Image credit: Audenza / @audenzahome

Gina Martin

Gina was enjoying a London Music festival with her sister when a man took a photo underneath her skirt. Even though the photo was taken without her permission, police were unable to prosecute the offender. Gina knew something had to change.

This event sparked a 20-month social media campaign to raise awareness of the issue. She lobbied the government and gained over 111,000 supporters for her petition. It was a hard-fought battle against parliament but in 2019, upskirting was made illegal in England and Wales. It is now a sexual offence, with police being able to arrest people on suspicion of upskirting and convicted offenders facing prison time of up to two years.

Image credit: @ginamartin

In addition to this successful petition, Gina has led a BBC documentary ‘The Truth about Upskirting’, released a book ‘Be The Change: A Toolkit for the Activist in You’ and creates artwork through her shop ‘Gina’s Ink Girl’, which raises money for marginalised communities.

Candice Brathwaite

Current statistics reveal that in the UK, black women are at a significantly higher risk of dying in pregnancy or childbirth than white women. This is happening right here in the UK, yet it is something not widely enough discussed. However, it is a statistic that Candice Brathwaite knows the reality of after almost losing her life to postpartum sepsis.

Thankfully, Candice recovered and now works tirelessly to help change this appalling statistic. She is an author, journalist, TV presenter and founder of Make Motherhood Diverse. This campaign seeks to provide a better representation of motherhood across the media, one that is more inclusive and reflective of society.

Image credit: @candicebrathwaite

Her Sunday Times bestselling book, ‘I Am Not Your Baby Mother’, demonstrates her fight for Black British mother’s voices to be heard. Her second book, ‘Sista Sister’ is due to be published in July 2021.

Sasha Pallari

Sasha is a professional make-up artist who is concerned that unrealistic beauty standards set by the media are harming individual’s mental health. Therefore, Sasha created the #FILTERDROP campaign.

Her push for change is already making a huge impact. As a result of Sasha’s campaign, ASA has now ruled that brands and influencers cannot use misleading filters when advertising beauty products.

Image credit: @sashalouisepallari

In addition, since the video went live, #FILTERDROP has been viewed by over 50k people. Globally, people are sharing selfies using the hashtag that celebrate skin with pores, wrinkles, pigmentation scars and texture. We are lucky enough to consider Sasha as a family friend, so it has been amazing for us to see her push for change and achieve incredible progress.

Amika George

Amika George discovered that many girls couldn’t afford menstrual products, instead using newspaper, toilet roll and socks. Outraged by this, Amika sought change. Her #FreePeriods campaign presented the legal case that under the Equality Act, the government had a legal obligation to provide period products. She has protested outside Downing Street along with over 2,000 young people and her petition now has 180,000 signatures.

Image credit:@amikageorge

She faced opposition from the government and also had the added pressure of combining a huge political campaign with studying for her GCSEs and A-Levels. It was no mean feat but finally, the government listened. They have now put £1.5 million towards addressing period poverty and free menstrual products are available in all secondary schools and colleges across England. She has published a book about her experience as an activist called ‘Make It Happen.’

Nyome Nicholas-Williams and Alexandra Cameron

Last year, Nyome Nicholas-Williams was photographed by Alexandra Cameron and the final shots aimed to celebrate black, plus-sized women. However, the Instagram algorithm removed the photo on the grounds of breaking nudity rules, yet similar styled photos of thin, white women remained. Nyome and Alexandra launched a campaign to highlight this bias and change the algorithm. The response was huge, with supporters resharing the originally removed image alongside the hashtag, #IWantToSeeNyome.

Image credit: Alexandra Cameron / featuring @curvynyome

Following their campaign, Instagram and Facebook have updated their nudity policy to ensure all body types are fairly treated. Alexandra continues to work as a photographer, who celebrates the individual. Nyome has amassed an 80k following and encourages self-love amongst all individuals, with a particular focus on black, plus-size women.

Kate Isaacs & Elena Michael

Kate Isaacs’ friend had her iCloud account hacked and video of her having sex was stolen and uploaded to Pornhub without her consent. Despite the fact that her friend was underage and didn’t consent to the upload, it still took several weeks for the video to be removed.

Image credit: @katefisaacs

This experience led to Kate teaming up with Elena Michael and founding #NotYourPorn. The campaign calls for the porn industry to become accountable for the distribution and commercialisation of non-consensual ‘pornography’. The UK government need to put in place new, stricter laws surrounding the process of uploading explicit videos to these websites. It would mean that explicit consent, including age verification, must be sought from the individual prior to the videos been released online. In doing so, this will help to protect people from having intimate videos uploaded online without their permission.

And that concludes our round up of inspirational women! The persistence and resilience that each of these women displayed, and continues to display, has resulted in society being positively changed forever. We are so grateful to all these women for having the courage to #choosetochallenge.  For more inspiring stories from incredible women, read our Fabulous & Fearless Women column.

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Founded by Alicia Porter and Lucy Sinclair in 2014, Fruity Beauties has evolved from festival trading to becoming stocked in the UK’s largest online retailer Ocado, amongst other smaller independent retailers with their Five Fruit, Organic and Fairtrade bars. As well as being delicious, they are a wholly socially conscious brand aiming to tackle issues they feel passionately about, including the growing problem of childhood obesity in the UK.

I’m lucky enough to call both Alicia and Lucy very good friends of mine, and I’m so happy to be able to share their incredible journey with you all.

Why was it so important to you to create bars which are both Fairtrade and organic?

When developing our yummy bars, we had certain criteria that we felt strongly about being able to fulfil. This was our basis to work from and primarily we asked ourselves, do they taste great? and how can they help towards wider societal issues? The five fruit bars have been getting lots of great reviews on taste and composition but more importantly we can assure our customers that they are also buying into Organic credentials of being Soil Association certified, meaning nothing artificial is included and also every part is tracked farm to fork. Fairtrade means the workers who produce, grow and harvest the fruit are getting a fair deal in order to support their families and continue their businesses sustainably. We feel passionately that whatever we do and what ever direction the business takes, our social responsibility will always be at the forefront.

What is the most rewarding thing about what you do?

The most rewarding thing about Fruity Beauties is that we are privileged to see it grow and become stronger, it is truly a vehicle for manifesting our deepest ambitions and with every step we are seeing more and more opportunity to expand our reach. Both Lucy and I are committed to seeing more side-line projects evolve, and to helping wider issues. We have already solidified a fantastic relationship with the incredible Love, Support, Unite (LSU) who have, themselves, been making awesome waves over the years. They are a well-established charity who facilitate sustainable community projects in Malawi, and we have been closely connected throughout the journey. For us, the companies we most admire and aspire to emulate the success of are the ones that give back meaningfully and promote sustainability as a whole domain, whether it is a humanitarian or environmental endeavour or both. We wholeheartedly believe It is vital that challenger brands embody core sustainability values and then work hard to maintain and evolve them wherever possible.

You’ve had some challenges to overcome in your business start-up journey (like most), tell us how you’ve overcome them and what has kept you motivated?

The biggest challenge for us, like most small companies, is cash flow. With such huge outlays in order to facilitate production at accepted quantities for products, small companies like us are then racing against the clock to move the goods, especially when working in food where shelf life is depleting as soon as the stock comes off the line. Then you have to generate as much noise (another challenge when you don’t have the marketing budget to deploy that the bigger players have) as you can muster and also have a good base of connections to push out to. On top of this, every retailer and wholesaler work differently and will have varying parameters for how their promotions work and how stock will be sold. There are a great number of mitigating factors at every stage, but this is amazing learning experience for us as we progress and gain more knowledge. The motivation definitely comes from sheer determination to push on past to a point where you can look back and see that you ‘got through it’ and to focus on the light ahead and where you want to be. We take comfort and drive from the understanding of what we want and by readdressing our core values and looking at the bigger picture to help us stay on track.

You are both passionate about creating products which are not only delicious, but nutritious. Why is this important?

Rates of childhood obesity in the UK continue to rise, with over a third of children now leaving primary school obese or overweight. The higher demands over the years for convenience has led to surgencies of additives and preservatives in the food sector which has paid weight to health concerns nationwide. The need for healthier alternative snacks has become ever more prevalent with the healthy snack bar market in the UK is in excess of £365m. (Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity Report 2019) Fruity Beauties are wanting to help combat this issue by being visible as a tempting alternative to unhealthy snacks and treats that dominate the supermarket shelves. We are not saying that indulgence is bad, which often crops ups, just that it is easy to balance snacking out, on a day to day basis with healthy choices, rather than going for the sugar laden, additive heavy options like biscuits and chocolate bars that are so easy to pick up.

Tell us about the new childhood obesity project you’ve been selected to be a part of ?

Following on from above we are ultimately delighted to be embarking on a journey with The Healthier Challenger Brands Programme in order to start getting to the root of why childhood obesity levels have become so high and also what the market can do to address this and respond to it. This project will look to pilot in Southwark and Lambeth, London and work with outlets (supermarkets, indies, schools and colleges) to make healthy snacks more accessible by collaborating other healthy challenger brands under an umbrella. We have created a new sku for the programme which is a Cacao & Orange 30g bar and satisfies the quota for the government campaign for under 100 calorie snacks for kids. We are so elated to be part of such a worthy mission.

What can we do to empower younger generations of girls to get into business?

I think the greatest thing we can do to empower the younger generations of girls to get into business is to lead by example and be open and honest about our experiences. Although there are undoubtedly still gaps to be bridged and imbalances to addressed in gender inequalities, I believe it is paramount to see the openings and opportunities that are abundant and the services and tools that are available to access. Inspiration is key and girls need figureheads to aspire to, to enable them to visualise their futures with successful outcomes. Whether it’s a parental level or societal, younger generations will benefit from positive support, encouragement and mentoring.

Do you have any advice for anyone starting a new business?

Do your research! Be diligent in determining what it is you are offering and why. Is there a problem that your product or service can help to solve and how does it do this? This may seem somewhat brutal but the truth is that you will face a great deal of rejection at every turn but just know that this will guide your endeavours and help to focus your direction so do not be disheartened (easier said than done!) and keep revisiting why you want to do whatever it is you are doing because deep down, your motivators (usually non-monetary) and your greatest desires for your cause will push you forward.

Finally, tell us how we can get involved with your crowd-funding campaign?

We are extremely excited to be launching a crowdfunding campaign in the coming months. We will be setting out to raise £100,000 and offering a 10% stake in Fruity Beauties. This will help us to further grow our network and to allow our fruity followers to have a piece of the pie as we continue to grow year by year. You can invest from as little as £10 and we are aiming to be paying out from year 3. For anyone interested in finding out more please contact alicia@fruitybeauties.co.uk or lucy@fruitybeauties.co.uk for full information, investor deck and full financial forecasts available on request.

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Thank you Fruity Beauties for sharing your story with us! To produce a product which is healthy, organic, Fairtrade and tastes great is not easy. But Alicia and Lucy have persevered. They truly believe that being in business should be about more than money, success and power; Fruity Beauties is an extension of their personal values.  It’s a hugely exciting time for Fruity Beauties and I really cannot wait to see where the next couple of years takes them.

You can catch up on our other interviews here: Fabulous & Fearless Women

Image credit: Fruity Beauties

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Rebekah entered the modelling industry back in 2011 and despite being born without a right forearm and having faced rejection on numerous occasions before her career took off, she continued to chase her dreams. After a friend suggested that she use her myoelectric prosthesis as a fashion “accessory,” it was at that moment that Rebekah realised that she could use her disability to her advantage. Since then she has empowered and inspired others as well as push past boundaries of the mainstream fashion industry. She has modelled for acclaimed designers such as Tommy Hilfiger, walked at New York Fashion Week, featured in a number of reputable publications and has given a motivational talk at the Congress of Future Science and Technology Leaders event.

                                                                         Image Credit: Chris Loupos Pictures

It’s both incredibly inspiring and fearless that you’ve not let your disability get in the way of your career and that you’re utilising it as a way to help others, what gave you the courage?

By no means was modelling an easy journey, but I’m quite proud of where I am now. Ironically, I used a lot of the fear and insecurities I had growing up as a catalyst to living a happy and fulfilling life. It all started with putting myself in front of the camera— the one thing I feared most. I hated people seeing my arm and I knew modelling was not only something I enjoyed when I was younger, but it also challenged me to face my fears. Fear ultimately gave me the strength and courage to build my career. I hope by doing this, I am inspiring those to do the same.

What has been the biggest challenge you’ve had to face since you became a model?

Interestingly enough, my biggest challenge in recent years has been my height, not so much my arm. I’m quite petite, and most agencies won’t even look at my work due to my stature. It gets frustrating, but I believe this is just another barrier I will have to push through. I spent the past 8 years proving my worthiness as a model with a disability, and now I’m going to challenge the way the industry treats petite models. The industry can’t continue to brag about diversity when they’re truly not embracing what it means to be diverse.

                                                                                Image Credit: Shay Nartker

Do you feel that the industry has become more diverse and more inclusive since you began?

I sincerely believe we’ve come a long way since I started this journey. Growing up, I just didn’t see people like me in fashion, and it’s great to see so many different men and women being represented by so many brands now. Brands like Aerie, Target, Dove, Chromat and Tommy Hilfiger are just a few who have taken the more inclusive route. I love watching the industry grow and become more diverse; however, I still think we still have some room to grow. As I previously said, my height has been somewhat of a challenge in the industry, and I’d like to see that change over time, too.

You’re also a brand ambassador for the Lucky Fin Project, tell us a little about that and the work you do.

The Lucky Fin Project is a non-profit organization that aims to support people with limb differences. A few years ago, I came across the LFP and knew this was an organization I wanted to be a part of. Shortly after writing the non-profit, Molly Stapelman, founder of the Lucky Fin Project, invited me to become an ambassador. I actually just got back from their annual picnic where we all come together and celebrate our limb differences. I got to meet new faces, sign autographs and take pictures with everyone. It’s truly a blessing to be a role model to these kids. I never knew anyone like me growing up, so I’m grateful I can help be someone they look up to for guidance.

                                                                                   Lucky Fin Project Weekend

What do you think makes a woman fabulous and fearless?

I think a woman’s unapologetic confidence is truly what makes them fabulous and fearless. Embrace the stretch marks, the cellulite, and the freckles— because these are all things that make us so irreplaceable. Although letting go of your insecurities may feel like it’s outside of your comfort zone, I’ve learned that embracing them can be life changing. In fact, I wish I had done this for myself sooner. I might have enjoyed life as a high school student if I didn’t spend my time beating myself up over my differences. It’s important to appreciate them and celebrate your uniqueness.

                                                                               Lucky Fin Project Weekend

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

One of the best pieces of advice I got was from my friend Noah Galloway, who you may have seen on “Dancing with the Stars” a couple years ago. Being on such a popular TV show, Noah dealt with a lot of online press—most of it being positive, of course. Part of becoming a public figure is learning to deal with the not-so-friendly comments. I struggled a lot with that. When my story made the rounds on the web, I would read the comments and often found myself biting my tongue not to intervene or correct someone. Other comments had me questioning why I’m even putting myself out there to begin with. Noah so graciously gave me some of the best advice I’ve been given: “Don’t read the comments.” As simple as it sounds, staying away from the negativity has kept me focused on my journey and to keep inspiring generations to come.

In a society that’s obsessed with ‘perfection’, what message would you give to those struggling with self-confidence?

We have to recognize the term “perfection” is simply a fallacy, and that it’s an expression we should understand to be fictitious. The media has done a great job of manipulating the way we think about ourselves, and it’s terrifying to see the way we ultimately treat ourselves due to the rigorous standards of “perfection.” Years ago, having freckles made you imperfect, and so women spent millions on creams to erase them. Today, the industry is embracing them as a beautiful feature. The idea of perfection is constantly changing because it simply doesn’t exist. The moment you stop obsessing over your flaws is the moment you can start living.

                                                                                     Image Credit: Stevie Chris

What do you hope to achieve in the next 5 years?

I hope to write a book in the next 5 years. It’s always been a dream of mine, but time has gotten away from me. I hope to settle down over the next few years and focus more on writing. I truly believe my purpose in life goes beyond just a pretty face in a magazine or runway. It’s important I take my life lessons through my journey as a model and share my stories about overcoming insecurities and embracing self-love. I yearn to leave a legacy for years to come.

How’s that for inspirational? We love sharing the stories from fabulous and fearless women like Rebekah’s on the blog and we hope you’re enjoying it to! Have a read of our other interviews here.

Take a look at Rebekah Marine’s website to find out more about the incredible work she’s doing, and keep up to date with her on Instagram @rebekahmarine.

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ESTILA was born in 2015 and is a beautifully presented bookazine that empowers creatives and designers to share their inspirational business stories. Since then, the magazine has featured some pretty incredible people including renowned designer Matthew Williamson. Karolina shares more about ESTILA, living with an illness and her vision for the future of the bookazine.

For those that don’t know of ESTILA – tell us what people can expect from the magazine and why they should read it.  What makes it so different? 

ESTILA is for anyone who is creative and who also runs their own business. We learn best through stories and reading about other people’s experiences. It’s the modern version of a business publication with no jargon. Instead of telling readers what they should do or what the hottest marketing strategy is, we show them case studies which they can get inspired by. While doing that, we also highlight the amazing talent in design, art and creative industries we have on our doorstep. Consequently, the content is timeless and always relevant. The lessons learnt or the tips we give can be applied at any time. This is, I think, where the value lies.

I’ve been also working hard on publishing a magazine that is advert-free, which I recently achieved. As a magazine publishing industry novice, I quickly realised how flawed the industry is and so when you buy ESTILA you get uninterrupted reading experience which doesn’t try to sell you stuff!!

Other major purpose of our existence is to help raising funds for the Brain Tumour Charity. We donate £7 from each yearly subscription to the charity.

Where do you hope for the magazine to be in 2 years’ time?

While continuing our readership growth in the UK, I’m planning to expand the concept into other countries. Increasingly we’ve been generating feature interest from designers and brands from other European countries, US and Australia but for our business model to work, we need to partner with local businesses who understand their markets and local problems well. So in future there might be for example an Italian version of ESTILA featuring Italian creatives and designers, helping to raise money for a local charity.

You started ESTILA during an extremely difficult period in your life, when you were diagnosed with a brain tumour, which is a very brave thing to do. What have been the challenges of dealing with meningioma as a busy working mother and entrepreneur?

I think the biggest challenge is dealing with the side-effects of my condition on a daily basis. It’s benign and under control for the time being, but headaches, nausea, loss of balance and blurry vision are now part of the way I live. I’ve learnt to accept it but I get sometimes frustrated with the lack of control I have over my health.

Has the diagnosis changed your outlook on life?
Yes, definitely. I think the biggest change and a mindset shift I made as a result of my diagnosis is the perception and appreciation of time.  I never planned for the future before. I didn’t dare to dream. These days I allow myself to do both. This gives me focus and clarity about why I do things now, today. Also, I lost all self-doubt. I now approach things with “I don’t care” attitude – in a good way, of course. I think if you can rewire your brain to do that, you start to look more for opportunities which are aligned to your purpose.

You’re also the founder of Atelier of Success, tell us a little more about this and what your vision is?

Atelier of Success is an extension of ESTILA. Through interviewing creatives I realised that they need business support which is more specific to them. I opened Atelier of Success FB group last year with the intension to create a platform where I can introduce creatives to one another and encourage collaborations. Everyone I interview is welcome to our group. There is no specific growth strategy like many other FB groups have. Instead, I want to focus on providing a safe space where like-minded people can share their knowledge and experiences while coming up with partnerships and project opportunities so they can grow together. To me business is about who and what you know and so this is what I try to put across and encourage within the group.

In terms of my vision, I think social media and platforms like Facebook are currently experiencing challenges and changes, and so I’m looking into ways of providing that kind of space outside the social/digital world.

What can we do to empower younger generations of girls to get into business?

My opinion on business is that it’s a way of life. Business owners live and breathe it. And so for me it all starts from a very young age. I think to get more girls into business, we need to look the way business is presented and discussed at home but also at schools. For example, I like the “Tycoon In Schools” club for primary schools set up by Peter Jones. It teaches children to work together on a business project from start to finish, from concept to sales. This might not be specific to girls but it definitely gets them more involved. Having programmes like these will definitely open eyes to the opportunities and the lifestyle business can offer.

What do you think makes a woman fabulous and fearless?

I think that a woman who takes charge of her own life and lets her purpose shine becomes fearless and is fabulous in her own right.

You have an all-female team and also have 2 daughters… What does feminism mean to you?

My views on feminism are more about what you stand for as an individual, your beliefs and values. I encourage my daughters to be themselves and not let others influence their way of thinking. Once you let your surroundings influence you, it’s very hard to be who you truly are.

What an incredibly fearless woman Karolina is, and it just goes to show that anything is possible if you truly put your mind to it! If you haven’t already, we definitely  recommend checking out ESTILA.

Don’t forget, we’re always on the hunt for inspiring ladies just like Karolina and all of the other fabulous ladies we’ve featured so far. If you know someone, share them on Instagram using the hashtag #livefabulousandfearless or drop us an email, we’d love to hear from you!

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Image Credits: ESTILA

Since its humble beginnings, the organisation has become something bigger than Jaz had ever imagined, its first initial JustGiving page was the biggest crowdfunding campaign ever yet, she’s successfully fought for a bill to be passed in parliament and given a TedTalk. Today, she shares with us her remarkable story…

When you first decided to go to ‘The Jungle’ in Calais, mainstream media was scaremongering about the refugee crisis.  It was a really brave decision to go, given the picture the media had painted.  What made you decide to go?

The reason why I went was because my mum and dad were going through the process of taking on another child. There were four of us already, four biological brothers and sisters. It was a long and vigorous process, with lots of interviews and they had to go and be accepted, as long-term foster parents, and they were. (You can’t adopt a refugee who has family already or doesn’t have asylum in the UK so there’s long term fostering instead.) They were willing to take on an older child who was male or was foreign. Many people don’t want these things, they want younger children, they want girls and they want local children. So, it looked very likely that my new brother or sister would be coming via the Calais jungle, they would be a refugee because there were many unaccompanied minors coming across from Calais to Kent where my mum and dad lived at that time.

The mainstream media was using words like,’swarms of migrants’ and ‘marauding migrants’ to describe the people that were living in the Calais jungle and they weren’t answering the questions about where my new brother or sister might have come from or what life in the camp was like or why they fled their country, what had happened to them and what the journey had been like. I had a lot of questions that I really wanted to answer, so I went to try and find the answers myself.

What was your first experience like of entering a refugee camp and how did it make you feel?

The first experience of going into the camp was absolutely life changing. It wasn’t because of the conditions that I was so shocked, it wasn’t because of the thousands of people living in tents in the mud, or the fact that there were no NGOS, no big NGOs on the ground at the time at all. That wasn’t what shocked me the most, it was the fact that the reality of the situation was so drastically different from the media’s perception. People were kind, welcoming and open and they wanted to share their stories, cups of tea and food. We had an incredible day and met amazing people. It made me feel very emotional that these people were so wrongly misrepresented by the media. People were telling me that they were risking their lives on a daily basis, trying to make it to the UK to cross the border, hiding in trains or hiding in the back of lorries. The fact that we were so easily able to cross the channel in the comfort of our car when people were risking their lives every night to do the exact same thing, made me very emotional.

Can you share a story from someone you’ve met along the way, which particularly stuck with you?

One of the things that sticks with me and is the most shocking for me is a collection of stories from many Afghans that I’ve met. In Calais, I was meeting a lot of Afghans that were really good at English and I would ask them, ‘how come you speak such good English?’ And they would say, ‘I worked with the British and American armies, I was a translator for them for years in the Helmand province.’ I was quite shocked to hear that when the British and American armies left, they were then persecuted by the Taliban for being allies of the British and Americans so they fled to Britain, to us, hoping to seek asylum based on the fact that they had been working alongside our soldiers. Some of them had been doctors and nurses for our soldiers but they were denied asylum and not recognised by the British and that was very shocking for me on a political level.

One story that sticks with me naturally, is the story of my Eritrean brother, Mez. He fled Eritrea when he was 13 due to compulsory military service. He went with two friends to Sudan where they waited in the refugee camp until they had enough money to pay a smuggler to cross into Libya. They crossed the Sahara Desert, they didn’t eat for more than 2 weeks and one of Mez’s friends died and he carried on from Libya alone. From Libya he crossed the Mediterranean sea to Italy in an unsafe boat. His boat capsized and he couldn’t swim. Mez had never seen the sea prior to that crossing so he thought he was going to drown, fortunately, he was saved by the Italian coast guard, pulled out of the water, given some food and treated for some skin conditions in Italy and then left to his own devices. He crossed Europe on foot until he made it to the Calais jungle. Sometimes he bunked trains because he didn’t have any money, or he would hide in the toilets of the trains. From Calais, he hid underneath the Eurotunnel train to make it to the UK. On the very same day he came to my family and has been my little brother since. Rash (my other foster-brother) has an equally crazy story but Mez was my first brother and the first of the two to come to myself and tell his story. He’s always been my inspiration since the very beginning of doing this work. If I ever think I can’t do this anymore or it’s too hard, I just think about him and think if he can do that, I can do this.

How do you switch off from the things you’ve heard and seen in the camps?

 It’s very difficult, once you hear these stories of such extreme trauma first hand. I would say that I don’t, I think about and talk about and work in this space 24/7. It’s constantly filling my mind and once you do hear and see these things, you can never unsee and unhear them so once you know… Yeah it’s tricky to let that go. There are lots of things that sometimes I wish, ‘god I wish I didn’t know that’ because once you do, you feel compelled to do something about it, this is my life’s path now, so it’s tricky to switch off. Although, I have learnt over the years to have a bit more balance because if you’re not 100% yourself or looking after yourself, how can you be expected to help others?

How has The Worldwide Tribe developed?

It’s developed a lot since it began, because of the things that were constantly changing around us. When we first started working in the Calais jungle, we were the only British grassroots group working there, so we had a lot of responsibility to make sure that people were getting basic things like food and clothing etc.  But then more organisations started to form and work in the camp, and cover certain things really well, so we were constantly evolving to see where we fitted into this space. I think the best space for us has been telling stories and raising awareness through a very raw, authentic voice. That has become our niche. Also, our project Jungala wifi has developed into an organisation of its own.100 of these wifi boxes will be going out into refugee camps across Europe and the Middle East throughout 2018. Never did I think I would be working full time in the humanitarian sector when I was working in fashion and never did I think that I would be running a tech startup. We have gone from a small team working in the Calais Jungle to working in France, Greece, Turkey and Jordan, so it’s been constantly developing and we’re very malleable. That’s the great thing about being small and grassroots, we can change and develop and make decisions based on the need of each individual place and camp.

What are your hopes for the future of The Worldwide Tribe?

I have a very clear vision of an international community, a growing, online, international community of people who care about each other and the world and the people that we share this world with. I really hope for a global community of people who care and feel empowered to take action for someone else and for it to be ingrained into everyone’s mentality, culture and day to day life. For people to have a real understanding and compassion and openness towards one another and lead with love instead of fear.

For us, you are the true embodiment of our Fabulous & Fearless Women column.   But in your eyes, what do you think makes a woman Fabulous & Fearless?

 I think just following what you believe in, sticking your head above the parapet and really speaking your truth is scary, and that makes you fabulous and fearless, because it’s very important to stand up for what you believe. To stand up for one another and do something for others, identify what you’re passionate about, what your interests are and where your curiosities lie and make sure to follow them and take action. I think a lot of people think things and talk about things, but actually doing them, actually taking the steps to do the things you want to do, that makes you feel fabulous and fearless.

How can people get involved with your work?

 People can get involved with our work by going to our website which is The Worldwide Tribe or alternatively, connect with us on Facebook or on Instagram. Come and join the tribe – we share daily updates of life in a refugee camp.

A truly captivating and incredible story, wouldn’t you agree? Thank-you so much to Jaz for sharing your truly amazing and courageous journey.

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This year marks a pivotal moment in history and one that proved rather fitting for our Fabulous and Fearless Women column – 100 years on since the first women were given the right to vote. As part of this milestone, Bolton, Bristol, Leeds, Leicester, London, Manchester and Nottingham were named ‘Centenary Cities’ by the government to help celebrate, promote and educate people about this momentous period. We’ve taken a closer look at some of these cities and their pioneering women who helped shape history and made votes for women possible. We have a lot to thank them for, ladies!

Photo Credit: LSE Library Emmeline Pethick Lawrence and Christabel Pankhurst, c.1908-1912 via PhotoPin

Emmeline Pankhurst:

Leader of the British suffrage movement, Emmeline Pankhurst was born in Manchester on 14 July 1858. After founding the Women’s Franchise League in 1889, Emmeline co-founded the more militant Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU). The organisation that gained a reputation for its activities including window smashing, arson and hunger strikes. Like many of her fellow suffragettes, Emmeline was imprisoned many times for her activism. Her husband, Richard Pankhurst who she married in 1879 was a keen supporter of the women’s suffrage movement, and together they brought up three more notable suffragettes, their daughters Christabel, Sylvia and Adela.

A new 8ft landmark statue of Emmeline Pankhurst, created by Hazel Reeves is due to be unveiled in Manchester’s St Peter’s Square in December this year.

Helen Kirkpatrick Watts:

Helen was born on 13^th July 1881 and moved to Lenton, Nottingham at the age of 12. Although she was from a conservative background, she joined the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) in December 1907 after she heard a local speech given by Christabel Pankhurst. Helen herself spoke at many public meetings on socialist and feminist topics and faced prison on two occasions including one month’s imprisonment at Holloway for participating in a WSPU demonstration outside the House of Commons. She also received the Suffragette Medal for going on hunger strike.

As part of Nottingham’s events to mark the centenary occasion, Helen is being honoured with her own Castle Rock beer. Made with the assistance of Nottingham’s Women’s History Group, the mild juniper flavoured ale will be available at brewery pubs across Nottinghamshire this month. It was in fact said that beer may have never existed without the entrepreneurial skills of women. Who’d have thought, ay?

Photo Credit: LSE Library Mary Lowndes Album via PhotoPin

Leonora Cohen:

Leonora was raised in Leeds primarily by her mother after her father passed away aged just 30. From a young age, she joined her mother’s work in the textile industry to help support the family. The working conditions for women are what initially motivated her to fight for equality and women’s right to vote. Leona joined the Leeds WSPU in 1909 and made several physical actions of protest against the British government. She later became known as the “Tower Suffragette” after smashing the display case that protected the British Crown Jewels in the Tower of London in order to get her voice heard. Pretty fearless, eh? She fought for most of her life, even in the second wave of feminism in the 1970s.

An exhibition at Abbey House in Leeds titled ‘A Woman’s Place?’ opened in January 2018 and will run until the end of the year. It looks at how everyday life has changed for women from the 1860s until today and its exhibits include Leonora’s WSPU badge and a glove worn by Olympic boxer, Nicola Adams.

Alice Hawkins. Photo Credit: Peter Barratt

Alice Hawkins:

As Leicester-born ladies, we are very proud that our very own city was selected to be a part of the centenary events, thanks to Alice Hawkins. She spent most of her life in Leicester and at the age of 13, began working as a shoe machinist. From a young age, Alice became aware that the pay and working conditions for women were dissimilar to that of her male colleagues, and so, her fight for equality began. She became an active member of the WSPU and regularly addressed crowds in Leicester’s Market Square on topics including votes for women. She was imprisoned a total of five times throughout her years of campaigning.

To honour Alice’s tireless and fearless efforts, a 7ft bronze statue has been created by sculptor Sean Hedges-Quinn, which was unveiled in Leicester’s New Market Square back in February.

Photo Credit: Peter Barratt

Mary Elizabeth Barnes:

Another fabulous woman that broke down many barriers was Mary Elizabeth Barnes. For many years, she worked tirelessly to help improve working conditions, housing, education and health for the people of Farnworth, Lancashire. From 1919-1924, Mary became the vice chair of the Women’s Citizens Association, formerly known as the Bolton Suffrage Society, and then became the president from 1924. And there was no stopping her there, she was also president of the Farnworth Branch, National Union of Women’s Suffrage Society and secretary/president of Farnworth & Kearsley Women’s Citizens Association from 1913 onwards.

A free event which will be held later this year at Farnworth Park, will focus on Mary’s life and a new commemorative plaque will be unveiled in her honour.

Photo Credit: LSE Library Mary Lowndes Album via PhotoPin

Millicent Fawcett:

Born in 1847 to a middle-class family, Millicent was educated at a boarding school in London where she developed a keen interest in literature and education. She was moved to support the women’s suffrage movement when her sister struggled to find employment as a doctor. Millicent devoted a lot of her time to political campaigning and in 1890, she was elected President of the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS), the non-militant side of the movement. Under Fawcett, The NUWSS campaigned not only for equal rights for women but also supported other causes including putting an end to the slave trade.

A statue of Millicent which was created by artist Gillian Wearing was unveiled in London earlier this week to commemorate the life of the suffragist. It is the first statue of a women to be erected in Parliament square.

These women have certainly shown that they’re the epitome of fabulous and fearless through their courage and tireless efforts that have helped shape our history.

Who are the female role models in your lives? And What do you think makes a woman fabulous and fearless?

Jess x

Image Usage Rights: Flickr

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Clare’s background

Clare started her career working a variety of jobs in the service industry. Whilst at university, she worked as a waitress at Whitbread, and it was here she got a lucky break with her talent being recognised by a great leader who supported her to develop into management. So, by the age of 23 Clare was running a flagship hotel and restaurant site as General Manager.

Clare left Whitbread after 6 years and went on to innovate in the CX space, coming up with new approaches that delivered unprecedented results for clients across some great brands including M&S, Tesco, Asda, British Airways and Citi Group. The case studies resulted in Clare being the first woman to win UK Professional of the Year.

Clare then went on to work for the UK’s second largest retailer, Sainsbury’s, where her technical expertise developed exponentially, as she got to experience delivering at scale, leading on Service Proposition and CX Design before finally heading up the Customer Experience team. Last year, Clare left corporate life to start her own business, CMXperience LTD and is loving her new lifestyle, which includes lots of international travel to speak at conferences and events.

Tell us a little about CMXperience (CMX LTD) and the services it provides

CMX started as an idea that a CX agency doesn’t have to be prohibitively expensive, take a long time to deliver results or be reserved for big corporate businesses. Knowing ultimately, that working collaboratively around business challenges through a customer lens could be really good fun.

I started-up my bizz, in my kitchen at home. It was such a breath of fresh air to work with bootstrap start-ups, small local businesses and to do pro-bono work with social enterprises, helping them to make things happen at the kind of pace you just don’t see in the corporate world.

In terms of services, so far, we offer Service Design, Customer Journey Optimisation, Customer Service Transformation, Copy Writing and Public Speaking on a freelance and consultancy basis, across a range of sectors and picking up new business at pace.

It’s a pretty fearless thing to do leave such a successful position to branch out on your own.  How did the decision come about to go freelance and set-up CMXperience?

It wasn’t an easy decision and one I struggled with for some time, on reflection I wish I’d made it sooner. I was feeling disillusioned with my career. I had made it to the self-imposed target of earning 6 figures by 35, but I wasn’t feeling the sense of satisfaction I expected to. I was yearning to do more with my life but I didn’t know where to start.

I took some unpaid leave to deliver a keynote speech in New Zealand and do some travelling around APAC at the same time and think I made the decision, albeit a little subconsciously, on a remote island in Indonesia. It was the first time in years that I felt totally present, in the moment and free. I realised that making time for myself, needed to become a priority and one that I shouldn’t feel guilty about, which would have implications to my lifestyle more broadly.  When I left Sainsbury’s, I gave myself a few weeks to decompress, and do all the fun things I never had time to do because of work. I called this time my ‘funemployment’.

My dream is to be able to work a 12-week year, by balancing keynote speaking, freelance, consultancy and contracting. It may take me a while, but I believe it’s a goal worth aiming for, and I now have the faith in myself that I can make it happen.

How has your background and wealth of experience prepared you? Was there anything you weren’t prepared for?

So far, my background and experience has been put to really good use in terms of helping others. But there was a time, at the end of ‘funemployment’ where I really questioned whether I had done the right thing by jacking it all in and starting again. I wasn’t really prepared for the existential crisis of reinventing myself. But I sought help, and found it in the form of Claire Fry, an Executive Coach who helped me get really clear on my values, my strengths and what’s important to me, which helped me to create a new vision for my future that wasn’t based on binary things like salary. Coaching really kick-started CMX, as I saw how I could build my personal values into my business and the motivation to build my dream life released boundless energy to get sh*t done. Once I was clear about what I wanted to be and do, the rest fell into place quite easily.

Clare in Cape Town on top of Lion’s Head Mountain, power posing in preparation for a keynote speech

What has setting up your own business taught you?

Setting up my own business has been a journey of self-discovery and has taught me so much about myself. Turning to face the challenge of not being happy with my job, and doing something about it, was the hardest thing. But it taught me that I’m braver than I thought I was, stronger than I give myself credit for. Ultimately, I learned that my desire to make a difference can be put to better use in ways that are holistically more rewarding when directed in service of others. And that living your values is the key to being happy at work.

What are the challenges?

I am an independent woman, but having always been part of a team, leading teams and been surrounded by networks of people in the workplace, I found starting out alone at times to be feel very lonely. Not having a trusted colleague or boss to bounce thoughts or ideas off means having to trust yourself more. Now being a business owner and Director, I’ve had to seek out new ways to feel supported. For example, creating new networks within the start-up world. There is a real power in community, and my girl tribe, a mix of friends, my mum, and other generally awesome women I have connected with through business and other interests, never fail to inspire me when I need it most.

Public speaking is a fearless thing to do and is something that many people fear or try and avoid, what’s your secret?

Would you believe there was a time I felt too scared to share my thoughts in a meeting room with just a few people in it? Well, that was me at the start of my career. Sharing my thoughts out loud at work was something I struggled with to the point of paralysis. I remember my first big presentation to an audience being a disaster. But I picked myself up and tried again and again. Each time I asked for feedback, learned from my mistakes, and crucially, got better at recognising the good parts. But mainly, I just didn’t give up until I was good at it. Practically speaking, planning goes a long way. Creating a clear structure and telling a story that takes your audience on the journey with you is key. But the secret to connecting with the audience is to just be yourself! Warts and all, successes and failures. The genuine, authentic you. Putting yourself out there is scary as hell, but avoiding it isn’t a solution. Even today, I still feel gut-wrenching fear just before I step up on stage, but as an adrenaline junkie, I think that’s what gives me the buzz and allows me to perform at my best.

Who are your female role models?

Many of the women I mentioned earlier. The women who shaped my career, sponsored me and showed me what great female leadership looks like. (Mel, Rosie, Vicky, Caron, Nicola, Pauline, Nat, Hannah, Sarah, Claire, if you are reading this… thank you for everything you did to help me).

Women I admire in business are the fabulous and fearless ones who are challenging traditionally male- dominated environments, or are proving you can have it all. Karen Brady and Baroness Mone spring to mind when I think of who I’d like to be ‘when I grow up’. But I have tremendous respect for Helena Morrissey, mother of 9 and former CEO of Newton Investment who started the 30% club to get more women on FTSE 100 boards.

What do you think makes a woman fabulous and fearless?

Knowing your own value and not accepting anything less. Knowing what you want and not being afraid to go out there and get it. Having a relentless self-belief in the face of any challenges that present themselves. Not feeling like you have to conform to the roles or stereotypes others place upon you. Being confident with your femininity and stepping into your power. And ironically, the ‘balls’ to put yourself out there when you feel the fear… and just do it anyway!

What advice would you give to those thinking about making the leap to go freelance?

Before you make the leap, there are some practical things I’d recommend like understanding the market you want to go into and being clear about what you want to offer (I wasn’t initially). Know what you need to survive by adding up your outgoings. Realistically, how much money do you need to survive and can you cover the lost earnings in the early days? Do your research, check out day rates and demand for your services. Can you secure a contract to walk straight into? If you have time to decide what you want, take it! And get networking. In freelance and consultancy world, recommendations are a great source of business development. My final piece of advice is not to be afraid of failure. Once you let go of fear, if you have a clear proposition and the drive to make things happen, nothing can stop you leading the life you want to lead.

Finally, what does ‘feminism’ mean to you?

Feminism simply means equality to me. Freedom from objectification, stereotyping, patriarchy and oppression, where power and influence isn’t based on what’s in your pants.

Wow – are you feeling pumped after that?! We certainly are.  It strikes us as Clare can, and will, do anything she puts her mind to.  We can’t wait to see where her business takes her next.  There’s some great advice and words of wisdom here for any budding entrepreneurs! And for anyone already in business… don’t you just love an inspiring story to get you thinking bigger? We certainly do. Take a look at Clare’s website, CMXperience to find out more about what her company can offer, or follow her on Instagram.

We hope you enjoyed this month’s Fabulous and Fearless interview. Don’t forget to share with us stories of those who inspire you, we’re on the look-out for fabulous women to feature!  Share them on Instagram using the hashtag #livefabulousandfearless or drop us an email.

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Chloe Tingle is the true embodiment of our Fabulous and Fearless Women column; she studied engineering at university, which is a fiercely male dominated environment, then left her career in engineering to start a third sector business (a notoriously hard sector to succeed in) at only 23.  Chloe now runs a social enterprise called ‘No More Taboo’.  We caught up with her to hear all about how she got started, why she got started, as well as her thoughts on what makes a woman ‘fabulous & fearless’ and even touching on her thoughts on gender equality.

Tell us a little about yourself

I’m 26 years old and I live on a farm in Devon with my partner, Jack and our beautiful dog Kibibi, who I brought home with me from Uganda and who both mean the world to me. I’m originally from Yorkshire and although it’s at least a 6 hour journey I manage to get back home pretty regularly because my family is really important to me. I studied Engineering at Bristol University, and I am up to Bristol a couple of times a month for work but being a bit of a ‘country bumpkin’, I made the move out of the city last year.

Tell us about your social enterprise, No More Taboo

No More Taboo is a not-for-profit social enterprise focused on creating a ‘period-friendly’ world for everyone. At No More Taboo, we know that if we want to change society’s views, we need to do more than just provide alternative products for managing menstruation. We are advocating for change by campaigning and providing training for organisations, NGOs and schools to help people understand period poverty and understand that there are long-term sustainable solutions that can be adopted by everyone alongside promoting the use of more sustainable sanitary products. Attitudinal change is a slow process; however, we are committed to breaking down the stigma of menstruation and the inequalities and negative impacts that stem from this taboo.

How did it come about?

I started No More Taboo after spending six months volunteering in Bolivia with the organisation Fundacion Sodis, when I told them I was an engineer they said ‘ohhh we have the perfect job for you’ they wanted someone to help them develop a menstrual health programme with a school that they had been supporting by providing clean water and toilets. As soon as I started the project I was hooked, I loved the fact it included a technical element- with access to water, sanitation facilities and products being so key, but also education and what a difference it could make to women and girls living in poverty who were missing school and work because of their periods. It was really empowering and I realised I could incorporate my interests of reducing waste and the environmental impacts of disposable products into the topic by encouraging the use of menstrual cups and washable pads.

I’ve since spent time working with Irise International in Uganda and understanding menstrual taboos in Nepal. When I got back home and launched the organisation, initially aiming to provide support overseas, I was approached by a student (who later became a Director of the organisation) who wanted to do research on periods and poverty in the UK. I was shocked that I hadn’t thought about the problems faced here. Since then we have grown to focus on tackling period poverty and changing attitudes to periods right here in the UK.

Research conducted by No More Taboo, April 2017 | Read Period Poverty Report  | Photo: Elise Fjordbakk

What kind of success have you seen so far?

We have already helped stop over 6 tons of waste going in to landfill (I had to run the calculations several times to believe my eyes) and we have supported over 150 vulnerable people in Bristol to have happier, healthier and more affordable periods through our work with foodbanks, drug support groups and shelters. Alongside training staff members from 15 of these organisations.

What is the most rewarding thing about what you do?

Making people happy and feel appreciated. We live in quite a crazy world at the moment and I often feel a bit hopeless about all the things that are going on around me. Periods might not seem like the most pressing concern for many but actually it is one thing that it is very simple to change and can make such a difference to the individual. It’s a great feeling when you help someone out who hasn’t been able to afford sanitary products for most of their life and they just smile and say thank you, or you give a volunteer the opportunity to run a workshop teaching 30 kids about periods and everyone ends up roaring with laughter about the life of Tilly the Tampon.

What is the most challenging?

The most challenging thing about running my social enterprise is surviving. Life as a start-up is hard, living on a shoe-string budget, working out week by week if you have enough to pay yourself anything (the answer was always no for the first 18 months) but I think I managed to make it extra hard for myself by picking a taboo topic, aimed at majority women and deciding to make it not-for-profit. (What can I say- I like a challenge!) I remember early on a male business advisor saying but why would you focus on a product that only 50% of the population can use! 50% of the world’s population! I would say that’s a bigger market than most businesses have. Also, periods affect everyone! None of us would be here if it weren’t for periods and I think we all have more to learn.

So, the biggest challenge is definitely money. I still find it really difficult to ask for payment for the services that we provide and believe in myself that No More Taboo and our expertise are worth the money.

You gave up a career in engineering to launch No More Taboo, do you still stand by this decision?

Absolutely, to me I don’t see it as giving up. Engineering is all about problem solving and I spend all day, every day solving people’s problems. So many of the skills I learnt as an engineer, I put in to practice in running my own business. I certainly know my way around numbers and I don’t think I would have had the confidence to do a lot of the things I have done like pitching if I hadn’t followed my engineering career.

What do you think makes a woman ‘fabulous and fearless’?

Personally, I think everyone has fabulous in them (fab is one of my favourite words) and I think a lot of people just don’t have the confidence to let people see that side of them.

I think fearlessness is much harder, we can all over think things, I know the best decisions I have made have been when I’ve said ‘yeah, why not?’ and not really thought about it too much. I think I am an eternal optimist so that helps.

I meet so many fabulous and fearless women in my work, from my volunteers, my colleagues and the people we are supporting. I think just letting go of your fears about other people’s perceptions of you makes you pretty fabulous.

Who are your female role models and what have you learnt from them?

I find it hard to be inspired by people I haven’t met personally or spent time with so all my role models are people in my life.

I have been very lucky in my time volunteering and working in the third sector to work under some fabulous and fearless ladies including: Wendy Stephenson from the Converging World, Elsa Sanchez at Fundacion Sodis and Katie Alcott and Sarika Seshadri at FRANK Water. All of whom were completely inspiring, relentless in their work and sparked my interest in leading an organisation.

Since starting No More Taboo I have some fantastic advisors, coaches and supporters in my life including Laura Dickinson (one of only two female lecturers who taught me at University), Carolyn Clitheroe who has definitely helped me to understand myself as part of this journey and Bryony Thomas from Watertight Marketing to name but a few. Plus, I find my whole team of volunteers completely inspirational and they are a whole host of role models to me.

I think I have learnt that everyone has something to contribute and how important it is to have people who believe in you around you.

When we approached you about this piece, you mentioned that you weren’t sure about the fearless element applying to you.  Why do you think it is that women are so reluctant to complement themselves?  And do you think modesty is an issue in the fight for gender equality?

I think admitting I’m fearless is a tricky one, you can have an outward perception of being fearless, being ballsy and making brash decisions (which I most probably do) but I still have so many fears and worries. I don’t want to always be this person who shows no fear because sometimes people need to see your vulnerability, because that helps to form who you are too. I think everyone is scared to show vulnerability especially when it comes to business. Being complemented on part of your personality is revealing a bit of that vulnerability, I’m not sure it is a gender thing. We have been conditioned to believe different stereotypes, stereotypes about macho culture and female modesty particularly in the work place but I know plenty of women who are more than happy to compliment themselves and plenty of men who are modest and humble. I think we all just need to work on being more honest and not playing to these conditioned stereotypes (which is easier said than done). Be happy to be yourself and to bring your whole self to work.

For me gender equality is about all genders being equal, not about promotion of one gender over any other. We all need to just see everyone as equal. I don’t think modesty plays a part in it, its changing perceptions of those who have influence that gender has no bearing on what you can achieve.

How can we get involved with your work?

>   If you are someone who menstruates, please check out our sustainable sanitary products – all the profits from buying a menstrual cup or washable pad or other  gifts and merchandise go towards our projects working with vulnerable people.

>   Follow our social media @nomoretaboo on twitter and facebook to keep up to date with our campaigns and events. Please do come along they are open to everyone.

>    You can donate or raise money for us doing a fundraising activity (like a sponsored swim!), volunteer or even host a period party, more info on our website: No More Taboo

>    If you would like to find out more about how your organisation (business/school/charity: any size) can become more period friendly or to get involved with workshops, training or research then get in touch with me on: chloe@nomoretaboo.org

>    If you don’t do anything else then help us break down taboos by talking to someone about periods: be curious, ask questions and share experiences!

Thank you so much, Chloe for taking the time out to share your important work with us.  It’s such a good cause, so please do get involved if you can.  We’ll be back next month to share our next inspiring interview. And don’t forget to share with us stories of those who inspire you, we’re on the look-out for fabulous women to feature!

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Because our brand isn’t just about inspiring homes, it’s about inspired L I V I N G. If you don’t already know, we run a monthly hashtag competition on Instagram #livefabulousandfearless, which is not just about your gorgeous homes, it’s about YOU! We really do want to hear about your fabulous lives, your fearless stories and anything inspiring in between. This hashtag is about encouraging and empowering you to not only design a truly stunning home, but to lead a courageous life (in whatever guise that may be for you).

Here’s how to enter: 

1. Follow us on Instagram: @audenzahome
2. Share your photo & caption on Instagram
3. Tag us @audenzahome and add #livefabulousandfearless

We re-post our favourites throughout the month on Instagram, and pick one overall winner each month to win a £20 voucher for Audenza, plus the potential of a feature on the blog.

New Column! Fabulous and Fearless Women

Our new focus means that our content (both on the blog and on social media) will now not only look at fabulous interiors, but fearless and inspiring women. We’re going to be bringing you interviews with truly inspirational ladies for our new column ‘Fabulous and Fearless Women’. And this isn’t just about those kicking ass in their career, this is about women doing amazing things. Running a business, fighting for a cause, being a super mum and plenty more inspiring ladies in between.  So please do share your stories with us either by entering our hashtag competition on Instagram, by commenting below, or by dropping us an email.  We want to hear them!

Tell me… Which women do you admire? Who inspires you? Who’s truly fabulous and fearless, but doesn’t even realise it?

Hollie x

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