After my redundancy in 2021 I setup my marketing company with purpose and social led values and I now own three companies and also working on our fourth social enterprise which will launch later this year.
What are some of your driving values?
Social impact and core values that create our framework and foundations are key, innovation, future visions and creating opportunities that give hope and inspiration to others is my driving values.
You’ve always been great at giving back, why is it important to you?
Your voice matters and actions create impact and it’s important to champion others that may need those voices heard, no matter if this an individual, local charity or organisation or a business that is purpose led I like to give my time to others.
Which causes are closest to your heart / one thing about society in the UK that you wish you could change?
Suicide Prevention as I feel many could be prevented if we had more support. Something I’m passionate about is Postcode Restrictions - which make life even harder when homeless. I’ve experienced many where as a result of the postcode or compliance restrictions on government funding many have been turned away or signposted too late and it’s resulted in death. I feel this should be changed and I fully support many organisations that do try to prevent this.
How did you get involved in the CEO Sleepout?
I was representing our military charitable foundation and also a homeless and food bank project when I heard about the CEO Sleepout. It really resonated with me. When I attended my first CEO Sleepout as I heard those words “Let’s Do More” - and as a marketing company I wanted to do more, so I did just that by bringing together many people, organisations and communities for the purpose of good.
What other ways do you "give back" or work to strengthen communities you work within?
I believe time is what I appreciate and give back the most as we can strengthen communities and impact people's lives in many different ways. For example I created "Busking 4 Change": An amazing 12-hour music busking event where local artists donated any amount of time and people paid in food donations. This resulted in raising over six months supply of food to our local food bank. Four years later we still have barbers and hairdressers giving free haircuts and others taking action in this community.
Name one thing you'd like people to know about your life and work:
Not many know this - to be fair I never spoke about my life - but, for a short period of time at 16 years old I was homeless and went into a women refuge. This resulted in me growing up fast! Now, I didn’t go down any path of drugs or alcohol abuse, but I did however have an addition which was work - I was a workaholic - suppressing things deep down and masking myself by applying myself into work. I was robotic and toxic, and very unhealthy. This was over a 25 year period, and it wasn’t until I stepped away and asked myself, "what legacy do you want to create?" That is when everything changed, facing many deaths of people close to me, and struggling with bereavement, I realised life is far too short not to allow yourself to follow your vision and dreams into becoming a reality.
How might you see business playing a part in creating a fairer society here in the UK?
By creating core values and foundation frameworks, not only for the profits and margins, but for a social governance responsibility. Let’s do more that tick a box! Its' about working from the inside out, ensuring those working for you are also valued and considered - even more so if they have a voice and can help shape those core values and frameworks... together that is powerful.
Why is it important that those in business lead with purpose?
For me, when you find your purpose and you led with those core values and commitment to support it’s not work, work is on another level. It’s like a mission to help and support and it feels good. You can create health and happier workplaces, uplift your customer satisfaction and workplace vibe and experience. I create things dynamically and uniquely, but many have tangible benefits and results but in a different way and approach. If others are willing, we can all learn to evolve, adapt and grow and those who led with purpose is who I champion and work alongside.
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