Founders Journal

For almost a month, She Inspires Awards judging has taken place back-to-back, nearly every single day. There have been long mornings leaning into afternoons, different panels of judges, hundreds of pages of nominations and global time zones to navigate. We have listened to remarkable women from different sectors, communities and countries—and no two stories have been the same. Women building businesses and social enterprises. Women transforming education, healthcare and technology. Women creating jobs, strengthening communities and opening doors for others. Women who have carried grief, illness, discrimination, financial pressure and enormous personal responsibility, while still finding the strength to lead.…

Every now and then, a month comes along that leaves you with little time to pause, but gives you so much to reflect on afterwards. June was one of those months. It was busy, demanding and full of movement, but when I look back, what stays with me most is not the logistics, the planning or the long days. It is the people. The conversations. The moments of connection. The quiet reminders that She Inspires has grown into something far bigger than an awards programme. The month began with one of the most important dates in the She Inspires calendar,…

International Women’s Day often brings with it a sense of celebration — a moment to recognise the progress women have made across sectors and societies. But beyond the headlines and hashtags, its real power lies in the conversations it creates. Earlier this month, I had the privilege of speaking at the London headquarters of Marks & Spencer as part of their International Women’s Day programme. The event brought together a panel of women recognised through the Daily Mail Inspirational Women Awards, each representing different causes and journeys but united by a shared commitment to making a difference. It was an…

February has always felt like a held breath, not the celebratory inhale of January resolutions, nor the confetti-coloured crescendo of March, but a quieter, more introspective space that sits in between, suspended, watching, preparing. The world may speak of love in February, roses, heart-shaped boxes, carefully curated gestures, and there is beauty in that. But for me, more so this year, February has been a month of fierce preparation. A month of deliberate thought. A month of building something that feels aligned rather than reactive. At the turn of every new year, when globally recognised publications release their most powerful, most influential,…

I have always been drawn to stories — not just films or series, but storytelling in its fullest sense. The kind that pulls you in quietly, the way a good book does, and stays with you long after the cover is closed or the screen fades to black. I watch widely, across genres and cultures, but what fascinates me most is not only what we see — it’s how every story begins. Every film starts with the smallest spark.One idea. One question. One moment of truth that refuses to let go. From that spark, a world is built. Characters are…

December, for me, is always the descent. If November is the climb — steep, relentless, exhilarating — then December is the careful walk back down the mountain. The view changes. The air softens. The noise fades. And for the first time in months, the pressure lifts. After our global celebration of women in November — the gala, the stories, the energy, the emotion — the first week of December felt… strange. The only way I can describe it is this: I felt like a deflated balloon. Not in a sad way. Just suddenly light. Empty of urgency. There were no…

November always arrives like a storm — familiar yet unpredictable — and every year, I tell myself that perhaps this time it will be smoother. But She Inspires has its own rhythm, its own heartbeat. And this year, as always, the Gala Night came wrapped in that familiar blend of beauty, chaos, and last-minute miracles. People see the glamour, the sparkle, the stage dressed in light. What they rarely see is what breathes underneath: the rush of emails, the name changes that arrive when everything has already been sent to the venue, the sudden dietary requests that come with them,…

October has always been one of my favourite months in the She Inspires calendar. It is the month when the world begins to soften — the light turns golden, the air gentles, and everything feels as though it is preparing for a moment of significance. For us, October is the quiet heartbeat before the great crescendo of November. It is when our community begins to gather — not just in logistics or nominations, but in spirit. This year, our pre-awards gathering felt especially meaningful.A room filled with women who had walked long roads, carried heavy stories, and earned every moment of recognition…