In the spirit of International Women’s Day, I’d like to share 3 amazing women that have inspired me and shaped my life in some way.
The first woman is my Mum. At 19 years old she left Italy and came to England for a better life. It was 1955 and she got herself a job as a live in Nanny. She couldn’t speak English when she arrived and despite loving the children she looked after she left after a year because the family would only speak with her in Italian. She was determined to make a life here and speaking English was a crucial element.
It was hard being an immigrant in the 50’s and 60’s and she experienced some awful behaviours towards her. She also experienced many wonderful people that helped her along the way.
She is one of the most courageous people I know with the heart of a lion. She has taught me to be brave and to always go for what you want. There are so many quotes she shares (many funny and some unrepeatable) but I’ve chosen…
Keep moving or you’ll stop
Love you Mum…you are such an inspiration!
The second woman is Brene Brown. When I first watched her TED Talk The Power of Vulnerability I cried. Even though I have never met her she has taught me that it’s OK to say I’m not OK.
I love her take on vulnerability and kindness which has added to the quality of the work I do with Sales Leaders and Sales Teams.
I’ve read so many of her books and love them all but my favourite is Dare to Lead.
It was so difficult to pick my favourite quote but I’m going with…
Integrity is choosing courage over comfort; choosing what is right over what is fun, fast or easy; choosing to practice our values rather than simply professing them.
Thank you Brene for helping me open up to my vulnerability which exploded my creativity and has had such a positive impact on what I have achieved in my work.
My third woman is Susan Gee. She was my Sales Manager when I was just starting out in sales. She became my General Manager when I was promoted to Sales Manager and taught me so much about life, sales and leadership.
She had an incredible ability to listen to my issues with such empathy and grace…and always guided and empowered me to grow.
We worked together for 9 years and I still hold many of the leadership values she taught me.
Thank you so much Susan for your grounded reality (which still makes me smile) and giving me the self-belief to keep going when things were tough.
The quote I love most from Susan and still share today when working with sales teams is…
When your employer does something you don’t like, you have two choices, find a strategy to deal with it – or leave!
I must say this gem of tough love grounded reality was delivered with much care and kindness.
Happy International Women’s Day…a time to celebrate the feminine traits that make a positive difference in the world!
Until next time,
