August 11, 2025 • 36 mins
The brilliant Gillian joins the We Are PoWEr Podcast - entrepreneur, risk-taker, and now PoWEr Lister 2025. From flatlining during childbirth to launching tech for social change, Gillian’s story is one of raw resilience, reinvention, and refusing to stay quiet.
In this emotional and unfiltered episode, Gillian reflects on going from “wild” child, surviving wrongful arrest in front of her kids, and becoming the youngest-ever responsible individual in the care sector. She opens up about being driven by adrenaline, haunted by self-doubt, and guided by deep connection - with others, with herself, and with something much bigger.
From crashing her dad’s Ford at 14 to building a charity-backed app launching in Dubai, Gillian is redefining what business and impact can look like - especially when poWEred by purpose and personal healing.
In this episode:
Why being “wild” was really early entrepreneurship in disguise
Facing arrest in front of her children and walking free with no charges
The spiritual moment during childbirth that changed everything
Leaving hospitality for social care after a customer complained about cheese
Becoming the youngest Responsible Individual in the care sector
Building tech that changes lives and launching it globally
Healing from childhood pressure and embracing her self-worth
How connection became her greatest superpoWEr
Trigger warning: this episode contains discussions of traumatic medical experiences and arrest.
Find out more about We Are PoWEr here. 💫
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello, hello, and welcome to the we Are Power
podcast.
If this is your first time here, the we Are Power podcast is
the podcast for you, your careerand your life.
We release an episode everysingle Monday with listeners in
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insight from amazing role models.
(00:21):
As we Are Power is the umbrellabrand to Northern Power Women
Awards, which celebrateshundreds of female role models
and advocates every year.
This is where you can hearstories from all of our awards
alumni and stay up to date witheverything.
Mpw Awards and we Are PowerWell, hello, hello.
(00:47):
This week, I am joined by.
Do you know what?
I have no idea in the world howI'm even going to introduce you
, jill Ashcroft, other than JillAshcroft, super power woman,
powerlister 2025, finalist.
And then how would you describeyourself?
Humanitarian, actually.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
But you weren't actually expecting that.
Not, I was philanthropist, butwhen you have that on your title
, every person rings you up tothe dollar bills, yes, so I've
learned that lesson the hard way.
And now I'm humanitarian and,yeah, I'd like to come away from
things that are financiallylabeled.
Do you know what I mean?
So it's not me but and but.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
You started how did you?
Speaker 2 (01:28):
because you've owned bars, restaurants, care sector,
beauty salons salons,entertainment sense, family
entertainment centers, propertyright the way up from dubai to
utah, um, you name it.
I've done it really.
I've got sites all over thecountry and yeah, I'm just, I'm
(01:49):
like I've just turned 40.
And I'm proud to say that,because women at 40 are the most
confident, the most sexiest andjust just amazing.
So, like, I'm not shy to sayI'm in my 40s and I feel like
I've lived 10 people's lives.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
And we've got your daughter in the studio.
Be here before uh studio herewith us today.
What were you like at Emmy's?
Speaker 2 (02:10):
age.
Really I don't know whetherthis podcast might go downhill.
I was so naughty.
I was so naughty.
I was like like a youngerversion of Del Boy, like
literally, I'm from the innercity.
You know, I grew up If everyoneremembers Lange he was Lange,
that's not far from my familylived in the flats in Lange.
Me nan and my other side of thefamily were from Scotland Roads
(02:33):
and I was just wild.
I think that's the entrepreneurin me, because I always I'm a
risk taker.
I like the adrenaline, I likethe adrenaline, I like the rush.
But I needed to channel it intoa positive way Because it's
learned behavior, isn't it?
You learn from your environment.
So I was a little tea leaf.
(02:53):
I only like stupid stuff likeRobin Glitter from Woolworths
and socks for school and stuffand scrunchies.
But I just loved it.
I loved the rush.
I'd go and I'd rob some pensand I think I was like gangster
number one.
But I was a nightmare.
I really was, but I never hatedanybody.
I was always the person thatwould stop the bullies in school
(03:14):
and if there was someone kidswho was getting bullied even
though I was like I was quitecool I'd always stand up for
everybody.
So we always made sure to lookafter everyone.
I'd always stand up foreverybody, so I always made sure
I looked after everyone.
My heart was always there.
I just needed to channeleverything else, and I do you
know what?
Actually, I will say it, and Iused to.
My dad only found this theother week because my sister
snitched and.
(03:36):
I used to.
He's a taxi driver.
He's been a taxi driver foryears, like since he was in his
20s, and he used to rememberford vouchers.
Do you remember the fourvouchers?
His friend used to work forford so he used to get brand new
car every 12 months and it washis pride and joy.
Right, we moved out into Aintreewhen I was younger, but I still
, I still brought myself back tothe inner city constantly.
Um, so we were very lookedafter in a way.
(03:57):
You know, my mum and dad workedvery hard and, um, the house
where we used to live in had,like it was, was a corner house,
so the side street, the carused to be parked there so you
couldn't see it.
So my dad used to work nightsand at the age of 14, I used to
take that car out all the time.
That's how naughty I was.
I just didn't.
I just never had, I just neverhad any kind of sense of
consequence.
And I remember one day Icrashed it into a red car into
(04:21):
the Asda car park and I wastea-cutting the hell out of that
car at two o'clock in themorning.
That was Jill.
As a younger version, I alwayshad a job that started off in
market stalls, mcdonald's.
I mean literally.
I was 16 and got offered amanager position Anything I did
I excelled in.
And then I worked in thejewellers Was it WH?
(04:43):
No, it's not WH Smith thejewellers.
It was a WH no, it's not WHSmith the jewellers on their own
church trees.
And then, but actually beforethat, I was 14 and worked in St
John's Market in city trainers,and I worked from 8 in the
morning till 6 at night for £20and I used to travel an hour
there and an hour back.
So I've always been a littleyou.
(05:03):
I have.
Whether it was good or bad, Ididn't care at that point.
And then I worked for DFS whenI was 18.
And I was so naughty, you know,I used to sign in, get off and
come back and clock out.
And this is the turning pointfor me.
And there was a girl there andthat was her life career.
And I got offered the manager'sposition and she never girl
(05:25):
there, and that was her lifecareer.
And I got off at the manager'sposition and she never.
And you know what that's when Ireally felt like this is wrong.
You know, like this is this isJill, that that childish
behavior needs to stop.
Because I seen shecongratulated me and it really
it's to this day.
It wounds me because becausethat's not who I am as a person
I was just naughty and I wasjust adventurous, and I'm still
naughty now, but in a good way,and I was a risk taker and I
(05:47):
just wanted I don't know it wasthe thrill, without thinking
about what you were actuallydoing.
So it was very likeunconsciously, like aware.
I was unconsciously aware of myactions and I remember and she
was gutted and I thought I haveto take a job and she works so
hard and I just do whatever todo and I do it very well and I
(06:08):
just blended it basically and,um, I actually resigned and I
vowed from that day that I wasgoing to be a different person
and channel it the right way.
And then that's when I got myfirst two properties, literally
a few months after that, and itwas the property boom and I
think I bought them for £80,000and I made £200,000 on two
(06:29):
properties and then I took thatmoney, went on.
I was on holiday just randomlyin Utah skiing, and my husband
I've been with my husband sinceI was 17, literally, that's.
You know I could have killedsomeone twice and got out twice
now and I do think about itquite often when I look at it.
But we went skiing in the SaltLake City and I ended up buying
(06:50):
a piece of land.
I made 500,000 pounds on thepiece of land and I was off.
That was it, and that's thestart of my journey.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
And what did you do with that?
You know, you talked about likethe defining moment at DFS,
where you know, and you werelike you know what?
No, do you know what?
It's not good.
I'm going to do good in this.
So you went, you invested inproperty.
You were like the look of thegods behind you, right, yeah,
all my life has been a puzzlelike literally has it's like
these.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Definitely, I'm getting watched over these
things in my life that havehappened, where it's somewhat
I'm not like I'm not veryreligious, but I do think these.
You know a higher power and Ido believe that you know there's
more to wait for in this life.
I actually think this is helland we moved heaven.
We moved to where we're meantto be after that, but I do
believe in all that and thesethings, these people that I've
(07:35):
met in terms of likespiritualists and stuff, but and
these obviously these are theones that are blackers, but
these there was one inparticular and he was like,
honestly, only I know to thepoint of where he told me my nan
was there and he said your nansaid will you stop going on
about your nose job?
I mean, who knows that?
He knew about all the surgeryI've had, which you know I'm not
(07:55):
going to go into, but I do loveyou know that were going on at
the time in my life, which Idon't mind talking about.
He knew things and I know shewas watching over me and I know
things that have happened arebecause of someone looking over
me, but yeah, I do feel likeeverything has been mapped out
for me, and I've known thatsince I was 12.
(08:17):
I knew, when I was 12, that Iweren't a nana to fiver.
I knew that there was a biggerpurpose.
I'm here for a reason.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
So you know you talked about someone watching
over you, like your nan, like Ialways think of my nan, my
grandparents, like northernpower nana.
Yeah, that sense of faith, thatbelief it doesn't have to be
religion, but there's a sense ofthat knowing that you're going
to laugh at this right like mynan of a Sunday.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
It was like a proper scouse family and we all.
There must have been about 20grandkids.
I do not know how she fed usall from that one chicken.
Honestly.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
I didn't.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
She was like she should be on the power list,
what she can do with one chicken, I'm not joking and it was like
we all got fed.
But my job was to throw thecabbage down the toilet, right,
so you know, like the pot ofcabbage after everyone's
finished and it stunk.
So her bathroom smelled likepeaches.
I can't even believe we'regoing into this.
Her bathroom smelled likepeaches.
I have actually never toldanyone this.
So these are all the first tohear about my nan's peaches, my
(09:08):
cheap peach bathroom and thesmell.
I just I didn't realise, but Inearly died in childbirth.
Really bad.
I was on barrier nursing frommy last child and I was in the
bed and the night before Iflatlined and the night before
my bedroom stunk of peaches andthe minute it did because I
(09:29):
always remember thinking thankGod it smells like peaches when
I'm throwing this cabbage down,because the cabbage was like ugh
, and it was it, because mywhole room just smelled like
peaches and the first thing thatcame to my mind was my nan's
bathroom.
And then that next morning iswhen I got strepococcal virus,
but the life threatening one andit got into my womb and I ended
(09:50):
up flat lining and it wasactually I could get upset, so I
wasn't too honest, but it wasget the baby out and at least
the baby will survive.
But I don't even know why I'mgoing to upset, but it makes
good feelings, doesn't it?
And I was on barion nursing fora week.
Um yeah, and the the virus gotto the end of the umbilical cord
.
And this is someone, this isactually.
(10:10):
I'll bring it all back.
We'll go back to you know whatwe want to talk about, with
someone looking after me.
The day that I got brought intohospital an hour before the
doctor that I should have hadthat was on on shift.
I'd gone off sick from shiftand the only replacement they
could got was this one doctorwho's never worked in homescare
hospital before.
And the doctor lost thepregnant woman the week before
(10:32):
to the same virus.
And the virus is like one inevery billion or so one.
It's just crazy, like you knowpercentages, of how low or how
uncommon this virus is.
And if it weren't for himcoming on shift an hour before
and I got brought in by hourbefore I got brought in, by the
way, I got brought in in awheelchair at this point I was
gone.
He looked.
He knew straight away.
He said get it on fiveantibiotic intravenous drips and
(10:56):
just hope for the best.
He said don't bother with blood.
He knew what it was.
No one would have known in thehospital.
I would have been dead.
How mental is that that thatdoctor come an hour before who's
never been in the hospital andthen that night I smell peaches.
My whole life has been likethat.
I know she's here, and when I'mnaughty because I am like work
hard, play hard and and I justmy personality and I think it's
(11:19):
the inner beast, isn't it?
It's the guts.
Which one you're gonna choose,the good wolf or the bad wolf?
And um, every morning.
And when I choose the bad wolf,um, she haunts me.
I'm not now, listen, I am notjoking to the point where taps
come on, all me, like, no matterwhat room I'm in me, all my
lights flash on and off.
It's like okay, nan, I'll startbeing good.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
Nana brings her peaches on, yeah that's probably
no good for the listener on thepodcast right now.
So there you go.
So how did you, how did you getinto the social sector, the
social care sector?
Wow, so this is we're theteachers, with Nan here, with
Nan, do you know what right itwas?
Speaker 2 (11:58):
I was?
I'm not.
I'm not like money driven, likeI do have a nice car, I have
nice things and stuff, but forme it's a bit, um, I feel like
you're getting some other cases.
There's only so much stuff youcan buy.
It's like it's empty.
And for me it's like toactually change someone's life
and to see someone.
Obviously it's always theirinput as well, but to have that,
(12:19):
to leave that legacy or to havethat input on changing
someone's life, you can't.
That's priceless, so it's.
I had a family entertainmentcentre and there was one
customer.
This is when you know you needto get out of customer service.
I'm not actually going to saywhat I said to her because you'd
have to go.
Bleep, bleep, bleep.
She was moaning about how hercheese weren't melted on her
(12:41):
chips and basically she gotnowhere to go and I was like you
know what these children'sstarving?
I think people that come topeople's businesses think that
they can talk to staff how theywant.
They always want something fornothing.
You know, I'm not sayingeveryone, but like majority.
I mean, I've been in customerservice for a long time, um, and
it was like when you'reactually telling your customers
(13:02):
to do one.
That's when you know you needto move on, because obviously
that pays my mortgage, it's mylivelihood and I was like I'm
done.
I did was there was criminalinvestigation as well, which is,
you know, it's common.
I'm not bothered, like you know, I I don't stop being around
people.
I've grew up in the inner city,most people from the inner city
the only the only way that theycan make money is through
(13:22):
criminal activity becauseunfortunately it's people are
kept in a certain bracket andother people are kept in another
bracket, and that's we have tofind.
We have definitions, don't meanclasses and, and you know, the
working class, unfortunately,are surrounded by people who
want nice things but don't getthe opportunities because of the
area that they grow up in, youknow, and I wanted to change
that and I am changing that andwe'll move on to that.
(13:43):
But yeah, I just I felt likethis is not for me and this I
have to say, as I was feelingthat there was a big criminal
investigation that went on.
I got, I was arrested and I gotbrought in.
I was kept.
I was like Mrs Bouquet in thecell.
Honestly, I was like I kickedoff.
I got a brand new refurbishedsweater.
(14:05):
What was the investigation forJill?
It was a massive.
It was like 17 arrests in onemorning.
Well, 32 arrests, 17 charges inone morning, and it was a big
undercover drugs operation.
It was going on for three yearsand I'll tell you something now
and it's disgusting actually.
They come to my home and theyarrested me in front of my kids,
(14:25):
took me away Not my husband, metook me away from my London and
I put in a cell and this was, Imean riot fans all in my
streets, the neighbours all out.
It was disgusting and I got putin my cell and I, just, I
actually was so like, I actuallywas very proud of myself
(14:48):
because I was so strong where Ididn't realise how strong of a
person and of a woman I was.
You know, even when they cometo my house, I worked hard for
everything that was in thathouse.
You know it was, and I hadwhite carpets.
Well, they got me to putplastic shoes on and this is the
camera crew was there.
They all come through arm place, all through my front door.
They actually knocked becauseI'd just had another baby that
(15:10):
was sick as well and I had LechyGates, electric Gates, sorry,
disney inner city Lechy Gates.
And they knocked and my husbandtold the neighbours I
complained about the wheelie bin, oh no, about the van or the
wheelie bin.
And I went to him come on on,we're not getting all these
through the front door because,because you've left the wheelie
bin out, the neighbors werecranks where we live and um, so
(15:30):
they come into my house and Ijust said, no way.
I said they had these armyboots on.
They were like the militarywith black boots.
These are not standing all overmy carpets because I've worked
my butt off for this, foreverything that I've got.
They actually did it as well.
So here's me.
I mean this little girl.
I was 20, it was, it was 2012,you know.
So I was a lot younger and Ijust this inner strength come
(15:53):
and I am, and I know that.
I know that things go missingout of people's houses that get
me.
So my dad, I lived in abungalow.
It was a big bungalow and I hadmy watches in a drawer with
jewelry and he always kept it inthe back kitchen drawer and I I
was in pjs, so I had thisduring my top shop.
I had this jumping on from top.
I put this jumping on from topshop and it was long, and I
(16:13):
walked past the drawer and I gotall my jewellery out.
Who does this?
I mean, like, this is not, I'mnot even a criminal put all my
jewellery on.
I was like Mr T and I thoughtno, because the money did get
missing out my house.
Money did get missing out of myhouse.
Money did go missing out of myhouse and that was my money from
my cash business, and the samefor all my friends as well.
And it did happen.
And I knew that.
My friends' watches wentmissing, all kinds.
(16:34):
So what was the upshot of this?
So this is how bad I get.
This is my point.
I got brought into the cellOnce I knew my jewellery had
checked in.
I knew that it was on record,but hood so.
But I don't do this.
It was this person.
I've never been in trouble withthe police in my life and um, I
didn't even get the.
I refused to go to the prisontoilet, or so I went to the
police toilet.
I caused murder that night andum, they brought me into
(16:55):
interview and they were likewhat they said we know you've
not done nothing wrong, right,but we know that you've got
information and we want you totell us and we'll protect you.
I said you have just done thatin front of my family and you
put me through something andit's emotional, you know we're
getting upset about it.
It's like you just put methrough, that I'm just coming to
my home and this is what you'resaying.
You know no comments.
(17:15):
Do you know what I mean?
Do you let me go?
No charges, but that I give now, you know, and you know, please
don't google it because it's onthe last page.
It's on page 10.
I was talking a long time toget that on page 10, but it was
like.
You know, for me that was it.
It was like I need to get awayfrom the life that I'm.
I'd not get away from myfriends, but it was because I
(17:36):
was in business with likethey're my best friends.
I was in business, they come,it was all about being that
association and they wanted me.
The police wanted me to snitchand and it was like, really, you
just don't.
There's plenty of ways to goabout things Like railroad
someone and then ask them tosnitch.
I would never do that anyway.
So that was the change.
And to go back to your questionwhy I went into social care,
(17:56):
because, for one, I didn't likepeople coming and treating
people in work, the way I wasdealing with customers when
you're working really hard, andfor another, it was like I
needed to change my environment.
I needed to do my own thing andalso I've always wanted to help
people.
So it was the night I got out ofthe cell.
(18:17):
I went, woke up the nextmorning, had no, had no
experience in care whatsoever,never, never done a day in care.
I downloaded an offsetregistration pack.
Look, I could go on, but I knowwe've got a time change.
I've become the youngest everresponsible individual to date
in the whole care sector.
Now, that is someone who'slegally responsible in the court
of law for the lives ofchildren and the reason why I
(18:38):
actually did get registration.
It was a nine-hour interview.
I had six weeks to prepare forit.
I locked myself into FormbyHall because obviously, you know
I do like my luxuries.
You know what I mean.
I went and got into the travellodge and I learned every
legislation off by heart and Ismashed that interview and I've
went now from, you know, turningover 200,000 the first year to
(19:01):
probably having an organisationthat's worth nearly around 50
million.
And that's what I did.
What are you moops proud of?
Do you know?
I'm getting upset again.
I'm like I'm so strong, but Ireally care, so I'm quite
emotional person.
Do you know how many letters offrom children, of lives that
have changed.
Why am I going again?
It's like I've had childrenfrom the rotherham inquiry that
(19:23):
have come to me at like the ageof 12, you know, with marks all
over them and where they've beenurinated on, one of them in
particular.
She's a solicitor now with twokids, and that's because she
comes to my home Again.
I need to stop crying on thispodcast, it's all good.
Do you know why?
Because it's so sad what I see,and to be able to change
(19:43):
people's lives, it's justamazing.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
But how do you manage that?
Because I think to lots ofpeople who know you and you're
multi-award winning, you're upfor more awards and you know
people see that, people see thegloss, people see the gloss and
the glamour and you know the bigwedgie heels Can't see that on
the pod, but you see it there.
But how do you?
Speaker 2 (20:01):
I'm so glad because I don't like toes.
But here's my shoes.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
But how do you deal with that?
What's your fighting power?
We've talked about your nanbeing present at certain times.
Do you have a coping mechanism?
Sometimes it's exercise,sometimes it's meditation, and
I'll be honest.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
I think everything comes at a cost and I think
right now I'm going through abig change in my life because
Jill just does things the hardway and everything's trial and
error.
I haven't got someone.
I haven't grown up and gonethrough a professional career
where I've gone from promotionto promotion.
No one's told me you know howto do my supervision, how to be
(20:37):
a line manager, how to be a CEO,how to be a managing director,
and I have literally justlearned and I'm tired.
I'm tired of trial and error.
And do you know what?
It's so simple and this will bethe best advice that I can give
anyone.
If you want a successfulbusiness and it will be
successful if you listen to this, listen to this bit of advice
(20:58):
keep it simple.
Do what you say on the tin anddo it the best better than
anyone else.
No bells and whistles, nodilution, no like trying to
add-ons, because all it does istake your attention away.
Do what you say.
So what you say you're gonna do,whether you deliver, like, if
you fix toilets, fix them betterthan anyone else.
You know, if you sell fish andchips, make sure that the best
(21:21):
fish and chips that ended aroundand don't do nothing else.
Do you know what I mean?
It's like for me?
I have just gone and I'vediluted and the worst I brought
so much chaos because when Iopened exceptional care, I
thought I was a people pleaserand my like things that have
happened to me growing up.
You know, I've always doubtedmyself with all the time and
(21:41):
I've always exaggerated.
I mean, I could never lose.
So like I remember like 11 andbeing in a dance competition and
so scared to go home and saythat I never won.
I actually robbed the awardsfrom the cupboard from the year
before and went home because Iwas so like.
I always got brought up.
My mum like I know.
I love my mum to bits.
(22:02):
She's my best friend as well asmy daughter, but she had such a
traumatic upbringing Like mygranddad.
He was just a monster, you know, right between the lines, and
she had a really cruelupbringing and so she always
wanted to be hard on me out oflove, but it really fractured
our relationship and that's whyI'm best friends with my
daughter and my son, and thatbecause I lost a lot and then I
(22:25):
always tried to please.
I got I think it was 11 A's and8 stars altogether, or 10 and
one C.
Do you know, I got batteredover that C and it was not, it
was good enough, so then I hadto.
So I think that really has animpact on my self-worth.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
And I think this whole paying forward thing maybe
sometimes an overused phrase,isn't it Pay it forward, give
back, but that's what you do andI think one of the things we
talked about before therecording today you put it into
practice personally, because youtalked about you taking your
children like your tribe, themassive.
I've got four children,everyone you know you're four or
five with the husband rightWith the husband, obviously, and
but my mum lives with me.
(23:02):
Something struck me about youtake them in because you're
learning things at the moment,because we'll talk about the app
in a minute and we're reallyexcited about the new app, but
you're taking the kids in, andthe kids, these are young adults
, right, you know youngentrepreneurs, young business
people, but you're taking themin to learn with you as you go,
because it's not the stuff weget taught in school.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
So you're really like this.
Paying at home it does, and Ithink like I'm not.
You know, I've got my water andall, and the kids know that,
because I I don't cope very wellwith certain things and it's,
it's, it's hard.
I'm one person.
I'm one person and I said toyou before, you know, when I
told about money but labelthings, but I've got a million
pounds out on my head everymonth and that's on my shoulders
alone and like that's not aheavy, that's a heavy cross to
bear.
Not only that, I've gotten only30 children the highest risk
(23:47):
children in the country's liveson my shoulders, but it's all
down to other people's actions.
It's not me caring for them,but then it's, it's my
responsibility, they're myresponsibility in someone else's
hands.
So these things that I'm notcoping with, like I don't think
I'm not a person to go.
Oh, it's glamorous, it'sfabulous.
I'm just this, I'm that.
You know what I am.
I'm one of the best people todo what I do, that I I know I am
(24:10):
one of the best to do and whatI do, and I am good and I am, I
am brilliant at what I do.
But I'm also I'm not.
I'm a human being and it comes.
Everything comes at a cost andand it impacts my family.
You know it really does, andI've just got to really work on
that.
So, which leads us, nicely,talking about the self-worth.
I'm gonna, I'm gonna put thisinto, I'm gonna round it all up
(24:30):
now so we can move on to, um,what's currently going on, um,
my self-worth.
When it was only two years agothat, like I realized about what
I've just said, about how toget a successful business and
also, you, everybody's got onething they do better than
everyone else, and it doesn'tmatter about proving yourself I
wanted to be, oh, I'm amazing atthis.
(24:50):
I'm amazing at that.
I'm amazing at this why?
Because I was good enough as Iwas, but I didn't see it and I
just wanted to make sure thateveryone thinks I'm great.
I opened a recruitment agency,I opened a training company, I
opened a tech company and do youknow what?
They would all run poor.
They would all run poor.
And I'm actually professionallyembarrassed because I knew, if
(25:10):
I just had one or that one orthat one and I did it well, that
I would have done it betterthan anyone else.
But I just wanted to be likethe big I am and it was like and
it's sad, it really is sad, andit took me to the age of 38.
Winning Great BritishEntrepreneur of the Year changed
my life.
I had some massive accoladesand I realised that do you know
(25:31):
what?
I am actually good, I'm good, Idon't need to be.
So I actually decided to comeclean.
I'm not a professional, becauseI'm a little nightmare.
I am, I am, but that's okay.
I'm not academic, I'm clever.
I've got a law degree.
You know I can run circlesaround any academic but and I'm
like a sponge.
I am like a sponge.
(25:51):
You know, put me in a situationin a week or so I'll be like
probably I'll know more than theperson that's been doing it for
20 years.
I'm just like that.
But know what I am?
Buddha I'm, and people buy intopeople, people invest in people
, and I had everything already,without all the bells and
whistles, and I'm more confidentthan I ever am.
I'm still struggling withthings, obviously, and I'll talk
(26:13):
about them openly.
Because I do, because there'sso many people going to be
watching this podcast that aregoing to relate to it.
And I do these podcasts notbecause I want to be on a
podcast, because I want peopleto realise they're not alone.
They're not alone and there'salways someone for someone.
There's always support.
And I had the radio show,didn't I?
And I did that radio showbecause to highlight the amount
of services and support networksthat are out there, that even
(26:36):
in our city I didn't know thatwas there and I'm not joking, it
was an eye-opener.
But yeah, now I'm at that placenow in my life where I'm
streamlining and I'm makingbetter decisions, smarter, not
harder everyone.
It's always a smarter way andeasier way.
Don't do it the Jill way andit's I'm more, I'm more
financially better off.
(26:57):
But my purpose changed, likeeverything changed when I was 38
, because I realized I am goodat what I do and I'm a people,
person and it's just about mebeing me, I can connect, I'm a
connector.
And I realised I am good at whatI do and I'm a people, person
and it's just about me being me.
I can connect, I'm a connectorand I could leave a room and
everyone will know why I'm in aroom.
Like there could be 500 peoplein a room.
Give me half an hour andthey'll all know who I am, and
not the fact that I grab thelimelight, it's just, that's my
(27:18):
strength and you work with thatpower and that has then enabled
me to reassess my life and I'vegot an amazing, the most
successful entrepreneurs in thewhole country and my little
group of friends.
I've always got my lifetimefriends, but these are a group
that now that I'm around, whereno one wants nothing from me,
but I've got the bestconnections in the country and
(27:40):
it's just snowballed.
So, yeah, I feel like gettingto 40 it's, it's, it's amazing,
it's amazing.
It's not something to be scaredof.
We all should be proud of itand then just believe in
yourself and you and you andwhat you do well and keep your
business and your life as smartas and as slim, slim down as
possible.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
And that's led me to the app so tell me about the app
, because there's nothing simpleabout an app well, it is when
you've got your own tech team.
Well, Well, there you go.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
So I've just been talking about me training
company.
Me training company was never,never got off the ground.
Oh my God.
I had two and a half millionpound leads that I am in and
it's also my own money, which isa lot of money because it
changed people's lives.
I wanted to create the besttraining in the sector.
So everything I've done I'vedone really it's ego and, to be
(28:27):
honest with you, when I didn'trealise it was ego and I'm happy
saying that I'm not botheredbut it was also to do better
than others for support andvulnerable people.
So it's always had the goodheart in it.
But it also ruined it a bit aswell.
And for me it was like I wantedthe best recruitment agency
because I wanted the bestquality staff, because I was
(28:50):
using recruitment agencies formy company, so I thought, well,
I'll just open my own because Ican do anything.
And then I thought my trainingcompany.
I thought, right, okay, I'mgoing to use 3D animation, I'm
going to use technology that Igot a team that worked for
Disney, honestly, and I created3D animation and online training
that you actually felt emotionfor what you watched.
So it weren't a tick boxexercise, it weren't just like
(29:11):
cheapest chips, budget training.
It was you were.
It takes six times on averagefor a normal brain to retain
information.
You've got to feel emotional,emotionally invested in what
you're doing.
So if I've got people who aretraining that actually take away
the training and then deliverbetter care, that why I did it.
But I created my own LMS, whichis a learner management system,
(29:33):
and I didn't, I didn't buy offshelf because I wanted to do it
in a way that every mistake I'vemade yeah, because I've made
all the mistakes.
So if I can build the mistakesin as a preventative in my LMS,
then I'm supporting how manyother care providers from making
the mistakes, which, in turn,is better quality of care.
Unless you can't, you shouldn'tmake a, shouldn't make a
mistake on a child's life.
(29:53):
So my that was both the um, thepeople who created it.
It was I brought in an outsidecompany to work with my team.
It got two and a half yearslater.
We went, we launched and itfell flat on its face because
the two main things that it waswhat it was coded and what it
was built on shouldn't have everbeen together.
So I had to just build a brandnew one is that what you've done
now?
Speaker 1 (30:13):
so what is this new?
Speaker 2 (30:14):
app, so I've just built a whole new LMS and what
is?
Speaker 1 (30:17):
what is that going to do?
How many lives?
Speaker 2 (30:20):
is this going to change?
Going for the new bell pieceprize?
I'll dead quick.
So the lms now was finished.
I've got over a thousandcredits of courses, but I'm
closing the company and this iswhat I'm doing.
So, me being smarter, I've gotmy charity and I've got me, me,
tech company and I thought, well, why don't we put all together,
everyone, get rid of all theheadache with the charity, get
rid of all the headache with me,but me, tech, me tech company,
(30:41):
and we've put them together onthis app.
So this app is getting launchedum after the summer and the app
is a hybrid model of anon-profit and a profit um and
what it's going to do?
It's going to give every youngperson in the uk it's actually
just getting launched.
It's going to be launched indubai as well.
It guarantees work placements.
It's also got um the access tomy lms and all my training so
(31:05):
they can come on.
So, so if they're not a jobseekers, so it'll be meeting the
criteria for job seekers,really, and the same like
eligibility criteria.
So we're not getting people justusing it, you know, when
they're not vulnerable orthey're not in that situation
and they can self-developthemselves by all the courses.
So you're better empowerment,better motivation, self-worth.
They can do their ownself-progression in terms of
(31:31):
professional development andit's all courses are all on the
training matrix.
You have the app, you go on,you can filter the area, the
sector.
It's also made for theneurodiversity and the cohort of
people that do are affected byneurodiversity.
So, and it's also for equalityand diversity, so we know what
jobs, what job businesses, whatjob places can cater for hearing
(31:53):
impairment, speech impairment,disability.
Speaker 1 (31:57):
It's taken the decades, isn't it?
Of your experience, yourpassion, the mistakes right
along the way, the naughty bitsright.
Speaker 2 (32:05):
It's always got to be naughty, which I'm sorry, but I
am, I'm fun, I'm fun, I'm alittle pranker, and it's like
I'm not going to take that awaybecause I'm a little, I'm cheeky
and I get very far with mycheekiness because my heart is
always in the right place.
But the app is.
I've just joined forces was thefounder of um.
We'll get to jim shark in aminute.
He was the founder of allsaints and reese, and we're
(32:28):
doing free clothing for youngpeople as well, for the
interview.
So that's so.
We're hitting sustainability,we're hitting social impact and,
on the other side of things, wehave a subscription model for
businesses as cheap as chipscheaper than anything else to
access the training for theirown companies, but it will fund
the app.
So that's the app.
It's going to go for a newbuilding surprise and that's
where I'm going to with my life.
(32:49):
So I've come full 360, I've puteverything together, I'm working
smarter and I'm going to makenational impact and I'm going to
make global impact.
And that's jill and what.
Speaker 1 (32:57):
Yeah, but and what makes jill happy do you know
what that is?
Speaker 2 (33:03):
that's probably a question that I can't answer
because I don't know anymore,but I know when I see someone's
life change, do you know what?
All I want now is to go home,that's it, and I'm going to cry
again With the family.
It's to go home because Ihaven't been the mum that I want
to be.
So that's what I want to be.
Speaker 1 (33:21):
Make time.
It's the biggest gift, isn't it?
The biggest gift for you?
Speaker 2 (33:24):
I'm gonna kill you.
Simone, I've been emotional.
Everyone thinks I'm like a balldream boss bitch.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
And now I'm like, I'm like, I'm like a blubber and
like do you know what?
This is?
Your superpower?
Vulnerability, thevulnerability when people think
you're all over it, it's okay.
It's okay because I'm stillamazing.
It's okay to go.
You know what?
Actually, this has been tough,or I've made mistakes or this is
this, or I'm excited, or I'mgiddy about that, because I'm a
mom and a wife.
Speaker 2 (33:47):
I'm a business owner.
Speaker 1 (33:49):
I'm like I'm everything, and do you know what
in one sentence.
And this is going to beimpossible.
I'm looking at your daughterover here.
I mean it's never going tohappen, is it right?
You are spinning plates.
You're constantly spinning ofthe plates.
Speaker 2 (34:06):
And that's what I've been working on.
So this app now is obviouslybringing me two companies that
I've got there together in oneand we are going Not about the
app, about you.
Jill, about my life is work, soI've got to reduce this so I
can have a life.
So it's one thing, as I said,bringing it back to the
beginning.
Everything comes at a cost andnow I'm ready, I've set my
family up for life.
When this app goes live, I'mprobably going to be setting
(34:27):
their families up for 10generations down.
You know this app's going to be.
It's going to be worldwide.
You know I've got the biggestnames in the world involved in
this app.
Um, and I'm ready to, over thenext two years, really come away
from everything.
I'm ready and you'll go.
You'll never do that, but I'llalways have my charity work.
Speaker 1 (34:43):
I would never doubt you, I'm gonna.
I would never doubt you.
In one world I'm gonna shoutover the studio.
Emmy, how would you describeyour mom?
Speaker 2 (34:53):
yeah, come over, run over.
This is my daughter, everyone.
This is my best friend and shejust, she is me everything.
Speaker 1 (34:59):
Come here come and sit on this side, so you're
close to the mic there how wouldyou describe your mom in one
word go into that microphonethere.
Wild well, I I could not think.
I could not think of a betterword to describe you are the
wild woman, but completelyfocused, vulnerable, and thank
(35:21):
you for bringing yourvulnerability to the the teal
coach today.
It's okay to be you, um, pleasetry and keep losing some of
them plates, but do the makesure it's the big impactful ones
, because that's what makes thedifference.
We'll watch the space, I'll seeyou in two weeks time and all
of a sudden there'll be anothermillion things.
Speaker 2 (35:39):
But actually I see it , it's purpose I just want, I
just want everybody to supportthe app.
It's called succeed and it'llbe out after the summer holidays
and I'll keep in touch andhopefully Simone will support
that and get that out there,thank you.
And we're going to change livesof many young people Every day,
every day with intention.
Jill, thank you for coming,thank you for every lady
dragging you in and thank youall there you go.
Speaker 1 (36:02):
Look, you see, it's all about giving people a
platform and a stage, isn't it?
Yeah, thank you so much forjoining us.
Thank you, subscribe on YouTube, apple, amazon Music, spotify
or wherever you get yourpodcasts.
Leave us a review or follow uson socials.
We are Power underscore net onInsta, tiktok and Twitter.
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(36:25):
Power on YouTube.
Hello, hello, and welcome to the we Are Power
podcast.
If this is your first time here, the we Are Power podcast is
the podcast for you, your careerand your life.
We release an episode everysingle Monday with listeners in
over 60 countries worldwide,where you'll hear personal life
stories, top-notch industryadvice and key leadership
insight from amazing role models.
(00:21):
As we Are Power is the umbrellabrand to Northern Power Women
Awards, which celebrateshundreds of female role models
and advocates every year.
This is where you can hearstories from all of our awards
alumni and stay up to date witheverything.
Mpw Awards and we Are PowerWell, hello, hello.
(00:47):
This week, I am joined by.
Do you know what?
I have no idea in the world howI'm even going to introduce you
, jill Ashcroft, other than JillAshcroft, super power woman,
powerlister 2025, finalist.
And then how would you describeyourself?
Humanitarian, actually.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
But you weren't actually expecting that.
Not, I was philanthropist, butwhen you have that on your title
, every person rings you up tothe dollar bills, yes, so I've
learned that lesson the hard way.
And now I'm humanitarian and,yeah, I'd like to come away from
things that are financiallylabeled.
Do you know what I mean?
So it's not me but and but.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
You started how did you?
Speaker 2 (01:28):
because you've owned bars, restaurants, care sector,
beauty salons salons,entertainment sense, family
entertainment centers, propertyright the way up from dubai to
utah, um, you name it.
I've done it really.
I've got sites all over thecountry and yeah, I'm just, I'm
(01:49):
like I've just turned 40.
And I'm proud to say that,because women at 40 are the most
confident, the most sexiest andjust just amazing.
So, like, I'm not shy to sayI'm in my 40s and I feel like
I've lived 10 people's lives.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
And we've got your daughter in the studio.
Be here before uh studio herewith us today.
What were you like at Emmy's?
Speaker 2 (02:10):
age.
Really I don't know whetherthis podcast might go downhill.
I was so naughty.
I was so naughty.
I was like like a youngerversion of Del Boy, like
literally, I'm from the innercity.
You know, I grew up If everyoneremembers Lange he was Lange,
that's not far from my familylived in the flats in Lange.
Me nan and my other side of thefamily were from Scotland Roads
(02:33):
and I was just wild.
I think that's the entrepreneurin me, because I always I'm a
risk taker.
I like the adrenaline, I likethe adrenaline, I like the rush.
But I needed to channel it intoa positive way Because it's
learned behavior, isn't it?
You learn from your environment.
So I was a little tea leaf.
(02:53):
I only like stupid stuff likeRobin Glitter from Woolworths
and socks for school and stuffand scrunchies.
But I just loved it.
I loved the rush.
I'd go and I'd rob some pensand I think I was like gangster
number one.
But I was a nightmare.
I really was, but I never hatedanybody.
I was always the person thatwould stop the bullies in school
(03:14):
and if there was someone kidswho was getting bullied even
though I was like I was quitecool I'd always stand up for
everybody.
So we always made sure to lookafter everyone.
I'd always stand up foreverybody, so I always made sure
I looked after everyone.
My heart was always there.
I just needed to channeleverything else, and I do you
know what?
Actually, I will say it, and Iused to.
My dad only found this theother week because my sister
snitched and.
(03:36):
I used to.
He's a taxi driver.
He's been a taxi driver foryears, like since he was in his
20s, and he used to rememberford vouchers.
Do you remember the fourvouchers?
His friend used to work forford so he used to get brand new
car every 12 months and it washis pride and joy.
Right, we moved out into Aintreewhen I was younger, but I still
, I still brought myself back tothe inner city constantly.
Um, so we were very lookedafter in a way.
(03:57):
You know, my mum and dad workedvery hard and, um, the house
where we used to live in had,like it was, was a corner house,
so the side street, the carused to be parked there so you
couldn't see it.
So my dad used to work nightsand at the age of 14, I used to
take that car out all the time.
That's how naughty I was.
I just didn't.
I just never had, I just neverhad any kind of sense of
consequence.
And I remember one day Icrashed it into a red car into
(04:21):
the Asda car park and I wastea-cutting the hell out of that
car at two o'clock in themorning.
That was Jill.
As a younger version, I alwayshad a job that started off in
market stalls, mcdonald's.
I mean literally.
I was 16 and got offered amanager position Anything I did
I excelled in.
And then I worked in thejewellers Was it WH?
(04:43):
No, it's not WH Smith thejewellers.
It was a WH no, it's not WHSmith the jewellers on their own
church trees.
And then, but actually beforethat, I was 14 and worked in St
John's Market in city trainers,and I worked from 8 in the
morning till 6 at night for £20and I used to travel an hour
there and an hour back.
So I've always been a littleyou.
(05:03):
I have.
Whether it was good or bad, Ididn't care at that point.
And then I worked for DFS whenI was 18.
And I was so naughty, you know,I used to sign in, get off and
come back and clock out.
And this is the turning pointfor me.
And there was a girl there andthat was her life career.
And I got offered the manager'sposition and she never girl
(05:25):
there, and that was her lifecareer.
And I got off at the manager'sposition and she never.
And you know what that's when Ireally felt like this is wrong.
You know, like this is this isJill, that that childish
behavior needs to stop.
Because I seen shecongratulated me and it really
it's to this day.
It wounds me because becausethat's not who I am as a person
I was just naughty and I wasjust adventurous, and I'm still
naughty now, but in a good way,and I was a risk taker and I
(05:47):
just wanted I don't know it wasthe thrill, without thinking
about what you were actuallydoing.
So it was very likeunconsciously, like aware.
I was unconsciously aware of myactions and I remember and she
was gutted and I thought I haveto take a job and she works so
hard and I just do whatever todo and I do it very well and I
(06:08):
just blended it basically and,um, I actually resigned and I
vowed from that day that I wasgoing to be a different person
and channel it the right way.
And then that's when I got myfirst two properties, literally
a few months after that, and itwas the property boom and I
think I bought them for £80,000and I made £200,000 on two
(06:29):
properties and then I took thatmoney, went on.
I was on holiday just randomlyin Utah skiing, and my husband
I've been with my husband sinceI was 17, literally, that's.
You know I could have killedsomeone twice and got out twice
now and I do think about itquite often when I look at it.
But we went skiing in the SaltLake City and I ended up buying
(06:50):
a piece of land.
I made 500,000 pounds on thepiece of land and I was off.
That was it, and that's thestart of my journey.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
And what did you do with that?
You know, you talked about likethe defining moment at DFS,
where you know, and you werelike you know what?
No, do you know what?
It's not good.
I'm going to do good in this.
So you went, you invested inproperty.
You were like the look of thegods behind you, right, yeah,
all my life has been a puzzlelike literally has it's like
these.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Definitely, I'm getting watched over these
things in my life that havehappened, where it's somewhat
I'm not like I'm not veryreligious, but I do think these.
You know a higher power and Ido believe that you know there's
more to wait for in this life.
I actually think this is helland we moved heaven.
We moved to where we're meantto be after that, but I do
believe in all that and thesethings, these people that I've
(07:35):
met in terms of likespiritualists and stuff, but and
these obviously these are theones that are blackers, but
these there was one inparticular and he was like,
honestly, only I know to thepoint of where he told me my nan
was there and he said your nansaid will you stop going on
about your nose job?
I mean, who knows that?
He knew about all the surgeryI've had, which you know I'm not
(07:55):
going to go into, but I do loveyou know that were going on at
the time in my life, which Idon't mind talking about.
He knew things and I know shewas watching over me and I know
things that have happened arebecause of someone looking over
me, but yeah, I do feel likeeverything has been mapped out
for me, and I've known thatsince I was 12.
(08:17):
I knew, when I was 12, that Iweren't a nana to fiver.
I knew that there was a biggerpurpose.
I'm here for a reason.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
So you know you talked about someone watching
over you, like your nan, like Ialways think of my nan, my
grandparents, like northernpower nana.
Yeah, that sense of faith, thatbelief it doesn't have to be
religion, but there's a sense ofthat knowing that you're going
to laugh at this right like mynan of a Sunday.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
It was like a proper scouse family and we all.
There must have been about 20grandkids.
I do not know how she fed usall from that one chicken.
Honestly.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
I didn't.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
She was like she should be on the power list,
what she can do with one chicken, I'm not joking and it was like
we all got fed.
But my job was to throw thecabbage down the toilet, right,
so you know, like the pot ofcabbage after everyone's
finished and it stunk.
So her bathroom smelled likepeaches.
I can't even believe we'regoing into this.
Her bathroom smelled likepeaches.
I have actually never toldanyone this.
So these are all the first tohear about my nan's peaches, my
(09:08):
cheap peach bathroom and thesmell.
I just I didn't realise, but Inearly died in childbirth.
Really bad.
I was on barrier nursing frommy last child and I was in the
bed and the night before Iflatlined and the night before
my bedroom stunk of peaches andthe minute it did because I
(09:29):
always remember thinking thankGod it smells like peaches when
I'm throwing this cabbage down,because the cabbage was like ugh
, and it was it, because mywhole room just smelled like
peaches and the first thing thatcame to my mind was my nan's
bathroom.
And then that next morning iswhen I got strepococcal virus,
but the life threatening one andit got into my womb and I ended
(09:50):
up flat lining and it wasactually I could get upset, so I
wasn't too honest, but it wasget the baby out and at least
the baby will survive.
But I don't even know why I'mgoing to upset, but it makes
good feelings, doesn't it?
And I was on barion nursing fora week.
Um yeah, and the the virus gotto the end of the umbilical cord
.
And this is someone, this isactually.
(10:10):
I'll bring it all back.
We'll go back to you know whatwe want to talk about, with
someone looking after me.
The day that I got brought intohospital an hour before the
doctor that I should have hadthat was on on shift.
I'd gone off sick from shiftand the only replacement they
could got was this one doctorwho's never worked in homescare
hospital before.
And the doctor lost thepregnant woman the week before
(10:32):
to the same virus.
And the virus is like one inevery billion or so one.
It's just crazy, like you knowpercentages, of how low or how
uncommon this virus is.
And if it weren't for himcoming on shift an hour before
and I got brought in by hourbefore I got brought in, by the
way, I got brought in in awheelchair at this point I was
gone.
He looked.
He knew straight away.
He said get it on fiveantibiotic intravenous drips and
(10:56):
just hope for the best.
He said don't bother with blood.
He knew what it was.
No one would have known in thehospital.
I would have been dead.
How mental is that that thatdoctor come an hour before who's
never been in the hospital andthen that night I smell peaches.
My whole life has been likethat.
I know she's here, and when I'mnaughty because I am like work
hard, play hard and and I justmy personality and I think it's
(11:19):
the inner beast, isn't it?
It's the guts.
Which one you're gonna choose,the good wolf or the bad wolf?
And um, every morning.
And when I choose the bad wolf,um, she haunts me.
I'm not now, listen, I am notjoking to the point where taps
come on, all me, like, no matterwhat room I'm in me, all my
lights flash on and off.
It's like okay, nan, I'll startbeing good.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
Nana brings her peaches on, yeah that's probably
no good for the listener on thepodcast right now.
So there you go.
So how did you, how did you getinto the social sector, the
social care sector?
Wow, so this is we're theteachers, with Nan here, with
Nan, do you know what right itwas?
Speaker 2 (11:58):
I was?
I'm not.
I'm not like money driven, likeI do have a nice car, I have
nice things and stuff, but forme it's a bit, um, I feel like
you're getting some other cases.
There's only so much stuff youcan buy.
It's like it's empty.
And for me it's like toactually change someone's life
and to see someone.
Obviously it's always theirinput as well, but to have that,
(12:19):
to leave that legacy or to havethat input on changing
someone's life, you can't.
That's priceless, so it's.
I had a family entertainmentcentre and there was one
customer.
This is when you know you needto get out of customer service.
I'm not actually going to saywhat I said to her because you'd
have to go.
Bleep, bleep, bleep.
She was moaning about how hercheese weren't melted on her
(12:41):
chips and basically she gotnowhere to go and I was like you
know what these children'sstarving?
I think people that come topeople's businesses think that
they can talk to staff how theywant.
They always want something fornothing.
You know, I'm not sayingeveryone, but like majority.
I mean, I've been in customerservice for a long time, um, and
it was like when you'reactually telling your customers
(13:02):
to do one.
That's when you know you needto move on, because obviously
that pays my mortgage, it's mylivelihood and I was like I'm
done.
I did was there was criminalinvestigation as well, which is,
you know, it's common.
I'm not bothered, like you know, I I don't stop being around
people.
I've grew up in the inner city,most people from the inner city
the only the only way that theycan make money is through
(13:22):
criminal activity becauseunfortunately it's people are
kept in a certain bracket andother people are kept in another
bracket, and that's we have tofind.
We have definitions, don't meanclasses and, and you know, the
working class, unfortunately,are surrounded by people who
want nice things but don't getthe opportunities because of the
area that they grow up in, youknow, and I wanted to change
that and I am changing that andwe'll move on to that.
(13:43):
But yeah, I just I felt likethis is not for me and this I
have to say, as I was feelingthat there was a big criminal
investigation that went on.
I got, I was arrested and I gotbrought in.
I was kept.
I was like Mrs Bouquet in thecell.
Honestly, I was like I kickedoff.
I got a brand new refurbishedsweater.
(14:05):
What was the investigation forJill?
It was a massive.
It was like 17 arrests in onemorning.
Well, 32 arrests, 17 charges inone morning, and it was a big
undercover drugs operation.
It was going on for three yearsand I'll tell you something now
and it's disgusting actually.
They come to my home and theyarrested me in front of my kids,
(14:25):
took me away Not my husband, metook me away from my London and
I put in a cell and this was, Imean riot fans all in my
streets, the neighbours all out.
It was disgusting and I got putin my cell and I, just, I
actually was so like, I actuallywas very proud of myself
(14:48):
because I was so strong where Ididn't realise how strong of a
person and of a woman I was.
You know, even when they cometo my house, I worked hard for
everything that was in thathouse.
You know it was, and I hadwhite carpets.
Well, they got me to putplastic shoes on and this is the
camera crew was there.
They all come through arm place, all through my front door.
They actually knocked becauseI'd just had another baby that
(15:10):
was sick as well and I had LechyGates, electric Gates, sorry,
disney inner city Lechy Gates.
And they knocked and my husbandtold the neighbours I
complained about the wheelie bin, oh no, about the van or the
wheelie bin.
And I went to him come on on,we're not getting all these
through the front door because,because you've left the wheelie
bin out, the neighbors werecranks where we live and um, so
(15:30):
they come into my house and Ijust said, no way.
I said they had these armyboots on.
They were like the militarywith black boots.
These are not standing all overmy carpets because I've worked
my butt off for this, foreverything that I've got.
They actually did it as well.
So here's me.
I mean this little girl.
I was 20, it was, it was 2012,you know.
So I was a lot younger and Ijust this inner strength come
(15:53):
and I am, and I know that.
I know that things go missingout of people's houses that get
me.
So my dad, I lived in abungalow.
It was a big bungalow and I hadmy watches in a drawer with
jewelry and he always kept it inthe back kitchen drawer and I I
was in pjs, so I had thisduring my top shop.
I had this jumping on from top.
I put this jumping on from topshop and it was long, and I
(16:13):
walked past the drawer and I gotall my jewellery out.
Who does this?
I mean, like, this is not, I'mnot even a criminal put all my
jewellery on.
I was like Mr T and I thoughtno, because the money did get
missing out my house.
Money did get missing out of myhouse.
Money did go missing out of myhouse and that was my money from
my cash business, and the samefor all my friends as well.
And it did happen.
And I knew that.
My friends' watches wentmissing, all kinds.
(16:34):
So what was the upshot of this?
So this is how bad I get.
This is my point.
I got brought into the cellOnce I knew my jewellery had
checked in.
I knew that it was on record,but hood so.
But I don't do this.
It was this person.
I've never been in trouble withthe police in my life and um, I
didn't even get the.
I refused to go to the prisontoilet, or so I went to the
police toilet.
I caused murder that night andum, they brought me into
(16:55):
interview and they were likewhat they said we know you've
not done nothing wrong, right,but we know that you've got
information and we want you totell us and we'll protect you.
I said you have just done thatin front of my family and you
put me through something andit's emotional, you know we're
getting upset about it.
It's like you just put methrough, that I'm just coming to
my home and this is what you'resaying.
You know no comments.
(17:15):
Do you know what I mean?
Do you let me go?
No charges, but that I give now, you know, and you know, please
don't google it because it's onthe last page.
It's on page 10.
I was talking a long time toget that on page 10, but it was
like.
You know, for me that was it.
It was like I need to get awayfrom the life that I'm.
I'd not get away from myfriends, but it was because I
(17:36):
was in business with likethey're my best friends.
I was in business, they come,it was all about being that
association and they wanted me.
The police wanted me to snitchand and it was like, really, you
just don't.
There's plenty of ways to goabout things Like railroad
someone and then ask them tosnitch.
I would never do that anyway.
So that was the change.
And to go back to your questionwhy I went into social care,
(17:56):
because, for one, I didn't likepeople coming and treating
people in work, the way I wasdealing with customers when
you're working really hard, andfor another, it was like I
needed to change my environment.
I needed to do my own thing andalso I've always wanted to help
people.
So it was the night I got out ofthe cell.
(18:17):
I went, woke up the nextmorning, had no, had no
experience in care whatsoever,never, never done a day in care.
I downloaded an offsetregistration pack.
Look, I could go on, but I knowwe've got a time change.
I've become the youngest everresponsible individual to date
in the whole care sector.
Now, that is someone who'slegally responsible in the court
of law for the lives ofchildren and the reason why I
(18:38):
actually did get registration.
It was a nine-hour interview.
I had six weeks to prepare forit.
I locked myself into FormbyHall because obviously, you know
I do like my luxuries.
You know what I mean.
I went and got into the travellodge and I learned every
legislation off by heart and Ismashed that interview and I've
went now from, you know, turningover 200,000 the first year to
(19:01):
probably having an organisationthat's worth nearly around 50
million.
And that's what I did.
What are you moops proud of?
Do you know?
I'm getting upset again.
I'm like I'm so strong, but Ireally care, so I'm quite
emotional person.
Do you know how many letters offrom children, of lives that
have changed.
Why am I going again?
It's like I've had childrenfrom the rotherham inquiry that
(19:23):
have come to me at like the ageof 12, you know, with marks all
over them and where they've beenurinated on, one of them in
particular.
She's a solicitor now with twokids, and that's because she
comes to my home Again.
I need to stop crying on thispodcast, it's all good.
Do you know why?
Because it's so sad what I see,and to be able to change
(19:43):
people's lives, it's justamazing.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
But how do you manage that?
Because I think to lots ofpeople who know you and you're
multi-award winning, you're upfor more awards and you know
people see that, people see thegloss, people see the gloss and
the glamour and you know the bigwedgie heels Can't see that on
the pod, but you see it there.
But how do you?
Speaker 2 (20:01):
I'm so glad because I don't like toes.
But here's my shoes.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
But how do you deal with that?
What's your fighting power?
We've talked about your nanbeing present at certain times.
Do you have a coping mechanism?
Sometimes it's exercise,sometimes it's meditation, and
I'll be honest.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
I think everything comes at a cost and I think
right now I'm going through abig change in my life because
Jill just does things the hardway and everything's trial and
error.
I haven't got someone.
I haven't grown up and gonethrough a professional career
where I've gone from promotionto promotion.
No one's told me you know howto do my supervision, how to be
(20:37):
a line manager, how to be a CEO,how to be a managing director,
and I have literally justlearned and I'm tired.
I'm tired of trial and error.
And do you know what?
It's so simple and this will bethe best advice that I can give
anyone.
If you want a successfulbusiness and it will be
successful if you listen to this, listen to this bit of advice
(20:58):
keep it simple.
Do what you say on the tin anddo it the best better than
anyone else.
No bells and whistles, nodilution, no like trying to
add-ons, because all it does istake your attention away.
Do what you say.
So what you say you're gonna do,whether you deliver, like, if
you fix toilets, fix them betterthan anyone else.
You know, if you sell fish andchips, make sure that the best
(21:21):
fish and chips that ended aroundand don't do nothing else.
Do you know what I mean?
It's like for me?
I have just gone and I'vediluted and the worst I brought
so much chaos because when Iopened exceptional care, I
thought I was a people pleaserand my like things that have
happened to me growing up.
You know, I've always doubtedmyself with all the time and
(21:41):
I've always exaggerated.
I mean, I could never lose.
So like I remember like 11 andbeing in a dance competition and
so scared to go home and saythat I never won.
I actually robbed the awardsfrom the cupboard from the year
before and went home because Iwas so like.
I always got brought up.
My mum like I know.
I love my mum to bits.
(22:02):
She's my best friend as well asmy daughter, but she had such a
traumatic upbringing Like mygranddad.
He was just a monster, you know, right between the lines, and
she had a really cruelupbringing and so she always
wanted to be hard on me out oflove, but it really fractured
our relationship and that's whyI'm best friends with my
daughter and my son, and thatbecause I lost a lot and then I
(22:25):
always tried to please.
I got I think it was 11 A's and8 stars altogether, or 10 and
one C.
Do you know, I got batteredover that C and it was not, it
was good enough, so then I hadto.
So I think that really has animpact on my self-worth.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
And I think this whole paying forward thing maybe
sometimes an overused phrase,isn't it Pay it forward, give
back, but that's what you do andI think one of the things we
talked about before therecording today you put it into
practice personally, because youtalked about you taking your
children like your tribe, themassive.
I've got four children,everyone you know you're four or
five with the husband rightWith the husband, obviously, and
but my mum lives with me.
(23:02):
Something struck me about youtake them in because you're
learning things at the moment,because we'll talk about the app
in a minute and we're reallyexcited about the new app, but
you're taking the kids in, andthe kids, these are young adults
, right, you know youngentrepreneurs, young business
people, but you're taking themin to learn with you as you go,
because it's not the stuff weget taught in school.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
So you're really like this.
Paying at home it does, and Ithink like I'm not.
You know, I've got my water andall, and the kids know that,
because I I don't cope very wellwith certain things and it's,
it's, it's hard.
I'm one person.
I'm one person and I said toyou before, you know, when I
told about money but labelthings, but I've got a million
pounds out on my head everymonth and that's on my shoulders
alone and like that's not aheavy, that's a heavy cross to
bear.
Not only that, I've gotten only30 children the highest risk
(23:47):
children in the country's liveson my shoulders, but it's all
down to other people's actions.
It's not me caring for them,but then it's, it's my
responsibility, they're myresponsibility in someone else's
hands.
So these things that I'm notcoping with, like I don't think
I'm not a person to go.
Oh, it's glamorous, it'sfabulous.
I'm just this, I'm that.
You know what I am.
I'm one of the best people todo what I do, that I I know I am
(24:10):
one of the best to do and whatI do, and I am good and I am, I
am brilliant at what I do.
But I'm also I'm not.
I'm a human being and it comes.
Everything comes at a cost andand it impacts my family.
You know it really does, andI've just got to really work on
that.
So, which leads us, nicely,talking about the self-worth.
I'm gonna, I'm gonna put thisinto, I'm gonna round it all up
(24:30):
now so we can move on to, um,what's currently going on, um,
my self-worth.
When it was only two years agothat, like I realized about what
I've just said, about how toget a successful business and
also, you, everybody's got onething they do better than
everyone else, and it doesn'tmatter about proving yourself I
wanted to be, oh, I'm amazing atthis.
(24:50):
I'm amazing at that.
I'm amazing at this why?
Because I was good enough as Iwas, but I didn't see it and I
just wanted to make sure thateveryone thinks I'm great.
I opened a recruitment agency,I opened a training company, I
opened a tech company and do youknow what?
They would all run poor.
They would all run poor.
And I'm actually professionallyembarrassed because I knew, if
(25:10):
I just had one or that one orthat one and I did it well, that
I would have done it betterthan anyone else.
But I just wanted to be likethe big I am and it was like and
it's sad, it really is sad, andit took me to the age of 38.
Winning Great BritishEntrepreneur of the Year changed
my life.
I had some massive accoladesand I realised that do you know
(25:31):
what?
I am actually good, I'm good, Idon't need to be.
So I actually decided to comeclean.
I'm not a professional, becauseI'm a little nightmare.
I am, I am, but that's okay.
I'm not academic, I'm clever.
I've got a law degree.
You know I can run circlesaround any academic but and I'm
like a sponge.
I am like a sponge.
(25:51):
You know, put me in a situationin a week or so I'll be like
probably I'll know more than theperson that's been doing it for
20 years.
I'm just like that.
But know what I am?
Buddha I'm, and people buy intopeople, people invest in people
, and I had everything already,without all the bells and
whistles, and I'm more confidentthan I ever am.
I'm still struggling withthings, obviously, and I'll talk
(26:13):
about them openly.
Because I do, because there'sso many people going to be
watching this podcast that aregoing to relate to it.
And I do these podcasts notbecause I want to be on a
podcast, because I want peopleto realise they're not alone.
They're not alone and there'salways someone for someone.
There's always support.
And I had the radio show,didn't I?
And I did that radio showbecause to highlight the amount
of services and support networksthat are out there, that even
(26:36):
in our city I didn't know thatwas there and I'm not joking, it
was an eye-opener.
But yeah, now I'm at that placenow in my life where I'm
streamlining and I'm makingbetter decisions, smarter, not
harder everyone.
It's always a smarter way andeasier way.
Don't do it the Jill way andit's I'm more, I'm more
financially better off.
(26:57):
But my purpose changed, likeeverything changed when I was 38
, because I realized I am goodat what I do and I'm a people,
person and it's just about mebeing me, I can connect, I'm a
connector.
And I realised I am good at whatI do and I'm a people, person
and it's just about me being me.
I can connect, I'm a connectorand I could leave a room and
everyone will know why I'm in aroom.
Like there could be 500 peoplein a room.
Give me half an hour andthey'll all know who I am, and
not the fact that I grab thelimelight, it's just, that's my
(27:18):
strength and you work with thatpower and that has then enabled
me to reassess my life and I'vegot an amazing, the most
successful entrepreneurs in thewhole country and my little
group of friends.
I've always got my lifetimefriends, but these are a group
that now that I'm around, whereno one wants nothing from me,
but I've got the bestconnections in the country and
(27:40):
it's just snowballed.
So, yeah, I feel like gettingto 40 it's, it's, it's amazing,
it's amazing.
It's not something to be scaredof.
We all should be proud of itand then just believe in
yourself and you and you andwhat you do well and keep your
business and your life as smartas and as slim, slim down as
possible.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
And that's led me to the app so tell me about the app
, because there's nothing simpleabout an app well, it is when
you've got your own tech team.
Well, Well, there you go.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
So I've just been talking about me training
company.
Me training company was never,never got off the ground.
Oh my God.
I had two and a half millionpound leads that I am in and
it's also my own money, which isa lot of money because it
changed people's lives.
I wanted to create the besttraining in the sector.
So everything I've done I'vedone really it's ego and, to be
(28:27):
honest with you, when I didn'trealise it was ego and I'm happy
saying that I'm not botheredbut it was also to do better
than others for support andvulnerable people.
So it's always had the goodheart in it.
But it also ruined it a bit aswell.
And for me it was like I wantedthe best recruitment agency
because I wanted the bestquality staff, because I was
(28:50):
using recruitment agencies formy company, so I thought, well,
I'll just open my own because Ican do anything.
And then I thought my trainingcompany.
I thought, right, okay, I'mgoing to use 3D animation, I'm
going to use technology that Igot a team that worked for
Disney, honestly, and I created3D animation and online training
that you actually felt emotionfor what you watched.
So it weren't a tick boxexercise, it weren't just like
(29:11):
cheapest chips, budget training.
It was you were.
It takes six times on averagefor a normal brain to retain
information.
You've got to feel emotional,emotionally invested in what
you're doing.
So if I've got people who aretraining that actually take away
the training and then deliverbetter care, that why I did it.
But I created my own LMS, whichis a learner management system,
(29:33):
and I didn't, I didn't buy offshelf because I wanted to do it
in a way that every mistake I'vemade yeah, because I've made
all the mistakes.
So if I can build the mistakesin as a preventative in my LMS,
then I'm supporting how manyother care providers from making
the mistakes, which, in turn,is better quality of care.
Unless you can't, you shouldn'tmake a, shouldn't make a
mistake on a child's life.
(29:53):
So my that was both the um, thepeople who created it.
It was I brought in an outsidecompany to work with my team.
It got two and a half yearslater.
We went, we launched and itfell flat on its face because
the two main things that it waswhat it was coded and what it
was built on shouldn't have everbeen together.
So I had to just build a brandnew one is that what you've done
now?
Speaker 1 (30:13):
so what is this new?
Speaker 2 (30:14):
app, so I've just built a whole new LMS and what
is?
Speaker 1 (30:17):
what is that going to do?
How many lives?
Speaker 2 (30:20):
is this going to change?
Going for the new bell pieceprize?
I'll dead quick.
So the lms now was finished.
I've got over a thousandcredits of courses, but I'm
closing the company and this iswhat I'm doing.
So, me being smarter, I've gotmy charity and I've got me, me,
tech company and I thought, well, why don't we put all together,
everyone, get rid of all theheadache with the charity, get
rid of all the headache with me,but me, tech, me tech company,
(30:41):
and we've put them together onthis app.
So this app is getting launchedum after the summer and the app
is a hybrid model of anon-profit and a profit um and
what it's going to do?
It's going to give every youngperson in the uk it's actually
just getting launched.
It's going to be launched indubai as well.
It guarantees work placements.
It's also got um the access tomy lms and all my training so
(31:05):
they can come on.
So, so if they're not a jobseekers, so it'll be meeting the
criteria for job seekers,really, and the same like
eligibility criteria.
So we're not getting people justusing it, you know, when
they're not vulnerable orthey're not in that situation
and they can self-developthemselves by all the courses.
So you're better empowerment,better motivation, self-worth.
They can do their ownself-progression in terms of
(31:31):
professional development andit's all courses are all on the
training matrix.
You have the app, you go on,you can filter the area, the
sector.
It's also made for theneurodiversity and the cohort of
people that do are affected byneurodiversity.
So, and it's also for equalityand diversity, so we know what
jobs, what job businesses, whatjob places can cater for hearing
(31:53):
impairment, speech impairment,disability.
Speaker 1 (31:57):
It's taken the decades, isn't it?
Of your experience, yourpassion, the mistakes right
along the way, the naughty bitsright.
Speaker 2 (32:05):
It's always got to be naughty, which I'm sorry, but I
am, I'm fun, I'm fun, I'm alittle pranker, and it's like
I'm not going to take that awaybecause I'm a little, I'm cheeky
and I get very far with mycheekiness because my heart is
always in the right place.
But the app is.
I've just joined forces was thefounder of um.
We'll get to jim shark in aminute.
He was the founder of allsaints and reese, and we're
(32:28):
doing free clothing for youngpeople as well, for the
interview.
So that's so.
We're hitting sustainability,we're hitting social impact and,
on the other side of things, wehave a subscription model for
businesses as cheap as chipscheaper than anything else to
access the training for theirown companies, but it will fund
the app.
So that's the app.
It's going to go for a newbuilding surprise and that's
where I'm going to with my life.
(32:49):
So I've come full 360, I've puteverything together, I'm working
smarter and I'm going to makenational impact and I'm going to
make global impact.
And that's jill and what.
Speaker 1 (32:57):
Yeah, but and what makes jill happy do you know
what that is?
Speaker 2 (33:03):
that's probably a question that I can't answer
because I don't know anymore,but I know when I see someone's
life change, do you know what?
All I want now is to go home,that's it, and I'm going to cry
again With the family.
It's to go home because Ihaven't been the mum that I want
to be.
So that's what I want to be.
Speaker 1 (33:21):
Make time.
It's the biggest gift, isn't it?
The biggest gift for you?
Speaker 2 (33:24):
I'm gonna kill you.
Simone, I've been emotional.
Everyone thinks I'm like a balldream boss bitch.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
And now I'm like, I'm like, I'm like a blubber and
like do you know what?
This is?
Your superpower?
Vulnerability, thevulnerability when people think
you're all over it, it's okay.
It's okay because I'm stillamazing.
It's okay to go.
You know what?
Actually, this has been tough,or I've made mistakes or this is
this, or I'm excited, or I'mgiddy about that, because I'm a
mom and a wife.
Speaker 2 (33:47):
I'm a business owner.
Speaker 1 (33:49):
I'm like I'm everything, and do you know what
in one sentence.
And this is going to beimpossible.
I'm looking at your daughterover here.
I mean it's never going tohappen, is it right?
You are spinning plates.
You're constantly spinning ofthe plates.
Speaker 2 (34:06):
And that's what I've been working on.
So this app now is obviouslybringing me two companies that
I've got there together in oneand we are going Not about the
app, about you.
Jill, about my life is work, soI've got to reduce this so I
can have a life.
So it's one thing, as I said,bringing it back to the
beginning.
Everything comes at a cost andnow I'm ready, I've set my
family up for life.
When this app goes live, I'mprobably going to be setting
(34:27):
their families up for 10generations down.
You know this app's going to be.
It's going to be worldwide.
You know I've got the biggestnames in the world involved in
this app.
Um, and I'm ready to, over thenext two years, really come away
from everything.
I'm ready and you'll go.
You'll never do that, but I'llalways have my charity work.
Speaker 1 (34:43):
I would never doubt you, I'm gonna.
I would never doubt you.
In one world I'm gonna shoutover the studio.
Emmy, how would you describeyour mom?
Speaker 2 (34:53):
yeah, come over, run over.
This is my daughter, everyone.
This is my best friend and shejust, she is me everything.
Speaker 1 (34:59):
Come here come and sit on this side, so you're
close to the mic there how wouldyou describe your mom in one
word go into that microphonethere.
Wild well, I I could not think.
I could not think of a betterword to describe you are the
wild woman, but completelyfocused, vulnerable, and thank
(35:21):
you for bringing yourvulnerability to the the teal
coach today.
It's okay to be you, um, pleasetry and keep losing some of
them plates, but do the makesure it's the big impactful ones
, because that's what makes thedifference.
We'll watch the space, I'll seeyou in two weeks time and all
of a sudden there'll be anothermillion things.
Speaker 2 (35:39):
But actually I see it , it's purpose I just want, I
just want everybody to supportthe app.
It's called succeed and it'llbe out after the summer holidays
and I'll keep in touch andhopefully Simone will support
that and get that out there,thank you.
And we're going to change livesof many young people Every day,
every day with intention.
Jill, thank you for coming,thank you for every lady
dragging you in and thank youall there you go.
Speaker 1 (36:02):
Look, you see, it's all about giving people a
platform and a stage, isn't it?
Yeah, thank you so much forjoining us.
Thank you, subscribe on YouTube, apple, amazon Music, spotify
or wherever you get yourpodcasts.
Leave us a review or follow uson socials.
We are Power underscore net onInsta, tiktok and Twitter.
We are Power on LinkedIn,facebook, and we are underscore
(36:25):
Power on YouTube.
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