The Women who Inspire us - BM caterers independently minded

As we celebrate international women’s day we’ve taken some time to talk to our inspirational all female sales and marketing teams to discover the women who inspire them everyday.

Sales Team

Heather

My Mum – she was one of the strongest, kind & fun people I knew sadly I lost her when she was 62 & I was only 28. She faced enormous challenges in her life, losing her first husband at the age of 26, then losing her 2^nd husband, my Dad, when she was only 52 (& I was 17). She taught me to never give up, be true to myself and to always chase my dreams. She ensured I was brought up in a fun and loving home and encouraged me in everything I set my sights on. A key lesson she taught me was to fight for what I believed in but to always be nice/kind/thoughtful to people who were nice to me. I’ve tried to live by these lessons throughout my life….not always succeeding, but I always try!

Michelle

My aunty, Jean – she dedicated her life to looking after her severely disabled daughter. Throughout the 50 years of looking after Maria and her own personal battle with cancer, she never once grumbled. A true inspiration.

Hannah

Hilary Carmichael, Aunt – She’s a force to be reckoned with and deals with adversity by learning from it – she graduated from Sandhurst in the 70s, did time in the forces, became a London bobby and water cop (taking chase on the Thames and diving for bodies), motor-biked across Europe, left the police to be a business coach and is now an NLP specialist, cognitive hypnotherapist and business coach. She can also imbibe an impressive amount of wine and beer and still beat everyone at pool. Hils’ currently being super positive about living with a truly rubbish rare cancer and so is pretty-tuned into the world of nutrition, inflammation and general wellbeing too. She’s also one of the tallest, ginger-iest, power of positive thinking-iest and wittiest persons I know.

Linda

My Mum – She was a ‘wonder woman’ and played a vital part in shaping the woman I am today. My father died when I was only 5, so she was everything to me, an amazing women, she made sacrifices, never gave up, encouraged me to take chances, a true inspiration.

Lisa

Di Wheatley – We worked together on an incredibly difficult account and she was brilliant in standing her ground, knowing her stuff and getting all parties on board. She instilled confidence and taught me a huge amount about what it takes to be an account director. And even when tragedy struck, she remained strong and focused. An amazing women (and she loves animals!)

Marketing Team

Lin

My earliest recollection of a woman who inspired me was body shop founder Anita Roddick. She was a trailblazer and for me the inventor of ethical consumerism. Anita showed it was possible to be successful in business, make money AND contribute positively to the community and the world.

Today Wendy Bartlett inspires me- I love her energy, pragmatism and kindness. She is a great role model for young women and men starting out in business.

On a personal level I have a lot of inspirational women in my family, my mum, my daughters, my grandmas, my great grandmothers and my aunties. Females who triumphed against all odds, overcame illness, lost everything and climbed back up, founded a daily newspaper, raised a family, emigrated to a new country and represented their country in sport are just some of the ways they have excelled. Knowing I have all these women’s experiences in my genetic make-up makes me believe that anything is possible!

Emma

She hasn’t been in my life for long, but she has made an incredible impact on the person I am today. This little lady has changed my entire perspective on life and honestly makes me a better version of myself whenever I am with (and without) her. My daughter, Blake – who is only 4.5 years old is full of happiness, kindness and empathy sees the world in a way that I had once forgotten. She makes me forget my worries and realise that the most important thing I could possibly do is to surround myself with the people I love. And from there, everything follows, and everything is brighter.

Michaela

In recent years, Mary Portas has become a true source of inspiration for me. She has consistently used her platform to champion gender equality and has emerged as a formidable leader in promoting sustainable practices within the fashion industry. I don’t have a fashionable bone in my body, but I do have sustainable shopping habits, thanks to Mary Portas.

Cathy

Having worked in a munition factory during World War 1, even though she was underage, and as a air raid warden during World War 2, my Nan continued to run her own business throughout and supported not only her family but also her sisters. Born and brought up in London she was steadfast and didn’t stand for any nonsense. Always singing, she taught us to love life, whatever happens, and was a constant source of support and love throughout her life.

Jessica

Her name is Belinda, she is my sister. All my life she has inspired me with her kindness, strength, security, and caring personality.

Share on:

Wendy Bartlett Executive Chairman

My earliest food memories are of my mum’s baking; coconut pyramid cakes were my favourite.