The Kent Women In Business 2019 awards ceremony, Friday 8^th March

Celebrating International Women’s Day

On Friday (March 8^th) I was delighted to be at the Kent Women in Business awards ceremony at the Great Danes Mercure Hotel in Maidstone.  Just like last year, I’d been shortlisted as a finalist in the Women in PR and Marketing category, and recognising the achievements of all the finalists in the various categories could not have been a more appropriate way to celebrate International Women’s Day.

It was a great night.  With 139 finalists and their guests, the atmosphere was buzzing and compère Hilary Steel, vibrant as ever in her bright red trouser suit, kept the audience entertained with lively chat, bubby jokes and fulsome respect for every award-winner invited up onstage.

Runner-Up

My category was one of the most competitive, with a who’s-who of high-quality names seemingly towering over mine on the shortlist.  I was proud simply to see my name there alongside and, being an independent consultant rather than a business, didn’t really expect to go any further.  So, when Hilary announced that I was the runner-up and asked that I please come up to receive my award, I was thrilled, delighted and, admittedly, a little shaky! Well done to Siobhan Stirling, of Sharp Minds Communications (like myself, resident in Langton Green, so a great double for our little village), who was named the winner in that category for the second consecutive year.

Moving and Inspiring Occasion

But I wasn’t the only one on the night to be humbled by the recognition of my work.  Many of the winners seemed to be almost in a state of shock at the unexpectedness of their success.  Perhaps that was one of the reasons why it was such a moving and inspiring occasion.  I was surrounded by all these supremely successful women who, in many cases, seemed to be barely aware of just how good they are at what they do.  Sometimes, in business, the hardest thing to do is to just stop and take stock, reflect for a moment on what you have achieved.  For some of the winners on Friday, it was probably the first time they had done that in some considerable time.

Life Goes On…

It was a late night.  Arthur (husband, occasional back-room staffer and consistent motivator who also scrubbed up nicely in black tie) and I didn’t get home until after 1.30am. I don’t think I slept much, I was still on a high and, come Saturday, Instagram and Facebook were abuzz with well-dones and congratulations.

But life goes on and by Monday it was head down and back to work for me and all the other winners, runners-up and finalists but definitely with a bigger smile on our faces than a Monday morning would usually warrant though…

For information on the awards and the other finalists click here