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.

An introduction to 'The Women In My Life'

The idea for this blog is very simple. I know some truly inspirational women and I wanted to create a space to share their stories. All of the women have made a positive impression on my life in one way or another. Some are close friends, others I have met whilst working on various projects. 

The only common thread is that all of the women are down to earth, clever, hard- working, genuine, and great fun to be around. Forget about their age or job title, what's important is the lessons that can be learned from listening to the stories they have to tell. 

I want to put the spotlight on these women because I strongly believe we need more female role models. In my experience women will happily talk about the success of their products, their team, their organisation or their family but are less forthcoming when asked to promote their own success. I knew if I asked the participants to write me an article about their achievements and how brilliant they are that I would be faced with an empty Inbox. So, I came up with the idea that I would interview them instead and I'll do the trumpet blowing!

Initially I have approached ten women to feature, the interviewee will then invite a woman in her life to be interviewed. In business and in life we all need a strong foundation to survive life's storms. My hope is that 'The Women In my Life' blog will provide a collection of articles that people can relate to, and that will motivate and inspire others to believe in themselves.  If just one person benefits from reading this blog, then I've achieved what I set out to do.

You can subscribe to the 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.

I really hope you enjoy reading this blog and please do share the articles with your networks.