We took inspiration from the young

Enjoy it while it lasts. I've been noticed! A famous talent spotter has started following me and the only reason I can fathom is that she's going to sign me up, which will mean I may actually start to earn some money for my musings.

In the meantime, I met an old client for coffee on Friday and she told me how much she appreciates this newsletter so, for now, it will be just one more of those things that I do for free. The other being most of the time spent on my "business" but the less said about that the better.

In the meantime, it's been a short but immensely fun packed week. Short because I didn't land from Miami until mid-day Monday and fun packed because ... well, where do I start.

Blast from the Past 1

Whilst I was lying on Miami Beach (did I mention I'd been to Miami?), I received an email from someone I first met six or seven years ago. Steve runs an outfit called Women Powering Smart Energy and yes, Steve is a man. Now isn't that refreshing! Steve asked me if I'd be interested in speaking on a panel and, given I do like to hear the sound of my own voice, I jumped at the chance.

Later learnt that it was being hosted at DLA Piper and one of our clients, Anna Mills, would be moderating the panel. Even more reason to do it.

I have to say it was one of the most inspirational events I've been to for a while, and not simply because the host, Natasha, had the ingenious idea of serving champagne on arrival rather than making people wait until after the talky bit to have a drink. She's right, it does wonders for encouraging audience participation.

The Young and the Old

I'm not one for reading instructions ahead of time (as Rebecca Walker, if she's reading will recall - we both got on a flight once to head off to a training course and both realised we had missed the part where we were told we needed to bring a towel, sturdy walking shoes and a waterproof coat, but that's a story for another day), so I was surprised to learn that there were actually two panels.

An "aspiring leaders" one and an "experienced leaders" one. Or something like that. Young and old, basically. Here are the young ones - apologies for the arrows, had to do a screen grab.

Ditch Your Assumptions

So there I am thinking about what fabulous advice I was going to impart, impatiently waiting my turn whilst a few twenty somethings blathered on about why they wanted to be lawyers or something along those lines.

Stop right there.

They all had really interesting stories to tell - one had worked 30 hours a week at MacDonalds, all the way through her A levels, ready to fund university, another had embarked on a seven year solicitor apprenticeship course despite her school advising her against it, another was studying for an environmental science degree alongside working as a lawyer, as if that's not hard enough, another had had to find an alternative route to qualification because of a chronic illness which she'd suffered from childhood.

So forget what I had to tell them, here instead is what I learnt from them:

• Believe in yourself, don't listen to anyone who says you can't do it, you can
• Be creative, there is always a way round whatever barrier you face
• Be authentic, be yourself (as Oscar Wilde once said, everyone else is taken).

It was a hard act to follow so I just had three messages:

• Play the long game, think of your career like a game of chess
• Build your own "brand", never rely on anyone else for the future of your career
• It's NEVER too late to build your network.

Whilst I'm Being Bossy

During lockdown (remember that), I persuaded the Reignite Academy team to set up a book club. Anyone could join, we'd read a book to do with women & careers and discuss on a Zoom call. Zoom calls, remember them ... oh, yes, they've stayed with us!

(The one thing that lockdown gave us, if nothing else, was a transformation in the way we work, particular WFH, that I swear would have taken another ten years if left to the men in charge).

Anyway, one of the books was the inappropriately titled "How Women Rise", and I say inappropriate because what it actually does is chart all the mistakes women make which mean they fail to rise.

I was prepared to hate it, as I detest sweeping assertions and stereotyping, but I have to say there is some good stuff in there. The same day as the above event, I was also at the same firm, running a training course for the lawyers we recently placed at the firm through a returner programme (THANK YOU to everyone involved in making that happen, by the way).

The topic was "Networking" and there were two particular messages from the book that I wanted to highlight.

1. Building rather than leveraging relationships. Work it out. It's so true.
2. Failing to enlist allies from Day 1. I quote. "Women in new roles resolve to keep their heads down until they're confident they're hitting the standard ... whereas men in new positions often think 'who should I connect with to make this job a success?' "

Black is Back

Did you notice? Most of the women on the panel got the memo. Black is back. Also, trainers are out. Well, not out, but not the ONLY shoe on the block.

The good news is that Vagabond (as in the Vagabond loafers that you all went out and bought under my instruction and if not why not?) also do boots. My daughter and I are currently sharing a pair. Like we share the loafers. Though it's not quite a 50/50 split.

The Cultural Slot

I'm reading: Comfort. The New Ottolenghi cookbook. It has more words than War and Peace and that's just the ingredient list.

I'm watching: Bad Sisters. Hats off to Sharon Horgan. So often the sequel fails to deliver. Not this time.

I'm listening to: Off Menu. Florence Pugh. Inspired by my son who is currently in Girona and who spent thirty minutes on the phone last night telling me all about his own Off Menu choices.

I'm eating: At Sesta. No help for those outside of London, or many of those in London to be fair as there are only about 12 seats, but it is fabulous if you can get one.

A New Slot!! And this Sunday we're having

• Roast chicken, hispi cabbage and za'tar roast potatoes courtesy of Ottolenghi Comfort
• Road aubergine from Nothing Fancy by Alison Roman
• Harissa roasted carrots from Ottolenghi Simple
• Honey and Cinnamon cake courtesy of my friend Erin who has suddenly learnt to bake. Must be the bun in the oven.