WOMEN ROCK.

You’ve probably seen that at SR2 we’ve grown quite a bit over the last couple of months and I wanted to introduce our 3 new brilliant ladies to the team. Steph, Amy and Char are all experienced technical recruiters and have seen first hand the challenges around recruiting women in technical roles! I am over the moon to have them on board and also to have them as ambassadors for Women Rock, they are all going to be working on projects for the brand throughout the year… stay tuned! Here is a bit about all of them <3Charlotte.WHY DID YOU JOIN SR2?Because they’re bloody amazing. No, because they treat people like human beings whether it’s the people that work here or clients. Everything SR2 do is for a good reason, whether it’s to help our Bristol community or our Tech community!WHAT DOES YOUR DAY TO DAY LOOK LIKE?Get into work early and grab a coffee and if Boris is in then I’ll probably make a fuss of him and then carry on with my recruitment duties. We always work hard but there’s never a day where we don’t have a laugh!WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL?My sister is my role model! So proud of everything she does whether it’s her kind heart of how hard she works day to day. She is the most honest and real person I know and she reminds me every day to stay positive and be true to myself.WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS AND AMBITIONS FOR WOMEN ROCK?I honestly and truly believe Women Rock has the ability to go ALL THE WAY. The whole concept is unreal and I find it so empowering that we have the utilities and tools to be able to help and change women’s (and men) thoughts and expectations of their future. For me, I was unaware that getting into tech was even an option as I went to a very traditional school where the norm was to study History or English. I feel so strongly about making younger people aware that this is a thing, probably more so now than ever!WHAT DO YOU THINK THE CHALLENGES ARE FOR THE WOMEN IN THE INDUSTRY?I mentioned before how passionate I was around making younger women aware that yes, tech is not just for men but is a great career choice for us ladies too! I think we need to encourage women in tech to speak out and make other people aware that it’s an amazing and empowering option for everyone involved.WHAT DO YOU LOVE TO EAT AND DRINK?This is very important. Very important indeed.. Eating wise – any PASTA or Italian based cuisine. Drink wise, it’ll have to be either a nice traditional ginger beer or a gin and tonic with a twist.WHERE IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE IN THE WORLD?My favourite place every is a place called Banyuls-Sur-Mer in the South of France, it’s a tiny little seaside cove and does the most amazing Sangria and also.. fun fact – has a rock that looks like a head!WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING OUTSIDE OF WORK?Well, I do love a glass of wine and going to the gym (not at the same of course) if I’m not gyming then you’ll find me having a few drinks with my friends or doing yoga!WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTE?‘The best revenge is massive success” – Frank SinatraWHO’S YOUR SQUAD?My squad would include my sister, obviously my friend Lauren and celeb wise I would have to have Leonardo Dicaprio because he’s my favourite actor ever and love the fact that he uses his platform to help save our planet #SquadGoalsAMY.WHY DID YOU JOIN SR2?I joined SR2 to be around a group of genuinely nice people, who are trying to make a good name for themselves. Recruitment can have a really bad reputation in the tech industry, so it’s great to be around people who are trying to actually give back and help not only the tech community, but the Bristol community as a whole.WHAT DOES YOUR DAY TO DAY LOOK LIKE AT SR2?I get into work, go through the job boards and my ad response to see if there are any new candidates who are looking for a job. I then have a cup of coffee and begin reaching out to local hiring managers! Once I know what my candidate is looking for in their next role I’ll reach out to companies who I know will fit the bill. Hopefully I’ll be able to generate some opportunities that they would get excited about! Aside from this, I’ll spend my day writing up new adverts for candidates, networking on Linkedin and helping promote our own brand “Women in Tech!”WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL?My Mum, she can have so much on her own plate and still be the most compassionate and selfless person, and she makes it look so easy!WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS AND AMBITIONS FOR WOMEN ROCK?I have 2:1) To support the women already in tech. It’s a well known fact that the tech industry is a male dominated industry, so to support those women who are there making waves in the tech world and make sure they know we think they rock!2) To encourage women who want to get into tech, whether that’s students or women in other industries, to show them that it’s not just a job for men, introduce them to all the amazing things other women are currently achieving and how they can be a part of it too!WHAT DO YOU THINK THE CHALLENGES ARE FOR THE WOMEN IN THE INDUSTRY?From speaking to my clients, it’s clear they are aware that there is an issue with diversity in the tech world and many are crying out for more female developers in their team. What I think is the main challenge is breaking that stereotype with the younger generation when they are considering what career might suit them. Out of all the girl’s in my year I can’t think of one person that went into tech, let alone considered it. Breaking the stereotype at this age and showcasing to young girls how exciting a job in the tech world can be, would bring in a new generation of female techies and role models for even younger generations to aspire toWHAT DO YOU LOVE TO EAT AND DRINK? THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.Eating = anything with cheese. Literally anything. Drinking = Green tea if I’m feeling healthy, rhubarb G&T if I’m not!WHERE IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE IN THE WORLD?Bali! I just spent 2.5 months there and its just such a beautiful islandWHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING OUTSIDE OF WORK?I love practicing and teaching yoga! It helps keep me sane in what can be a very stressful job. I’m also a big fan of sitting on the sofa with a big blanket, cup of tea and one of my cats, watching Netflix!WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTE?It’s a long one, but resonates so much:“People tend to burden themselves with so many choices. But, in the end, you can throw it all away and just make one basic, underlying decision: do you want to be happy, or do you not want to be happy? Once you make that choice, your path through life becomes completely clear”Michael Singer- Untethered Soul, definitely recommend a read!WHO’S YOUR SQUAD?1) My best friend Mel, practically a sister and would hold my hand through anything2) Zooey Deschanel, I feel like we would get on and sing songs round a campfire3) Can my cat be one?? He just gets me!STEPH.WHY DID YOU JOIN SR2?I joined SR2 January this year, still a newbie! I had been working for a large corporate recruiter for a year. I had started to get itchy feet before Christmas, as I didn’t feel I was getting the best out of myself in the environment, which I was working in. Chris reached out to me and told me about SR2 and how they were doing things. I was already very much aware of SR2 and always loved their presence online and the involvement they had in local charities and supporting Diversity in the workplace. Anyway, I arranged to meet up with Chris for a cheeky gin and tonic in the Alma pub, from there we just chatted away for a couple of hours and I instantly got the feeling that SR2 was the sort of place I had always wanted to work with. He offered me the position and I got started just after Christmas, it’s been the best start to my year and every day I feel more motivated and genuinely enjoy my job, throwing myself into the world of Java in Bristol and trying to be as fully immersed within the market as I can be. In a nutshell, I joined SR2 because I want to make a difference within the recruitment industry and by being a part of their wider vision and ideas is the best way for me to do this.WHAT DOES YOUR DAY-TO-DAY LOOK LIKE AT SR2?It looks like me boiling the kettle to make copious amounts of coffee. I love to play with Boris (our office dog) and then when I do actually get my head down to do some real work… I focus my day around the candidates I am working with at that time, getting a head start and always making conscious decisions with my market in mind. Honestly, no day is the same in my job. It very much depends on who is on the market and what is happening within my market at that point in time, it’s everything from speaking to new candidates on the job boards, reaching out to Java developers on LinkedIn and building relationships, arranging coffee meetings to get a better understanding of what someone is looking for in a more personable way. Other day-to-day things include, reading up on TechSpark and TechNation to stay up to date on things happening within the industry. Lunch times usually consist of a walk around Castle Park if I fancy getting out of the office, I love working in the centre of Bristol because pretty much everything you could possibly ‘fancy’ for lunch is right there!WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL?My role model would have to be my mum, she inspires me to work hard for everything that I want in life, has always supported me with any choices I have made and is one of the main reasons I love to stay fit and healthy as she’s always motivated me to be! She’s great ????WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS AND AMBITIONS FOR WOMEN ROCK?I’m so happy to be one of the 5 Ambassadors of Women Rock, I’ve actually always wanted to get more involved with writing a blog or being part of some kind of growing movement. So women empowerment and promoting diversity in the work place is something that I’m very happy to be a part of. I guess my biggest ambition for us this year would be for Women Rock to be the ‘go to’ face of Diversity within Tech in Bristol. I want us to become a well-known name in all the tech offices across the city. I have plans to arrange more communities’ meetings for the people who support Women Rock and even arrange some activities to raise money for charity, a girls running club or something like that. I’ve also just taken over managing the Women Rock Instagram account, so I’m feeling motivated to reach a wider audience on there for us. I better start getting the hash tags out!WHAT DO YOU THINK THE CHALLENGES ARE FOR THE WOMEN IN THE INDUSTRY?I think the main challenge is there aren’t enough women leaders in the industry. When there’s a woman leading from the front, a lot of greatness can happen. When a man is leading from the front, greatness can also happen. So we need to drive the thought process that it’s important to have an equal number of both genders leading and managing across the city so that we can all do even bigger and better things.WHAT DO YOU LOVE TO EAT AND DRINK? THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.I absolutely love a curry; my favourite curry house in Bristol is the Brunel Raj in Clifton Village. Other than that, I would say a really good stone baked sourdough pizza, current favourite is an artichoke pizza at Bosco! When it comes to drinks… If I were going to select any cocktail it would have to be something made with Gin and Rhubarb. If it’s a hot summers day then 100% coronas and lime.WHERE IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE IN THE WORLD?I absolutely love Bristol, it’s such a cool city and even though I’ve grown up here my whole life, as I get older it just seems to get better and evolve into somewhere even more fantastic. But, my favourite place in the world has got to be Sydney, Australia. I lived there for 2 years on a working holiday visa and pretty much was living the dream out there, I miss the sunshine!WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING OUTSIDE OF WORK?Singing, I love to sing. Anywhere really, I would love to be involved in more open mic nights across Bristol. I enjoy staying fit and healthy, going to gym and making myself stronger is something I have been really motivated to do over the past 8 months. Other things include, seeing friends, going out for brunch/lunch/dinner (I’d eat out for all three everyday if it was feasible). I love a good festival with a group of friends, long walks in the countryside, going to the cinema – The Everyman is my favourite, got to love having your own sofa in the cinema.WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTE?“This too shall pass”.WHO’S YOUR SQUAD?My ultimate squad would have to be my best friend Jenna, because she’s hilarious and pretty much all of my music on Spotify comes from the playlists she makes me. The family member would be my younger sister Lucy, we’re 8 years apart but now she’s at the age where we are like best friends. When it comes to celebrities… it would have to Miley Cyrus, I actually met her once, but forgot to ask her to join my squad.  Thanks girls#womenrocka voice of diversity in tech@womenrockbristol

Happy New Year to all and Happy 1st Birthday Women Rock. What a year it’s been! An idea that had been a long time coming for me, started by way of numerous notes on my phone up until January 2018, now feels like a genuine movement and something I’m incredibly proud to be spearheading.Since I started my recruitment journey the subject of ‘Women in Tech’ struck a note with me. It’s easy to explain why – I was going weeks working on technical requirements for my clients and having little to no interaction with women. It really drove me mad and got me asking why?! So now, more than ever, I feel it is my responsibility to share experiences of women in tech, to encourage unity and collaboration and to give those experiencing life in tech a platform for their voice to be heard and a chance for them to feel empowered.So, what has happened in 2018 and are we any closer to the mission of making Bristol the most diverse city in tech in the UK by the end of 2025?We have interviewed 27 folks in the industry – we have discussed their stories, successes, challenges and also spoke with numerous organisations about their plans to improve diversity (or where they have already done so we’ve questioned how!)Women Rock has global reach – the average views on each post is around 4500 and they are seen as far as Japan and Canada which is amazing and surprising in equal measure. It was also discussed as a case study at a Tech event in Copenhagen which is amazing.We held our first event with the DevOps group in Cardiff, where we invited 4 brilliant ladies in the industry to talk about their career in tech. We sponsored Bristol’s first Algorave. We attended events. We talked at events, a stand out being WTF by 101 ways. We also sponsored Ladies that UX Bristol and excited to confirm we will be continuing to do so throughout 2019, oh we’ve have shit load of fun and made some amazing friends too!  On the whole we have received some really positive feedback and people seem behind the movement. Taking onboard the constructive feedback you amazing people have shared we intend to make some small changes and then keep pushing this movement forward.As a team 31% of our placements in 2018 we’re female, which in a male dominated industry and our first year, is pretty amazing and something we are really proud of. We have worked with clients who have crossed skilled folks and some who have taken on self-taught developers and Juniors and have given them a chance to show what they can do. We have supported returners and first timers venturing into the IT world for the first time and have even done some pro-bono placements supporting women getting new jobs in IT that didn’t fit within our typical areas of focus as a business.I’m confident that the junior developers which both myself and the team have placed this year, we will be seeing amazing things from them next year! (Lorna, self taught Python Developer, Bristol)In 2019 we are going to be putting more energy and time to Women Rock to help share the message further. Over the last 12 months we have doubled our own headcount and now have a 50/50 male/female split in our own business. We practice what we preach, and this means in 2019 I am going to be supported by the whole team even more but particularly our amazing girls Darcie, Charlotte and Steph.We will also be announcing 2 amazing humans who will be working on growing the brand in their spare time and we plan on launching a mentorship group for Women in Tech. I’ve heard that mentoring isn’t an option for women either entering or in tech already and with our connections we feel this could be an amazing opportunity to support.A special mention and a huge thank you to some stand out people who have fully supported both myself and Women Rock in 2018, Ben Hutchings, Rachel Baker, Georgie Hopkinson, Greg Southey, Helenna Vaughan-Smith, Will Hardman, Jaycee Cheong, Emma Hopkinson-Spark, Richard James, Richard Welsh, Mark Elias, The whole team at DevOps group, Ash Phillips and Nic Alpi for all being such amazing supporters of the brand and for sharing the same passion for all things diversity. All I ask is for every women in the industry to use your influence because whether you believe it or not (and you should) you can promote positive experiences for the minorities in tech!The world is changing, you see examples all of the time. Only a few days ago I was sat on the sofa watching TV and SAS who dares win was on and it was the first series where woman were involved. I am personally praying that one of these badasses win! Look at the 544 women who were selected at BEM, MBE and OBE level. Look at the achievements of Dr Sue Black, of Amali de Alwis, of Debbie Forester, Katie Alcott, Chantelle Bell and Leanne Kemp!Shout about your story and live your best life as a Women in Tech!Roll on 2019 and lets all spread the message and empower and inspire every woman out there to even greater heights and achievements this year!#womenrock

I started working with Will and the team at Elucidata early last year and when they were a team of 2 in Bristol, fast forward 12 months, 2 office moves and an additional 22 people they absolutely smashed 2018 and I have loved every second working with this growing Bristol business.Will and the whole team have fully supported both myself and Women Rock, and from day 1 made it clear that they had a solid mission to have one of the most diverse teams in the city which we have build pretty successfully. I caught up with Will and we talked about how he has built the team and what’s next for Elucidata in 2019 and beyond.CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ELUCIDATA?We build high quality, bespoke software. We’re known for producing solutions that do clever things with data.YOU HAVE GROWN VERY QUICKLY AND BUILDING A DIVERSE TEAM WAS A HIGH PRIORITY FOR YOU. I’D SAY YOU’VE DONE REALLY WELL AT THIS, BUT FROM YOU HOW HAVE YOU BUILD SUCH A GREAT TEAM?Cultural fit is the most important thing we look for when hiring people. This doesn’t mean, however, building a team who all think alike; we have quite a diverse set of personalities, backgrounds and cognitive styles. The key traits we look for are:• People who are able to give and receive candid feedback from their colleagues, and are willing to act upon it;• The ability to work within a group, presenting and defending their ideas and scrutinising those of others. And most importantly, people who are willing to accept the group’s decision and own it;• The ability to work with ill defined or complex problems and work methodically to clarify them or break them down into small, easily understood pieces;• The willingness to take appropriate decisions and be accountable for them, and to be proactive in spotting and resolving problems of all sorts;Generally speaking these attributes are more important as universals than is the depth of programming experience –a range of coding skills and experience levels can be successfully incorporated within a team.HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN THE COMPANY AND IN THE BRISTOL OFFICE?25 in Bristol. 34 overall.NOT GIVING AWAY ALL YOUR TRICKS BUT WHAT CAN COMPANIES DO TO FOLLOW IN ELUCIDATA’S FOOTSTEPS?Stick at it! It’s all about having the resilience to keep generating opportunities for your business until some of them start to stick. Don’t get disheartened along the way.WHAT WOULD YOUR ADVICE BE TO WOMEN WHO ARE LOOKING TO GET INTO OR BACK INTO THE INDUSTRY?The same advice I’d give to anyone, really: figure out the totality of your skills: what makes you a good person to work with and a good problem solver. Bringing these skills to the forth is at least as important as the number of technical keywords you can list on your CV.WHAT’S BEEN THE BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE TEAM TO DATE?Not falling out with one another even during the toughest and most demanding of times!I ALWAYS SEE THE TEAM IN THE BAR/CAFÉ DOWNSTAIRS, YOU’RE QUITE A SOCIABLE BUNCH WOULD YOU SAY?I’d agree. And I think that’s a consequence of getting the “cultural fit” right during the hiring process. Building bonds socially also leads to better teamwork in the office.WHAT OPPORTUNITIES ARE THERE FOR PERSONAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT?This is a complex area and something we are working with HR specialists to achieve. Our vision is for a situation where goals and objectives and surfaced by each individual and the company finds a way to help manifest them, rather than the other way around.WHAT KEEPS YOU MOTIVATED?I think we have some fantastic opportunities as a company and I want us to make the most of them.WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTE?“When you have exhausted all the possibilities, remember this – you haven’t” – Thomas EdisonThank you so much Will. I defiantly have a soft spot for this business and can’t wait to see what you achieve this year and beyond! #womenrocka voice for women in tech @womenrockbristol

CODEBAR IS A NON-PROFIT INITIATIVE THAT FACILITATES THE GROWTH OF A DIVERSE TECH COMMUNITY BY RUNNING REGULAR PROGRAMMING WORKSHOPS.Our goal is to enable underrepresented people to learn programming in a safe and collaborative environment and expand their career opportunities. To achieve this we run free regular workshops, regular one-off events and try to create opportunities for our students making technology and coding more accessible.Codebar is hosted across 22 different cities across the world from London to Sydney, Manchester to Shanghai and from 2019 we kick off in Bristol!STUDENTS:Our students come from a variety of backgrounds. Some want to become full-time developers, where as some would like to learn the basics of coding in a supportive environment.We offer a welcoming, inclusive and learning-friendly environment, and have a zero tolerance policy towards any form of harassment or inappropriate behavior. Before you sign up, read our code of conduct .If you would like to attend as a student, make sure you meet our eligibility criteria as our workshops are only available to women, LGBTQ, people from underrepresented minority groups.Lastly, when you click the sign up button, you’ll be taken to something called GitHub. After logging in with a GitHub account, you’ll be taken back to the codebar website. If you don’t have an account yet, you’ll need to create one. It doesn’t take long and it’s something that will come in handy when you get started with coding!You can sign up to join our vibrant community and attend our workshops here COACHES:We couldn’t run without you. We encourage new students to work on HTML/CSS/JavaScript, Python or Git. We also help them understand programming concepts. We are always on the lookout for more developers to join our community and help coach at our workshops. You can sign up as a coach hereOur first event is happening on Tuesday 12th February from 6.30pm at Runway East Bristol and kindly sponsored by Immersive Labs. Our normal format is 30 minutes of socialising with food and drinks, followed by a quick overview of what we are going to get up to then coding.We are really pleased with the support so far. Although to enable us to expand Codebar Bristol we are looking for help and further support by local companies to sponsor future workshops in 2019. Please get in touch for more info Bristol@codebar.ioKeep an eye out for an overview on how our first workshop went next month.Thanks for being amazing Bristol.#womenrocka voice for women in tech @codebarbristol@womenrockbristol@bristoltechnol1 

Kicking off Women Rock 2019 with a fab interview from the amazingly talented Holly Nolan, Scrum Product Owner at Good Energy.We have been working with Good Energy only for a couple of months and I can’t speak highly enough of them, not only the exciting work they are doing within energy but also their projects around women in tech. I won’t tell you too much as the team are announcing some exciting news around this area soon, so keep an eye out.Thank you to the whole team at Good Energy for your continued support with Women Rock, looking forward to what you achieve this year and beyond!HOLLY, YOU ARE A BA AND PRODUCT OWNER AT GOOD ENERGY, WHAT DOES YOUR DAY TO DAY LOOK LIKE?I make sure we are working on the most beneficial developments to our Feed-in Tariff (FiT) product, a government scheme to support renewable generation. We work in an agile framework so some days I’m working on larger changes with a developer such as web automated applications, prioritising releases, writing user stories and testing functionality, and others I’m developing solutions myself, through SQL or outsourcing partnerships. The main theme everyday is making sure the product delivers the most business value.YOU HAVE BEEN WITH GOOD ENERGY FOR 7 YEARS, FROM MICROGENERATION SPECIALIST TO YOUR ROLE IN TECH TODAY – HOW HAVE YOU GOT THERE?I joined in 2012 and in that year the FiT scheme grew massively. I loved the role and the customers and did everything I could to help customers enjoy their application process. I worked hard to keep up with changes to the scheme and coaching of new staff which led me into position of team leader. I was constantly refining processes and reporting trying to improve the service for our customers and staff. Through coaching I got quite good at team leading, but decided there was more I could do to help improve the service we were offering, and more I could learn in a project role.After working on a larger system change in 2016 I was more aware of the roles available. So in 2017 I put myself on Prince2 project management course, and worked my way into a process change role in supply and soon after moved into IT as Product owner, in the last year I’ve been training in agile, scrum, and SQL Development. I take time to reflect on my future and say yes to as many opportunities as possible.WHEN WE SPOKE YOU MENTIONED YOU ARE WORKING CLOSELY WITH A FEMALE DEVELOPER. WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT WORKING WITH FEMALE DEVELOPERS?On one of my latest projects I was working with a lady new to the company, the relationship formed so quickly and easily, which meant we could celebrate our achievements together. More than anything it’s great to have a balanced view and working environment, working with both male and female colleagues.WHY DO YOU THINK THERE IS A LACK OF FEMALES IN TECHNOLOGY?I think that there’s a misunderstanding about what roles are available within IT and what skills are needed to perform them roles. I’ve found that the majority of the time it’s about team work, building relationships with stakeholders and analytical thinking, which are strong skills found in women. The technical knowledge can be learnt later and varies across departments and companies.WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ONE BIT OF ADVICE FOR WOMEN WHO WANT TO GET INTO TECHNOLOGY?Above everything find a role that you really enjoy, either in a company that you can really believe in or a subject you love, with enjoyment comes development and growth. Being able to laugh and enjoy work will surround you with people who want to help you succeed. Be confident in the fact you are a woman, and be prepared to work hard and gain the respect of those around you. Your passion will shine through.WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN YOUR CAREER?Moving from a team leader position to where I am now, I didn’t know where to begin but knew people I’d worked with who I wanted to be like. So I followed their lead, put myself through courses and started to learn the skills I needed to change roles, it’s rewarding trying something new.HAVE YOU EVER SUFFERED FROM THE IMPOSTURE SYNDROME?Yes, but it helps to realise it’s happening, find someone or a mix of people who help you to have confidence in your achievements, and regularly reflect on what you’ve accomplished. I don’t always celebrate my successes, I have a fear of looking arrogant, but I know I need to continue to work on that.I KNOW THAT GOOD ENERGY ARE WORKING ON A COUPLE OF THINGS TO SUPPORT WOMEN IN TECH, COULD YOU TELL ME A BIT ABOUT IT?Good Energy are actively employing women into our IT department, but we realise that the number of female applicants compared to male is low, so we are thinking ahead at how we can influence woman into tech in the future. We’re collaborating with local schools and changing the way IT is viewed within our orgnaisation.We’re giving employees across the company the opportunity to experience more technology, we believe making people more aware of the skills needed in IT and helping them to learn some of these, will over time increase number of female applicants, we’re starting this in January with ‘Code club’, looking at the basics of code and web page development.We’re hoping that women pioneering these events will open them up to greater audience.WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTE?Less of a quote but a belief that positive actions and attitudes help to put you a positive mood, helping you to achieve greater things. It’s as simple as smiling, a smile when you feel stressed or under pressure can boost your positive outlook.WHO’S YOUR SQUAD?My partner, she’s the coolest person I know, she’s amazingly resilient working as a criminal investigator, and she’s fuelled my drive at work.My younger sister, my complete role model, she has a fantastic confidence at work in transport planning, and has an amazing aura when it comes to meeting new people.My Friend, she makes me realise how much we take for granted, living her life in the most environmentally low impact way possible, I would always trust her judgement and know she’d always be there. Thank you Holly.

I first spoke to Corinne when we launched Bristol Technology Volunteers and quickly, we decided to partner with Bristol Free School after hearing about the brilliant things which Corinne is doing and trying to achieve. Now, Corinne isn’t very good at celebrating her achievements so I wanted to do it for her because she’s a bloody amazing person who heads up Computer Science and Design Technology at BFS and is having quite an impact on the young ladies to give technology a go! She is going to keep pushing relentlessly for Computer Science to be at the forefront of everything for the students and to ensure the future generations think and develop with ethical, environmental and cultural issues as a priority.COULD YOU TELL ME ABOUT YOUR ROLE AT BRISTOL FREE SCHOOL?I am Head of Computer Science and Design Technology at Bristol Free School and have been working here since 2016. Prior to this, I was Head of Computer Science, Business and ICT for 10 years at another school.YOU ARE A SELF-TAUGHT PROGRAMMER, HOW DID YOU TEACH YOURSELF TO CODE?Not really sure – it just kind of happened! Actually, thinking back it started when I was at university and I was offered a temp job at Boots HQ in their photographic department and I was asked if I could used Excel and I said yes. I was tasked with designing a basic system to keep track of vouchers used by customers. It was not by any stretch of the imagination an amazing system but it far surpassed my managers expectations and worked effectively and I resulted in my being offered a permanent role during my final year of university. At the same time, I helped my housemate complete his Computing project in FrontPage – you may not think this unusual given where I am now, but I studied Modern Foreign Languages and European Studies at university!With regards to programming ability now, I would never profess to be an expert but I like to be ahead of the game as much as I can in terms of what we can offer the students and enjoy the challenge of keeping my skills up to standard to support the students to the best of my ability. In my previous role I knew that I needed to change the curriculum offer to ensure Government changes to qualifications didn’t impact us negatively, as teachers or as students. We were teaching ICT at this stage rather than CS, so I taught myself how to use Adobe software such as Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Fireworks, Flash and InDesign proficiently to meet the needs of the qualifications we offered as well as Scratch. We then introduced to Computer Science as well as ICT which meant we had to introduce a wider range of skills at KS3 to prepare students for the new course including a software development units using HTML and Python to the level that was needed to deliver the current curriculum. I found I had the time to learn additional skills and basics in different languages before having my daughter but it is a bit trickier when you become a parent. I moved schools to be closer to home when she was 1 year old but it is harder to find (justify!) the time when you become a parent. I have been lucky enough to be able to redesign the curriculum at Bristol Free School including introducing A Level and discrete lessons in Year 7 and 8 but, like I said I like to be ahead of the game giving the students the opportunity build their skills in programming and theory from Year 7 has meant by the time students reach KS4 now, they are fairly proficient programmers and have a hunger to develop and learn more – I find myself delivering KS4 skills to KS3 students and KS5 skills to KS4 students and are large number are using these skills with ease.SINCE YOU HAVE BEEN HEAD OF CS, YOU HAVE RAISED THE PROFILE FOR YOUNG WOMEN TO GET INVOLVED IN COMPUTER SCIENCE, HOW HAVE YOU DONE THIS?Most important thing I did was dispel the myth of what computer science is and the stereotype of computer scientists! Making it clear that it is not just taking computer apart and making games and ‘for boys’ and the new specification at GCSE and A Level helps dispel this myth. The skills developed by learning computer science will ultimately make students better learners in all subjects – analytical skills, problem solving, resilience, thinking ahead, being reflective, understanding ethical responsibilities and of course creativity. Ensuring all students understand this is important so they get the most out of taking Computer Science but demonstrating and creating enthusiasm and excitement amongst girls at BFS is essential – sometimes it is the simple fact that young women that need to believe they can succeed in and benefit from studying Computer Science! And they can see the success that the girls before them have had here which is a bonus. We have also just appointed another female computer science teacher who is a not just a specialist but also a published specialist and we’re very excited about her joining the team. Finally, being female myself obviously helps raise the profile!WHAT DOES BRISTOL FREE SCHOOL DO TO PROMOTE COMPUTER SCIENCE TO THE GIRLS?I ensure that the curriculum is accessible to all students so avoid any emphasis on one gender or the other. This means all the real life examples we use in lessons must be just that, real life so we use examples from traffic management (eg traffic lights, air traffic control), travel (eg sat navs, driverless cars), health (eg self diagnosis, advances in medicine), education (eg cloud based resources, e-learning) and general lifestyle (eg online shopping, cyber security, gaming, home appliances in particular fridges!) plus the fact that their generation will be responsible for the future development in these areas which excites them! We have worked with Zan Nadeem, founder of Zobotics, to run Girls Only Arduino workshops which have been successful. We also run the Cyber Discovery competition to promote careers in Cyber Security and Bebras Computational Thinking competitions showcasing the success our girls have had in these national and international competitions.WHERE DOES YOUR PASSION FOR TECHNOLOGY COME FROM?when I was younger (primary school age) my parents bought an Amstrad CPC6128 and I used to enjoy going to the shops, buying my gaming magazine and programming the game then playing it as well as other bits of programming. I kind of lost interest during secondary school and didn’t have any opportunities in school to learn ICT or programming and didn’t give it a second thought other than using the computer we now had (I remember we had an Acorn!) When choosing my A Levels I thought about doing ICT but the school I went to didn’t offer it so went with languages. In my final year at uni, I had an old PC of my parents (think it was the one up from the Acorn at this point!) and even though this was 2002-3, no-one else I knew had a PC in their student house and I was the only student on my course who gave presentations using actual presentation software rather than acetates and an overhead projector!! During my PGCE I used technology a lot to produce resources and ran workshops to fellow trainees in a number of subjects about how to enhance teaching and learning. I took my portfolio along to the interview for my first teaching post and agreed to teach ICT as well as French and from then on I was more passionate about teaching ICT then languages. And this was at a time when we didn’t even have projectors in the classroom – myself and a fellow NQT shared the cost of a portable projector to use in the classroom so we weren’t limited to just using textbooks! After my first year there, I relocated back to Bristol and was appointed as teacher of ICT and became Head of Department a year after.YOU HAVE SAID YOU WANT BRISTOL FREE SCHOOL TO BE THE ‘BEST’ FOR COMPUTER SCIENCE, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO DO THIS? (AMAZING GOAL BTW)I am going to keep pushing relentlessly for Computer Science to be at the forefront of everything! Offering an exciting and varied curriculum in which students are engaged and eager to find out more. Other than that, ensure results from GCSE and A Level increase year on year and students make exceptional progress as that is what we are measured on! I am active on Twitter @BFS_CS and in our school newsletter as much as possible to promote the Faculty as well as the school.COULD YOU TELL ME A BIT ABOUT ONE OF YOUR STUDENTS CURRENT PROJECTS?Its hard to choose just one to talk about as I am very excited about all the projects that the students are developing or planning! One that comes to mind is a Year 12 girl who is described going an product to promote earthquake safety in Nepal. She is visiting Nepal with the school in the summer and will conduct market research and my Dad, who is Trustee of The Pahar Trust Nepal, has put her in touch with a contact in Nepal who trains locals in earthquake resilience as well as expertise from Bristol University. I always encourage students to focus their projects on designing that will support others or educate people about an issue as I think it is important that students understand how to be socially responsible when developing software and we have a responsibility as educators to ensure the future generations think and develop with ethical, environmental and cultural issues as a priority.YOU ARE LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEER SUPPORT AT THE MOMENT FOR YOUR STUDENTS, COULD YOU TELL ME WHAT HELP YOU ARE LOOKING FOR?We’re mainly looking for industry experts to guide and mentor students with the programming side of their project for example being available via email or video call to answer questions on how to approach part of their solution or improve their efficiency. Also looking for people to act as clients as the students have to develop a solution for a real problem with a client – this is an area that students struggle with!WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOUNG WOMEN WHO WOULD LIKE TO GET INTO TECHNOLOGY?Go for it! Have confidence in your ability – if you enjoy it and are succeeding it is because you have an aptitude for the subject! I wish I was at school now with the qualifications and opportunities that are actively encouraged. I do feel I could have been better advised regarding my options – I didn’t even know about computer science! Get involved in programming clubs and competitions at school as well as online forums and networks. There are so many options out there that you’ll be spoiled for choice!WHAT HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE GETTING WHERE YOU ARE TODAY?Confidence in myself and my own abilities! I know I am doing a great job, delivering fantastic lessons and have engaged students who making excellent progress – in fact love my job more and more every day and it is not often you hear that from a teacher! I am very fortunate; I have an incredibly supportive Senior Team and Trust who believe in me and support the decisions I make and I work with fantastic colleagues, amazing students and receive wonderful feedback from students and parents every week. There are a huge number of challenges facing education now, the main one being rapidly falling budgets which make it incredibly hard for schools when faced with rapidly rising costs and expectations on schools but I would not want to be doing anything else.AND YOUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT?All of the above. Making a positive change to young people’s lives!Thank you so much Corinne. You can drop me a message Alicia.teagle@sr2rec.co.uk if you’d like to hear about volunteering opportunities at Bristol Free School and follow Bristol Tech Volunteers on Twitter @Bristoltechnol1#womenrock

We recently met Claire after a referral from the amazing Eriol Fox. Claire moved over to the UK and was looking for a role in Tech. After successfully finding her a job with a Fin-Tech in Bath I was really keen to discuss her career and wanted to find out about women in Tech in Thailand, where she says there isn’t really a gap, it’s an even 50/50 split. We also talked about what’s next for Fintech and her love for Marie Curie as learning about her taught her at a young age that women can do science!WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO PURSUE A CAREER IN TECH?I have always been interested in technology since I was young. I still remember when I first used a computer , it was very fascinating for a 12 year-old girl. Since that day, technology has become more and more involved in my life. Games and internet have got my full attention, and I believe that much more fascinating things will be invented around computing technology. I personally think that technology is very a powerful tool and it can make the world a different place. This is the reason why I presumed my career in technology so I can help make the world a different place, a better place.WHAT IS YOUR ROLE AS BUSINESS ANALYST?My role as Business Analyst is a bridge between the development team and business management. My main responsibilities are gathering requirements from business side, analysing requirements and creating software specifications for the development team. I also create and maintain documentation of requirements and business rules for change control.HOW DID YOU FIND A ROLE IN THE UK?A friend of mine recommended Alicia Teagle of SR2, so I contacted Alicia to discuss about a role I was looking for. After the discussion, Chris found me a Business Analyst role in a FinTech start-up which was exactly what I was looking for. The job matches my experiences and expertise and they were the reason why I have been hired. It was less than two weeks for the process. I would like to thank SR2 for their excellent work,ARE THERE MANY WOMEN WORKING IN TECHNOLOGY ROLES IN THAILAND?It is around 50-60% of women in technology in Thailand. I would say that the ratio of men and women working in technology is very similar. There are a few certain types of job such as System Administrator that prefer men over women because the work hours sometimes are late at night.WHY DID YOU MOVE AWAY FROM SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT INTO A BUSINESS ANALYST ROLE?When I was a Developer I didn’t have a Business Analyst or a system analyst in my team so I had to communicate with business side to clarify the requirements. As a Developer, my focus was on writing code so whenever I had to communicate to confirm requirements, it slowed my work down. Also after almost 2 years of working as a developer I discovered that I’m actually interested in analysing requirements.HAVE YOU ATTENDED ANY FEMALE FOCUSED MEET-UPS SINCE YOU HAVE RELOCATED TO BRISTOL?I haven’t been to any female focused meet-ups but I plan to in the near future.WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO WOMEN LOOKING TO BREAK INTO THE FIELD OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY?My advice would be be confident and believe in your potential. I truly believe that in computer technology industry, skills, expertise and experience are the most important things.WHAT’S NEXT? WHAT ARE YOU WATCHING?I’m interested in Project Management and I’m trying to learn about project management from my responsibilities as a Business Analyst.WHAT’S NEXT FOR FINTECH?There will be more responsible, ethically-driven and improved accessibility to financial markets.SQUAD GOALS!Marie Curie – learning about her taught me at a young age that women can do science.Princess Ariel – she knows exactly what she wants and she goes for it.My old boss – she is my mentor and my role model as a woman in tech.Thank you for your time Claire, looking forward to seeing you soon#WOMENROCK

The winner of ‘Future Spark’ at the sparkies earlier this year, a good friend of SR2’s, Co-Founder of Tumelo, and the organiser of Golang Bristol, she is defiantly one to watch! I spoke with Georgia about the future of sustainable investing, female mentors, wine, netball and mama mia.WHAT IS TUMELO?Tumelo (formerly ‘Hedge’) helps everyone to shape the future through engaged investing. Our app is designed so that our members can facilitate positive change by investing in portfolios that reflect their personal values; taking control of their finances and engaging with corporations to create a better future. People, like me, want to save more, invest more, learn more and engage more – we’re building an app to make that happen.YOU GRADUATED FROM CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY WITH A FIRST DEGREE IN NATURAL SCIENCE, NOW YOU HAVE FOUNDED A TECH COMPANY, WHERE DID THE IDEA COME FROM?Well my course was called “Natural Sciences”, but really, I just wanted to be a conservationist, so alongside Maths and Geology I took all the fluffy, biology subjects like climate change, ecology and conservation. Once I’d recovered from Freshers’ Week, I was looking to get involved in societies and stumbled upon Positive Investment Cambridge which was a small group of people working to ensure that the university engaged in the ethical and transparent investment of its £5bn endowment. So, I joined them, and every Monday, for 2 hours, for three years, we talked about sustainable investment; designed campaigns to involve students, and tried to cooperate with the council. Once I left I knew that was the way I could help to make a difference. For me ‘tech’ was just the best way to scale up our efforts.TUMELO IS DESIGNED TO ENGAGE THE NEXT GENERATION WITH SAVING AND INVESTMENT. THINKING ABOUT THE NEXT GENERATION OF FOUNDERS, HOW CAN WE ENCOURAGE WOMEN TO LAUNCH THEIR OWN TECH START-UP?At the risk of stereotyping, women seem to be more risk-averse and more conscientious than men. I see it with the three of us (my two co-founders are both guys and I’m definitely ‘the worrier’ among us) but I also see it in all of my UX testing: Women are less likely than men to invest, and when they do they are more cautious. I don’t think that’s just a matter of who controls the finances, because the ‘next generation’ of women are financially independent. It might be conditioning, or it might just be in our genes (que the nature/nurture debate…). Starting a tech start up is a high-risk activity, so I can totally see why the trend is as it stands.I didn’t have a female mentor when I first started, but I’ve found them along the way. Rosie Bennett at Bath’s SetSquared has been a great mentor, and I think the more women that women founders/would-be founders can surround themselves with, the better.I also think teaching both women and men that seeing and approaching things differently is so often a benefit. Start-ups are nearly always about people, and almost every problem you come across will be about communication. Generally speaking, we (women) are really good at that.HOW DID YOU GET INVESTMENT FOR TUMELO?We sought angel investment from people in the financial sector. Our lead investor is the out-going Head of Compliance at Goldman Sachs, for example. I pitched at Pitch at the Palace, a three-round pitching competition with the final at St James’ in London. The first round at Cheltenham Racecourse was my first ever pitch in front of other people – it was a good place to start!HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT RECRUITING FOR THE TEAM?We didn’t think about recruitment for the first 4 months, then suddenly, once we realised we were going to raise successfully, it was the only thing I could think about – all day, all night. And it was so stressful! The first thing I did was get a recommendation for a good recruiter in Bristol… and so that’s how I met Alicia. I went in to meet the team and she basically coached me on talent finding – it was amazing. I told her what I thought we needed, then I changed the brief, then I changed it again, then I changed it again. I must have been the worst client ever. Eventually we actually found the person we were looking for – Pilar – independently through a meetup group. Everyone looking to recruit should go to meetup groups… and try not to talk about yourself, even if people ask you, because it’s them you want to learn about.Henry, our class Junior Engineer and first ever hire actually worked with us for free for three months before we could afford to hire him. That’s the type of person you really want on your team. Since then everyone has been through word of mouth or an internship. Georgie was the best intern in the world, so we’ve trapped in an employment contract hoping she’ll never leave us… and when Wyc said he wanted to work for us Ben, Will and I were all gobsmacked because he was totally out of our league. When great people back you with their time, that’s when you finally start backing yourself.WHAT KEEPS YOU MOTIVATED?We have a purpose at Tumelo which is to facilitate a better future for everyone by influencing positive change in big corporations. That sounds complicated, but basically, we all come to work knowing that we’re trying to do something that could genuinely change people’s lives: financially and for the bigger picture. Plus, my family have backed me since the day I first said “I want to be a vet” when I was about 4. My path has changed a lot, but I still really want to make them proud.WHAT EXCITING THINGS ARE YOU WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT?Georgie and I are currently working on the user experience (UX) and design (UI) of the app and web tools. It’s very fun and really tiring, but we’ve met lots of people in the community through our interviews which has been great. People have been really supportive; RSM even let us host an interview morning in their Victoria Street Offices. The rest of the team is busy building the back and front end of the app and Will, having submitted our FCA application for financial advisory permissions, is now erecting the company whiteboard!HAVE YOU EVER SUFFERED FROM THE IMPOSTER SYNDROME?ALL THE TIME. I felt it the whole way through Cambridge as a woman in science, the boys always seemed to talk louder, think faster (and bullshit better). But it’s not just about being a woman: All three of us are really young founders, in a really old, traditional industry. Feeling like an imposter is the whole point, because if we didn’t we wouldn’t be able to build the right product for the people who need it – the rest of the world. Finance is exclusionary, so we need to fight our own way in and then fight for everyone else to feel welcome too.FROM MEETING AND WORKING WITH YOU FOR A LITTLE WHILE I THINK I COULD ANSWER THIS ONE FOR YOU – I’M SURE YOU HAVE BEEN IN A ROOM FULL OF MEN, WHETHER THAT BE AT A ‘MEET-UP’, NETWORKING INVESTMENT OR BUSINESS MEETINGS, HOW DO YOU HANDLE THAT?Drink wine? Across four banking internships, I’ve spent a lot of time in rooms full of men. There’s no casual changing room chat; people aren’t used to talking about their siblings, kids or families at work; they haven’t seen Mama Mia; and they tend not to play lacrosse or netball. There’s definitely less to talk about at first glance. Then one day I went to a networking event for female investors in London and, trust me, it was equally terrifying in different ways. Moral of the story is that any kind of networking is uncomfortable, scary and tiring and you need to work hard to be good at it.WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTE?“You only live once but, if you get it right, once is enough”. – Mae WestSQUAD GOALS!You need a squad you can float around in the ocean with for 6 weeks without going bonkers. So, I would have to choose my core 2017 transatlantic sailing team:Dad – because he’s energetic and, amazingly, doesn’t annoy me over long periods of time (sorry mum).Erica – because she maintains balance and, amazingly, doesn’t get annoyed by me over long periods of time.David – just because: Campari, tapestry, eyebrows.Thanks Georgia#womenrock

I caught up with Fiona last week after hearing She Can. She Did is coming to Bristol. Ladies and gents if you want to read stories about fabulous, inspirational, driven women then check it out, oh and the rest of the stories on here too! 🙂 Fiona is bringing The Midweek Mingle to Bristol in a few weeks, get your ticket and come along to Runway East for a evening of empowerment, no bullshit, honest, real talk! Tickets hereCAN YOU TELL ME A BIT ABOUT SHE CAN, SHE DID?I can indeed! She can. She did. is a platform that I launched last summer aged 25, that through a series of face-to-face interviews with female founders and a down to earth event series, (She can. She did. The Midweek Mingle!) puts the spotlight on women in their teens, twenties and thirties who have dared to go solo and launch their own businesses in the UK.I was really determined when I launched She can. She did. to provide women with an honest representation of what launching and running a business looks like in reality (ie. we don’t just gloss over the setbacks and make it all look easy) and I also wanted to focus on female founders from all over the UK as opposed to just honing in on London. Because of that, I’ve spent the past year driving around the UK in my rusty old corsa meeting as many female founders as I can and after three sold-out events in London, I’ve just been sponsored by Xero to take The Midweek Mingles on tour to Bristol, Brighton and Manchester in the coming weeks!WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST STRUGGLE?Money (or a lack of!) I walked away from a chunky pay cheque each month to launch She can. She did. which meant taking a big hit financially and that’s meant having to adapt my personal life in a big way since becoming self-employed and my mindset towards money along the way too. I also really struggled with the lack of routine in the early days – my old job meant that from the moment my alarm went off at 5.30am, every part of my day was planned and losing that structure hit me hard in the first few weeks. I quickly learnt to adapt though and found constants amongst the chaos ie. yes you don’t have set hours anymore but you learn to create your own. If you work extra late one night, it’s easier to forgive yourself if you finish a little earlier the next day etc… and then I suppose, getting used to the fact that it’s not and never will be plain sailing. Not everyone is going to ‘get it’ and to begin with I really struggled with that but now, if I hear a “no” from one person, I know that I still have a good chance of hearing “yes” from someone else!WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST SUCCESS?Hmmm it’s such a hard one to answer! I think the launch of The Midweek Mingles in London in April will stay with me forever because I was so overwhelmed with how much support I received from not just the guests when it sold out as quickly as it did but the brands that partnered with the event, the speakers and the feedback from the guests afterwards too. All of the London events so far have been a huge highlight for me though because it gives me the opportunity to meet so many amazing women and just have a big chit chat face to face as opposed to via Instagram/emails. I love Instagram but we all know a good face to face chat is better!And then I suppose more recently, I’m also working on an idea behind the scenes for She can. She did. that requires me to raise investment and in the past month I had an offer to invest in that idea which was amazing. The journey I went on with those investors was such a crazy experience and I learnt so much in such a short space of time about the investment process. Ultimately it fell through because we couldn’t agree on the percentage share (so perhaps not quite the success I’d hoped for..!) but just knowing that there’s people out there that get the idea and were willing to invest their money in it meant a huge amount and has made me more determined than ever before to see it materialise.HOW DO YOU MOTIVATE YOURSELF?If I’m being honest, that’s the bit I’ve found the easiest. I’ve always dreamed big and set myself goals since I was little and even if I’ve had days where I’ve wobbled along the way and questioned why I’ve set myself those goals (!) I always buckle up and get on with it when it matters – be it sporting challenges, my education, my career etc… The difference I suppose with She can. She did. and motivating yourself to run a business in general though is that the goal posts are constantly changing so it’s less of a buckle down in the short-term and it will pay off kind of thing but more a long-term game of get up, do your best, chip away at it and see it build gradually. For me, knowing that if I don’t put the work in, nothing will happen is motivation in itself. Looking back and acknowledging the little wins along the way that have gradually built up over time keeps me on track. And then lastly, surrounding myself with other business owners and people that ‘get it’ always helps because it makes me feel less alone in the whole thing, realise that I’m not the only one to have setbacks along the way and I’ve always been the kind of person to look at someone I admire and think, ‘if they can do it, there’s no reason why I can’t too.’The women you interview must really inspire you, what has been your best advice?Hugely and for me they are ultimately why I pick myself up after every setback I’ve faced with She can. She did. because they’ve all pushed through so many challenges to get to where they are today. If I’m being honest, each interview is packed full of so much advice but the overarching one from all of them is that every single business owner faces challenges along the way where they have seriously considered whether it’s worth it/ whether they should walk away now/ whether it’s going to pay off in the long run etc… but not once have they decided to walk away. Olivia Wollenberg, Founder of Livia’s Kitchen likened running a business to “fighting fires every day”… the first fire is always the scariest but you get better equipped at putting out the flames as you go.YOU MUST WORK YOUR BUTT OFF, HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT ORGANISING YOURSELF?Haha something like that! At the beginning I was working silly hours 7 days a week but I quickly realised it wasn’t sustainable and it was giving me no room to focus on long term plans. Now I’m really strict about having Sundays off to relax so Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are spent working on my events and my long-term plans for She can. She did. and then Friday and Saturday are spent working on my weekly interviews or – if I have an update from my own story launching She can. She did. to share – a post from me. If I’m being honest though, the past few months have been a giant emotional rollercoaster with the highs of the launch of The Midweek Mingle roadshow which I’m so excited about but then giant lows when the investment fell through on the project I’m working on behind the scenes, so I’m actually gearing up for my first holiday tomorrow which means a whole week off to just recharge. My partner booked it as a ‘you need to just stop and relax’ break so we have a week off before The Midweek Mingle roadshow begins and I can’t wait!HAVE YOU EVER SUFFERED FROM THE IMPOSTURE SYNDROME?It’s a funny one. In some ways, yes. In the weeks leading up to my first event, I had a big panic about whether I’d be able to host an event for female founders and aspiring founders when I hadn’t ‘made it’ yet but then the whole reason I launched She can. She did. was to provide women with an honest portrayal of what launching and running a business looks and feels like in reality and given that I’m in the midst of that myself, I ended up having a big pep talk with myself and just got on with it! I’ve learnt so much from this experience and all the women I’ve interviewed that I just have to keep reminding myself of that!WHAT’S NEXT?Well when I get back from my holiday, I have a week before The Midweek Mingle roadshow kicks off in Bristol on 24th October which I’m so excited about (if a tad nervous!) and then I’m heading to Brighton and Manchester in the weeks that follow! Then it’s The Midweek Jingle in London in December which will fingers crossed, provide self-employed women with the festive party that you miss out on when you work for yourself! And of course chipping away at trying to find a way to raise investment for my other idea in the background and hopefully getting that off the ground in 2019! That’s the plan anyway…!WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTE?Oh my gosh I have so many! I’m always drawn to ‘No one is you. That is your power.’ and ‘try to live every day like Elle Woods after Warner told her that she wasn’t smart enough for law school’ for obvious reasons but anything by Veronica Dearly tends to do the trick on a day to day basis. I swear that woman reads my mind!WHO’S YOUR SQUAD?Please can I have 4?! My Mum, Dad, big sister Carrie and boyfriend! I feel so lucky because we’re such a close-knit family, they’ve all got their own businesses too so they just get it and they’re the first people I turn to when I need a pep talk to pick me up!If you want celebrities though, I’d say Reece Witherspoon (because I have it in my head that she is basically a real life Elle Woods!), Michelle Obama (because she had a way of making herself relatable to every audience she spoke in front of which I admire and let’s face it, was the epitome of class and grace) and David Attenborough (because business aside, I bloody love animals and he would 100% have so many incredible stories to share!)Thanks Fi, see you in a couple of weeks.