Our Sales Director spoke to the writers of the blog, The Journal, last week about her work
In a nutshell, tell us about the business you work for Skipton Properties is a family business that builds new homes for families in Yorkshire and Lancashire.
What does your typical day at work look like? What I love about my role is how varied it is. There isn’t really ever a typical day. I can be visiting a potential development, reviewing house styles with our Creative Director or meeting with my team to discuss the build of our homes.
How would you describe the ‘business woman’ side of you in three words? Passionate, Assertive and Empathetic… but I have to add a fourth… which would be ambitious!
How would you describe your style at work? Collaborative.
In your opinion, what makes a successful business woman? Managing work and life successfully and having a husband by my side who takes on just as much as I do at home. The sharing of responsibilities enables you to focus on the tasks at hand at work without any worry of what you might have missed at home. I love what I do but I also love my two children too.
When business is tough, what keeps you going? Passion and people. Passion for what we do and the supportive team I have around me.
Who are your female role models in business? A well-known role model, but I would say Sheryl Sandberg. Her book Lean In is an inspiration for any woman in business.
Do you think business women are treated fairly in your industry? As you might imagine, women are scarce in the construction industry, so my experience of this is limited. However speaking from my own experience, the only challenge for me has been proving myself as a member of the family. My gender has not come into the equation.
What advice would you give to female entrepreneurs starting out on their business journey? Start with why you believe what you believe. I’d recommend reading Simon Sinek’s book ‘Start with Why’ and Warren Berger’s ‘A More Beautiful Question’ to really get your creative juices flowing. Once you have an idea that you can really get behind and have a set of values, which form the core of your business, you should have a recipe for success.