ISSUE: 164

Nine years after her father and 29 Britons were killed
in the 2015 Tunisia attack, Emma empowers women and brands through photography

Capturing Life’s Essence Through Lens and Heart: An Exclusive Interview with Emma-Jayne Herbert, the creative force behind Emma Cullen Brand Photography and Emma Cullen Wedding Photography. Emma shares her journey from TV production to becoming a revered name in the photography industry. In this exclusive interview, conducted by Victoria Mayo, journalist and founder & chief visionary of InspireMe PR, she delves into her personal and professional evolution, the impact of loss, and her mission to empower women through her work.

Hello, I’m Victoria. Victoria Mayo—yes, like the sauce! I often joke to people I meet, “Guess my surname; it’s a condiment?” Ketchup usually comes to mind. Anyway, enough about me—this story is not about me, but I do need to set a little context. I am a seasoned journalist, having worked as a broadcast journalist for more than sixteen years. Just over two years ago, I transitioned into the world of PR, found my passion, and now my mission is clear: to inspire others through the stories I tell.

Throughout my TV and radio career in regional news, I’ve encountered numerous narratives, but none quite as personal as the one I’m about to tell you. Although on the face of it this is a very sad story, it’s actually an incredible tale of inspiration, resilience, ‘new normals,’ strength, and determination—marked by achievements that even the unchallenged would find difficult. All inspired by incredible parents and love. So stay with me…

As a journalist, you never expect big headlines to involve anyone you know, let alone one of your own family members. I vividly remember the moment—it was 26 June 2015. I was at Lifehouse Spa in Essex, enjoying some downtime with two close friends. We had been in the spa all day, so I hadn’t seen the headlines. As I was leaving, my mum called. Her voice seemed different. She said, “Victoria, there’s been a terrorist attack in Tunisia, and Christine and Stuart are on holiday there. I’m sorry to say Stuart didn’t make it, and Christine is in surgery.”

Christine Cullen is my dad’s cousin. She’d been staying at the Hotel Riu Imperial Marhaba in Sousse with her husband, Stuart Cullen, when the attack happened. Stuart, then 52, was one of 30 British tourists killed in the attack. So-called Islamic State (IS) said it was behind the attack. Suddenly, at this very moment, I wore two hats—journalist and family member! But all I could think about was my second cousin Emma, Stuart and Christine’s only daughter, their only child. It was my dad, Stephen, who told Emma the devastating news.

At the time, I was working for ITV News Anglia as a freelancer, and they were incredibly respectful and compassionate of the fact that a relative of mine was one of the victims. I have always been an empath, but this was a moment of reflection – on what it felt like for families in the headlines of major news stories. On this occasion, I stepped back and asked not to report on the story out of respect for my family.

Emma, living and working in London at the time, was pursuing a career in TV production on programmes like Birds of a Feather and EastEnders. This is the first time Emma and I have spoken at length about that very day and what happened, and I feel honoured to share her incredible story. As a journalist, you get used to asking difficult questions sensitively, but interviewing a relative is different. Detached compassion is part of the job, but this headline was personal.

As Emma and I connected online—me in my Scandinavian-inspired kitchen, and Emma in her home office with her playful Cockapoo, Albie—I prepared to interview her. Initially, I planned to pull out Emma’s best quotes, the most heartwarming and emotional parts like all good journalists do, but to do this justice, it needed to come from Emma herself. Subbing down this interview was incredibly hard, even as a master of condensing content. This interview is about inspiring, not about pulling out the emotion to enhance the tragedy. Here is Emma’s story, in her own words, thoughtfully condensed. So sit tight and get ready to be inspired by this incredible interview.

Q: Emma, for the purpose of the tape, please tell me your full name, title, and the name of your business?

A: I’m Emma-Jayne Herbert. My business names are Emma Cullen Brand Photography and Emma Cullen Wedding Photography. It’s been quite a journey from TV production to where I am now. My business names hold special significance. Cullen is my maiden name, and it’s a tribute to my dad, Stuart, who always encouraged me to pursue my dreams. I’ve spent years building a reputation under this name, and it’s become a symbol of resilience and determination for me. In my brand photography, I empower women in business to embody their brand’s essence, showcasing their personality, values, and products. On the wedding side, I capture moments so couples can cherish them forever. I also host a podcast, ‘You Take the Lead,’ initially focused on inspiring women in business, but I’m relaunching it to inspire women from all walks of life.

Q: To change something you’ve spent a long time working on is impressive. What inspired this change?

A: When I first launched the podcast, I was full-time in my business. I felt that everything I did needed to be justified as some kind of marketing activity, rather than recording a podcast because I’m passionate about empowering women. I kind of lost my way with it a little bit, so I decided to strip it back to what it was all about originally and make it more quality over quantity, for a wider audience so that more people could relate to it. I’m excited to officially relaunch ‘You Take the Lead’ on Friday, 16 August, and I’m thrilled to announce that you, Victoria, will be the first guest on the new series.

Q: Some might find it tough to step back and think, “I should keep pushing forward because I’ve invested so much.” But you’ve chosen to pause and reassess. That’s quite something. What motivates you to do that? Also, I can’t wait to be your first guest, thank you.

A: Oh, that’s a tough one! I’ve been on quite a journey of personal growth. Recently, I sought help from a mindset coach when I struggled with progressing in my business and dealing with impostor syndrome. It really made a difference for me. I’ve always had a knack for self-awareness, knowing when to take time to process things. While the answers don’t always come right away, I trust they will in time. I’m determined to achieve my dreams, but I’ve learned the importance of sometimes stepping back and allowing things to unfold. My experiences, including therapy and counselling after losing my dad in my early 20s, have been transformative. They forced me to mature quickly and navigate a range of emotions, leading me to learn valuable techniques and evolve into a different version of myself. I believe significant events like that shape who you become.

Q: Your journey of self-development is so inspiring. But let’s start from the beginning. Can you tell me a bit about yourself and where you were in life when you lost your dad?

A: Yeah, absolutely. I’m from Lowestoft, Suffolk, and I was eager to pursue a TV career, which wasn’t available locally. So, I studied TV Production at Southampton Solent University and had great experiences like working at Glastonbury Festival before my first TV job. Climbing up to become a production coordinator was quite a journey. Starting as a runner, I noticed many women in the industry had to sacrifice their personal life for career advancement.

Family has always been crucial. I’ve always had a close relationship with my mum and dad, as an only child. My dad, due to injury, was a stay-at-home dad, so everything was topsy-turvy. Mum had a great career, and while other children had their mums pick them up from the school playground, I’d have my dad, and back then he pretty much was the only one. Everything was a bit different in my household, so we had such a strong relationship because he was there at all the awkward moments in your life, like when you get your first period. When I was in London, I would speak to my dad every single day on the phone. Until one day, he didn’t call.

It was 26 June, I was at work on my lunch hour. I checked the news and saw there was a terrorist attack in Tunisia at the exact hotel my parents were staying at. When I didn’t hear, I knew something was wrong. It wasn’t until around 8 pm when my mum’s cousin Stephen called to tell me what had happened, but at that point, it was just inevitable, just something that I knew! His exact words, and I can remember it like it was yesterday, were: “Have you got somebody with you? Your dad didn’t make it and your mum is in hospital, but we don’t know what the injuries are or what position she is in right now.”
Being an only child, the experience of having that phone call is, to be honest, unsharable.

Q: I obviously know what happened, but let’s not assume knowledge. We won’t go into great detail, but you had a phone call. What happened?

A: Mum had been in emergency surgery. Not long after Stephen called, I then heard from my mum, and it was the weirdest conversation ever. When I typically could say whatever I wanted to my parents, suddenly, on the phone call, the first thing that came out was, “Hi, how are you?” It was awkward. My mum was calm and comforting, but I couldn’t discuss the elephant in the room. It was just the weirdest thing. Then I was adamant from there that I was coming out, as Mum told me she had to identify Dad. Then my mum’s maternal instinct kicked in, and within 11 hours the next morning, she was on a plane home because she said I absolutely should not come out there because it is dangerous.

Q: So what happened after that? What happened work-wise? What did that do to you? What did you think in your mind? I am guessing you went through a very difficult period. What was that like?

A: To be honest, both Mum and I went back to work really quickly. I think I had two weeks off and then I went back part-time for two weeks, and then I was just full-time back into it because we both just had to create a new version of normal and get on with it. We had the help and support we needed, the therapy. Part of that was knowing what Dad would have wanted and how strong he was, and what he would want from us, and we just knew that we couldn’t sit in. What good would it be to sit in and let it take over? It was horrible. As Mum always called it, the ‘new normal’ that we needed to create. So from her influence, that probably helped me go back to work very quickly.

I carried on in TV for another year. Everyone was really lovely and really respectful. I was in London for about 14 months after, even though I’d wanted to move back home before this happened, and now there was this even bigger pull that I wanted to support my mum.

To be honest, when I first got the phone call, my first instinct was, “My career is over. I am going home and caring for my mum,” because I didn’t know what position she was in. Luckily, her injuries weren’t life-altering for her, apart from the PTSD, which we all have, Mum more than anyone.

Physically, I thought I was going to have to care for her. So I went from a mindset of thinking my career and my whole life as I know it is over to realising those thoughts of how do we recover from something like this in the family. To, we are just getting back to normal and getting on with things. So it was some huge shifts.

Q: Your dad was such a positive influence in your life, and his positivity, although you were grieving for him, helped you keep going?

A: Absolutely, and his work ethic that he had always taught me. He had always been a realist in terms of life and how things go. Just the fact that even in life, we never really had a sick day in our family. If you can get up and you can work, you get up and get on with it. He was definitely born in a world where nobody understood mental health for sure, but there is truth to the fact that you can’t just give in to it for weeks and months on end. You have to work through things, and you have to fight things. Yes, take the time when you need to, but you can’t let that be the norm.

Q: Both you and your mum could have just completely broken down. The experience that you and your parents went through was huge, not only for you but also in the news. What was that like?

A: We tried to withhold Dad’s picture as long as possible because when something like that happens, all you want to do is tell everyone who deserves to know first. But when you are grieving, you are in shock. You probably have about 48 hours to contact everyone. So there were a lot of people we didn’t get a chance to speak to who found out in the worst possible way. It’s an almost impossible situation. From there, it wasn’t just that—it was memorials built, it was inquests, cases that went on for years of reliving things, it was photographs on the internet that are still there now that my dad is identifiable, yet legally we can’t take them down because they are from another country. Living knowing there are images of bodies that shouldn’t be, that I could identify—that there is, for the first time in my life, that I have to move on and accept I can’t change it.

Q: Things like major events—newsrooms have a responsibility to report the news and facts but also be mindful of the victims’ families. From your perspective, what was that like? Your privacy to mourn was essentially taken away from you as it was such a national event. I am guessing that although it was difficult to deal with the media and the scale of the event, in a way, what came out of that is you have created so many things in your dad’s honour.

A: Initially, there were all sorts of support groups and the support network in our town was incredible, like the local pubs, the King Alfred. They threw a huge outdoor festival event on their land—everyone gave up their time to raise money in honour of my dad, and we did that for a few years after. We did all sorts of events, and family and friends were incredibly supportive in that, and that’s lovely. I think at first, that is what you really need for the first few years. You need that positivity because you need something—not that it was ever worth it because it never could be—but at least there was some good that could come out of something.

Q: I know that we have talked about your dad, and it is difficult to talk about, but there has been so much good to come out of the adversity you have faced. I am guessing your work ethic, your drive, comes from your dad. So just tell me about what changed. You changed your career. You essentially completely reinvented your career. You went from TV production, which is, I know from working with other women in TV production, all-encompassing and it’s a difficult career to have children in and relationships. You got to a point in that career and actually said to yourself, “I am going to completely reinvent myself.” What happened? What did you do? What did you change?

A: I think any big event like that reminds you of what is really important in life, which was a big thing that helped me move back. I stayed in TV for another year to get the production coordinator credit, like my dad always told me to. That part of me definitely did it for him. Then when I moved home, I was just so fuelled up to have the lifestyle that I wanted around the people that I wanted and to do things my way. So I got a part-time job while building my photography career and skills. It had been many years since I had touched a camera, and I had been more involved in video, so learning stills was completely different.

Q: Where did your idea for photography come from? Was it always a passion of yours?

A: I always had a good camera, and then friends of mine got married and wanted someone they knew as a photographer to shoot their wedding. After a couple of drinks together, I offered to do it, and they took me up on the offer. I had always been interested in photography and media outlets, to be honest, from video to stills, but I had never really found my jam. I like to tell stories and visualise things.

Q: So you use your photography not only as a medium to boost people’s brands but also to tell their story and inspire them. How long have you been doing your photography business now?

A: I always say I started my business from when I first took payment, which was April 2017, so over seven years. My first-ever shoot was a wedding—that was nuts! Doing a wedding as my first shoot made me realise you have to be a people person. That first wedding compared to my last wedding was nice in terms of it being people I knew, but it was very nerve-wracking. I was so nervous. I didn’t dare stand up at the front of the wedding because you feel like you are on show, and you’re like, “Oh my god, I want to be in the background.” Whereas now, I want to get the good shots, so I will stand where I need to get them, as my clients want these images. So a lot of it comes down to confidence and experience, but also being able to wrangle people together. As a photographer, you often end up involved in a lot of the flow of the day, so you just have to step up.

Q: During your production days, you worked on things like Birds of a Feather?

A: I worked on Birds of a Feather. I did some time on EastEnders, lots of sitcoms through Retort TV and Fremantle. It was so much fun, and my last production was the Birds of a Feather abroad special. I think it was supposed to be set in Morocco, but we went to Malta to film, and it was so cool. Lesley Joseph was doing Strictly at the time, so Anton Du Beke came out to do a little PR thing and dance around the pool on the Birds of a Feather set, all cheering them on.

Q: You have done some amazing creative things, you have started your own business, and now you are teaching others photography?

A: I teach photography and film studies three days a week in further education, and I love it! It was just the part I was missing. I wanted something to give me a bit more structure and give back and inspire the next generation.

Q: You love to inspire. You are also married—you got married recently?

A: I recently got married in Italy, in Tuscany, to my partner, now husband, Jack Herbert. He is head of PE at a secondary school, and he also manages a local football team. He is very much an inspirational character. All of his students and people in football look up to him. They respect him. He is really amazing at what he does, and he is very much an inspirational figure. The High Performance Podcast with Jake Humphreys launched a high-performance programme for schools, and they trialled it in Jack’s class. They did a video, and he is also in the video talking as well. I am always like, “You should scream about this; it’s huge.”

Q: Your mum is also a creative too?

A: My mum has just started up her own side business called Relove Relive Transformations (@relove_relive_transformations). She basically takes people’s wedding dresses from their mums and stuff from the ’80s, ’70s, and ’60s and remakes them into a style of today so that people can rewear them.

Q: I understand your mum made a very special mother-of-the-bride outfit for herself for your wedding?

A: She took my dad’s dinner suit, which was a cruise dinner suit as we used to go on a lot of cruises together as a family, and she turned it into her own outfit. So she was the Mother/Father of the Bride leading me down the aisle. She integrated our wedding colours, but the main part of it was my dad’s suit, which she remade for herself. She walked down the aisle with a bit of Dad, and my earrings were her and Dad’s wedding rings, which she got moulded down into infinity signs. Then my nanny made me a necklace. We are very much a family of nostalgia, and I wear my wedding jewellery every day. Going back to my mum and her working when I was a kid, my work ethic definitely came from her as well, because she sacrificed a lot. She sacrificed her time as a mother. I think looking at her, she was always in a management position and leadership, and people really looked up to her. It certainly influenced my expectations and aspirations in life because I wanted bigger things, and I wanted to be either in leadership, a position of power, or an inspiration. From what she did, that really inspired me.

Emma’s dad, Stuart, would undoubtedly be proud of her accomplishments. His legacy lives on through Emma’s inspiring journey, which embodies the belief that adversity can propel us forward rather than hold us back.

I leave you with this powerful quote: “In life, we have two choices: to let adversity define us or to let it propel us forward. I choose the latter, and I hope my journey inspires others to do the same.” – Emma-Jayne Herbert

Stuart lives on in Emma.