May we introduce our SHINING STARS. Powerful, successful and inspirational women from all walks of life. Sports stars to writers; business women to broadcasters; media stars to chefs. Real role models for our girls…
ARLENE PHILLIPS
Choreographer, Director, Presenter, Mum, Judge who is passionate about dance.
What were your career aspirations at 15?
It had always been dance. Life doesn't always turn out the way you imagine and although I dreamt about being a ballerina, it wasn't for me. I still made dance my career, just not in the way I had first dreamed of.
What do you wish that you had known at 16 that you know for sure today?
I wish I had known then what I know now, that I looked a whole lot better than I thought I did and I just wish I had the confidence to believe it at the time.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
'What will be, will be' I try to live life knowing everything happens for a reason, good and bad and I hope i've passed this on to my children.
Who is your role model? Or who do you admire and why?
I really admire Annie Lennox, because she is passionate about helping others and trying to make a change for good. She campaigns tirelessly for the fight against HIV/AIDS and lives her life to make a difference to those who are suffering.
ARLENE McCarthy
I am an elected European Member of Parliament for the North West Region. It is my job as a politician to speak up for and represent those who do not have a voice, are less articulate or do not understand how to use the political process to get solutions to issues.
What were your career aspirations at 15?
I did not wake up one morning and decide to become a politician. That was never my ambition at school. In fact as a young women growing up in a conflict-scarred Northern Ireland, I had no desire to enter politics, but I was already interested in reading all the books in the Politics section of my local library.
It was my interest in languages and politics that helped me to win a research scholarship in the European Parliament, working on the reunification of Germany, following the fall of the Berlin wall.
What do you wish that you had known at 16 that you know for sure today?
That you can follow your dreams and achieve goals and it is possible for women to be as good as men, if not better, in professional working life.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
The dedication of my teachers at school ensured that I was well equipped for the challenges and opportunities which lay ahead when I left school. They taught me that everyone has limitless possibilities and I have always remembered this, especially as an ordinary girl with an ordinary background, I am now one of only 13 Labour European MPs to represent the UK and one of only 6 Labour women.
Who is your role model? Or who do you admire and why?
I was very lucky to have worked with former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Mo Mowlam, helping secure European funding for the peace process. Mo Mowlam was an exceptional politician, who taught me to believe in your own beliefs and principals and never to give up, to work to achieve results, because politics is the art of the possible. If focussed and determined it is possible to get results.
ERICA DIAMOND
Founder & Editor-In Chief Women On The Fence
Entrepreneur - Author - Blogger - Speaker - Radio Correspondent - Spokesperson - Mentor
'FORBES Top 100 Websites For Women' - 'The Top 20 Women In Canada' - Spokesperson for National Entrepreneurship Day
What were your career aspirations at 15?
To be a psychologist like my mother or a businessman like my father. I ended up studying both psychology and business at university and it’s pretty much everything I’m still doing today! Lol!
What do you wish that you had known at 16 that you know for sure today?
I wish I would have known that all of life’s answers lie within us, and to never look for external approval. I wasn’t very confident at 16. A tall string bean with braces, zits and perm, didn’t make for the most confident me. But true contentment comes from within. How cool, that we ourselves hold so much power?
What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
To live in the moment. It’s the best way to live free, and live happy.
Who is your role model? Or who do you admire and why?
No one person, but rather bits and pieces of people inspire me as a role model. I admire Oprah because she lives fearlessly and goes after what she wants with both relentlessness, and steadiness.
I also just read the story of Kathryn Stockett, author of the book The Help- Her book was rejected 60 times, and with every rejection, she reworked, redid and became more motivated. Most people crumble and get discouraged. I admire her tremendous sense of trust and belief in herself… to me that’s inspiring.
JAQUELINE GOLD
Chief executive of Ann Summers & Knickerbox and have been working for the business for the last 30 years.
What were your career aspirations at 15?
At 15 I was desperate to start working. I didn’t want to go to University and had a real desire to head straight in to work and build my career. I had done some work experience at Wedgewood and I knew that I wanted to work somewhere I could be creative and share my ideas. At that time I didn’t think that would be at Ann Summers, but I am very glad that is exactly where I did end up!
What do you wish that you had known at 16 that you know for sure today?
Wow that’s an interesting question! I can definitely say I know a lot more now about life and business than I did at 16; at 16 there are so many things to still learn! I guess for me the big thing would be confidence and staying true to myself. If someone had said to me at 16 that it’s ok to be who you want to be and that you don’t have to try and be anything else, in both personality and appearance, then I’m sure I would have found that a very useful piece of advice!
I remember when I first started out at Ann Summers I was very aware of being a woman and I wanted to try and disguise this. I thought that to be taken seriously I needed to look less feminine and so I would tie my hair back, wear glasses and power suits! One day someone told me that I looked like a politician and it suddenly dawned on me that I should be true to myself and proud of being a woman. From that day on I have always dressed for me and I can guarantee that the shoulder pads have stayed at the back of the wardrobe!
What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
My father once told me there is nothing to fear than fear itself (although I’m not sure I should credit him with inventing that saying!) and I’ve continually taken this into account when faced with tough decisions.
Who is your role model? Or who do you admire and why?
My father is a great role model for me and has always supported the decisions I have made.
For many years I have admired the work of Anita Roddick founder of the Body shop. She has definitely been a big inspiration to me throughout my career, mostly because of her huge achievements as a business woman; and also because of her strong ethical values and how she always stayed true to her beliefs.
JENNIE JOHNSON
I’m Jennie Johnson, aged 40, mum to 3 girls aged 14, 10 and 1 and Founder and CEO of Kids Allowed, a multi-award winning childcare chain based in the Northwest. We look after over 1000 children per week and employ 300 colleagues to do so. Oh, and I’m wife to Oliver too!
What were your career aspirations at 15?
At 15, I wanted to be a nurse. When I was at school, we were told we had two options, to be a nurse or a teacher (Inspiring...not!)
What do you wish that you had known at 16 that you know for sure today?
At 16, I wish I had understood that I could be anything I wanted to be. I was very blinkered and didn’t understand just how many interesting opportunities were open to me. I also wish I had understood that I was tall and slim! But because my friends were slimmer than me, I always felt I was the fat one. When I look back at pictures, I realise how silly I was to feel that way!
What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
No is a conditional Yes. You just need to understand what the conditions are!
Who is your role model? Or who do you admire and why?
I admire anyone that has achieved beyond the expectations of others. For example, no one thought a black man could get the top job in America - Obama did.
JO ELVIN
Editor of Glamour Magazine
What were your career aspirations at 15?
I definitely wanted to work in magazines. I was obsessed with them from the age of about 12 and, at about age 14, realised I could combine my love of writing with working in publishing. Nothing else got my attention once that lightbulb had switched on.
What do you wish that you had known at 16 that you know for sure today?
That what people say or think about you really doesn't matter as much as you think it does at 16. Don't get me wrong, feedback and constructive criticism can really be useful and teach you something about yourself. But all that schoolyard nastiness of hearing this or that that's been said about you, it just doesn't and won't matter.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
So many pieces of advice that I've taken on board, I can't possibly write them all here. But favourites include:
Follow your gut instincts - and boy does it bite me in the backside when I forget this.
'Big smile, short memory' - given to me by Dylan Jones, editor of GQ. That is very useful in the magazine industry!
Smile in photographs.
Don't buy white clothes that are 'dry clean only'. They just go yellow.
Who is your role model? Or who do you admire and why?
I don't have one specific person I've hoisted onto a pedestal, but I admire qualities in people that I try to be inspired by, particularly really energetic, positive businesswomen like Thea Green of Nails inc or the designer, Anya Hindmarch. I adore all women who prove that 'women are funny'
like Tina Fey and Sarah Millican, Cailtin Moran and Claudia Winkleman. I admire Anna Wintour for obvious reasons. It's another long list.
JO SWINSON MP
I’m the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for East Dunbartonshire, which is where I grew up, in the West of Scotland. When I was first elected in 2005 I was 25, and for four years was the youngest MP in the House of Commons.
What were your career aspirations at 15?
First of all, I wasn’t 100% sure what I wanted to do – I think it can be really hard at that age to choose! Taking part in the Young Enterprise scheme at school gave me a real taste for business, which is what I decided to study at university. I’d also wanted to be an author when I was younger, so maybe there is a book in me still waiting to get out!
What do you wish that you had known at 16 that you know for sure today?
You don’t get ahead by holding back. Whether it’s plucking up the courage to ask out someone you really like, or being proactive and determined in going for the job you want, you need to take control of your life – even if it is a bit scary at the time. Sitting back and hoping good things will just land on your lap isn’t a recipe for success.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
“What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger”. Important advice, given what I’ve said above about going for things you want! Sometimes things don’t work out how you want them to, and it’s really gutting. Setbacks and problems are part of life, and while they don’t feel enjoyable at the time, I’ve often looked back and realised how lots of positive things came out of some of the most difficult experiences.
Who is your role model? Or who do you admire and why?
Anita Roddick, the founder of the Body Shop. She not only built a hugely successful business enterprise, but she was determined to do so without exploiting people and using that business to campaign to change things. From refusing to test her cosmetic products on animals to paying producers in poor countries a fair price for their products, she not only made a difference with her business decisions, she helped to change how other businesses behaved too. She died at the age of 64 in 2007 but has a legacy in the form of the campaigning foundation she set up, which is still tackling injustice and inequality. www.anitaroddick.com
JUSTICE WILLIAMS MBE
I am a multi-award winning social entrepreneur and Editor in Chief of Tru Life magazine an urban chic lifestyle publication for aspirational young women. I am a global ambassador for Levis Shape What’s to Come campaign, which involves mentoring young women across the world.
What were your career aspirations at 15?
At 15, I was an aspiring solicitor. I had set my heart and life on a career in law, potentially specialising in international law or criminal law.
What do you wish that you had known at 16 that you know for sure today?
Things change, we live in an evolving world and we change with it. Don’t think that you have failed at something because you eventually choose a different path than what you first thought. Experience teaches you a lot and don’t be afraid to explore your options or try something new. Also looks are not everything! As an overweight teen with low self-esteem, I thought no one would ever notice me in the world or I wouldn’t have many friends. The truth is looks are superficial and can disappear with age but confidence and self-belief create a unique type of beauty. To end up on the front cover of a newspaper and being honoured with an MBE was not based on my looks. However how I felt about myself has allowed me to achieve my dreams and become the woman I am today.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
“If you always do what you have always done, then you will get what you have always got”. Sometimes we waste time complaining about how bad our life is or wishing we were someone else or that we had more material things, better looks, greater prospects. The reality is, we are in control of our own destiny. Not our parents or guardian, nor our friends, schoolteachers or college tutors, but us. Only by changing the way we were perceive ourselves and the things that we do every day, do we change our future, which can be rewritten over as many times as you like. Remember, how you spend your days is how you spend your life. Enjoy each day and if something isn’t right or going the way you planned, don’t be afraid to change direction, or alter your goals in order to get a better, positive outcome.
Who is your role model? Or who do you admire and why?
As I plan to write a book in the near future, I admire JK Rowling. Not only for becoming the first billionaire author but the struggle she overcame as a single mother on benefits, struggling to survive. She sat whilst her baby slept beside her in a pushchair in coffee shops writing her books. She took rejection after rejection from many publishers who did not like her Harry Potter stories but she never gave up. Her passion, belief, dedication and hard work, changed her life and the lives of many because she believed in herself. She is a down to earth and humble lady who demonstrates that you can do be successful regardless of your current circumstance.
KIRSTY HENSHAW
I’m Kirsty Henshaw aged 26, single mum of a 5 year old superstar in the making. Ex Dragor-Slayer and current owner of Worthenshaws Ltd, passionate about health, nutrition and free-from foods. I own the freedom brand and about to launch many new healthy and innovative products.
What were your career aspirations at 15?
At 15 I wanted to be famous, be my own boss or earn lots of money. Predominately because we had absolutely no money growing up. I didn’t know how I was going to achieve any of these things but I did know I wanted to do something I was passionate about, made me happy and enabled me to help others.
What do you wish that you had known at 16 that you know for sure today?
When I fell pregnant at 19 I felt as though my life was over and I was destined to fail. I wish I’d known that dreams can come true with hard-work, drive and passion. I now know anything is possible with the right attitude and determination.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
Stay true to myself and treat absolutely everyone you meet with the upmost respect.
Who is your role model? Or who do you admire and why?
I have huge admiration for my mum, she was a single mum, always worked hard, cared for others and showed respect for herself and everyone she met.
Claire Young is one of my role models, she represents us business women incredibly well, she is exceptionally driven and doesn’t appear to be scared of anything!
LINDA HUGHES
I love entrepreneurs, their inquisitive minds, fighting spirit and persistence that moves mountains. Because of this I created a global social media site for entrepreneurs/resources that they need to succeed. I'm a crazy nut about physical fitness and in my spare time teach exercise and belly dancing classes.
What were your career aspirations at 15?
At 15 I was on my way to becoming a prima ballerina. At the same time I worked weekends/summers with my dad, a lumberjack, so I did that too. At 18 I switched from ballet to belly dancing and I actually did do that professionally, still teach 3 classes/week. At the same time, I went to school and became a professional land surveyor. Then I met my husband and we formed a construction company, so I became a carpenter/painter/business owner. Moral of the story is that if you dream it and want it and are willing to put in the time to get it, you can do and be whatever you want, whenever you want.
What do you wish that you had known at 16 that you know for sure today?
Just yesterday I woke up with this incredible sense of happiness and excitement to be just who I am. I am free - totally free to be who I am and who I want to be, it is so so so much fun! I wish I had given myself permission to just be me a long time ago!
What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
...LOL. Ok, this one is not very profound but it really, really works. When I was a teen, in the times when I just couldn't sort out the issues and see the right path, my mom would say to go do the dishes. She said that by doing this simple task you 1) do something from start to finish 2) have total control over how it is done and when it will be over 3) and you set a rhythm of movement that allows your mind to get organized. This still works for me today...give her credit for a unique way to get me to do my chores!
Who is your role model? Or who do you admire and why?
Without a doubt my mom and dad. My dad, who is now only with me in memory and spirit, was my hero. I want to grow up to be just like my mom. She and my father raised the 6 of us kids with a deep appreciation for the natural world. She is amazingly creative, totally practical, very intelligent. She was mom first when I was growing up, holding steady and stable to that hard line of discipline/expectation. Then, as I became an adult, she became one of my best friends.
LINDSAY JAY
Lindsay Jay is a world class International Fitness Presenter specializing in body conditioning, yoga and Zumba® fitness. As a sports model, she has worked with brands such as Reebok and Nike and as a business woman, she has successfully launched the booming fitness apparel store, ZumbawearUK.com
What were your career aspirations at 15?
I wanted to perform and work in the theatre, being on stage at school gave me such a buzz. And I loved keeping active and dancing.
What do you wish that you had known at 16 that you know for sure today?
To take your time to really figure out who you are and what you want from life because the more you know who you are, and what you want, the less things upset you.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
Honour the past, live in the present and create the future.
Who is your role model? Or who do you admire and why?
Oooh I have 3 muses……
Elle Macpherson – because of her public image and branding
Shakira - because of her free spirit and lack of inhibitions on stage and when she dances
Richard Branson – Because of his attitude to business, he is such a ‘yes’ person and he is dyslexic just like me!
LUCIANA BERGER MP
I am the Labour Member of Parliament of Liverpool Wavertree and the Shadow Minsiter for Energy & Climate Change.
What were your career aspirations at 15?
I wanted to be a Police Woman.
What do you wish that you had known at 16 that you know for sure today?
That you can achieve anything if you focus and work really hard.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
Don't ever give up.
Who is your role model? Or who do you admire and why?
Harriet Harman - One of the women MP's who really has done so much for women's representation.
LYNNE FRANKS
Lynne Franks, business woman, author, broadcaster and speaker, described by the world's media as a lifestyle guru and visionary, is an acclaimed international spokesperson and advisor on the changes in today's and tomorrow's world - both for the individual as well as society at large.
What were your career aspirations at 15?
To be a writer
What do you wish that you had known at 16 that you know for sure today?
That life doesn’t finish at 30
What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
Stay true to myself
Who is your role model? Or who do you admire and why?
My mother, grandmother, great-grandmother – a long line of wonderful strong women who looked after their families.
PROFESSOR MARY BEARD
What were your career aspirations at 15?
I think they were a real jumble. I wanted to be an archaeologist, I wanted to run the country, and I wanted to fall in love, be a Mum and make apple pie. (Running the country never quite came off! But in a way the others did… maybe not in the way I ever expected.)
What do you wish that you had known at 16 that you know for sure today?
I wish I’d known that things aren’t quite as simple as I thought. People are complicated and those with whom you violently disagree can be good friends…. And it’s almost always worth standing up for yourself (I say “almost”… sometimes you need to be tactical).
What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
Don’t let the buggers get you down.
Who is your role model? Or who do you admire and why?
That’s a hard one. I admire all kinds of people for what they have done. Including those in the past and long dead. If I had written something as brilliant as Mary Wollstonecraft’s Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792) I’d be pleased, but she had a rotten life.
TAMARA MELLON, OBE
Woman, mother, entrepreneur, creator, founder of Jimmy Choo, global citizen and humanitarian, feminist, student of life/culture/art, OBE, British Trade Ambassador, world travellor and inspiration seeker, lover of fashion, loyal friend.
What were your career aspirations at 15?
I don't know that I had specific career aspirations at 15, but I knew I wanted to work, and I wanted to be independant. I loved fashion, so I knew I wanted to work in some capacity in the fashion industry.
What do you wish that you had known at 16 that you know for sure today?
You can't control other people's actions, and you can't change other peoples' character. You can only try and be the best person that you can be.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
Feel the fear and do it anyway. Fear has the potential to paralyze you and prevent you from taking risks. I use fear to sharpen my focus, and give me the energy to innovate. I was terrified starting my own business, but absolutely determined. I pushed through the fear and took the risk.
Who is your role model? Or who do you admire and why?
My father, Tom Yeardye was my role model. He was a big dreamer and a daring entrepreneur. He provided a great example for how innovation and creativity could yield exceptional success.