IT’S a dilemma faced by many new mothers: how do you continue to progress your career while bringing up baby?

PR expert Pam Scobbie decided the only way to achieve both was to launch her own agency with friend and colleague Lee Beattie.

It turned out to be the first of many great business decisions for the pair, and nine years later Wire is an award-winning firm with 30 staff and a reputation for ensuring clients tell their story in the most creative and eye-catching way possible.

The two entrepreneurs put flexible working and staff welfare at the heart of their business ethos from the start, and this holistic approach is clearly paying dividends in terms of productivity, growth and retention.

“Talent retention is a big issue in our industry,” explains Ms Scobbie, who is mum to Molly, nine, and Ernie, six. “While I was building my career I used to wonder why 90 per cent of those who worked in PR were women, yet men seemed to own all the agencies.

“I couldn’t have worked the hours I used to do with a young family, and that forced me to consider starting a business. We don’t want our staff to have to feel that way.”

As well as flexible working and leadership programmes, Wire employees enjoy a plethora of lifestyle benefits including babysitting vouchers, free yoga and a monthly cultural allowance. And its co-owners urge others to pay more than lip service to the work-life balance.

“We always knew we needed to offer flexible working to mums, but right away we saw the importance of extending that to all staff,” says Ms Beattie, whose daughter Edith is two. “If society is going to become more equal, with men taking on the same responsibility for childcare as women, employers have an incredibly important role to play in making that happen.

“We want the best, most productive people. But we also want to keep those best people. ‘Make it famous’ is our motto. We want to put the right things in the right places at the right time for our clients. The quality of our team has made all the difference our business.”

The business partners, both 39, say they still love working together after 15 years, and believe their individual skillsets become stronger when pooled. But they have also learned to embrace a wider approach over the years.

“Our senior team have skills we don’t possess and they challenge us all the time,” says Ms Beattie. “That’s an important lesson to learn when you’re building a business – surround yourself with people who have different skills, viewpoints and experiences.”

Growing a business can be challenging, even a bit scary, admits Ms Scobbie, but the confidence to overcome such fears comes with experience.

“Any business is a constant balance of assessing risk versus opportunity,” she says. “I remember years ago we hired four people in two weeks – that was terrifying at the time. But it also built momentum and allowed us to win bigger business and service our clients in a different way.

“We used to ask ourselves ‘what’s the worst that could happen?’ Once you’ve confronted and strategised that, it allows you to focus on the best things that could happen.”

As for what keeps them motivated, the fast-moving world of PR remains an addictive draw for the Glasgow-based friends. As does the mentoring side of their role.

“The thing I enjoy most about running a business is working with the team,” says Ms Beattie. “Some of our staff have been with us for five years after starting out as interns. I love seeing a spark of talent and watching it grow over the years.”

Ms Scobbie agrees, adding: “I started out in this industry when I was 19 and remember the thrill of seeing a story you’d worked on get coverage in the newspaper. For me, that buzz is still an important part of the job. If I get in a taxi and the driver starts talking about something I’ve been working on, that’s still the best feeling ever.”