IWD 2022

How on earth is is March already - this year is disappearing before it has even begun!

Also, I have not done so well in updating content on this forum over the last 12 months. It appears I have been busy. Indeed, I know I have - but it is all good and we will be sharing shortly what we have been up to! ***Watch this space, or at least the KAWC company pages/my updates for news!!!***

I just pulled the above image from iStock for International Woman's Day - but I have to say I am exceptionally disappointed that my search for this entailed a lot of pink and floral designs - how can we champion breaking the bias if the very posters we are creating for this are playing directly into the assumed gender narratives from the off.

Although maybe I am looking at it wrong, after all the naming of our software (TIARA; Tax Investment and Reporting Software) is very deliberately feminine. Not only because we are a female led company in wealth management who have already achieved organic and impressive growth in a fairly male dominated industry, but being able to branch into the FinTech space it was important for us to keep pushing that narrative; that being different, being female; being passionate - it really isn't a bad thing. That's not to say it doesn't have male influence, the very idea for the name came from our associate/ex-colleague/champion/friend Ian Parker when I bemoaned in a chat just how frustrating it was that we couldn't quite find the right name for the product. Nothing felt and he put together some extremely clever, witty and some downright filthy (acronym based) suggestions. I think he was half joking when he came out with TIARA but I loved it. When you know, you know!

Anyway, I have digressed somewhat from the point of this post - I want to celebrate some amazing women in my life.

My mum.

• She really didn't have it easy but she has always done her best to be the best and give us the best she could. I hope to ensure that we can one day have the granny flat (or cottage on the grounds) that we have joked about for years, to be able to give back to her (and Dad, of course) a fraction of what they did for us all growing up would be great.

Abi Ostler

• This woman is an absolute legend. I first met Abi when I worked at Brown Shipley many moons ago, and she is the most amazing and supportive colleague/friend/business partner I could ever hope for. When she joined KAWC I was so ecstatic that someone as brilliant as her would want to join a fledgling company like mine with (at that stage) nothing but a dream of delivering a new breed of services, in a relatively misunderstood area it would ordinarily be seen as a huge risk. Her unwavering support, throughout the life cycle of KAWC has been, I believe, key to our success.

Julia Batty/Carla Biro

• These two have offered nothing but unwavering support throughout our friendships. Despite my hectic life ensuring I am continuously chasing my tale in terms of life admin and finding time this last two years to even speak to friends, they have never once called me out for being pants or neglecting them, instead recognising the juggling of commitments and expectations, and offering words of support, virtual hug or practical help where they can. Truly inspiring and great champions for lifting others up, even if they are struggling themselves.

Izzy Tilburn, Lucy Tilburn, Lexi Miller, Poppy Tilburn and Betty Tilburn

• In their own ways they are uniquely and fiercely independent, they have their own interests and personalities. They are simply amazing and I hope to support them continuously as best I can (though I have to say that is personally challenging for the teenage aspect ... but I am working on that, especially since there are a few more to reach that stage yet!)

There are many prominent women on Linked in that I have had the pleasure of connecting with this last year; Belinda Bianca Parmar OBE, Suzanne Doyle-Morris PhD, Monica Sasso, Alison Cooper, Faryl Robin Morse, Yvonne Maher, Barbara Ann-King: to name but a few that are always striving to continue posting information and collaborating with a range of people, companies and platforms to really break the bias.