One frequently asked question is about the business name, Shoo. Set against the countryside background, it’s surprisingly nothing to do with horses and their shoes – but an in-house joke about Rachel’s obsession with designer footwear.

About Rachel Hatfield

Co-owner Rachel started out in the hotel and event management sector in Scotland and Australia, where she lived for two years in Coogee, Sydney. She cites early career highlights as working at Edinburgh Castle with Historic Scotland has worked on projects; Edinburgh's Military Tattoo and growing the event space at The Glasshouse Hotel to be hailed Scotland’s Sexiest Hotel in 2005.

Rachel carries her project management and communication skills over into the digital marketing world. As a seasoned digital marketing professional, Rachel is brilliant at understanding the client’s needs and keeping all Shoo’s plates spinning. She is also a visiting lecturer at Leeds Beckett University in the School of Cultural Studies and Humanities.

With a BA (Hons) in International Hospitality Business Management from Leeds Beckett University and an MSc International Conference Management degree from Sheffield Hallam University, Rachel is a keen learner. She is determined to keep on growing her knowledge to support Shoo’s growth, and graduated in 2023 from the University of Bradford with an MBA in Executive Leadership and has completed an ILM Level 3 in Effective Coaching with Leeds Beckett University.

Rachel boasts Filipino roots on her mother’s side and has a huge family in the Philippines on the island of Leyte. Outside the office, her passion is horses and riding her chestnut warm-blood, retired show- jumper, JJ.

About Chris Morris

Co-owner Chris Morris is Shoo's Chief Vision Officer, guiding the company’s business growth strategy to hit both short-term and long-term goals.

Chris has followed a varied career path. From working in a children’s theme park in Boston, USA, to backpacking across Europe before traveling via telesales and management roles into teaching. Over an eight-year period he taught at a number of inner city Leeds and Bradford primary schools, before retiring from teaching at the “grand old age of 33” to set up Shoo with Rachel.

Entrepreneurship has always interested him, in particular, “the challenge, the glory, and being in charge of your own destiny”.

His teaching experience proved to be invaluable in delivering high-quality training to meet the needs of clients. He’s been able to keep on using those talents through Shoo’s educational and community projects, whilst also taking a lead on the number crunching/ data side of the business.

As well as his teaching qualifications, Chris has a psychology degree from University of Lincoln, which assists in the essential task of assessing the desires and behavioural patterns of potential customers in the digital marketing world.

Chris explains: “We’ve all experienced looking on a website at a pair of shoes or other product or activity, then logging onto Facebook, to see that same pair of shoes, and thinking, ‘Facebook is listening to me!’ That’s pretty much what we do.”

In his leisure time, Chris loves the outdoor life and describes himself as a dog lover, walker and explorer. He’s played football all his life to semi-professional level. When he gets the chance to relax at home, you’ll find him happily engrossed in his Marvel comics.