Maggie Semple is a striking woman I met last year, and we hit it off immediately. Similar values and interests have given us good reason to stay in touch ever since.
Who is she?
I asked Maggie on to the podcast because she has diverse interests and is a very successful business woman. She has an OBE and runs 2 businesses. The first www.maggiesemple.com, is a bespoke tailoring/ fashion company for business women. The second, is a consultancy The Experience Corps Ltd http://www.experiencecorps.co.uk/, or TEC for short. This provides strategic advice and leadership development on diversity and inclusion. She’s also a Non-Executive Director of Jamaica National Bank and sits on the Queen’s Counsel Selection Panel.
How does she promote herself?
Maggie feels passionately about helping people and recognises that women often ‘edit themselves’ she feels. They struggle with not being boastful and therefore she’s deliberate about how she describes herself and the time she takes to emphasise her achievements.
Described as ‘gently formidable’ on her LinkedIn profile this was something I drew attention to. I was interested in how she’d learnt to walk this difficult tightrope of humility and self-promotion. She feels she is a voice of reason and that this is something she’s worked at. Recognising that women can under-value themselves, she’s also worked at quietly influencing things to bring about positive change.
Changes she’d like to see:
One such example is that she believes action, rather than emotion, is the way to do something meaningful to tackle the lack of inclusion in business. The aim is to encourage others to do something rather than just think about things or avoid errors when discussing the subject of colour. Her strengths include what she calls a ‘forensic assessment’ of situations. She also has a cat-like (specifically a puma), presence, that surveys environments quickly. She knows building relationships and engendering trust is important, but she can also speak her mind when needed. This, she feels, truly influences change.
Upcoming webinar
And if you’re interested in seeing both of us in action, we will be holding a Webinar on ‘The Subject of Colour’ very soon. This will be promoted on our LinkedIn pages and Eventbrite.
