Kate Wooding - Artist, cyclist, strategist

Kate Wooding  is the type of person you want by your side in a crisis because of her ability to listen, give intelligent advice and provide you with tea and cake. A digital strategist by day Kate is also one of the art world's best kept secrets, mainly because she's shy about displaying her paintings, and she dreams of a quieter life in the Scottish countryside. Let me introduce you ....

Growing up I dreamed of being a wildlife game tracker in Africa. I read a huge amount, and I particularly loved a series of books by Willard Price about two brothers who travelled the world collecting animals for their father's zoo and getting into all sorts of scrapes along the way. I loved the idea that some people could track a wild animal and could tell all sorts of amazing things just from the way a blade of grass is bent: “It's a female lioness, and she's eaten recently. She passed this way less than six hours ago, and she's wounded”. Looking back, perhaps I took those books a bit too seriously but it seemed such an amazing skill to have, to be that in tune with nature.

My first job was in a chain of traditional menswear shops called Blazer where I learnt how to fit a gents suit, how to tie various tie knots and all about the rules of traditional dressing. It's a world I've loved ever since, and I still appreciate a proper dapper gent, especially one who can carry off a cravat. 

The best advice I ever got. I don't remember getting great advice, that's not to say that people haven't given me any, but I don't really remember words. I remember what people do more than what they say. So I guess that it's more about people who I admire, and who have done things that have made me think “I'd like to be more like that”. One of the things I most admire is people who go against the grain in order to achieve something that makes them content. I think it can be very difficult to stand out like that, to do something which is personally difficult or discomforting in order to achieve a bigger happiness.

Other people think that I am confident, and in some ways I am. I'm happy to stand up in front of a room full of people, I'm happy to argue my point of view, and I'm happy to introduce myself to someone I've never met. But in other ways I'm much less so. My confidence comes from a strong sense of not letting my insecurities define me, or hold me back. For example, I hate my legs so being on a beach in a bikini is a challenge but I remember when my godson was three we went on holiday to Devon and he loved the beach. And it was so liberating to stop worrying about how I looked, and just to run around jumping in the puddles and shallows with him. OK, no-one offered me a modelling contract but no one ran away screaming either. I don't think anyone was offended at the sight of me. I think they just saw a grown up having a really great time playing with a kid. It put all my insecurity into perspective. OK, so my legs aren't amazing: so what?

I’d be lost without Radio 4. I have it on at home pretty much all the time, and I love the mix of intelligent programmes, comedy, current affairs, drama, and of course The Archers which I've listened since I was fifteen. Obviously, it's no good at keeping me 'down with the kids' but it's brilliant at giving you a tiny insight into a huge range of people and subjects. It's perfect for a magpie mind like mine, especially because if I'm not interested in something, I know there'll be a new programme along in half an hour. I love the way that I can potter around at home (my favourite pastime), doing whatever I'm doing, with the radio on in the background – it doesn't get in the way and take up all of my attention the way that telly does.  I love my own company, and I can be pretty protective of my solitude (I'm a true introvert: being alone is a sanctuary, and I need time to recover after spending too much time with other people), and I think that Radio 4 gives me the stimulation that I need to live happily in my own world.

In the last year I have learned that I find it incredibly hard to make the time to do something that I enjoy. Which sounds crazy: if I enjoy doing it, I ought to want to make the time to do it, right? Instead I find it very difficult to put it ahead of many of the more boring things in life that just need doing. Turns out that I have very little willpower, and can find any number of reasons not to sit down and draw or paint. I know that the thing that would make me a better painter is to do just an hour every day. But I don't seem to be able to fit that in with a busy working life. Sadly, I think that there are no shortcuts, and no magic cures – I'm just going to have to knuckle down and make it happen.

My goal for the future is….. I have two goals for the future, and somehow they are linked in my head, although there's no reason why they have to be. One is to move to somewhere pretty isolated in the beautiful Scottish countryside. The kind of place where I can fall out of bed and head outside in my pyjamas and wellies with a cup of tea to contemplate the day ahead, without frightening the neighbours or becoming known as 'that crazy lady next door'. The second is to paint more. I'm trying to find ways to make both of these happen in a way that doesn't mean I have to live off tinned soup for the rest of my life.

If I could be someone else for the day I would be either Charlotte Green or David Attenborough. Charlotte Green because I have always wanted to read the Shipping Forecast on Radio 4 “Cromarty, Forth, Tyne, Dogger...” and I can't see how else I'm ever going to do that unless I invade her body for a day. It's such a marvellous string of words, it sounds like poetry, and it's different every day. I'd be David Attenborough, back in the days when he was off round the world in safari shorts, because of my childhood ambition to be a wildlife tracker – he's been to some amazing places, and had memorable experiences on his quest to see animals in the wild. That sounds like a great adventure to me.

Got a question for Kate? You'll find her on twitter @Kate_Wooding .

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Fiona Simpson - sporting communications aficionado

Fiona Simpson is a music loving, film making, photography fan with a passion for communications. She works in the sports sector and always has a story up her sleeve and a smile on her face. Let me introduce you.....

Growing up in sunny Falkirk I dreamed of being an interior designer, a DJ, a vet, a singer in a band, a hairdresser, a film-maker, a superhero, Michael J Fox’s girlfriend (after ‘Back to the Future’), a dog walker, a dancer and an astronaut. 

My first proper job was working in a video shop when I was 16. I thought it was so awesome to be able to watch films at work. I also had the pleasure of doing the lights in Fubar Nightclub when I was at university. I got a real buzz out of the interaction with the music, the crowd and the DJ.  I was the first female ‘light-jock’ to be allowed in Castle Leisure Group. They weren't keen at first but I worked hard and I changed their views on women’s ability to do that job - girl power!

The best advice I ever got was from my mum. She is a wise and lovely human being who has said many clever things over the years but I believe the most life-changing advice she’s given me was to ‘listen to your heart’. She said that we know what’s right and wrong for us in life but sometimes we don’t listen to the voice inside. In looking back at it, I can confidently say that my life changed for the better the day that I began to actually follow this advice.

The achievement I am most proud of is getting through orthognathic (double-jaw) surgery in April this year. Making the decision to go forward with the operation to correct my under bite and then coping with the massive changes it then forced upon me is something that I feel very proud of. I have a brand new outlook on life because of the way the experience changed me and how I feel about myself as a result. I can honestly say that my confidence is at an all time high but I had to go through an all-time low to get here. It involved therapy, love, time, support and above all sheer determination to get through the operation. Writing a blog on my experiences definitely helped me get through the tough times and I would hope that it might help other people who have to have a similar operation in the future.

My biggest challenge has been accepting my ‘new face’ after the operation. Looking different was simply a side-effect of the realignment of my jaw and getting used to it was a lot more tricky than I had would have imagined. I got through it with a LOT of help from some very special people in my life - I feel lucky to have come out the other side and the journey has been truly incredible.

Other people think that I am much more confident than I feel. I think through the years I have learned to disguise my inner shyness as uber confidence and it works on most people, excluding those who know me well! People often mistake my humour and opinionated ramblings for confidence but confidence is something I work hard to project every day. Working in sport has taught me that ‘If you do what you've always done, you’ll get what you've always got’ - in order to be successful, top athletes have to work on their weaknesses as often as their strengths in order to become top of their game. For me, that means never letting my weaknesses hold me back.

Change is difficult, powerful, fulfilling, terrifying and inspiring all at the same time. In my experience you can’t hide from it. I've never been one who naturally enjoys change. Some people claim to love it but I would argue that these people are big fat liars. Yet when change is thrust upon me, I am almost always unwilling. I follow the 'Fiona-Simpson-7-steps-to-accept-change-programme' which goes something like this:

 (1) ANGER at the bare faced cheek of change insinuating it is required. Then lashings of...

(2) DENIAL and ignoring of any aforementioned requirement. Followed wholeheartedly with copious amounts of…

(3) RESENTMENT and gratuitous grumbling about said change. Next we almost certainly have...

(4) (RELUCTANT) ACCEPTANCE of changing things. Then eventual...

(5) ADAPTATION to new circumstance, moving swiftly onto...

(6) EMBRACING of the change in question. Finally we arrive at enjoyment and

 (7) FULFILMENT at new circumstance (and let's face it, I’ll probably say it was my idea in the first place)

If I could be someone else for the day I would be DJ Annie Mac. She’s got my dream job on BBC Radio 1 and she’s an uber-cool DJ by night - travelling the world and making people happy with her musical magic… what a tremendous lady!

In the public eye I believe that Katherine Grainger is a great role model for women because her dogged determination and grit ensured her gold medal in London 2012 - as well as her other Olympic and World medals. She is highly intelligent, humble, funny, kind and just generally a lovely person to be around. I'm inspired by her story and by her talent as an athlete. Plus, I still think highly of her despite the fact that she once stole my pyjamas at a conference but then, that’s another story… 

Got a question for Fiona? You'll find her on twitter @ScottishFoof and can follow her personal 'ramblings', including the story of her surgery and recovery on her blog.

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Jane Campbell Morrison - CEO Snowsport Scotland

I first met Jane in a sailing club portacabin on the side of a loch last summer when she worked for RYA Scotland. I liked Jane from the second we met because of her no nonsense, gung-ho, anything is possible attitude. She oozes positive energy and is great fun to be around. In September last year Jane was diagnosed with cancer and in typical Jane style she faced it head on. Jane courageously decided to write about her experience from diagnosis, through chemotherapy treatment, to present day. Her articles are a fascinating, frank and powerful read. Jane's latest role as CEO of Snowsport Scotland sees her continue to challenge herself, bravely careering through life with a big smile on her face. Let me introduce you ....

Growing up in Canada, Scotland and France I dreamed of being a ski instructor. My parents decided to emigrate to Newfoundland in Canada and to have their children there. I loved it as I played Ice Hockey, have vivid memories of sledging outside our house, and we skied everywhere! We moved to Scotland when I was about 5 or 6, because my parents felt that there would be more opportunities for work and education back here. We sailed in the summer in our very small day boat (I have happy memories of hiding under the front of the boat with my wee brother and eating peanut butter cookies while my mum and dad did all the hard work) and skied every winter as often as possible, driving up in old cars that were freezing cold, and eating sandwiches and soup. To this day I hate penguin chocolate biscuits which were meant to be a treat but because they got so cold and then heated up they tasted a bit peculiar! My dad, my brother and I had some really great days together skiing hard and enjoying the Scottish conditions.

My first job was as a relief manageress for Flour Power bakery shops (now Greggs) which was scary when you are only 17 and have to manage ladies who are considerably older than you!

The best advice I ever got was ‘Do what makes you smile’.

The achievement I am most proud of is surviving cancer.

My mantra is a long one called Desiderata, a prose poem by American writer Max Ehrmann. Look it up.

Other people think that I am crazy and incredibly busy....more crazy though!

I’d be lost without my fountain pen, my cat and my husband although not necessarily in that order.

My biggest challenge has been/ is surviving cancer and changing jobs.

In the last year I have learned just how strong I actually am, both physically and mentally.

My ambition for the future is to have a really fast sports car! 

If I could be someone else for the day I would be Sharon Osbourne. Quite apart from being a cancer survivor (sort of – she took drastic steps to avoid getting cancer), she is quirky, not afraid to tell it how it is, looks fantastic for her age, has dealt with some very challenging situations at home and is still her own person.

In the public eye I believe that Mrs Obama is a great role model for women because she is not afraid to speak out but she does it quietly and sensibly.

Got a question for Jane? You'll find her on twitter @SnowSpScotCEO , or read her personal blog here .

Subscribe to this blog by adding your email to the relevant box on the right hand side, or follow me on twitter @AnnieBeee and search for the hashtag #WomenInMyLife. If you enjoy reading these interviews please use the share buttons below and spread the word. This article explains why I started writing it and what I hope to achieve in sharing the stories of these inspirational women.

Victoria Arnold - Founder of Desk Union

Today's 'Women In My Life' feature is with Victoria Arnold, serial entrepreneur and founder of both Desk Union and HomestayFriend. Let me introduce you ....

Growing up in the “Kingdom of Fife” I dreamed of being an Opera Singer! My dad loved rugby and I used to listen to the ‘world in union’ song on repeat! The closest I ever got was the coveted role of narrator in Joseph in primary 6… thankfully there’s no video evidence.

My first job was a weekend job at Specsavers. I got the gig after two weeks successful work experience. I was 15 and earning £2.50 per hour whilst those older than me got more for the same role. I will always remember the day that I privately vocalised this injustice to the MD. “I do the same job as everyone else here so why am I paid less?!”. It worked! I was immediately raised to £3.60 per hour. It was a massive victory for me and the first example of my self belief and determination in action in the business world.

The best advice I ever got was' What have you got to lose?' It was on these words from my family that I decided to pursue my dreams of running my business full-time. The next day I handed in my notice at work and have never looked back.

My favourite saying … you snooze you lose!

Other people think that I am extremely organise but I am actually juggling a whole circus act.

Change is inevitable. embrace it. Everything happens for a reason.

I’d be lost without my support network. Entrepreneurship is HARD. You need to surround yourself with people who can pick you up and lift you through those dark moments. I don’t have many friends, for one I don’t have much time for them and for two, most of them just don't understand me any more. But those who I consider my close friends are my sanity check, my compass and I couldn't do it without them.

The achievement I am most proud of is creating jobs. I now employ 4 people. Its an absolutely amazing feeling but also terrifying as a small business and having someone else rely on you to pay their bills. Talk about pressure!

My biggest challenge has been focus. I am naturally opportunity hungry. I get so excited by new ideas, partnerships and opportunities. I know that down the line I can fully embrace this role but for now I have to reign it in, make sales and prove my business can work. I guess one really successful business can fund my future inquisitive business nature right?

In the last year I have learned how fast a year can go and what can be achieved if you just try. Explaining the last 12 months of my life is another essay altogether. It has been the best and hardest year of my life, uncertainty, sacrifice, success, anguish, fun, elation, growth, love. It’s a roller-coaster I would ride again tomorrow though!

My ambition for the future is to be as happy as possible! This could happen in many ways. For me it’s about continuing to push and challenge myself. I know I can achieve something truly amazing in my life and I will keep trying till the day I look back and say, 'wow Victoria you rock!'

If I could be someone else for the day I would be Karl Lagerfeld. What a man. I think that’s enough said.

In the public eye I believe that role models are all around us. They are the people who appreciate every day, see the positive in every situation, smile through adversity and laugh loudly. If you can have a positive impact on just one person’s life every day then you’re amazing in my eyes.

Got a question for Victoria? You can find her on twitter @arnoldvic or contact her via the Desk Union website.

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Allie Gledhill - Author and Survivor

Allie Gledhill is a chiropractor, world traveller and owner of four legged friend, Pluto. Allie recently swapped Glasgow for her native Australia to embark on the next chapter of her life. Her first book, An Angel In The Corner, tells the tale of her road to healing after enduring violent sexual abuse as a teenager.  Allie hopes that by sharing her story of overcoming the hurt and pain to lead a happy, fulfilled life that she will support and inspire others to move forward. Allie is an incredible person and a true survivor. Let me introduce you....

Growing up in Perth, Western Australia, I dreamed of being a professional musician, someone who spent all day playing uplifting music with a group of good friends. These days I still love to play the piano and I kind of like that I don’t play for a job. I play because I love it.

My first job was in a fast food restaurant when I was fifteen or sixteen years old, serving greasy chips & chicken. I made some great friends there, people who would become friends for life and would later encourage me with my writing work and my coming out as an abuse survivor.

Other people think that I am a happy and easygoing person, with a tendency to get a bit overly excited every now again, especially over good food and/or pretty silk scarves.

The best advice I ever got was to write a book! My partner wouldn't stop nagging me until my book was written and published. It was very confronting for me to go back and re-live the most difficult years of my life, but the writing process helped me to put it all behind me and to free myself from the memories that were haunting and controlling me.

My favourite saying is ‘love your life and it will love you right back’!

Change is often an opportunity in disguise, and the more confronting the change feels, the more likely it is that we need to embrace that change. I strongly resisted going public with my story for years and years, but the desire to write my book kept niggling at me until I finally started taking small steps towards reaching my goal. The change felt overwhelming at first but it ended up feeling great.

I’d be lost without the support and love of my family and my friends.

The achievement I am most proud of is writing my story and coming out as an abuse survivor. I thought I would take my horrible secret to the grave and that no one would ever know what happened to me, other than myself and my abuser. I didn’t realise how immensely cathartic the writing process would be and how many messages of love and support that I would receive once I found the courage to share my story.

My biggest challenge has been to come to terms with my past. It had taken many hours of counselling and personal work but I have finally achieved my goal.

My ambition for the future is to use my writing to give a voice to those people who are, for whatever reason, unable to share their own stories. For many years I was frightened into silence by an adult to had power over me and made me feel like I didn't have a voice of my own. Having a voice and an outlet for communication and creativity are valuable gifts that I don’t want to waste.

If I could be someone else for the day I would be P!NK. I think it would be marvellous to wear those fabulous costumes and to fly about on a trapeze.

In the public eye I believe that Angelina Jolie is a great role model for women because she uses her personal power to draw attention to humanitarian affairs. I admire people who have a vision and a cause that is greater than themselves and I believe that she is one of those people.

Got a question or a comment for Allie? You can occasionally find her on twitter @_allie_g and her book is available here.

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