The women who inspire Appointedd

To celebrate this year’s International Women’s Day, we spoke to our team about some of the women who inspire them. We loved hearing various stories about the wonderful women who inspire and motivate us every day…

Ioana, our Operations Assistant, said:

The first person I can think of is my mum – one of the bravest, most resilient and strong women I’ve ever met! She has been through a whole lot in life, raising me on her own for most of my life, while getting her 2 degrees and a masters and consistently empowering me to make my dreams come true. Whenever I feel down, she always reminds me how important it is to keep going, always saying that one day I’ll be “very high up”. Also, I aspire to have her confidence – she definitely knows how to keep naysayers at bay 😉

Leah, our Founder, told us about another family member who inspired her:

My Nana Peggy was the biggest inspiration in me starting my own business. From being nine years old and helping out on her market stall, to being 15 and getting paid £5 a day to cook and serve breakfasts and clean rooms in her B&B, she taught me the importance of hard work, and of making it fun. I’ll always remember singing “Oh, ye canny shove yer granny off a bus” while serving fry ups! She worked so hard in so many different small businesses, and it was super hard and often very physical work she did, late after usual retirement age. It’s good perspective to remember that when I’m stressed out but lucky enough to work in a gorgeous office with an amazing team!

Zoe, our Partnerships Director, took great inspiration from a VHS tape…

Mary King was my ultimate childhood hero. A stalwart of British Olympic equestrianism, she represented Team GB across six Olympic Games. I must have watched her documentary on VHS about once a month from the age of 6 to 12 😅.

I gained a lot of inspiration from her, and that documentary fuelled my 6 am starts, rain or shine, before school, cycling out to the stables and caring for the horses. I am forever grateful to my parents for giving me that opportunity, which granted me a huge amount of independence from a very young age, taught me great mental resilience and strength, and instilled in me the true value of hard work

Maddy, our Client Success Team Lead, shared about someone closer to home:

To my Step Mum – Maureen, Mo, Moto, Momo! 😂 The adult in my life who taught me how to shave my legs, took me to get my ears pierced at a younger age than my sister (ha ha Katherine), and bought me my first mobile phone – a Nokia 3310. How good was the game Snake? The adult who allowed dogs to be part of my life – Brace (RIP), Hugo (RIP), and Bertie – and showed me we’re not deserving of them :sob: May Bertie Fish live forever. Introduced me to 50 Cent, microwavable hot water bottles, backgammon, Manchester United, and taught me how to learn things quickly – she knows the characters and storyline from every soap by fast forwarding through the episodes, and only plays the adverts. So I’m very grateful for Mo! Who without, I’d have no sense of humour, no taste in music, lack any competitiveness…and I’d be quite hairy.

Alice, our Client Director, is inspired by her friend Ceilidh:

Ceilidh was my flatmate when I first moved to Edinburgh. At the time, Ceilidh worked two jobs – during the day as a Personal Shopper at TopShop, and by night in a restaurant (though her career had already taken her to working in NYC for a huge fashion designer). Opportunities weren’t just hanging around waiting for Ceilidh to accept, she soon moved to London to really begin her career. Since then, Ceilidh has worked with some serious household names like Dulux, Sainsbury’s Bank, BBC World News and Standard Life. The reason Ceilidh is such an inspiration to me is she sees no barriers, accepts her humble upbringing, is a go getter, punches above her weight and with sheer determination in life to do what she wants, and she makes it happen! Ceilidh is a fiercely loyal friend, constantly thinking of others with a message or a gift ‘just because’, and someone I learn from every day

Megan, one of our Client Partners, seeks her inspiration from within the Appointedd team:

Whilst my mum is undoubtedly the most inspirational woman (and person) in my life, this international women’s day I want to share why one of my bestest buds, Ruta, has also had an influential impact on me (and no, you’ll be surprise to hear that she didn’t make me do this)….

Firstly, she inspires me to be more confident 💁‍♀️ If you ever want a masterclass in being unapologetically yourself, Ruta is your gal! Whether its sharing her opinion or dancing bachata in the street, Ruta is truly herself and brings people up with her!

Secondly, she reminds me to live life to the fullest 💃 If Ruta was in the Bahamas right now doing a cooking course whilst chatting to Michelle Obama I wouldn’t be surprised! Ruta makes every day a memory! It’s no coincidence that a lot of my most recent favourite memories include her!

And lastly, her positive happy energy 🤪 It’s so easy to make a situation just ok or mediocre, but Ruta makes everything fun! Whether it’s putting our faces on internal slide decks, blaring reggaeton in the office, or saying something inappropriate, there is never a dull moment and I love that attitude!

Ruta you are a great team member (not just the personality hire as I joke), great friend (you’re a woman of your word), and an all round top tier human (not that your ego needed any more boosting 😉). Keep on bossing it!

Elspeth, Appointedd’s CCO, gets her inspiration from a fellow school alumna:

I am super inspired by Kirsty Young – as far as I’m aware, the only famous person to ever emerge from my high school. Kirsty Young presented Desert Island Discs for 12 years, interviewing a huge range of fascinating people. Her endless curiosity and amazing approach in asking open and insightful questions is such an inspiration to me and a great reminder to stay curious and give people space to ponder and reflect in any interaction, in order to gain more insight. She has broadcast some pivotal moments in her lifetime, including 9/11 and the Queen’s Funeral. I find her style so calm and collected under unimaginable levels of pressure. I strive to emulate her levels of curiosity and seamlessness.

Emma, one of our Software Engineers, had a great story to tell:

Video essayist and actor Abigail Thorn is a huge inspiration to me. She started her career as a response to the rise in university tuition fees, “giving her philosophy degree away” by making videos covering the topics she was studying so that people who could no longer afford to go to university would still be able to get the same education elsewhere. Her essays are always incredibly thought provoking and informative, and deal with important social topics with all the care and responsibility they deserve. Her work is a constant inspiration to me, and a reminder that it’s possible, and necessary, to make use of whatever resources and skills we each have to actively improve the world, regardless of how big or small that impact is.

And finally, Geraint, our Head of Developer Operations, couldn’t pick just one person who inspired him – he has a hat-trick!

Throughout my life there have been many woman that have greatly inspired me and influenced it’s direction. My mother raised me on her own (which I assure you could not have been an easy task) and I will always admire and respect her efforts to instil many of the core values I live by to this day.

I have always been drawn to computers and the craft of programming. I’ve admired from the first moment I learnt about her in my personal research into the history of computing. The foresight of Ada Lovelace, whose notes on the Analytical Engine, not only serve as important historical documentation on early computing but show a vision of future with such great imagination and intuition for someone of the time period. I consider her work foundational to the field of computer science and influences the way I view it to this day.

Leah Hutcheon, the founder and CEO of Appointedd, is another woman who I greatly admire. She has an infectious energy and a positive approach to problem solving that makes every problem seem surmountable, no matter the difficulty. It is one of the great honours in my life to have started my professional career working with her and to be continuing to work with her. It is almost uncountable the number of things I’ve learnt from her, but I will no doubt take these lessons with me for the rest of my life.

Last, but not least, my good friend Megan Grant. Not only has she made her mark as an athlete at such a young age, she has an astounding work ethic and a can-do attitude that I strive to emulate. I will be forever grateful for her friendly ear, advice, and support. It is truly a privilege to be able to call her my friend. In the tapestry of my life there have been many influential women that have weaved their marks on it and I will always be eternally grateful for their contributions, they have and continue to make me a better person everyday.