Coronation Street star Brooke Vincent is getting used to a new role as an entrepreneur – and she’s loving it.
Brooke has grown up on Corrie, having joined the soap at the age of just 11 to play Sophie Webster.
Now the Audenshaw-raised actress has launched her own business – her Oh So B range of diary planners complete with her own life quotes designed to motivate you every week.
She continues to film on Corrie while managing her burgeoning business empire so it means being super-organised.
So having her own planners is definitely helping Brooke!
“I’ve known I wanted to do something with planners since last Christmas as I couldn’t find quite what I wanted so I realised I could make my own,” says Brooke. “There were so many pages I just didn’t use.
“I was really busy filming Dancing on Ice and Corrie from January until March – probably my busiest ever. But when it stopped, I was kind of a bit like, oh gosh what do I do now? That’s when I decided this is what I’m going to do.”
Brooke, 26, initially started the concept by anonymously setting up the brand’s instagram page, posting a series of inspirational quotes, with even family and friends unaware that she was behind it.
“When I started the instagram I wanted to have the quotes up there to create a little bit of hype. I remember my boyfriend’s sister saying “is that you?” because even my family didn’t know about it. I just started this thing and I liked it and shared it, and it became really exciting that other people were sharing it too.
“Motivating people motivates me, I love putting the inspirational quotes out there. So that was always going to be a big part of the planners. I like little reminders, so I thought why not remind someone at the start of the week ‘you can do this’.”
Since launching her own website where the planners are for sale, there’s been huge interest in the brand – so much so that Brooke is already making plans to expand the range to other products.
“I don’t want to say too much what to, but it’s going to expand definitely.
“It’s very exciting to get my teeth into. I’m one of those people who likes to have something that’s mine and I always give 100 per cent to whatever I commit to, I’ve been involved in the whole process.”
Brooke set up the business with the help of family and friends – and says she’s even getting her nana involved!
“I’ve got my mum on the case and my nana, I’ve told her she has to wrap a few – she can earn her keep!”
But fans need not worry that she’ll be leaving Corrie any time soon.
“They can’t get rid of me!” she laughs.
“I’m still doing Corrie, which is mega. I love being busy with my on-screen family, and it’s very busy in the run-up to Christmas for Sophie with the trial of her mum Sally.
“And I’ve loved working with Stirling [Gallagher – who plays Sophie’s on screen love interest Paula] and our little romance. I love her, she’s an absolute dream to work with. She’s so cool.”
And if the business goes well, Brooke is hoping to increase her workforce for a very particular reason.
“I’d love to have a staff night out!” she says. “I would love to have an amazing office and to have a place where people love working. That’s the dream.”
Brooke Vincent’s planners are available to buy exclusively from OhSoB.com priced £19.99.