I'm Jo Dickman

I started out in the UK as a runner and video assist on film sets, while working in hospitality management around Cheshire and Merseyside. In 2004 I moved to New Zealand. Auckland first, and for about the last ten years, the Tūtūkākā Coast. I still film a lot of what I make.

I've been in marketing for 20 years. For most of that time I've been arguing against the same things: cookie-cutter websites, SEO farming, and good data buried under fluff.

Before Real Human, I spent ten years running webmonkey, building websites and brands for businesses around New Zealand. Some of those clients I still look after today.

I've got a good head for numbers, but what I love is the creative side: solving problems, coming up with ideas, and making them real.

The numbers are what make the ideas work. From 2018 to 2023 I ran the marketing for Kitchen Studio, a national kitchen retailer, and it's where I got into the habit of checking what's actually working before anyone spends another dollar.

I use AI every day. It's a good sounding board, it helps me try more ideas, and it speeds up the strategy work. It makes me better at my job.

What it can't do is sit down with you and work out what makes your business different, turn up on site with a camera, or pick the idea that's right for you. It won't be the one on the phone when something needs sorting either. That part's me.

Anywhere. Plenty of it happens over video calls. Auckland's a drive, and anywhere further is a flight. If you're on the coast or in Whangārei, I'll pop round.