TELL US ABOUT YOUR DAILY HABITS – WHAT KEEPS YOU INSPIRED AND MOTIVATED?
My day usually starts with cuddles in bed with my 3-year-old, it’s the best way to wake up! I always try to find a quiet moment to step outside barefoot in the garden and reformer Pilates is essential when I’m WFH. I’m inspired by the people I work with, by the power of storytelling and the opportunity to make a meaningful impact through creativity and collaboration.
LOOKING BACK AT YOUR CAREER JOURNEY SO FAR, WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?
Personally, I’m proud of how I’ve navigated change: stepping away from a role, starting a business, coming back into a new leadership role. I always tried to stay true to my values and trust that the right path often reveals itself if you follow your instincts. I’m also very proud of my role as a Trustee and now Chair of MediCinema, a charity that builds and runs cinemas in NHS hospitals in the UK.
WHAT WERE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES YOU FACED ON YOUR LEADERSHIP JOURNEY? DID YOU HAVE ANY MENTORS ALONG THE WAY?
Career trajectories are like rock climbing: you don’t always go up! Sometimes you have to go sideways or even down to find the right route and often it’s the hardest moments that teach you the most. For me, one of those was during lockdown, having to lead a large number of redundancies while heavily pregnant and doing it all virtually was incredibly tough. I leaned on the holistic skills I’d learned in my yoga teacher training to cope, and I hope I led through it with care and kindness.
I’ve learned a huge amount from those around me: my peers, my team, people in my personal life. A mentor doesn’t have to be someone more senior or even someone in the workplace. Sometimes, it’s just someone who helps you see things more clearly when you really need it.
GIVEN THE DEMANDS OF YOUR ROLE, HOW DO YOU BALANCE YOUR WORK AND PERSONAL LIFE?
I don’t think of work and life as separate, it’s all life! And life is messy, beautiful, demanding and full. I genuinely love what I do and I really value the time I spend with my team but I also fiercely protect time with my family and I carve out space for myself where I can. When I’m in the office, I try to get home for my daughter’s bedtime, then jump back online later in the evening. The balance shifts all the time though and it’s a constant work in progress!
YOU WERE A MENTOR IN THE 6TH EDITION OF THE WCLP PROGRAMME. WHY DO YOU THINK MENTORING IS IMPORTANT?
Mentoring is so important because it provides space for reflection, reassurance, and open conversations. Often being able to say something out loud to someone objective can help you see a situation more clearly. It doesn’t need to be overly formal, I think it’s about creating a space where people feel safe to ask questions and talk things through honestly. It’s a privilege to offer that for someone else. And selfishly, I always learn something too.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR YOUNGER SELF?
Trust your instincts and your intuition. You don’t need to have it all figured out straight away, and the biggest growth might come from the detours you never expected… enjoy the journey, keep learning, stay curious, and be yourself.