The Real 'Girl Power'

​Growing up in the nineties, for me, brought about a real shift in the role of women from ‘average homemaker’ to ‘feisty ballbreaker’. Admittedly, my perception of feminism was shaped entirely by the spice girls famous ‘girl power’ slogan, but it did get me thinking about women, their place in the world and their value.
 
At that time, the women who inspired me the most were those in the news for their charitable work, the obvious one being Princess Diana. Her empathy and kindness towards those in need and suffering was quite remarkable. I loved Diana’s sheer disregard for the norm, showing us that it’s ok to cry and that despite who you are or what you’ve got, your humility, humanity and self-respect says everything about you. 
 
When we think about inspirational women, it’s normal to let our minds wander to the most famous and celebrated women we’ve heard of – and for very good reasons. Michelle Obama for her promotion of women’s rights, Rosa Parks for her bravery and courage in challenging racial prejudice and Mother Teresa for her humanitarian work. Indeed, the more recognisable and ‘global’ the woman, the more our perception of them is clouded, elevating them to an almost saintly pedestal. 

Shelley Kerr

Lisa Fleming 

​There are achievements and successes to be found locally though. We don’t even need to leave our houses, switch the tv on or use google. I want to talk about a couple of everyday women who inspire me now. No royal titles, no political leaders, no multimillionaires. And that’s the beauty of celebrating our sisters. Regardless of where you are in life, there’s a celebration of success to be found in all pockets of our communities.  
 

​Shelley Kerr 
Shelley is one of Scotland’s most decorated and successful professional footballers. Currently the manager of the Scotland National Team, Shelley led her Arsenal team to win the FA Cup. At Hibernian (my local team!), Shelley captained the team to win the Scottish Cup twice – stats the men’s team can only dream of! For me, Shelley is a true leader and motivator and doesn’t get a fraction of the airtime that she truly deserves.
 
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​Lisa Fleming 
Lisa is a former parent from my other business, Rugbytots and working with her led to a collaboration of other child play activities. Roll on a few years and I was heartbroken to learn that she had been diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer, with no primary diagnosis given. In 2018, Lisa discovered that the cancer had spread to her brain.
Now, while many of us would experience a whole range of emotions and probably shut the whole world out, Lisa started her own charity, Make 2nds Count. She discovered that of all the funding for breast cancer research, only 5-9% goes towards researching secondary cancer. 

Around 1000 people a month in the UK die of secondary cancer – staggering. Funds raised for Make 2nds Count will go directly to secondary breast cancer research in the form of The Secondary Breast Cancer Team based at the MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine at the University of Edinburgh.

To me, Lisa is the absolute definition of bravery and courage. Selfless and completely resolute in her desire to understand secondary cancer so that the lives of others can be improved and increased. This lady is a true hero.

In our next blog, we will be reviewing our, all female leadership 'The Daring Way™' workshop, based on the research of the amazing Dr. Brené Brown. This workshop is now fully booked but look out for details of our next event.