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In partnership with
The Short Cut:
A quick fire chat about working life with Jo-Anne Chidley
At the heart of the Nurture Network is the power of sharing experiences. From breakthrough career moments, to best ever advice, how to deal with stress and the women that inspire them.
The Short Cut designed to bring you a snapshot of our members’ working lives. Today we’re speaking to Jo-Anne Chidley, founder at Re & Beauty Kitchen UK Ltd.
Tell us about your breakthrough career moment
Understanding that my small independent cosmetics brand could not only change my industry, but also change one of the biggest problems of our time, plastic pollution.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever had?
No one is too small to make a difference.
Have you ever felt held back as a women?
The uncomfortable truth is our society to a degree is sexist, It’s the unconscious bias in decision making that’s the most difficult to change as you (or someone) have to point it out.
When you do this it can come across as an us & them scenario which then makes it more challenging to get a positive decision on your business, so sometimes you just don’t say anything, which isn’t helpful however neither is pointing it out.
There has to be a societal change overall for everyone to be aware that sexism is real and the disparity between genders is huge.
How do you protect your mental health in moments of pressure?
Have a network of people I can go to and share, the first one being my husband, business partner and the most feminist person I know.
Next would be get lost in a book preferably Science fiction.
Do you have any hobbies to keep you busy in your spare time?
Three children, one husband, a cat, dog, alpaca, three pigs and two chickens, my peloton bike and community work.
I feel empowered when…
… I meet women who have a strong voice and make me reflect on their words.
The world would be a better place when…
… we turn off our dependence on plastic and ask the companies we buy from to turn this off too.
The woman everyone should know about is…
The woman who empowers me the most is…
…my daughter who is eight years old and asks me the best questions and has no discrimination in her (yet).
Any last thoughts…
As humans we will always need packaging however that doesn’t need to be single use or plastic.
