International Women's Day 2015

We had a lunch yesterday to celebrate our first year. Looking around the table made me realise though what a female heavy company we are. We're all women except for a fabulously supportive husband!

We are female owned. Our customer support and despatch are all female. Our Logistics Manager in Denmark is female and our Manufacturing Manager and Operations Director in Ukraine are both female. Our t-shirts are designed and stitched by females. We're a tiny microcosm of working women. Should I, therefore, feel as proud as I do of our wonderful mix of intelligent, smart and hardworking women? Well I absolutely do - but more than that I feel enormous gratitude. We are women with the opportunity to live our lives as we choose and will hopefully continue to do so.

I personally have been very fortunate throughout my life and career. I appreciate that it's not just hard work that enabled me to reach board level in my early career and indeed be running my own company today - it's encouragement and opportunity. That's why I think this years tag line for women's International Day is so poignant 'Make It Happen'. It celebrates achievement but also reminds us of the support and awareness that so many women all over the world still need - so that they too can feel secure and fulfilled in the lives they have ahead of them.

If you're lucky enough to be in London make sure that you visit WOW  [ Women Of The World Festival ] the agenda reflects a fantastic balance of celebration and awareness. But let's all use International Women's Day to help #MakeItHappen for women everywhere.