Cathy: I am an Operations Team Manager at Old Mill and love my job! I worked my way up through various finance and management roles in industry and have found that I can apply all my experience in this new (2 years now!) role to me. In my spare time, I like to read and enjoy thrillers and action novels as well as historical and archaeological genres – I enjoy spending time with family and am striving to travel more, starting this year with a holiday to the historically rich Languedoc region in the South of France. I am a keen (if not particularly skilled) shooter and have shot since the age of 6 and I really enjoy watching well trained working gundogs.

Heather: Well, I kind of fell into a career in tax. Whilst in my second year of university I needed a part time job to fund myself and I just happened to get a night shift position at HM Revenue and Customs working 5pm – 10pm. After finishing university, I transferred to the day shift, full time. I worked at HM Revenue and Customs for 9 (long) years until I was head hunted by a recruiter for a junior tax adviser position at Broomfield Alexander (a medium sized firm in Cardiff). I jumped at the chance to move over to practice and worked there for just over 3 and a half years, obtaining my ATT and CTA qualifications whilst there. I then went on to work at a very small accountancy firm in Cardiff where I was the only tax advisor there! I did this for 2 years before deciding I needed to be part of a team again (plus I needed to save myself from even more grey hairs appearing!), which is when I was lucky enough to get an interview at Old Mill. I started work as a Manager in the Capital Taxes Team in May 2022 and have had the best time so far. In my spare time I love to get outside in nature, go for long walks and I’m even trying to grow my very own fruit and veg this year (TBD if I am any good at this or not!). I’m also a major geek and love to watch wrestling (this is a guilty pleasure of mine I would say). I also love comedy. I actually worked as a manager in a comedy club in Cardiff for around 2 years to fund my ATT and CTA studies, and I got to see some amazing comedians. Apart from that, like most others I love to spend time with my family and friends just having the best time doing whatever. My main passion in life is to just be happy. I ty to make every decision with happiness in mind, stay positive and appreciate the little things. I think life is way too short and precious to waste being stressed and unhappy.

Lucy: Hi, I’m Lucy and I work in the Old Mill Financial Planning team as a Client Manager. I started working in Financial Planning in 2021, having spent all my previous working life in Estate Agency and finding my way to Financial Planning when I decided I needed a change of career path! Outside of work I’m a keen cook, baker and sportsperson: I love to head out and explore the lanes of Somerset and Dorset on my bike as much as weather allows, and running keeps me active in between. I’ve even been known to sign up for the odd triathlon from time to time!

Rebecca: I have a degree in Chemistry but after a small accident during my dissertation project I decided a different career path was probably for the best (flames may have been involved…)! Old Mill has afforded me the opportunity to learn about accounts, personal tax, corporation tax and audit, and from this I discovered that audit was the area I was most interested in. I am now a client manager focused on audited entities, working with teams across the firm to service these clients and make an audit an enjoyable experience. Outside of work I am currently re-learning Welsh, having lost most of it when I moved from Wales six and half years ago. I am very proud to be Welsh and I now dedicate time to learning its history and culture – I still can’t make Welsh cakes as well as family back home though!

Sally: I have worked in the financial services sector for nearly 40 years, initially with the Halifax and then starting my career with Old Mill 25 years ago. My biggest passion is my family and I love spending time with both my immediate and wider family and friends. I also love to travel and when I need to recharge you’ll find me in the garden. We have just moved to a new house and I am very excited to be designing and growing a new garden.

Cathy: International Women’s Day is a day for me to reflect on how far the world has come in terms of gender inclusivity, how my own life has been improved because of it and how I can be better in every aspect of my life to be a positive role model both now and in the future.

Heather: To me, International Women’s Day is a celebration and acknowledgement of how brilliant us women are. The world is a much easier place for a woman to be in these days, however there are still major biases and inequalities that we face both in and out of the workplace. I do not see myself as a ‘traditional’ woman, and my thoughts and beliefs are very different to that of a ‘traditional’ woman, and International Women’s Day is a gentle reminder to me that this is ok. It is a reminder that woman can be whoever they want to be in this world. This year’s International Women’s Day theme of equity is also a strong reminder that it is not only women that suffer these biases in society, but other persons who may identify differently to the traditional male/female gender roles. I hope that for those persons International Women’s Day can also be a reminder for them that they get to be whoever they want to be in this world.

Lucy: To me, International Women’s Day represents a reminder to feel thankful for the fabulous women around me and reflect on what makes each friend, family member and colleague a fantastic woman. On a broader sense, it also gives us all a perfect change to consider the progress that has been made towards Equality and Equity thus far, whilst also reflecting on how much more progress must be made before they can fully be achieved.

Rebecca: IWD is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women, past and present, while also raising awareness of the lack of opportunities afforded to ALL women at present. It serves as a day to reassess our practices to ensure we are promoting the skillset of women to enhance businesses, teams and everyday success.

Sally: Recognising that there are so many amazing and inspiring women around the globe and hoping that this encourages all women to pursue their ambitions.

Cathy: In my role as OTM for Old Mill, I strive to be Equitable in everything I do – my role is focused on team management and within that team, all are individuals with their own goals, potential and needs. I work really hard to recognise individuals potential and talent and ensure that each individual is supported to grow according to their individual needs. It’s all about connections and understanding for me and I love helping people, everyone, grow and nurture their career in the right way for them.

Heather: I am a big advocate in for supporting women in and out of the workplace. I will always do my best to help mentor and guide anyone who asks. I believe I have many life and career experiences to share with others which may help them on their own life journeys. I would love to help mentor any person within the workplace, of course women (but anyone else as well, I’m all for inclusivity). I am also on hand for anyone who just needs someone to listen to them, I may even be able to make you chuckle with the terrible tax jokes I know! I believe in equality between all genders, and equity between each person. I’m delighted to see a pretty even spread of representation in Old Mill. However, if there is anything I can do to help promote further equality and equity, or if any of the powers that be would like to chat about ways to create a more inclusive workplace then I will always have time to do so. I do my best to be an ally for all genders as I believe this is even more important to do in today’s society than ever before. I believe in supporting others on their journeys, and will always be there to help elevate others where possible.

Lucy: One of the key things that makes me feel good, not only as a woman but as a person in general, is to help others. However, I have come to realise that offering and providing help is not a ‘one size fits all’ situation and what may be a perfect solution for one person’s dilemma could be next to useless elsewhere. To promote equity, I feel it is important to think about the person in the first instance, rather than jumping straight into trying to fix the problem – sometimes a quick action or a few instructions can do the trick, but I’m sure we have all had times when a rant to a sympathetic ear or a shoulder to cry on is more valuable than advice on what to do next! Naturally, it is a minefield trying to guess which is best at the time but if we all took a moment to be a little less introspective whenever possible, we would be empowering and inspiring each other in no time!

Rebecca: I have a sister who is ten years younger than me and so I think I’ve had a natural instinct to show her that she can achieve her goals from then onwards. I work hard at my day job and showing her, and other women, that success is achievable as a woman is a big motivation of mine. Equity, however, is not just about women, it is about everyone being able to succeed. Within Old Mill I have taken a keen interest in the training of our junior auditors, to equip them with the tools to succeed. Over the past few years I’ve realised that not everyone works the same way that I do, and some need different resources in order to do the best by the client and by OM. I do my best to provide those alternative resources.

Sally: I get a great deal of pleasure seeing all my colleagues around me succeed and grow their careers. I like to believe that I have an ability to recognise strengths in others and encourage and support them to achieve their goals. Often I find that as women, we suffer more from imposter syndrome and I want to encourage my female colleagues that they are capable of so much more than they believe they are and hope that working with me has helped them to reach their full potential.

Cathy: There are 3 really inspirational women for me…. 1. My paternal Grandmother because she was inspirational in her passion for her work in the legal profession and always listened and understood all her colleagues, supporting them to progress in their own careers without limitations. 2. My Mother, who patiently supported me in all my hobbies and interests, particularly with shooting when, at the age of 12 I realised I couldn’t join our local gun club as they had never previously admitted women, she worked with me to build a case and get the gun club to change their admittance rules to allow women – and she was the first adult female member, whilst I was the first female junior member. 3. And last, but not least, Amelia Earhart – whom I have always admired for her endeavouring and adventurous spirit – really showcasing that we can do anything we put our minds to!

Heather: I have many family members, friends, and colleagues that all inspire me as a woman. Each of them show different qualities which I admire such as strength and resilience through the hardest of times, kindness and selflessness, intelligence and creativity, compassion and integrity, and most importantly they are unapologetically themselves which is just the most beautiful thing to see in today’s society.

Lucy: The women I’m inspired by are not celebrities or notable women from history: I certainly admire their incredible achievements and am grateful for the positive changes they have made to the world but I feel that their lives are so different from my own that it is hard to draw inspiration from their influence. Instead, I am inspired by the women around me every day: some due to their ambition, knowledge and confidence in their work life, others for their skill, passion and unwavering enthusiasm for something they enjoy doing for themselves. And especially those who can offer a kind word to others, even when they themselves may have their minds on other things. I don’t want to be famous or change the world, but those women I meet every day make me want to be the very best that I can be so I can pass the positivity they make me feel on to others.

Rebecca: My mother has always been the person I’ve looked up to the most. She trained as a nurse while my brother and I were in primary school and one of my fondest memories as a child is excitedly running up to her after school and asking if she’d passed her nursing exams (she did!). To have done this while raising two children is an incredible feat! More recently she worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to treat Covid patients and I am so proud of her and inspired by her, both for that and for everything else she has achieved! Within Old Mill I have always been inspired by Lorraine Bolland and her commitment to delivering exceptional client service and I am very grateful for her guidance and coaching over the years. Externally I have been inspired by Malala Yousafzai and Greta Thunberg in recent years. Their passion for education and the climate (respectively) have really shaped my attitude and I am in awe of their determination at such a young age!

Sally: Paula Hodge, at Old Mill has been an inspiration throughout my career at Old Mill. Witnessing Charlotte Corr grow in her career and working closely with her throughout her journey has inspired me as much as I have inspired her. My daughter Charlotte also inspires me every day, watching her grow in to a wonderful young woman and now as an amazing new Mum fills me with enormous pride.

Cathy: I love many things about me as a woman; being strong, independent, passionate, supportive, self-awareness, but mostly having the ability and freedom to pursue the life I want for myself, both in work and in life whilst also supporting others to do the same.

Heather: There are many reasons why I love being a woman. We get to be strong, powerful and assertive and strive for our goals in life in this ever-changing society, but we also get to be compassionate, kind and caring. We get to be vulnerable and ask for mutual support from the strong women around us. We get to lift each other up rather than seeing each other as competition which we have been taught to do historically. We as women get to work towards redefining our gender in today’s society, paving a more equal way of life in and out of the workplace for not only ourselves but hopefully for other genders. This is why I love being a woman, we get an opportunity change the way the world thinks about us.

Lucy: Although I hate the fact that gender stereotypes are still at large, I love being able to break through those expectations and remind everyone that, not only are women just as capable as anyone else, but we can do it in style too!

Rebecca: We are capable, dependable and resilient. Despite setbacks we continue to thrive in the world.

Sally: Such a difficult question and not one I have ever really thought about. Tongue in cheek I could say the ability to multi-task, however, as I get older I am not sure this is a skill or a hindrance? The things I love about being me are that I consider myself to be quite balanced, fair and kind and with good empathy, not anything that is exclusive to being a woman!