ABOUT ME
From Dream Job to Creating my Dream Life…
These 2 photos depict one of my career highlights, when in 2019 I was offered the opportunity to represent the Tu Clothing brand for Sainsburys with a double whammy of a TV appearance on ‘This Morning’, as well as starring as one of the models on Tu’s ‘Work It’ TV and press ad.
I felt like a star for a day, dressed head to toe in my beloved Tu brand (even my bra and knickers were Tu!!), pampered by hair and make-up all day and after the feature was shot my reward was a photo opportunity with both Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, during which I found my hand naturally came to rest on Philip’s pert bum… so believing this was a once in a life time opportunity I grabbed it, literally, and after a cheeky squeeze that bought a smile to both our faces, I departed!
However, when you are think you’re already living your best life, working in your dream job, whilst climbing the corporate ladder you kinda think you’re invincible …BUT what many didn’t appreciate, or see, was that I was living behind a mask of ‘I’m fine‘, but taking a cocktail of over 60 tablets a week, including steroids for my flare ups, and struggling with daily tasks such as unscrewing the milk bottle lid, pulling on tights and having help doing up my bra from my teenage daughter…as I had been suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis, a chronic auto-immune disease for 7 years in relative silence!!
As it was diagnosed early, whilst in my mid 40s, I was determined not to let it get the better of me and in order to keep up my joint mobility in my hands I decided to start playing the piano again AND persue my creative passion of art by taking up painting lessons at St Ives School of Painting during our summer holidays in Cornwall.
Everyone from family, friends and colleagues knew I was in my dream job because I wasn’t afraid to say it (on a multitude of occasions!!!) and the Tu brand was like my first baby…however, turning 50 was quite a pivotal point for me and I’d started to recognise that, after 16 years working as a senior exec didn’t come without its sacrifices and somethings were at risk…mainly my health, my family time, and my ‘me time’ to really pursue my passions whilst I still had my mobility.
"If you are brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello"Paulo Coelho
So having established what was REALLY important in my life I had to find the courage to build a new life around my answers, and I didn’t have to wait too long as bravery materialised as a result of 3 LIFE CHANGING events that took place over a period of 6 months in 2020;-
- I lost my beloved father, and rock, to cancer after a brave fight of a year of treatment.
- A restructure at work offered me the golden opportunity to take VR, to pursue my passion of art.
- During lockdown I almost lost my mother to a sudden heart attack, and had to isolate and nurse her back to health for 3 months.
So I decided to take VR and ‘say goodbye’ to the dream job in 2020 and take that leap of faith into the unknown of a Portfolio career that would reward me with several ‘new hellos’ of a more balanced lifestyle to be with the family, the opportunity to find my creative voice as an artist, to focus on my health and wellbeing, and give back to my local community.
Volunteering
When you’re working full time and raising a family I reflected that it was quite a selfish existence, and so once I’d taken VR, and having experienced first-hand with Dad, the amazing work of all the volunteers at Myton Hospice, it was a no brainer for me to sign up to volunteer weekly in the local Myton Hospice Retail shops.
Following in Dads footsteps in Coventry
Broadweavers & Clothiers Guild –
1st female member and Master
It was such a honour, with my background and experience in Textiles and Fashion retail, to be invited to join this wonderful medieval Guild of the Broadweavers and Clothiers in Coventry in 2017, let alone to become the first ever female member and Master of the guild and spend 2 years working alongside my father.
It is a total privilege to be able to support students in Coventry with bursaries to pursue their further education in Textiles and fashion
Coventry & Warwickshire LEP Place Board – Vice Chair
In 2022 I was honoured to be made Vice Chair of the Coventry and Warwickshire Place Board, which sits under the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership, and promotes the reputation of the area through a number of initiatives including the successful Champions network programme.
Arts Uplift – Advisory Board member
Arts Uplift a Community Interest Company specialising in arts and health and heritage.
I was absolutely thrilled to join Arts Uplift, as an Advisory Board Member in Sept 2022, with the aim of helping them with the expansion of their amazing work over the next two years.
I hope that my commitment to and knowledge of the local area, combined with my corporate background and creative experience, will make a difference , as well as supporting the belief that creativity and the arts have a tangible impact on health and wellbeing.
2020 was definitely my time to reflect & reevaluate and my answers, along with determining my Purpose, helped shaped my Vision for my portfolio career to Empower You to
CREATE | NOURISH | HEAL
To discover more about my 2 year transition, please click the links below:
CREATE
From a fashion brand ambassador to Mixed Media artist
NOURISH
From Ambition and Challenge to Prioritising my family’s Health and Happiness
HEAL
From mentor to volunteer, helping others in the local community