I am incredibly proud to announce that I have been named one of the Leeds & West Yorkshire Top 30 Under 30 winners for 2026! This prestigious programme celebrates the region’s young business professionals, offering the 30 winners a year-long personal and professional growth journey through the Leadership Excellence Acceleration Programme (LEAP).
Having been at Trio Media for four years now, this recognition feels like a massive milestone in my career. In this blog, I’m going to share a bit behind the scenes of my nomination, what it means to me and exactly what I’ve been learning as I navigate my way through the leadership programme.
Moving from operator to leader: Why I was nominated
I was chosen for the Top 30 Under 30 because of my commitment to continuous growth, leadership potential and my ability to drive positive project outcomes at Trio Media (Jamie-lee’s words, not mine!).
When I first heard the news, I was completely surprised and shocked, but mostly, I just felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude. I’ve spent the last four years pushing myself out of my comfort zone to absorb new skills, but I knew that stepping into true leadership was my next big career chapter.
My nomination came from our wonderful Operations Director, Jamie-lee, who noted that I always try to live and breathe Trio Media’s core company values: knowledge, hard work, care, passion and freedom.
Claire Daniels, CEO of Trio Media, said:
“Super proud of Ellie Craig for joining the Leeds & West Yorkshire Top 30 Under 30 class of 2026. She’s an absolute superstar in our business, and it’s great to see her recognised in this way. It’s also such a joy to see how many clients and colleagues, both past and present, have supported this for Ellie… which makes me feel super proud of what we’ve built at Trio Media and grateful for all the great people we’ve worked with along the way.”
Knowing I have that level of backing from my team, former colleagues and clients makes me want to bring everything I learn on this journey right back into the business.
Four sessions in: What I’ve learned so far on the LEAP programme
The LEAP programme is specifically designed to help young talent transition from being good workers into effective managers and inspiring leaders. We are currently four sessions deep into our ten-session schedule, and the journey of self-discovery has already been invaluable. In fact, many of us joke that sometimes it feels like therapy because the programme really pushes us to look inwards.
Here is a quick look at the skills I’ve been developing so far:
1. What coaching really is (and how to use it)
This session showed us how to move away from just giving answers and instead empower those around us to solve problems. Learning when a coaching approach is appropriate has already shifted how I handle day-to-day workplace conversations.
2. Fearless communication
We explored the six pillars of communication, using tools from acting and sports to quiet the mind and perform under pressure. It gave me a simple framework to plan my communication, ensure my message lands with emotion and speak up with confidence.
3. Leading as your best (The PRINT discovery session)
Using the PRINT® insight tool, we uncovered our unconscious motivators. This deep dive into self-awareness helped me identify my most productive “best self” and gave me clear strategies to consistently show up as the kind of leader people naturally want to follow.
4. Creating quality listening and questioning
We often think we are good listeners, but this session challenged us with the four levels of listening. I learned how to move past surface-level hearing to ask “heart rather than head” questions, which completely changes how valued and motivated a teammate feels.
Looking ahead: The future of my leadership journey
The next six sessions of the LEAP programme will focus on advanced leadership presence, navigating group dynamics and building long-term resilience. I am incredibly excited to dive into the upcoming modules. The two in particular that I am intrigued by are ‘Powerful Performance’, which will explore how to read a room and body language, and then ‘Who Am I As A Leader’ session, which will help me define my own unique leadership brand, which is ultimately what it’s all about!
What has been just as rewarding as my own growth is watching my cohort’s collective progress. Being surrounded by 29 other passionate, ambitious young professionals from Leeds and West Yorkshire is inspiring, as we are all testing these new tools in real-time.
I’m already finding opportunities to practice these coaching and communication skills directly within the walls of Trio Media to elevate our team performance. Every time I apply what I’ve learned, I’m intentionally pushing myself out of my comfort zone. But I know that by putting it into practice day in and day out, what feels challenging now will eventually become second nature, moving me from just feeling comfortable to being (hopefully) completely confident in my leadership style.
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