I recently had the pleasure of talking a little about my journey to advising the world's most iconic brands while also being a mum...

Incredibly kind of Peter Dochev and Bulgaria’s prime bTV channel - thank you for the fabulous conversation. Humbled to have been invited under the banner of Inspirational Women of Bulgaria.?

Life can be busy - it’s a rare opportunity to stop & think - we laughed and reflected on the things that have made me who I am.

If you speak Bulgarian - take a look at the interview here.

If Bulgarian is not your first language and you are curious to hear what it was all about, you can read this short outline of the interview below:

There was a good amount of reminiscing and laughter at early day consulting engagements where my suitcase goes missing in Africa and I end up meeting a senior government official, wearing flip flops and a borrowed pair of shorts :)

In the interview we talk briefly about the 1sts: the embarrassing 1sts, the proud 1sts, the lessons, like the time of travelling and living in completely new cultures and countries, being a student in the UK , becoming the 1st international female president at uni, working in the world of customer centricity and CRM softwares, being one of the first few exploring the link between CRM softwares as platforms for growth and innovation back when there was nearly no academic work on the subject, we touch on my forever bond with the V&A Museum and we reflect on my role today as a new mum and a leader at PwC.

Today - I am so proud of my career as a Director at PwC - my work family. The scale and opportunities to solve some of the most cutting edge challenges that my clients in Auto and the wider Private Sector face is exciting, and sometimes nerve racking.? The talent here at PwC is unmatched and I care deeply for making sure that’s the case.?Becoming a mum has given me new found super powers - a new appreciation for what balancing truly means and perspectives I am bringing into work each day.

Years ago I was a bright eyed 1st year fresher who arrived in a completely new culture and country knowing nobody. If you are reading this, and that’s you - trust me, things get easier as you learn to navigate all those new dimensions. I had to build my life from scratch. Others volunteered their time to help me, give me advice, become friends or mentors - I am so grateful for that. I learned loads. Learned how to help others in turn. Found myself leading the Students' Union and learning a great deal from the NUS and local communities in Oxford. Then I became a fresh new graduate looking for jobs, working in various roles - automotive, new and emerging tech, charities - all of that happening during another turbulent economic collapse but this time in the UK. Ultimately I found my place at PwC. Each one of those stepping stones has depth of experiences and emotions that have shaped me.

But the most fundamental of all is my 1st stepping stone - my family.

Coming from an amazing little family of entrepreneurs, engineers, wine-makers is a privilege and a start in life that I will forever be grateful for. Life hasn’t always been easy - as a young girl with two young parents unemployed and forced to make ends meet during the turbulence of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the painful road to democracy.?

Their resilience, ingenuity and sense of humour meant we all rolled up sleeves and tried to make the most of the situation. I had to grow up quickly and yet I would never trade my childhood for anything different. I am blown away at what sheer determination, intelligence and thinking outside of the box can lead to - my mum becoming the first female leader in the world of alcohol (wine making) at home, my parents taking active part in developing local communities and the local economy, earning the recognition and trust of those at home, supporting and employing young talent, and making it possible for me to travel and study. Ultimately leading to life today. I have always felt a citizen of the world. A very grateful citizen.

My thanks to all of you who have made a big difference on this journey, so much so that I had a few decent stories to laugh at for this interview ... PwC UK

Helen West Tim Field Mared Morant Louise Golden Jason Manning Peter Stubbs Will Stevns Steven Gough Maria Luciana A. Matt Cook Rob McCargow Paul Sloman Joanna Ahlstrom Steve Randle Chris Smith Tom Adams Thomas Williams Milena Rangelova, FCCA Daniel Stenholm, PhD David Allen Anne-Mette Nygaard Lindblad Penelope Bellegarde Cara Haffey Nick Atkin Mark Couttie Douglas Graham Quinton Pienaar Nick Jarman Andrew Hogan Darshan Chandarana Farida Lockhat Rachel Kelly Diana Yeboah (UK) Akshara Kothari Chandhok Luke Robinson Dominic Leon Gavin Sanderson Antony Cook Mark Jamieson James Easterbrook MCMI ChMC Jonathan Brewer Andrew Ardron 英国牛津布鲁克斯大学