‘My’ phenomenal women: a thank you from me
Surprisingly for me, I realised today that I’ve never written an article for International Women’s Day before. As we near calmer waters in the pandemic, teeter into spring and ponder the year ahead I wanted to take a moment and think about all the phenomenal women who’ve played a part in shaping me as a person, either by being a wonderful friend, companion, colleague, coach, mentor or client. You’ll never know the impact you’ve created in my life and I will forever be in your debt.
As a young press officer, it always dismayed me how the focus for International Women’s Day seemed to be all about our victimhood and our persecution.
On the International Women’s Day, I felt there never seemed to be quite enough air time given to the women who have created extraordinary things, made things happen and risen against all the odds. I always wondered why we couldn’t also celebrate our gains and our wins.
I wanted to single out some incredible women I’ve met on my travels who have done so much to inspire, motivate and shape me as a person and I encourage you to thank the phenomenal women in your life, too! We all need a boost right now, that’s for sure!
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Norie Tanaka: ‘internationalisaton’ ally and superstar, JET Programme
There are some women who aren’t great at their own PR. Despite their talents, they may be overlooked in work hierarchies. They don’t sing their own praises, but make things happen quietly in the background, especially in Japan where workplace discrimination and sexism means women are routinely sidelined in the professional environment. Norie was an officer in a municipal education department in rural Japan. Because of her experience studying in California, she was given the unenviable task of managing the international cohort of new teachers in the small town of Hamada. Imagine the horror of up to ten needy twenty-somethings who don’t speak the language and all need support with paying bills, signing contracts and finding their way around town. She was so patient. And so, so very tired. She was an integral part of our lives and became an avid friend, supporting our Austrian friends with the birth of their first child, walking side by side with teachers who were lost, lonely and homesick and even helping me organise a secret wedding with all the secrecy of an international spy. In the process of just ‘being there’, she became a champion for international activity in rural Japan. I have never before witnessed such dedication to the practical application of ‘internationalisation’ — that weird thing that was in our contracts but we weren’t sure what it meant. I came to see it was all about creating friendships and goodwill across the language barrier. I will never forget her and her curiosity and appreciation for other cultures was incredible.
Elin Morgan and Clare Mumford: The lean-iners
Until I joined Elin and Clare’s team in cabinet communications, I hadn’t realised how rubbish I was at my own PR. I hadn’t yet learned to talk about myself in a way that was positive, complimentary or in line with the competency based framework that the government used to assess skills and capability. It felt strangely alien and robotic. People really don’t talk this way, I thought. Even though it must have been painful and time consuming, Elin and Clare really took me under my wing and supported me to go for promotions and other roles in government. I remember them staging an entire mock interview, asking questions and coaching me through answers and getting me to rehearse alternatives. They are also two of the funniest and quick-witted women I’ve ever worked with. Too quick for me, actually — I’m actually still thinking of comebacks to their playful burns even years later. Elin and Clare made me realise I rather liked writing, that I should definitely do more of it. They boosted my confidence at a time when it was, well…a bit crap, really. You can’t engineer confidence but helping women at the start of their careers to see where their skills and talents lie can be a massive tonic — and a lifeline for some.
Laurian Hubbard: the go-getter
Laurian is one of those enigmas whose drive and ambition are exemplary. She is a natural born leader who lives and breathes leadership and is one of the most tireless champions of mentorship in the PR industry I’ve ever met. She’s living proof that despite being shut down, talked over and mansplained to, you can still spin it to your advantage and come out singing. With her fab partner in crime Rachel Moss, they’ve created a new movement supporting women in PR in Wales and live and breathe improvement in the industry and mentorship to other women. It was incredible to watch Laurian be bold and determined about her vision and plans for her career and it serves as a reminder that to make things happen we have to take risks, no matter how uncomfortable and how far out of our comfort zone it may seem. I’ve never felt like a natural-born leader, speaker or manager but with the right people on your side, you truly can create wonderful things. Being on a team with Laurian at the helm always felt like you were an unstoppable force. She also shows that no matter how serious the subject matter of your work, there’s always (ALWAYS) time for a laugh. Humour is absolutely crucial as a sort of creative lubricant to spur you forwards, especially on high pressure campaigns and challenging work programmes (which we’ve both experienced during our times working together). Laurian, you are a legend!
Helia Pheonix: the free spirit
Working in the civil service for so long, I was always looking for other curious creatures who seemed to go against the grain, a bit like a lighthouse looking for other lost souls. When I met Helia, she was wearing a clutch of festival bracelets around her wrist, odd socks and multi coloured tights. She carried herself with a sort of ethereal acid-rave creativity that zinged. Working with creatives can be unsettling or infuriating for some. For me, it was exhilarating to be in Helia’s orbit and she channeled her outlook into everything she did. Did I mention she also wrote Lady Gaga’s biog and runs an awesome blog dedicated to loving Cardiff? A natural community builder, she never compromised on being her authentic self and showing off her true colours. It was truly memorable working on campaigns and creative with Helia and we had some wonderful times, including showing the Lonely Planet team around Cardiff and getting them to try their first Welsh cakes, building an appreciation wall for one of our favourite content producers and finding wild and wonderful ways of promoting Wales with the help of giant dragons, massive mirrored letters and inflatable swords. It was all a bit bonkers really, but what a fun ride it was! I’ve worked with Helia again as a freelancer in the last couple of years and it’s always lovely crossing paths again.
Genevieve Le Jeune: the CEO sex kitten
After leaving the civil service and working independently with my own business since 2017, it transpired that the majority of my clients were older, male CEOs and managing directors. I worked for over a year with a fabulous global diaspora community and an all-male board. When this came to an end, I found Genevieve. The contrast working with Genevieve’s all-female global marketing team couldn’t have been more pronounced. First of all, there was the compelling and unfamiliar territory of operating within a sort of ‘restricted industry’, with crossover into adult entertainment, sex tech and LGBTQ+ membership communities. I went from writing about entrepreneurship and start up culture to sex toys, ethical non monogamy and sex parties. At first I was a bit uneasy and secretive about this. But the truth is, the sex tech industry is full of unapologetic visionaries like Genevieve, who recognised that there was no community anywhere catering purely to women’s sexual development and autonomy. The entire sex tech industry is projected to be worth $122bn by 2024 and Genevieve was one of the first to create a community (by women for women) dedicated to the premise of expanding sexual confidence (“from the bedroom to the boardroom”). Genevieve had a great vision and eye for brand-building, and as a former financial journalist a brilliant tenacity when it came to PR and networking. Her brand is now a community made up of sub-brands and experiences including Skirt Society, with brand partnerships, Ibiza retreats, a book club and city ambassadors now all part of the global community experience. Being a part of this movement where alternative models of women’s sexuality and relationships were openly celebrated has been transformational — and the women I’ve met through this global community have all played a part in strengthening my career and my worldview in the last few years. Massive shout out too to the Arabic/Morroccan/Italian beauty Miss Cassie Hart for creating and facilitating lots more sex-positive, queer girl magic as Genevieve’s MD and creative partner.
Emily Howe ‘Femily’: the Silicon Valley gender strategist
Through Genevieve (above), I interviewed and got to know (albeit virtually) Femily, Silicon Valley’s leading gender strategist. Femily helps tech companies and businesses become more diverse in their working and hiring practices. She was founder of the American Association of Gender Strategists and coaches individuals to live their boldest, juiciest lives and become better allies and activists. Femily helped me understand how women can make the most of their ambition in the workplace (For example, not taking on the ‘workplace emotional labour’, not being ‘too nice’, asking for 15% more in salary negotiations (men do!), outsmarting man-terruptions and not working for free!). It was a pleasure getting to communicate insights from Femily that I could apply to my own life and help other women around the globe in their own lives, too. Femily also did a lot of work to help our community understand body and sex shame and how to rebel against ‘shoulds’, social norms and ‘isms’. This bold approach was truly refreshing. In our careers as communicators, it’s essential we understand our complicity in holding up outdated systems that privilege the few. If we don’t, we’re complicit in it. We need to get used to the idea of being reflective and listening…REALLY listening to the voices of the hard to reach and opening the door for others. Femily’s approach to this is always original and always authentic. I encourage everyone to follow Femily on Instagram, a great way to expand your mind, body and spirit!
Wednesday Martin PhD: the NY Times best selling author and cultural critic
Again, though Genevieve I worked with Wednesday on a promotion to launch her book ‘Untrue’ in London and on numerous collaborations, appearances and interviews. She is an endlessly fascinating woman, who has been relentless in her quest to understand the full picture of women’s sexuality. Her first book ‘Primates of Park Avenue’ ruffled feathers and upset a few Moms on the upper east side in New York, but her follow up book Untrue detailed new research and science which up-ends our entire view of women, relationships and sex. It’s a wonderful book and (along with Glennon Doyle’s book ‘Untamed’) has been one of the best things I’ve read in recent years. At our London event, Wednesday was keen to speak to all team members and community members about their experiences and spent a good hour helping me put away coats in the cloak room (the GLAMOUR of organising events, I tell you!), that’s true dedication! I think if more women read Wednesday’s book, they’d save a lot of money on therapy and wondering if there’s something wrong with them or their partners. A must read for women, everywhere! (PS. whatever your worry, Wednesday has heard it before a million times…it’s all ‘normal’, by the way — you’re definitely not the only one).
Helen Howarth: the enterprising ‘never give-upper’
Helen’s tourism business in the Brecon Beacons has gone from strength to strength over the last few years, driven by her sheer determination and indomitable spirit. After a serious health scare while working for a Telecomms company, Helen took the bull by the horns and struck out on her own to create her first ‘Brecon Retreats’ concept. If battling with cancer, managing a business and three young children wasn’t enough, she expanded her repertoire to become a tourism ambassador, created a ‘Dog friendly’ sub-brand (Pawsome Retreats) to her business and then set about completely transforming her Glynmeddyg bunk house into three high end luxury barn properties. I started working with Helen again during the thick of the last pandemic, at a time when tourism operators in Wales were rocked to their very core. Many didn’t make it and some aren’t sure how long they can hold on for while waiting to re-open. But Helen has the kind of resilience and stamina that is nothing short of miraculous given all the challenges that come her way. No matter how terrifying the obstacles in front of her, she meets them with a kind of grace and level of brave serenity that if we could bottle and sell, we’d never have to work another day in our lives. Not that anything can stop Helen from continuing to build and develop. It was wonderful to see the attention to detail in Helen’s properties, from the honeycomb tiling to custom wrought iron vine railings (a la sleeping beauty) and even little ‘squirrel homes’ in clocks. It’s this charming and endearing (OK and slightly obsessive) attention to detail that have built Helen’s incredibly loyal customer base. Shameless plug alert for Helen’s new properties — an absolutely magical experience created by a phenomenal woman — book now!
Dr Jenny Geroni: the roller derby-playing, no-BS scientist
What do a theatre major and an engineering PhD have in common, you night wonder? After all, one is by her very nature methodical, organised, logical and a fan of solving problems and finding patterns. The other…is a bloody THEATRE MAJOR. It doesn’t matter what your academic disciplines and backgrounds are at work. When it comes to teams, it’s about how well you gel and work together. After a while on the freelancing scene, I came across a contract working with an environmental project funded by Cardiff University and Natural Resources Wales. I hadn’t really handled comms in an HEI context before, but Jenny took a chance on me and I think possibly liked the fact that I had once played roller derby, even though I was about as effective on skates as a violent bowl of blancmange. Jen walks the line between being both laid back and scarily matter of fact, she is a dream as a comms lead in that nothing I ever suggested seemed to phase her and she was astute at tech, social media and websites. She was what I’d call a renegade director, never shying away from hairy subjects and awkward discussions or afraid to roll up her sleeves. She was one of the few directors I’ve worked with that is as comfortable talking about acid coal mine drainage and coastal erosion as she is birth control, white supremacy or everyday sexism. Our paths will lead us elsewhere in 2021 but hopefully we will up meet again in another capacity (definitely not on skates though, she’d knock me over within three seconds).
Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing,
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It’s in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need for my care.
’Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
— Maya Angelou
