Leah Hutcheon - founder of Appointedd

Leah Hutcheon, founder of software salon management system Appointedd, is a force to be reckoned with. She is a colourful, bubbly, erudite woman who lights up the room with her energy and takes life in her stride. An ex journalist and magazine editor she has an inquisitive mind and is the only person I know who uses the word ‘Golly’. She’s fun, she’s brave and she’s going places. Let me introduce you…..

My first job was dressing up as Mr Blobby on Central Pier in Blackpool to have my photo taken with kids. I have always had a job, ever since I was about 14 and the more random jobs often provided the best experiences.

The best advice I ever got was ‘You have to work hard to get what you want’. My mum and dad are tremendously hard workers, so I’ve never shied away from a good graft!

My favourite saying is… The mantra of #GoDo was drilled into me during my time at Entrepreneurial Spark. It was like a lightbulb moment when I realised if I just got on with stuff without over-thinking it then, nine times out of 10, good things happen. There’s nothing more damaging to a startup than inactivity.

Other people think that I am ….. I featured in BBC2 documentary ‘The Entrepreneurs’ and received lots of lovely emails afterwards. I was told I came across as a savvy and confident business woman, which is miles away from how I feel most of the time. I have a massive case of imposter syndrome!

Change is a really good thing. I believe that you should always be moving forward.

I’d be lost without my husband, Hutchie. I met him while at university and he’s my absolute rock. There have been some big ups and downs on my journey with Appointedd, but it’s always alright because I have Hutchie to come home to.

My biggest challenge has been…well, I totally underestimated the timescales involved in building cutting edge software. I was quite naive really, but looking back I’m glad I didn’t know how hard it would be or I may never have started the project. They say ignorance is bliss, and I certainly wouldn’t have been so ambitious about what we could create had I known more about software development. But it’s just meant I’ve had a steep learning curve and had to raise my game! I have been lucky enough to hire talented people to plug the gaps in my knowledge and together we make a strong team.

The achievement I am most proud of is winning £30k from the Scottish EDGE Award. Being awarded the cheque by John Swinney MSP was one of the proudest moments of my life. I was also being filmed for the BBC documentary at that time so it was caught on camera for posterity.

In the last year I have learned what it’s like to be a wife and what it’s like to be an employer. So far, so good on both counts...

My goal for the future is to roll out our software into other industries to enable as many small businesses as possible to take bookings online. I'm confident we can do it.

In the public eye there are so many women I admire, from Michelle Obama to JK Rowling, but I have to say I probably most admire Karen Hanton. She was the founder of Top Table and really pioneered the online booking space. From one female solo tech founder to another, I know how hard that must have been for her.

If I could be someone else for the day I would be Shirley Bassey. How amazing would it be to belt out tunes like she does?

Got a question for Leah? You can get in touch with her via twitter @LeahHutcheon or by visiting the Appointedd.com website. 

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Jo Macsween, Haggis aficionado and Author

In this week’s feature the woman in my life is Edinburgh based Jo Macsween. Often described as creative and energetic this well-spoken, ‘tweed-with-a-twist’ wearing lady has a passion for life beyond Scotland’s food and drink industry. My favourite thing about Jo is that she never fails to surprise and impress me, with recent adventures including writing a book, competing in a triathlon and dancing the foxtrot. Let me introduce you….

My first job was teaching English as a second language in Budapest.  It was 1991, the Russian tanks had not long departed and the outside of my flat was riddled with the scars of bullet holes…..an exciting time for a young green graduate!

The best advice I ever got was ‘sleep is under rated, make sure you get plenty’. Most of us live under the illusion that one day our work will be done, but the truth is it won’t, so it’s a good idea to go home and catch up on some of that precious sleep.

My favourite saying is …well…. I have a few! ‘You can’t make diamonds without pressure’ ‘Nothing succeeds like success’ and ‘Whether you think you can or you think you cannot, you are right!’ All three make valid points.

I’d be lost without a Moleskin notebook and my favourite pen. By writing notes I connect and make sense of my thoughts and ideas.  I have the equivalent of a ‘giant Moleskin’ on my office wall in the form of a whiteboard about 3m x 2m.  It’s great for team meetings to progress projects and ideas.

In the last year I have learned how valuable instincts are. Trust intuitions and listen, even if the hard data seems to point in a different direction. 

My biggest challenge has been growing our business, Macsween Haggis, during the recession. Increasingly this growth will be delivered by managing a team I never had before so I need to learn to be a coach and mentor and deliver the vision with them. You need a brilliant team to achieve success.

The achievement I am most proud of is the relationship I have with my husband, Roger.

My goal for the future is to ensure Macsween is a leading edge, best in class business that remains true to its core values as it grows.

If I could be someone else for the day I would be Baroness Jane Campbell (Baroness Campbell of Surbiton) a cross-bench party peer and campaigner for equality for disabled people.  She herself was told that she would never reach adulthood.  She gets up every day with fire in her belly to make life better for so many other people and rejoices that she is alive to do so.  I think it would be an honour to be in her shoes for a day.

In the public eye I believe that Dame Joan Bakewell is a great role model for women because she is vibrant, intelligent and sassy. Let’s have more wise and mature woman visible in the media please!

Got a question for Jo? You can get in touch with her on twitter @JoMacsween #WomenInMyLife or via the Macsween Haggis website. 

Subscribe to this blog by adding your email to the relevant box on the right hand side or follow on twitter @AnnieBeee and search for the hashtag #WomenInMyLife.

Jennifer Semple of First Class Physio

I first met Jennifer Semple at an event where she stood up to 'pitch' her business, First Class Physio, to a large audience. The opportunity to pitch was open to everyone but the majority took the safe option and stayed in their seats. I could see that Jen was a bit nervous but watched her expression change from 'Eeeek' to 'I've nothing to Lose' to 'I can do this!' I asked Jen to feature on my blog because I really admire her quiet confidence, calm demeanour and 'go for it' attitude. She's the kind of person who is often described as 'worth watching' and for all the right reasons. Let me introduce you.....

Growing up I dreamed of being a wife and a mother. That’s a bit cheesy, but while my older sister knew she always wanted to be a maths teacher (I was the only Primary 3 pupil who knew up to her 8 times table), I never thought of myself in any specific job. I did go through a phase of wanting to be a beauty therapist too but my teachers steered me towards university instead.

My first job technically, was collecting Avon catalogues for my big sister when I was about 14. I don’t remember being paid for that though! Officially, I worked at the Co-Op every Sunday for 10 hours and didn't enjoy it. My second job was much more interesting – at the cinema. I loved it there, and met some lifelong friends.

Other people think that I am intelligent or “a big geek” as my business partner Rachel puts it! I often get asked why I'm smiling, so maybe people think I'm smiley. Or just a little strange…

The achievement I am most proud of is gaining First Class Honours in Physiotherapy. I find it odd myself that my greatest achievement so far is an academic one, but it’s something I worked so hard for and can absolutely count as my own.

Change is something that happens to me without me either instigating or realising it half the time. I'm very much a “let things happen” kind of person, and I usually accept change quite easily.

I’d be lost without company. Other people. I don’t do very well when I'm on my own for long periods, I like conversation too much. It’s not that I feel specifically depressed, but I definitely thrive in busy environments. I'm aware of this now and know when to seek out some company to cheer myself up.

In the last year I have learned how to surf, sort of. I have the theory but not the ability to stand up just yet! I have also learned that the most annoying text message sound (you know, the really irksome “beep-beep-beep beep beep beep-beep-beep” Nokia one?) is actually Morse Code for “SMS”. I'm sure I have learned lots of more useful things but those two stand out.

If I could be someone else for the day I would be Kate Middleton, or the Duchess of Cambridge, or Catherine – mainly to find out how others address her. We actually have some superficial things in common: we’re around the same age, we both have (younger!) men who are in the RAF, and we both were at home in the UK while they were in the Falklands. But her life is otherwise probably completely different and I’d like to experience that, just for one day.

In the public eye I believe that Sue Perkins is a great role model for women because despite being in the public eye, where the temptation to be someone else seems to overcome many people, she always comes across as distinctly herself. She’s funny, she’s smart, she speaks to people the way I imagine we all speak to one another. Actually, she’s normal, and isn't afraid to show it.

My goal for the future is to achieve that elusive work-life balance that everyone talks about. For me this would mean working maximum 5 days a week, and to take up weekend hill-climbing with my fiancé. And be able to surf standing up.

Subscribe to this blog by adding your email to the relevant box on the right hand side or follow on twitter @AnnieBeee and search for the hashtag #WomenInMyLife. You can get in touch with Jennifer by visiting the website or on twitter @1stClassPhysio.

Margaret Gibson - Chief Executive Women's Enterprise Scotland

Margaret Gibson has a penchant for brightly coloured tights, funky shoes and is a secret fan of wrestling. Well known for her hard work ethic and passion for helping others to achieve their full potential, Margaret genuinely cares about people and is a great listener, which possibly explains her phenomenal ability to remember names and faces. She is living testament to her mantra of ‘be kinder than people expect you to be’.

After 20 years working with PSYBT Margaret has recently been appointed Chief Executive of the Women's Enterprise Scotland and is the perfect candidate to be interviewed for ‘Women In My Life’. So let me introduce you...

My first job was helping my brother with his paper-round, he was 12 and I was 10, we were both cute kids so we used to make a fortune in tips.  I've always had some sort of job since then, ice-cream van assistant, shop girl, gallery attendant, barmaid, telephonist, nanny, singer and loads more, they all helped me to get me through college.  I've paid my own way from the age of 14. I've always been an independent spirit.

Growing up I dreamed of being a home economics teacher from about the age of 11.  I thought that it would be great cooking and sewing all day.  In sixth year I gained a place at the old ‘dough school’ but two months before I was due to start I changed my mind (much to everyone‘s surprise including mine) and decided to keep cooking as my hobby. Instead I enrolled onto a Marketing and Communications course and loved it.

The achievement I am most proud of is working with young people who thought they could not do anything, then watching them start businesses, create jobs, make profits and then helping others to do the same thing.  I was also chuffed to complete a 5km swim with my son to raise cash for a cancer charity.

The best advice I ever got was ‘You have two eyes, two ears and one mouth; therefore you should listen and watch twice as often as you speak'.  I cannot tell you how important that has been to me. I've been told I have the best ‘bullshit detector’ ever and combining the above advice with watching who pushes their chairs back under the table after a meeting is always a clear sign. (Those who do are generally good guys!)

My biggest challenge has been seeing my parents getting older and less able and feeling a bit useless as nature and the ageing process takes over.  I still have them both though so that is something that makes me happy.

Change is painful, revealing, scary, exciting and rejuvenating. I have just been through the biggest year of change I have ever experienced in my life. I encountered all of those feelings and sometimes all at once. I'm happy to report I have survived and thrived though!

I’d be lost without my fantastic husband and two children, they make me laugh, (a lot of the times at myself), make me feel loved and appreciated and very, very lucky.

My goal for the future is to continue to help people reach their goals, travel more, see my kids taking strides ahead with their lives and cuddling up with my husband to watch a great film or the next episode of ‘Breaking Bad’. I think it is good to have goals but don’t get too caught up thinking they have to be life changing or gigantic.

In the public eye…. I believe that  Dr. Maya Angelou  is a great role model for women because she overcame so many challenges in her young life and used them in a positive way to create a life filled with great things – everyone should read ‘I know why the caged bird sings’. She is now 85 years old and still producing wonderful work.  She is a poet, educator, activist, historian, producer, actor and director and a total inspiration to millions of women all over the world.

Thanks to Margaret for featuring in this blog and huge congratulations on the new role at Women's Enterprise Scotland. You can occasionally find Margaret on twitter at @RummleGumption

Subscribe to this blog by adding your email to the relevant box on the right hand side or follow on twitter @AnnieBeee and search for the hashtag #WomenInMyLife.