Tell us a bit about yourself, background and what you do currently
For over 20 years I have been working in the Retail industry. I started my career as a Saturday girl in a UK ladies fashion brand to 20 years later opening UK brands across the globe, reaching CEO level. This international journey lent itself to a whole host of exciting experiences both personally and professionally.
For much of my career I lived and worked in Cyprus where I was fortunate enough to grow my career and my family with the superb support of my equally ambitious husband.
Living and marrying into a different culture opened vast doors of opportunity, particularly in the area of personal growth and certainly was a catalyst in becoming a successful leader. Leadership in business is the same as in your personal life, it is about respect and it is not about gaining respect but earning it, and for me it has been all about standing in the shoes of others whilst ALWAYS leading by example. I never ask anyone to do that which I am not prepared to do myself.
My current retail consultancy business, where I provide complete retail solutions for leading brand names both locally and internationally, involved me being heavily involved in the process of networking and connecting with like minded individuals that too recognised the importance of paying it forward, supporting one another and teaming up to offer greater benefit and value to all involved. This coupled with my passion for investing in the personal and professional development of others was what inspired me to found the Global Organisation IWIB, International Women in Business.
I, like so many other Women in Business require connections, advertising opportunities and a ‘safe’ place to talk freely about business, life as a woman and support one another in our professional journey and this is what IWIB brings to more than 1400 women worldwide in under two years.
What has been your biggest challenge?
I wouldn’t say there is one specific challenge but rather a combination of challenges in the process of becoming an entrepreneur and running your own business. Like many business owners, there are the practical and emotional challenges involved. There is the financial choices one must make, which having earned substantial salaries and then investing much of one’s money into a business rather than one’s own pocket, can be challenging at the beginning. There are family implications and indeed friendships that collectively can feel put on the ‘back burner’ and then there is sustainability, the right people in place and the tenacity to keep going; which is without doubt THE most important factor in business. When you fall down, you must stand back up and never see difficulty as a problem, nor people as a barrier, but simply another lesson to add to your life book, making you an even wiser entrepreneur/business person.
What’s been your greatest achievement personally?
I have to say my family. I am a Mother of two young boys, aged 4 and 7 and I am married to the most patient, understanding and supportive husband from Cyprus. It is so important in a relationship that the person next to you encourages you to grow and keeps you on guard for potential dangers and that is what has been my greatest achievement, that through the ups and downs in life that we all face at some point, my husband and I and my children, remain open, authentic, close, we share, we learn and we grow altogether.
Leadership in business is the same as in your personal life, it is about respect and it is not about gaining respect but earning it, and for me it has been all about standing in the shoes of others whilst ALWAYS leading by example. I never ask anyone to do that which I am not prepared to do myself.
If you weren’t doing what you do, what would you be doing?
If I was to change my career, I would turn my full attention to either the world of charity OR the medical industry. My greatest goal in life is to make that all important difference.
Who has been your biggest inspiration?
Everyday I am inspired by those that I train, those I coach and consult, my children, husband, family friends, peers, celebrities, nature, art, music and the list is endless as we can take so much from so many people, things, places and experiences to help us grow as individuals but if we are talking about the person that always keeps me driven, motivated, excited by the future… that would be my Mum. This is a lady who wakes in the morning to start her day at 5.30-6am and at 71 years old still teaches maths to football academies and still does 100 mile walks from one side of the UK to the other and someone who simply lives life to its fullest. A true inspiration!
What does the future hold for you?
Now that I am living back in the UK, as a Retail Consultant I am looking to grow my retail solutions business even further across the UK as much of my business to date has been ran in international territories. With exciting opportunities for retail global expansion, I am looking to support UK retail in strategic retail solutions in the areas of brand management, sales and marketing, sourcing the correct international business partners, project management of store openings and training and development of their personnel. We want to build retail leaders who drive the retail business to the next level producing exceptional results.
For IWIB we are currently undergoing some very exciting new developments, with key supporters inline to join us at Board and Committee level. We are also developing a new opportunity for our members which will bring even more advertising opportunity for those looking to promote their businesses locally and internationally and our Get Connected Programme continues to grow both online in one to one calls, in corporate businesses as an internal team building/networking training process and locally in regions across the world where we address both the personal and professional process of getting connected successfully in business.
As long as I am learning, the future is most certainly bright.
