Please tell us about your background, younger ambitions, interests, education.

I started out in Recruitment in an Admin role in 2003 when I was 17 years old – it was a complete accident and not necessarily an industry I’d thought about. I’d done really well at school achieving all A-C grades for GCSE’s but didn’t feel that University was for me. I just wanted to get stuck in and do something so decided to go for it and just work my way up. I was really lucky and worked for a company that trained and looked after me well. I stayed there for 16 years before setting up my own Recruitment company in 2019. They sponsored me through leadership and management courses as well as a HNC.

How did you get to where you are today, successful women in business? How did you gain your skills and knowledge to do what you’re doing?

To be honest just through sheer hard work. Having the guts and energy to just always be asking ‘what’s next’ – pushing myself to over-achieve and out-perform my colleagues. Also, I was really well trained and looked after – getting in to a business with great values and ethics is so important!

Have you faced challenging times in the past or any times you have failed at something? How did you face this?

Working life brings challenges all of the time. Some you see coming and some that completely take you by surprise. We’ll all fail at things or get things wrong. These situations are such valuable life lessons. It’s more important how you react to those things and put them right that says more about you than the mistake made in the 1^st place. A good boss and business will allow you to make mistakes as this is often how we learn.

Can you tell us about times that have inspired you throughout your life and where do you get your inspiration and motivation from?

I was brought up in a family where work ethic was so important and understood from a young age that you must have a job – no matter what it is, to be able to support yourself and your family. This never left me, and coupled with having such great teachers in the work environment stood me in great stead to be successful. I just decided that I wanted to be successful in a job that I enjoyed and that brought different challenges so that I could be continuously learning.

What makes you feel empowered?

Leading by example. Always going the extra mile for others. If you go enough good, enough good will come to you.

What are your future goals?

To continue to build the Recruitment business – we currently employ 5 people and would love to be able to employ another 5.

If you could give one piece of advice to your 15-year-old self, what would it be?

Be brave. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Work to live, don’t live to work!