#GivetoGain: 10 women who changed my world

It’s International Women’s Day. Marketers all over will be scrabbling around for a worthy piece of content. When I think about awareness days, I always want to know about the theme. It’s a good starting point when I post on behalf of clients. What’s the day about? What does the charity or organisation want to achieve?

Obviously, I’m a woman, so this day is all about me, right? 

Not exactly. IWD has always been about championing women and fighting for an equitable world free from bias, stereotypes and discrimination. It’s not just about celebrating how brilliant we are (although this is true). It’s about making change happen, and this year the theme is more than just a badge.  

#GivetoGain is the beginning of a movement. IWD want to make this day one of the biggest giving days of the year. A day when we can carve out time for other women who deserve to take up more space in this world.

How can you get involved with International Women’s Day?

Whether you give through donations, knowledge, resources, advocacy, training, education or visibility, it all counts. For my part, I’ve set up a Substack called Write to Health, where I’ll be providing a platform to discuss women’s health inequalities.

It’s something I’ve always been passionate about. So, in my spare time, I’ll be picking topics that need to be tabled and inviting other women to share their stories.

It’s just a concept so far. I’ve been too busy to put the meat on the bones (spare time, when?). But I’m looking forward to kicking it off in the coming weeks. Now, to the real point of this post...

Pictured: Me, Kate Booth, Natalie Whiten, Zoe Buckley, and Kirsty Bowyer, from our days before and after working at thisisthefoundry.com

The women who gave so I could gain

I want to say a massive thank you to the women who gave their time, energy and support so that I could gain the skills, knowledge and confidence to run my own business for the last 20 years.

1. Grace Mills gave me a platform to be a girl in an otherwise all-male creative team when I joined BDH/TBWA in 1999. It was a classic case of 'I want to be like her'. A gently brilliant role model and formidable creative.

2. Helen Reeks and Sarah Parker gave me my first ever freelance job at Access Advertising, and later more work at Neville Johnson. I remember making Helen sign a contract I'd hastily drawn up. She must have thought I was ridiculous, but she never made me feel so. Both inimitable.

3. Louise Cotterill gave me an incredible opportunity to write the first website for Kellogg’s My Special K, and later, more work and laughs at Momentum WW. Don’t think I ever laughed so much as when working with Lou.

4.   Mia Horton gave me lifelong friendship and a caring ear during some of my toughest times. We still work together, and I have enormous respect for her creativity and drive.  

5. Zoe Buckley gave me my freelance confidence and developed my love of writing for healthcare. She trusted me with so many incredible projects. We were quite the team. I will miss her forever. 

6.  Kate Booth gave me the chance to have a work bestie, despite being freelance, and now an incredible working partnership and friendship. We are Kicks (Kate and Vicks), collaborating on creative projects together. I love it and her.

7. Ruth Nelson gave me a platform for puns and filled my work with endless fun both at Access and later at Puddle Ducks.

8. Caroline Green gave me confidence as a writer when she continued to hire me at Trio Ostomy Care long after our original contract was over.

9.  Sophie McCumesky gave me the dream job every writer wants and my favourite ever branding project. So proud to see her company, Practically Family, fly. 

10.  Julie Nielsen gave me a deeper respect for research and strategy. An incredibly inspirational person (and friend) who pushes the best out of me creatively. 

Thanks to these incredible women and all my other wonderful female friends, family, colleagues and contacts who lift me and other women up every single day. Happy International Women’s Day.