Inspirational Women – Jane Weaver

Jane Weaver runs AYS Couriers, her own logistics company. Jane was working at AYS when redundancy loomed so she bought the company! AYS Couriers sends goods across the UK from sheaves of paper to industrial fridges. I really admire her and I’m sure you will too after reading her story.

Jane, do tell us how you ended up working in the predominantly male field of logistics?
Completely by accident! I took a job as PA to the owner of AYS Couriers, purely because I liked her and was impressed with her pride in the business. I was at a low ebb in my life and stepped away from my PA career to take less responsibility and work within a role that was comfortable to me at the time. I came to AYS at a very difficult time in my life, in the middle of a difficult divorce and at a very low ebb.

My MD was very supportive and came to know how I was feeling, she had a great balance between being an empathetic woman whilst remaining clearly the “boss” – this is a model I try to replicate in my current role.

After about 18 months the owner of the business told us that she had decided to sell AYS, at this point I realised this could be the answer to the worries I had about my future. I saw this was the chance to make my own future and although there were many obstacles my determination to take this opportunity saw me through. Instead of wondering what I was going to do to get out of the ‘mess’ I felt I was in, I took control and made a decision to throw all my energy into seeing the sale through; I set  goals and ‘made deals with myself’; such as “I will spend the 2 years just looking after my daughter (then the youngest of 3 was 13) and ‘making this happen’” I saw the purchase and me taking up the role as MD as a way of providing security and financial advancement as well as giving my battered mind something positive to focus on.

I didn’t let my head drive doubts into my mind and read up on others who had achieved similar things, I took inspiration from other business women and educated myself on legalities and business structure.

The biggest challenge was financial I had been left after my divorce with no capital; the current business owner advised me to talk to an associate of hers who had been through an MBO before and who had contacts with potential investors. Through his support we were able to buy the business with a team of shareholders.

Over the following years shareholders were brought out, until we got to the point where I remain the sole owner. Buying the business transformed my life and I am eternally grateful that I took the opportunity to make my own destiny, I would say to anyone sometimes when you can’t see a way forward and are unsure how you are going to ever feel positive again, the best things are around the corner, believe in yourself, this is just a phase in your life – not the rest of your life!

Did you plan your career? Or have you reacted to events as they have happened?
I have to admit I did not have a plan when I left school, prior to A levels as I was ‘bored’! My first job was as an office junior for Birmingham City Council, this gave me a great insight into the work of different departments as we moved around on a rota basis gaining experience.

Following this start, I moved around, not working more than 2/3 years in anyone place. Although some would think this is not a good admission on a CV, I think this demonstrates an interest in learning and developing. My experience allowed me to take on pretty much any administrative role as I could learn and turn my hand to anything. I moved to PA more in a management support role than in the traditional shorthand secretarial role; this gave me inside knowledge of the work of Directors and CEO’s that proved invaluable!

What would you change if you had the chance to go back and do it again?
When asked over the years if I would have changed things at times I would have said yes, I would have gained more qualifications but now as my career has matured I would say No. I strongly believe that one of my greatest skills is being able to take on new challenges, change motivates rather than frightens me; this is a direct result of working in many different sectors at various levels.

What has most surprised  you about running your own business?
The absolute joy of it! I am enthusiastic about my business and particularly enjoy being in a position where I can give others the opportunity to become a stakeholder in the business and develop their career, the sky really is the limit at AYS for both the business and its personnel.

What have I learnt from this journey:-
1) If you really want something and are prepared to do what it takes to get it – you will succeed.

2) Don’t let bad days (or weeks or months!) make you feel this is all that life holds for you – none of us know the future.

3) Forgive yourself for your mistakes, when I asked a great friend how my life had got so confused she responded “one step at a time” she constantly told me “you are only human” – we all find ourselves in situations that didn’t quite work out as we thought, we are only human – it is life experiences that make you the person you are.

It’s hard to put into words, I guess I mean I am an ordinary person, my life felt fractured – and yet good things were around the corner, I took the opportunity that provided drive and passion in my life and ‘saved’ myself from the downward spiral – if I can do it – so can you!

Have you experienced any overt or covert discrimination because of your gender? If so, how do you deal with it?
Not at all, I have found the female approach to be very successful. In my experience there has always been a lot of support for me as a business owner, both I believe as a female and as someone who came to business in a less than traditional route.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given re starting your own business?
“Know where you are going! Decide where you want to get to, then you will find the way” It is easy to become distracted from your goals, having a clear destination or end result in mind clarifies thought processes, you can’t plan if you don’t have a clear destination in mind.

Who has been the biggest influence, or role model in your life? Who most inspires you?
I have had two ‘Bosses’ who inspired me along the way. The first one taught me that ‘no’ was not an option when things get tough, find a way to do it! He gave me a “can do” attitude that helps me every day, we sometimes impose limitations on ourselves by accepting the first “I can’t do it” thought that pops into our head.

My focus on the end result in business and ability to identify the route to the goal is a direct result of his influence.

The second inspired me in her belief in her business, I could see how much having her own business meant to her and I guess I wanted that feeling too. She is a successful business woman but retains a down to earth combination of wife and mother alongside her professional image – a very “real” lady.

MD is a big job when running your own business. How do you manage to balance home and work and to relax?
Stop fighting yourself, when you own a business you will have enormous passion about it, it is part of your life and you never fully switch off but that does not mean that you cannot enjoy being away from it. Whenever I take holiday I still want to know how things are going and holidays often give you time to come up with ideas and direction for your business. I don’t believe this is a fault it is natural state for someone who goes into business ownership, you just manage your communication and contact.

My family know they come first but also know how important the business is to me, and that it makes me happy! Relaxation should be built into you week; it refreshes and de-stresses you and in the end makes you more productive. At particularly difficult times I believe that it is your duty to yourself and to your business to ensure that you do the things that help you relax and re-energise so that when you are at work you are 100%.

If the current Jane could give the 16 year old Jane some advice, what would it be?
Believe in yourself, a tendency to become ‘bored’ could be seen as ambition and a desire to increase my knowledge. At the time I faced criticism for moving on from roles that were ‘secure’, now I know the benefit of the development I gained in other roles. Don’t lose ‘yourself’ it is you being you that brings about success; never try and change yourself to fit someone else’s model.

If you could have any career you wanted, what would it be and why?
I would like to be in a role where I could help others realise their ambitions, I have learned so much in this role, and I would like to be able to support others in their desire to progress in business. Many people suffer from not taking up opportunities that are presented, with an enquiring mind and thoughtful planning most things can be achieved more easily than you might think.

How has deciding to run your own business affected your life?
Taking the decision to lead an MBO and buy into the business and then to eventually take on the whole business has transformed my life. If anyone is hesitating about doing it I would say go for it! Ensure that your business and personal plans are realistic and achievable and then go ahead and take control of your own destiny. My journey from a time when my future was unclear to my role today has been a roller coaster of amazing experiences. All the clichés are true, seize the day, believe in yourself – you can do it! For me I am just beginning “watch this space”!

Jane, thank you so much! I am so looking forward to meeting you again on Speak Up!

If you’d like to meet some other wonderful women like Jane, do come along to the next Speak Up course in Bath. It’s booking now! And this link will take you directly to Jane’s AYS site.

Inspirational Women – Deborah Alsina

Twitter is amazing and was the cause of my getting to know the amazing Deborah Alsina. Deborah is the chief executive of a national charity and I was intrigued to know how she came by such a job. Do read her story – I know she’ll inspire you as she has me!

Jane: Deborah, can you describe your current role?
Deborah: I’m the Chief Executive of Bowel Cancer UK, a national charity which aims to save lives by raising awareness of bowel cancer, campaigning for best treatment and care and providing practical support and advice to patients, their family and friends.

Bowel cancer is the second biggest cancer killer in the UK, but it is highly treatable if diagnosed early.  Unfortunately awareness of the disease is too low and people are often unaware of the disease itself or its symptoms.  That makes Bowel Cancer UK’s work even more important as raising awareness really can save lives.

How did you end up in this post? Was it through personal experience or a career choice?
A bit of both actually.  My father was diagnosed with bowel cancer in early 2008 and sadly died in June that same year.  During the course of his diagnosis and treatment I was shocked to learn that bowel cancer is the second biggest cancer killer, yet I knew nothing about it at all.  His death was profoundly shocking and I’m convinced that if I had known then what I know now, he would have survived.

During the course of those few months and after his death, I researched the disease and the charitable sector as I wanted to know more.  In my mind, I was sure there had to be a big cancer charity that was providing support and advice as there are, for example, in breast and prostate cancer.   I was shocked to discover that in fact the charities focusing on bowel cancer were small and under-developed and realised that in part this was due to the nature of the disease and its public image.

I’ve worked in the voluntary sector for 20 years and at the time was working as a self-employed management consultant so I decided to turn my painful negative experiences into a positive by getting involved in some way.  I wrote to Bowel Cancer UK and offered to help and my probono consultancy services quickly became employment!  I became Director of Services and Strategy in June 2009 and then Chief Executive a year later.

I’m at my best professionally when I’m passionate about what I do and I think the reason this role works so well is that it brings together my personal experience with my professional skills.

What is main difference working in charity sector as opposed to the private sector?
The most obvious difference is that the charity sector is cause driven, not about profit.  Of course we want to make a profit (normally through fundraising) but then plough that back into the charity to ensure we meet our mission, in Bowel Cancer UK’s case to save lives from bowel cancer. I think charities should be run with the same rigour as a business but with a cause at their core.

To be truly effective, they should be fast moving, sharply run, independent and full of creativity and innovation.  Our ultimate aim should be to put ourselves out of business because we’ve solved the issue we are focused upon.

What were your career aspirations when you left school?
I was going to be an opera singer!  From the age of six, I was always going to be a musician – initially a cellist and then in my mid –teens I discovered, to my amazement, that I had a good voice and just loved it.  My aim was to go to music college to study singing but as I finished school when I was still 17 and young voices need looking after, I went to university first to read Music.

However I had my singing lessons at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and was a performance major.  The idea was that afterwards I would go on to do post graduate studies.  Those plans came unstuck when I went to Africa and fell in love with it!  I had been so privileged to have a safe secure upbringing but Africa really opened my eyes to the wider world including to poverty and human rights abuse.  From that moment my attention changed from centre stage Covent Garden to a deep desire to do something for people.  I changed direction totally, stopping singing almost overnight – which I regret now to some extent.

What were you doing before this role?
I began my career in publishing but quickly moved into the voluntary sector. I have worked in many different areas, from academic think tanks to charities supporting people with a disability or who work internationally.  Directly before joining Bowel Cancer UK, I was an independent consultant for five years which I enjoyed.  I specialised in strategy, fundraising and communications and of course did lots of evaluations too.  I was also the interim CEO of the Welsh Refugee Council for a while.

I was very fortunate to have lots of really interesting work yet had the flexibility to spend more time with my children and support my husband who was newly diagnosed with leukaemia.

However, my favourite employer before Bowel Cancer UK was the Refugee Council, I started working there as a fundraiser and eventually ended up setting up a new programme looking at the root causes of refugee producing situations and asylum in the West.  I spent some time in the Balkans after the conflicts there and was deeply moved by the stories of bravery and terrible suffering.  In fact I was in Bosnia visiting families still trying to return to their homes, living in terrible conditions but with such dignity and pride on 9-11.  It was a terrible insight into what was to come.

So what draws my passion for human rights and refugees together with my passion to raise awareness of bowel cancer?  People and their amazing ability to overcome adversity and a personal desire to help where I can and where it’s appropriate to do so.

What kind of career path have you followed? Did you have a plan or react to events?
When I was in my 20s and early 30s I had a more obvious career path – I wanted to rise up through the ranks and to be a Director of Fundraising and Communications, which I achieved.  Then life happened and I moved into consultancy to try and get some balance and since then my career has been governed by personal events in my life, where my skills, experiences and interests converge.  I think what I enjoyed most about consultancy was that I was constantly being challenged and pushed out of my comfort zone which ensured I quickly extended my skill base.

I’ve finally discovered, now in my early 40s, that the most wonderful thing about getting older, is that I am much more able to accept that I’m actually quite good at some things and also feel just as fine about admitting that I will never be any good at some others!   It’s a good place to be.  Taking on a wide range of diverse projects as a consultant helped me find that out.

I’m also interested to discover that at this point in my life, I’m not very personally ambitious in terms of my career, but hugely ambitious in terms of my desire to do something of value.  I have no choice but to work as I need to make a living, so if I am going to do so, it has to be something that is socially meaningful.  If I’m honest sometimes my social conscience feels like a bit of a curse as I’m sure there must be an easier way to make a buck but I know I would lose interest pretty quickly!   My husband and close friends would tell you I am very determined and driven and I think that is fair.  When something has really grabbed my attention or needs to be done I am very focused and I will find a way to make it happen if I possibly can.

I know there will be a moment that it is right for Bowel Cancer UK that I move on, as I think new energy is important in a growing organisation, but at this moment I have no clear plan about what I will do next – no doubt something important will draw me in eventually.

Deborah, I’m pretty certain you must be an inspiration to many people, but who most inspires you?
I have been fortunate to work with some pretty inspirational people over the course of my career.  In fact some of the people who have inspired me most have been those who have overcome terrible things in their own lives yet found a way to turn a negative into a positive.  For example at the moment I am frequently moved by people who are touched by cancer either as a patient or care giver and who go on to provide support and hope to others.  I find that deeply motivating and it makes me want to do more.

What would you do differently if you were to start again? If you could give your younger self some advice what would it be?
Perhaps the biggest thing I would like to change is that I’ve always been plagued by severe self-doubt and been really tough on myself with lots of negative self-criticism.  I have a considerable expertise at identifying all the things I believe I have done wrong rather than allowing myself to enjoy successes.

Now a bit of that is a good thing, because it can keep you on your toes and I’m relieved to say that I am finally learning to channel it and turn it into a creative energy that enables me to achieve, but it has been a long hard battle.  So I think I would like to give my younger self a good talking to, so that I could stop wasting so much time dealing with negative unhelpful emotions.

What is the secret of happiness for you?
Watching Bowel Cancer UK strengthen, thrive and grow makes me happy because it means we really have a chance to have the impact we want – to save lives from and support people through bowel cancer.

However it’s my family that makes me happiest of all.  I have three beautiful children – boys of 16 and 14 and a little girl of 7.  Watching them grown and turn into wonderful people makes me both proud and happy.  Having enough time with them given the nature of my role and my daily five hour commute is difficult so time off with them is very precious.

If you could have any job you wanted (and you can’t choose your current one!) what would you absolute dream job be?
Now this is a difficult one.  Before my husband was diagnosed with cancer I had wanted to pursue an international career as I have a passion for international development and human rights, but we are tied to this country because of his ongoing treatment so I’ve had to give that up for now.

However my dream job would probably have some type of international component – looking at the international dimensions of cancer would fascinate me as it is a growing global issue yet the infrastructure in so many developing countries is very limited.  I would also be very interested in providing some training or mentoring to local charities in for example, Africa, to help them build their skills and build a sustainable local infrastructure.   You never know one day, once the children have left home, perhaps I will finally enrol for VSO and spend a year or two pursing the dream!

What advice would you give to any woman looking to work within the voluntary/charity sector?
If having an opportunity to work with like-minded people and making a difference matter to you, then go for it, but be aware you would earn more in the City!   One good way of finding out if it’s for you is to volunteer with a charity or two to get a feel of what they are like.  Remember there is a big difference between the infrastructure of the very large charities and many of the smaller ones.  You may find you get more boxed into a role in a larger organisation and they can be quite bureaucratic.

Smaller charities tend to be more flexible which means you can have the opportunity to get involved in a broader range of work, however the lack of resources can be extremely frustrating.  It all depends on what style and role you would most prefer.  Another reason volunteering can be helpful is that breaking into the charity sector can be difficult if you don’t have any experience so focusing on transferable skills and showing your commitment might help you stand out.

What’s your favourite saying/motivational quote/ fave book?
Can I cheat and have two favourite quotes?The first one is by Barack Obama, I love the sentiment in this and it rings very true to me:

‘Making your mark on the world is hard. If it were easy, everybody would do it. But it’s not. It takes patience, it takes commitment, and it comes with plenty of failure along the way. The real test is not whether you avoid this failure, because you won’t. It’s whether you let it harden or shame you into inaction, or whether you learn from it; whether you choose to persevere.’

The second quote I’ve gone back to time and time again over the years, particularly when life has thrown me some tough challenges.  It has always given me hope that things will get better and the courage to embrace challenges as a necessary part of living.  It is from a longer section in ‘The Prophet’ by Kahlil Gibran entitled ‘On joy and sorrow’:

‘Your joy is your sorrow unmasked. And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.And how else can it be?The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.’

Deborah, thank you so much for your time, your honesty and your unstinting work for what is still one of the unsung charities. I guess when it comes to our bowels we’d rather not discuss it!  But, having a had a bowel cancer scare myself last year I’m well aware that early detection and treatment is crucial. So, dear readers, please bookmark this link and share it widely. Thank you!

For more information on bowel cancer or on Bowel Cancer UK please visit www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk

The Mayonnaise Jar – and the Coffee!

Is Your Jar Full?

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar – and the coffee.

A Professor stood before his philosophy class with some items in front of him.  When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.  He then asked the students if the jar was full.  They agreed that it was.

So the Professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.  The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.  He then asked the students again if the jar was full.  They agreed it was.

The Professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.  Of course, the sand filled up everything else.  He asked once more if the jar was full.  The students responded with a unanimous “Yes.”

The Professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand.  The students laughed.

“Now,” said the Professor, as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

The golf balls are the important things – your family, your children, your health, your friends, your favourite passions – things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house,your car.

The sand is everything else – the small stuff.”

“If you put the sand into the jar first”, he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.  The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.  Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.  Play with your children.  Take time to look after your health. Take care of your partner.  There will always be time to clean the house, and fix the drains.  Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter.  Set your priorities.The rest is just sand.”

When he had finished, there was a profound silence.  Then one of the students raised her hand and with a puzzled expression, inquired what the coffee represented.

The Professor smiled. “I’m glad you asked.  It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a cup of coffee with friends.”

I don’t know where this little story originated but it always raises a smile. If you know the author do please let me know.