blends compassion with strategy, creating a thriving culture where people and profits grow together

Launch’s Jaye Cowle’s pioneering approach to workplace wellbeing sees her triumph at ±±¾©Èü³µpk10’s Inspiring Women Awards 2025

Jaye Cowle, CEO of flourishing performance marketing agency , triumphed in the Health & Wellbeing category at ±±¾©Èü³µpk10's Inspiring Women Awards 2025. This victory celebrates her groundbreaking approach to building a high-performance agency culture rooted in employee happiness and mental health, emphasising that commercial success and compassionate leadership can be natural companions.

In an industry often marked by burnout and high turnover, Jaye has created a sustainable model that values people and profits equally. Her holistic strategy, combining innovative wellbeing initiatives with strong financial results, has transformed Launch and set a new standard for leadership.

Redefining success through human leadership

Jaye’s vision challenges traditional agency models by putting employee wellbeing at the core of business strategy. “Truly purpose-led when led by a purpose,” said one judge, praising her commitment to meaningful workplace transformation.

Under her leadership, Launch has implemented a comprehensive wellbeing framework that includes:

 Weekly 'Friday Pulse' check-ins: Monitoring workplace happiness — regularly reviewed by leadership as part of a genuine​ commitment to duty-of-care for the team.
 Core work hours flexibility:  Encouraging high productivity during core hours whilst maintaining a healthy respect for work-life balance.
 Holistic resource management: Proactively set realistic time management goals to
encourage better work-life balance.
 Mental health commitment: Mental health first aid training for managers and
access to an Employee Assistance Programme for all employees from day 1.
 Cultivated community: Weekly coffee roulette with dedicated time for remote teammates
to have their watercooler moments, quarterly in-person team events, regular team challenges — from 10,000-step competitions to creative cooking clubs, go-kart outings and beyond.
• Training and growth: Dedicated annual financial investment/weekly learning and
development time.

These initiatives are reinforced by , the agency’s open staff handbook that sets out its purpose, vision, mission and values. This transparent document embodies Jaye’s commitment to employee wellbeing and development.

The business case for compassion

With a 500% turnover increase and a staff happiness rating of 9.1/10, Launch has shown that prioritising wellbeing delivers tangible results.

Highlighting Jaye's “innovative approach”, the judging panel also noted that her “transformation of Launch's culture into one centered on happiness, mental health and employee wellbeing has proven incredibly successful, both internally and externally”.

Former client Simon Pitman remarked, "As an agency, Launch has to deliver against demanding financial goals set by the clients, so Launch is no 'fluffy agency' – it delivers." 

Authenticity and inspiration

Judges praised Jaye's leadership from personal experience, noting, "It was a joy to read her submission and see she shares this from a place of personal action and impact." 

Another commented on how she generously shared advice during their meeting: "She paid forward to me as a small business owner a lot of tips and advice on how to build the right healthy culture in my team."

This authenticity has created an environment in which Pitman observed: "The mentoring and focus on her team are inspiring, and the energy and attention she gives to enable her teams to flourish with any and all support they need, I found infectious."

A new playbook for success

Jaye’s award-winning approach offers a blueprint for the marketing industry. As Pitman concluded: “Jaye is changing how people work, and I learned from her daily.” Judges echoed this sentiment, calling her “a clear frontrunner” in wellbeing innovation.

With agencies facing challenges like talent retention and burnout, Jaye’s example proves that prioritising staff happiness drives commercial success. It’s a virtuous circle – employees, clients, and the bottom line all benefit

A gamechanger for agency leadership

What makes Jaye's approach particularly noteworthy is how she maintains this focus while delivering strong financial performance. Pitman notes Launch’s outstanding financial success: “To achieve this with such a single-minded focus on individual wellbeing is truly wonderful.”

This fresh approach, both empowering for staff and impactful for clients, could act as a how-to guide for marketers across the board. In such a competitive field, Launch has demonstrated that getting things right close to home can be the difference in the quest to deliver outstanding client results in the wider ecosystem.

“Jaye leads with vision and passion, and her infectious energy can’t help but put a smile on your face,” says Launch’s client services director, Amy Budd. "In an industry that moves at lightning speed and where technology is ever-changing, Jaye’s commitment to her people creates a thriving and happy culture.”

Inspired to transform your workplace culture?

Launch to discover how putting staff wellbeing at the heart of your operation can drive exceptional, sustainable commercial returns.

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