Why Inspiring Women Matters — And Why Being a Role Model Can Change Lives

There was a time in my life when I genuinely believed I had failed.

I left school with no qualifications, battled cancer while trying to keep a business afloat, faced financial collapse, personal heartbreak, and more moments of self-doubt than I can count. Yet somehow, through resilience, stubbornness, hope, and sheer determination, I rebuilt my life — and years later stood proudly receiving an OBE for supporting women in business.

If you had told the younger version of me that one day I would become a motivational speaker, businesswoman, author, and role model to women and young girls, I would never have believed you. And that is exactly why representation matters.

Because somewhere right now, another woman is sitting quietly doubting herself, believing she isn’t clever enough, strong enough, confident enough, young enough, experienced enough or brave enough to achieve the things she dreams about.

She needs to see someone who proves otherwise.

You Cannot Be What You Cannot See

For generations, women have often been taught to shrink themselves.T o stay quiet. To not appear “too ambitious.” To wait for permission. To apologise before speaking. To question their worth before they even begin. And yet, some of the most extraordinary women I know started with nothing more than grit and determination.

No perfect roadmap. No privilege. No guarantees. Just courage.

That’s why role models are so important.

Not because we are perfect. But because we are proof.

Proof that setbacks do not define us. Proof that failure is survivable. Proof that success is possible after struggle. Proof that ordinary women can achieve extraordinary things.

The Power of Real Stories

I think one of the reasons people connect with my story is because I don’t pretend life has been polished or easy. I talk openly about the difficult moments. The fear. The failures. The rebuilding. The exhaustion. The tears.

Because women don’t need more perfection to compare themselves against. They need honesty. Too often, success is presented as a straight line. But real life is messy.

Behind every achievement is usually:

• Sacrifice

• Self-doubt

• Fear

• Resilience

• Reinvention

• Persistence

Women need to hear that success does not require perfection.

It requires perseverance.

Being a Role Model Isn’t About Fame

One of the biggest misconceptions is that role models have to be celebrities, CEOs or people standing on stages.

They don’t.

A role model can be:

• A mother rebuilding her confidence after divorce

• A woman returning to work after illness

• A business owner taking a risk

• A friend supporting others quietly

• A colleague speaking up in meetings

• A grandmother showing strength through adversity

Role models exist in everyday moments.

Sometimes simply surviving difficult times with kindness and dignity inspires more people than you will ever realise.

Why Women Need Other Women

There is something incredibly powerful about women genuinely championing each other.

Not competing. Not comparing. Not tearing each other down.

Supporting. Throughout my journey, I’ve learned that women thrive when they feel encouraged rather than judged.

A single conversation, opportunity, introduction or word of encouragement can completely alter someone’s confidence and direction in life.

I’ve spent years mentoring, speaking and supporting women because I know firsthand how transformational belief can be.

Sometimes people just need someone to say: “You can do this.” “I believe in you.” “Keep going.”

Those words matter more than we realise.

Confidence Is Built, Not Born

People often assume confident women have always felt that way.

Most haven’t.

Confidence is usually built through:

• Experience

• Failures survived

• Challenges overcome

• Risks taken

• Lessons learned

• Courage practised repeatedly

I certainly wasn’t born confident.

Life built me.

Every setback taught me resilience. Every difficult moment taught me perspective. Every challenge taught me strength I didn’t know I had.

And I think that’s an important message for women to hear: You do not have to feel fearless to move forward.

You simply have to keep moving.

The Responsibility of Visibility

Receiving an OBE for supporting female entrepreneurship remains one of the proudest moments of my life.

But the title itself isn’t what matters most to me.

What matters is what it represents.

Responsibility.

Because once people begin looking to you for inspiration, you realise your words, actions and attitude carry weight.

People are always watching:

• How you handle setbacks

• How you treat others

• Whether you stay grounded

• Whether you help others rise too

Real leadership is not about standing above people.

It’s about reaching back and helping others climb.

We Need More Women Who Dare

The world does not need women to be smaller. Quieter. More cautious. Less visible.

It needs more women who dare:

• Dare to lead

• Dare to speak

• Dare to start over

• Dare to fail

• Dare to reinvent themselves

• Dare to believe they belong in every room they enter

And most importantly, it needs women who help other women do the same.

Final Thoughts

If there’s one thing I hope women take from my story, my work and my book Shake Your Own Pompoms, it’s this:

• You do not need permission to believe in yourself.

• You do not need perfect qualifications, perfect timing or a perfect past.

• Your struggles do not disqualify you from success, they prepare you for it.

• And never underestimate the impact you may already be having on someone else.

• Because somewhere, someone is watching how you survive, how you rise, and how you keep going despite everything.

And to them?

You may already be the role model they desperately needed.