May 26, 2025 • 25 mins
This week on the We Are PoWEr Podcast, we're joined by Nicola Gleave founder of Worn by Us, entrepreneur, and unstoppable force for good, as she shares the moment her life pivoted forever.
Nicola’s story is more than inspiring - it’s a reminder that even in life’s hardest moments, there’s space to create, connect, and lead.
Chapters:
0:00 – Introducing Worn by Us
1:44 – Breast Cancer Diagnosis
5:37 – Finding Purpose Through Adversity
9:02 – Building a Business Through Networks
14:16 – The Power of Networking
20:14 – Wayne Rooney's Makeup Story
23:45 – The Future of Worn by Us
Find out more about We Are PoWEr here. 💫
Mark as Played
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
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
Power.
Well, today I am delighted tobe joined by Nicola Leave, who
(00:50):
is the founder of Worn by Us.
Tell us about Worn by Us.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
So thank you for having me first of all.
But yes, so Worn by Us actuallywas an idea that came from me
being diagnosed with breastcancer 10 years ago.
So people ask me is itsomething that you'd always
planned or wanted to do?
And the answer is no.
It literally was a light bulbidea that came from a breast
cancer diagnosis.
(01:16):
So it started by wanting toraise money for breast cancer,
but also awareness.
I think that was one of themost important things for me,
because I was somebody who neverthought I'd get breast cancer.
There was no history in thefamily, I was always fit and
well, um.
So it came as an idea by.
We started asking celebritiesif they would donate um clothing
(01:38):
items from their wardrobes, uh,which we would sell to raise
money for breast cancercharities.
And we did that because wethought well, celebrities
attract attention, so if we cancreate the awareness by maybe a
positive thing that you can buya celebrity's piece of clothing,
then you know it was creatingawareness and support in that
(01:59):
way.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
I mean that's fascinating, like because you've
just received a diagnosis andyou must be in bits.
And you know, this wasn'texpected.
It's not in my family.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
And I'm having to deal with that, and I'm having
to deal with what's going to lieahead.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Are you?
How are you now?
Yeah, no, I'm fine now.
So I, you know, I had mytreatment.
I had a lumpectomy, I had 20rounds of radiotherapy and now I
was taking Tamoxifen, which isa medication for 10 years.
So my breast cancer wasoestrogen receptive, which means
your own oestrogen grows it.
(02:39):
Yeah, I know so because at thetime at my age I hadn't been
through the menopause, I stillhad high levels of estrogen.
So tamoxifen, kind of like, isa receptor that stops the
estrogen going into your cellsso it can't form or grow cancer.
So literally I was on it for 10years because I needed to get
(03:01):
through a kind of menopause tocome off it.
So my oestrogen was lower but Iliterally just stopped it just
before Christmas.
So it's a positive.
But also it felt like mycomfort blanket had been taken
away from me because you knowwhen you feel like, well, that's
going to stop that coming backtypically, and I know that I'm
(03:21):
at that age where oestrogen hasdropped and things like that.
But for 10 years I've had a bitof an assurance that yeah, that
helped.
So it was a great milestone,thinking I don't have to take
that medication anymore.
But at the same time.
Equally, it was a worry.
It's like something that'smissing.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Yeah, it is Every day or every night when you take
that.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Yeah it is.
Yeah, it was strange.
I have to be honest, it wasreally strange.
I've got used to it now.
But you did think, well,actually I'm protected, and now
I feel unprotected.
It's like you've lost your caperight, yeah yeah, no,
absolutely.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
But when you got the diagnosis and you're trying to
put your life on hold on adifferent direction, wasn't
planned Someone who's probablyquite planned right?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you've had abig job, big careers.
At what point did you go right?
I'm going to deal with that.
My health is.
I'm committing to being well.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
But I'm going to commit to this too.
That's a lot to split yourself.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Yeah, it is a lot and actually um, the, the, the
focus and the passion I had keptme going.
So actually it was the mostpositive thing that the idea I
have for Worn Bios and keepingmyself busy with my career and
job and everything was the mostpositive thing ever.
So for me it was.
It was a shock because I'd beenfor I think it was their biopsy
(04:45):
and it hadn't really shown upon the first two, but they knew
something that meant they wantedto do another biopsy kind of
thing.
But for me I see the positivein things.
So because they didn't tell meI had cancer initially, I
thought, oh, it's fine, it's asystem, whatever.
So it was a shock.
(05:06):
But I think, you know, for a dayI went home, for an afternoon I
went home and then the next dayI went back and I saw the
Macmillan nurse and I spent afew hours asking every question
under the sun that I couldpossibly think of.
That felt like a bit of therapyfor me because I came away and
I thought, right, I've askedeverything.
I can think of pros, cons ofeverything.
It helps me to make a bit of ajudgment decision in my head and
from that moment on, I just mymindset shifted in a sense that
(05:32):
I thought I can sink or I canswim and my mindset can help
which way I go.
And so I thought, right, I'mgoing to use this somehow turn
it on its head and do somethingpositive with it.
So the idea for Worn by Us andeverything else, just it kept me
going.
It was the motivation to getthrough it.
(05:52):
So I almost saw like I went forradiotherapy after my operation
, for it was like consecutive 20days every day, and I just saw
it as I was going out to ameeting every day.
I'm just going to a meeting andI'm going to come back and I'm
going to carry on with things.
I'm not saying that's easy orit's possible for everybody, but
(06:14):
something came over me and itjust gave me the power that
drove me on.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Really, and you then.
Well, as part of all this goingon, I'm gonna become an
entrepreneur and and there's norule book for being an
entrepreneur.
Right is that you're suddenlygoing right.
I've got the idea yeah.
I've got the inspiration,whether there be celebrities, uh
out there, or the network thatyou've you've built over over
(06:41):
years, yeah, how, how did you?
Where did you start with it?
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Because it's not easy , is it?
No, it's not easy.
I knew from that moment, fromthe diagnosis, that I'd worked
in kind of entrepreneurship,economic regeneration, you know,
business growth.
That was my career for manyyears.
You know, for now, over 25years plus.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
But receiving a salary is different, right.
It is, it is You're like, I'min it and I know it but now I'm
over in this world where, oh,that doesn't come in every month
.
Yeah, no, it is.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Well, I'd started to do some consultancy work anyway.
So I was in that kind of thatmindset and that frame but yeah,
no, you're absolutely right.
And yeah, no, you're absolutelyright.
(07:40):
And I think I thought that allmy I kind of reflected on things
.
So I reflected on my experienceand my career and it might
sound strange to say, but I feltas though this has happened for
a reason.
I know that might sound strange, but that's the way it felt, a
little bit, as in I can use allmy experience, my networks, my
relationships to createsomething positive.
And I'd always wanted to createa business, but I didn't know
(08:02):
what was it.
I didn't have a business ideaand this gave me all of that.
So it was a passion, it was apurpose.
You know, it gave me drive, itgave me motivation.
So it didn't feel like I wasbeing an entrepreneur or
anything at that time.
It was more about well, I wantto, you know, raise money and
awareness.
It began there and obviously,as you build confidence, a bit
(08:26):
more confidence and skills andexperience, it evolved.
But yeah, I mean, you'll knowyourself, you can be in business
or an entrepreneur.
For you know, five minutes or50 years, there's ups and downs
on every single day.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
It's a rollercoaster, right, it's a roller coaster.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
It's a no, no.
Two days the same.
One day you think you'rewinning and the next day you
think you've totally failed.
And and why am I here?
Kind of thing.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
And each day is different and it sounds as
though you've got a greatsupport.
Your husband, andy yeah, youknow um was he a bit like.
I'm all with you.
I think you're a bit mad, butI'm all with you.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Was there a bit of that?
How did?
Speaker 1 (09:02):
that conversation go in.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
No, he was all with me.
He was completely all with meand he, like I think he knows
that I like to ask a lot ofopinions.
So, like I said when I went andspoke to the Macmillaness for
hours, I weigh things up, so Inever make an immediate decision
on anything.
Really, I weigh everything upand I ask everybody what they
think, and that allows me tobring on board thoughts or
(09:24):
suggestions that I might nothave thought of, you know, and I
like to embrace that really.
And so he knew I'd done thatand gone through that process.
So he just backs me, no matterwhat.
I don't know whether he thinksit's just a quiet life and best
thing to do or whether he no, Ithink he does truly believe in
me, but he knows how driven I am, you know, I have, like I say,
(09:46):
I have my moments we all dowhere you question what you're
doing and sleepless nights andyou know, tears and everything
else, but I just, yeah, no, he'sbacked me from day one and let
me get on with it really, andnot only let me get on with it.
Has supported me and is nowinvolved, you know, is fully
(10:06):
immersed in it all.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
And you talk about asking questions you know, you
talk about.
That's been really important toyou being informed.
So being informed about yourwellness and your health and
asking every question.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
Yeah.
I imagine you turned up atClatterbridge with the notepad
right, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,yeah, I want to know everything,
yeah, so how did you fast trackyour knowledge on building a?
business, yeah.
So again, I think that'sbecause I'm right.
So so I believe in um, you know, and I say this a lot surround
(10:37):
yourself with people who arebetter than you.
I say this all of the time.
So I know what I know and Iknow what I don't know, and I
hold my hand up and I tellpeople quite loudly and clearly
I know this but I don't knowthat.
And so you know, I'm notprecious about wanting to own
everything and say it was all me, because it's not, you know, it
(10:59):
never is.
So, yeah, so I kind of justwent out there Initially, didn't
know what I wanted.
I knew I wanted to do somethingand I started to speak to people
.
You know what can I do, youknow?
So actually it was a guy I wentto yoga with who used to work
in retail.
He used to source, I think youknow, textiles, clothing for big
(11:22):
clothing brands around theworld.
And he said to me you know,there's a big, you know momentum
in kind of like pre-lovefashion, secondhand fashion,
things like that, and we talkedabout it and I started to talk
to a few people and the ideacame about well, why don't you
go and ask us some celebritiesfor clothes.
(11:43):
I didn't know a celebrity youknow.
To save my life, I didn't knowwhere to find one.
You know it wasn't my thing.
So that for me was a massivedragging myself out of my
comfort zone because I wasscared.
You know, I was really nervous.
I'm not the type of person justto reach out on social media,
nothing like that.
So it was like where do I start?
(12:06):
And it started with JacquelineGold.
So another contact of mineagain was involved in retail et
cetera and he invited me to aconference in Leeds.
It was a business conferencewhere Jacqueline Gould was
speaking and at the end of theconference introduced me and she
(12:29):
was the first person whodonated a dress.
It was a Philip Armstrong gownfrom her wardrobe that came in
the post a few days later andthat was the beginning really.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
And the late Jacqueline.
Gould the CBE she was thefounder of Ann Summers.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
And.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
I worked with her in my women first days and such a
kind, generous spirit and Iwonder.
We talk a lot about mentoringon the podcast and people will
often say how do I find a mentorand what it's like?
How do I ask what if?
Speaker 2 (13:02):
they say no.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
What?
When you asked Jacqueline andshe didn't say no, was that the
start of the?
Oh, actually, that's okay.
She didn't say no, I'm going totry again, yeah no, absolutely
it was.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
It was.
It was the moment of.
You know, I was so nervous, youknow, and I can go and chat to
people and speak to people andeverything, because it meant so
much to me and because of whoshe is, you know, she was very
successful, et cetera, and youknow, I was involved in I can't
remember what it was called, butshe used to do on Twitter like
the oh Wild.
(13:34):
Wednesday, wild Wednesday.
So I won one of those.
Actually, I think it was afterit was a few years later.
So I followed her andeverything.
So for me it was like anerve-wracking moment and you
know when you think, well, willthey understand me, will she
know what it's all about, youknow people busy, et cetera.
But to say yes probably becauseI'd just fallen on the floor I
(13:56):
was just like wow, she said yes.
So that boosted my confidencereally in thinking this has
begun, this has started.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
And you've pulled in some other bigger names out
there.
You've got obviously ColleenRooney.
Is there anyone out there thathas conquered?
I just didn't expect them tosay yes, obviously, jacqueline
was one Was there anyone elseout, there you go.
I didn't think that wouldhappen and just tried it.
Yes, tackling was one.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
Was there anyone else like that?
You go, I didn't didn't thinkthat would happen, I just tried
it.
Yes, so like.
So I I believe in networks.
You know relationships, so likewe.
Um, I attended anotherconference, a business
conference in Liverpool, and Imet Katie Piper and again after
the conference, so I got tospeak to Katie Piper, um, her
(14:45):
PA's, mum, or something likethat, and that's the power of it
, that's how I work.
If you don't know somebody, ifyou've got a strong network, you
know somebody else who does.
So it was through severalconnections.
Then, for example, I got to MelC I think we got like a t-shirt
from a piece of Andre as well.
We just used different networksto get to some people and it
(15:07):
was fantastic.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
I think you can never underestimate the power of your
network.
We always say if we don't know.
We know a woman or man who canright, You're going to know
someone.
What advice would you give tosomeone out there who's
listening, who wants to be bravebut felt, like you, going.
I'm a bit scared to do this.
I'm out of my comfort zone, Idon't know whether I can.
What advice would you say tothem?
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Yeah, I think you know, if you believe in it, I
think it's possible.
So the way I approached it wasI just spoke to people who I
knew, who I felt comfortablewith.
I didn't necessarily go askingthe direct question do you know
a celebrity?
It was more.
I told them what I wanted to do, wanted to achieve, and you
(15:49):
know, it naturally came.
And that's the thing I think.
Sometimes, you know, peoplethink, well, I'm not going to
ask that person or I'm not goingto go to that event because I
won't know anybody.
And you know, even like you,for example, you know, like if
you're invited to something andyou look on a guest list and you
think, well, I don't reallyknow them, and you just look at
people's job titles or theirorganizations to from you think,
(16:09):
oh well, they're probably notrelevant, so is it worth me
going?
I always say go because you youjust don't know who's in the
room and you know you don't knowwho their personal or
professional connections are aswell.
And the amount of times I'vejust gone, you just be yourself,
you just have a chat.
I've not necessarily gone toanything with any kind of agenda
(16:29):
, just have a chat.
I've not necessarily gone toanything with any kind of agenda
.
Just have a chat, people bypeople, and you have a chat, and
the next thing is I leave theevent or the room with so many
connections, ideas, contactsthat have just come naturally,
organically, just by talking topeople.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
And I think that's what people get scared of
networking Not for, because forthat reason I don't think I've
got any connection here, buthave you got any top tips for
that sort of opening a question?
Because sometimes you know, youand I have probably been to
many events where we've probablybeen sometimes the only woman
in the room or very few women inthe room, and sometimes it can
be a bit intimidating.
But you kind of any top tipsfor a teller.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
Yeah, I think you just have to have a chat.
I think you just have to.
And the first, the mostdifficult thing, is turning up.
You've got to turn up and you'vegot to enter that room the
amount of times people think I'mlike really confident.
And you know some people havecalled me a serial networker.
I walk in a room and if I don'tknow anybody I still sometimes
hover, you know, by the tea andcoffee.
(17:26):
You know, by the tea and coffee.
You know, take your timepouring a cup of tea, hoping
someone might come and justsmile or say hello or whatever,
because you, it's scary and Ithink you just have to.
You know, catch somebody's eye,they'll smile at you, say hello
, or you know you just have tostart a conversation, even like
oh, oh, hi, you know, I'm nicola.
Who are you?
What do you do?
(17:46):
Whatever.
And then you, what you oftenfind is they feel the same as
you, or the people in the roomfeel the same as you.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
I 100% believe we should be teaching networking in
schools or education.
It's taking away the stigma ofthe word, because sometimes I
think you simplify it by sayingit's having a conversation or a
chat.
Talk about them, people.
You know, sometimes peopledon't know how to do it, do you?
Have a best exit conversationfrom a networking when you know
(18:14):
you think, oh, how do I get onto?
Speaker 2 (18:16):
my yeah, yeah, um, so I think, oh gosh, so I think I
always feel that and I I feelthis the same in meetings or
everything else what's your um,what's your call to action at
the end?
And that sounds a little bitmaybe professional, whatever,
but it's not.
It's kind of like in your head,you, what you want to achieve
before you've left thatconversation or left that room.
(18:38):
I think, um, you know, I thinkexchanging contact details is
absolutely important, but evenjust, oh well, you know, that's
great, can we keep in touch it?
What's the next step?
And it doesn't have to beinformal.
It can be an informal next step, but just knowing in your mind
that you're not going to walkaway and then regret that you
didn't, you know, obtain whatyou wanted out of the
(19:00):
conversation or that value, andI think just being able to
reconnect with somebodyafterwards is really important.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
How would you describe yourself in three words
.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Oh blimey, oh gosh, oh gosh, you've thrown me.
Now I think I'm driven.
Yeah, and I'll say driven, butalso that just means that if I
believe in something, I'll gofor it.
But you still have your ups anddowns and doubts and fears and
everything else.
Um, I'm a people person.
(19:34):
That's two words though, isn'tit, but it's hyphenated, okay,
okay, so I am a people person.
I believe in people.
I love, I do love meetingpeople, even though I might you
know you might feel scarywalking into a room where you
don't know anybody.
Um, I believe in the power ofpeople and relationships.
Um and um, yeah, I think.
Um, gosh, I'm also.
(19:57):
You've got your three, I've gotmy three.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
There you go.
People purpose relationship.
Yeah, the purpose actuallypurpose yeah, purpose definitely
now we talked about celebritiesthat have supported your cause
because they believe in you,right?
Yes, because I think peoplebelieve in a purpose.
Yeah, how on earth did you endup doing the makeup for Wayne
Rooney?
Oh gosh.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
Honestly, this I don't.
I do know, but it was the mostbizarre thing that led me to it.
So, um, I was a couple of guysI know who used to kind of do,
like, uh, video content forbusiness events and things like
that, so they knew me quite well.
So I got a phone call one dayand they said we've been asked
(20:42):
to film Wayne Rooney for, um, Ithink he was patron of the NSPCC
or something at the time.
So it was for a televisionadvert for the NSPCC that was
going out at Christmas in themiddle of the Royal Variety
performance one year.
So they were asked a video andthey said we need a makeup
artist to come with us.
(21:04):
So I said, okay, let me have athink about who.
And no, and they're like no, no, no, you come and do his makeup
, because then you can get infront of him, you can tell him
about worn by us, and thenyou've got a route to maybe ask
for a dress from colleen.
And I was thinking I cannot dothat.
I, I, I can't do makeup.
And they're like you can, youcan.
(21:24):
So I tried to get out of it butthey were having none of it
because they put my name down,because you have to have your
name down to, kind of, it was togo to Carrington, the training
field and everything you know,the security and everything like
that.
So they put my name down.
So I went and bought some um,some items and some makeup items
in particular, watched someYouTube videos, practiced on my
(21:47):
husband and then turned up andwe had to wait for a couple of
hours because at the time theyjust finished, he was playing
for Manchester United, they justfinished training and they all
had lunch as a team afterwards.
So we sat there for a while.
But the lucky thing is hismanager was in the room with us
(22:13):
while we were, you know, whilewe were as agents, sorry.
I mean his agent was in theroom with us and Colleen's
brother also worked with theagency, so he was there for this
couple of hours.
So we just got chatting, wenetworked, didn't we Informally
networked?
We just got chatting.
So they asked me about, oh, youknow, doing makeup and things.
And I was like, oh yeah, andyou know I also I've worn by us.
(22:34):
So it was through that I didWayne's makeup.
He came in, I did his makeup.
He appears on nationaltelevision in the middle of the
Royal Variety performance withmakeup done by me and I got to
Colleen Rooney, so through herbrother, and Colleen donated a
dress for one by us.
So talk about driven the lensyou go to.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
But yeah, that's what happened and tell us, was it
smoky eye.
Where were we at Well?
Speaker 2 (23:01):
I tried to keep it as simple as possible.
And yeah, it was literally, youknow, just like you know, a bit
of powder and things like that.
But he had like a dark top on,like a navy blue top, and I was
thinking, oh my gosh, thispowder is going all over his top
and everything.
But you know what?
It was fine.
I'm not sure anybody reallyknew that, I wasn't experienced,
(23:23):
but now they probably do.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
Make it till you make it and just finally, what is
next?
As someone who is driven, whois purposeful, who is passionate
about networking through anyroute, even through skills that
you didn't have.
Still, I need to speak to yourhusband about what his makeup
look like by the way, what's?
Speaker 2 (23:41):
next for you?
Yeah, for me, I really want togrow worn by us.
Um, yeah, so we work withretailers now.
We take surplus stock.
We sell the wardrobes of peopleacross the country, so it's not
just celebrities.
Um, you were actually sellingthe wardrobe of um mel shilling,
who's presenter of married tofair sight.
We're selling the wardrobe ofsemen mahotra from real
housewives of cheshire, butwe're selling the wardrobes of
(24:04):
people right across the countrywho are, who are not celebrities
.
So, you know, you can buy areally eclectic mix of styles,
colours, sizes, brands throughWorn by Us, and we have a shop
in Birkenhead and we're online.
But for me, it's about takingthat to the next stage, taking
that to its utmost potential,and, of course, I do that with
(24:26):
the people I have around me andcontinuous networking.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
I love it.
Get online, get your frocksbought.
It's the 10th Northern PowerWomen Awards next year.
Come on, get to one of those.
Nicola Gleave, thank you somuch for joining us.
It's been an absolute joy andlooking forward to coming and
having a rummage over inBirkenhead quite frankly, thank
you.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
Thanks, simone.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
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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
Power.
Well, today I am delighted tobe joined by Nicola Leave, who
(00:50):
is the founder of Worn by Us.
Tell us about Worn by Us.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
So thank you for having me first of all.
But yes, so Worn by Us actuallywas an idea that came from me
being diagnosed with breastcancer 10 years ago.
So people ask me is itsomething that you'd always
planned or wanted to do?
And the answer is no.
It literally was a light bulbidea that came from a breast
cancer diagnosis.
(01:16):
So it started by wanting toraise money for breast cancer,
but also awareness.
I think that was one of themost important things for me,
because I was somebody who neverthought I'd get breast cancer.
There was no history in thefamily, I was always fit and
well, um.
So it came as an idea by.
We started asking celebritiesif they would donate um clothing
(01:38):
items from their wardrobes, uh,which we would sell to raise
money for breast cancercharities.
And we did that because wethought well, celebrities
attract attention, so if we cancreate the awareness by maybe a
positive thing that you can buya celebrity's piece of clothing,
then you know it was creatingawareness and support in that
(01:59):
way.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
I mean that's fascinating, like because you've
just received a diagnosis andyou must be in bits.
And you know, this wasn'texpected.
It's not in my family.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
And I'm having to deal with that, and I'm having
to deal with what's going to lieahead.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Are you?
How are you now?
Yeah, no, I'm fine now.
So I, you know, I had mytreatment.
I had a lumpectomy, I had 20rounds of radiotherapy and now I
was taking Tamoxifen, which isa medication for 10 years.
So my breast cancer wasoestrogen receptive, which means
your own oestrogen grows it.
(02:39):
Yeah, I know so because at thetime at my age I hadn't been
through the menopause, I stillhad high levels of estrogen.
So tamoxifen, kind of like, isa receptor that stops the
estrogen going into your cellsso it can't form or grow cancer.
So literally I was on it for 10years because I needed to get
(03:01):
through a kind of menopause tocome off it.
So my oestrogen was lower but Iliterally just stopped it just
before Christmas.
So it's a positive.
But also it felt like mycomfort blanket had been taken
away from me because you knowwhen you feel like, well, that's
going to stop that coming backtypically, and I know that I'm
(03:21):
at that age where oestrogen hasdropped and things like that.
But for 10 years I've had a bitof an assurance that yeah, that
helped.
So it was a great milestone,thinking I don't have to take
that medication anymore.
But at the same time.
Equally, it was a worry.
It's like something that'smissing.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Yeah, it is Every day or every night when you take
that.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Yeah it is.
Yeah, it was strange.
I have to be honest, it wasreally strange.
I've got used to it now.
But you did think, well,actually I'm protected, and now
I feel unprotected.
It's like you've lost your caperight, yeah yeah, no,
absolutely.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
But when you got the diagnosis and you're trying to
put your life on hold on adifferent direction, wasn't
planned Someone who's probablyquite planned right?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you've had abig job, big careers.
At what point did you go right?
I'm going to deal with that.
My health is.
I'm committing to being well.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
But I'm going to commit to this too.
That's a lot to split yourself.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Yeah, it is a lot and actually um, the, the, the
focus and the passion I had keptme going.
So actually it was the mostpositive thing that the idea I
have for Worn Bios and keepingmyself busy with my career and
job and everything was the mostpositive thing ever.
So for me it was.
It was a shock because I'd beenfor I think it was their biopsy
(04:45):
and it hadn't really shown upon the first two, but they knew
something that meant they wantedto do another biopsy kind of
thing.
But for me I see the positivein things.
So because they didn't tell meI had cancer initially, I
thought, oh, it's fine, it's asystem, whatever.
So it was a shock.
(05:06):
But I think, you know, for a dayI went home, for an afternoon I
went home and then the next dayI went back and I saw the
Macmillan nurse and I spent afew hours asking every question
under the sun that I couldpossibly think of.
That felt like a bit of therapyfor me because I came away and
I thought, right, I've askedeverything.
I can think of pros, cons ofeverything.
It helps me to make a bit of ajudgment decision in my head and
from that moment on, I just mymindset shifted in a sense that
(05:32):
I thought I can sink or I canswim and my mindset can help
which way I go.
And so I thought, right, I'mgoing to use this somehow turn
it on its head and do somethingpositive with it.
So the idea for Worn by Us andeverything else, just it kept me
going.
It was the motivation to getthrough it.
(05:52):
So I almost saw like I went forradiotherapy after my operation
, for it was like consecutive 20days every day, and I just saw
it as I was going out to ameeting every day.
I'm just going to a meeting andI'm going to come back and I'm
going to carry on with things.
I'm not saying that's easy orit's possible for everybody, but
(06:14):
something came over me and itjust gave me the power that
drove me on.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Really, and you then.
Well, as part of all this goingon, I'm gonna become an
entrepreneur and and there's norule book for being an
entrepreneur.
Right is that you're suddenlygoing right.
I've got the idea yeah.
I've got the inspiration,whether there be celebrities, uh
out there, or the network thatyou've you've built over over
(06:41):
years, yeah, how, how did you?
Where did you start with it?
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Because it's not easy , is it?
No, it's not easy.
I knew from that moment, fromthe diagnosis, that I'd worked
in kind of entrepreneurship,economic regeneration, you know,
business growth.
That was my career for manyyears.
You know, for now, over 25years plus.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
But receiving a salary is different, right.
It is, it is You're like, I'min it and I know it but now I'm
over in this world where, oh,that doesn't come in every month
.
Yeah, no, it is.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Well, I'd started to do some consultancy work anyway.
So I was in that kind of thatmindset and that frame but yeah,
no, you're absolutely right.
And yeah, no, you're absolutelyright.
(07:40):
And I think I thought that allmy I kind of reflected on things
.
So I reflected on my experienceand my career and it might
sound strange to say, but I feltas though this has happened for
a reason.
I know that might sound strange, but that's the way it felt, a
little bit, as in I can use allmy experience, my networks, my
relationships to createsomething positive.
And I'd always wanted to createa business, but I didn't know
(08:02):
what was it.
I didn't have a business ideaand this gave me all of that.
So it was a passion, it was apurpose.
You know, it gave me drive, itgave me motivation.
So it didn't feel like I wasbeing an entrepreneur or
anything at that time.
It was more about well, I wantto, you know, raise money and
awareness.
It began there and obviously,as you build confidence, a bit
(08:26):
more confidence and skills andexperience, it evolved.
But yeah, I mean, you'll knowyourself, you can be in business
or an entrepreneur.
For you know, five minutes or50 years, there's ups and downs
on every single day.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
It's a rollercoaster, right, it's a roller coaster.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
It's a no, no.
Two days the same.
One day you think you'rewinning and the next day you
think you've totally failed.
And and why am I here?
Kind of thing.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
And each day is different and it sounds as
though you've got a greatsupport.
Your husband, andy yeah, youknow um was he a bit like.
I'm all with you.
I think you're a bit mad, butI'm all with you.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Was there a bit of that?
How did?
Speaker 1 (09:02):
that conversation go in.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
No, he was all with me.
He was completely all with meand he, like I think he knows
that I like to ask a lot ofopinions.
So, like I said when I went andspoke to the Macmillaness for
hours, I weigh things up, so Inever make an immediate decision
on anything.
Really, I weigh everything upand I ask everybody what they
think, and that allows me tobring on board thoughts or
(09:24):
suggestions that I might nothave thought of, you know, and I
like to embrace that really.
And so he knew I'd done thatand gone through that process.
So he just backs me, no matterwhat.
I don't know whether he thinksit's just a quiet life and best
thing to do or whether he no, Ithink he does truly believe in
me, but he knows how driven I am, you know, I have, like I say,
(09:46):
I have my moments we all dowhere you question what you're
doing and sleepless nights andyou know, tears and everything
else, but I just, yeah, no, he'sbacked me from day one and let
me get on with it really, andnot only let me get on with it.
Has supported me and is nowinvolved, you know, is fully
(10:06):
immersed in it all.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
And you talk about asking questions you know, you
talk about.
That's been really important toyou being informed.
So being informed about yourwellness and your health and
asking every question.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
Yeah.
I imagine you turned up atClatterbridge with the notepad
right, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,yeah, I want to know everything,
yeah, so how did you fast trackyour knowledge on building a?
business, yeah.
So again, I think that'sbecause I'm right.
So so I believe in um, you know, and I say this a lot surround
(10:37):
yourself with people who arebetter than you.
I say this all of the time.
So I know what I know and Iknow what I don't know, and I
hold my hand up and I tellpeople quite loudly and clearly
I know this but I don't knowthat.
And so you know, I'm notprecious about wanting to own
everything and say it was all me, because it's not, you know, it
(10:59):
never is.
So, yeah, so I kind of justwent out there Initially, didn't
know what I wanted.
I knew I wanted to do somethingand I started to speak to people
.
You know what can I do, youknow?
So actually it was a guy I wentto yoga with who used to work
in retail.
He used to source, I think youknow, textiles, clothing for big
(11:22):
clothing brands around theworld.
And he said to me you know,there's a big, you know momentum
in kind of like pre-lovefashion, secondhand fashion,
things like that, and we talkedabout it and I started to talk
to a few people and the ideacame about well, why don't you
go and ask us some celebritiesfor clothes.
(11:43):
I didn't know a celebrity youknow.
To save my life, I didn't knowwhere to find one.
You know it wasn't my thing.
So that for me was a massivedragging myself out of my
comfort zone because I wasscared.
You know, I was really nervous.
I'm not the type of person justto reach out on social media,
nothing like that.
So it was like where do I start?
(12:06):
And it started with JacquelineGold.
So another contact of mineagain was involved in retail et
cetera and he invited me to aconference in Leeds.
It was a business conferencewhere Jacqueline Gould was
speaking and at the end of theconference introduced me and she
(12:29):
was the first person whodonated a dress.
It was a Philip Armstrong gownfrom her wardrobe that came in
the post a few days later andthat was the beginning really.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
And the late Jacqueline.
Gould the CBE she was thefounder of Ann Summers.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
And.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
I worked with her in my women first days and such a
kind, generous spirit and Iwonder.
We talk a lot about mentoringon the podcast and people will
often say how do I find a mentorand what it's like?
How do I ask what if?
Speaker 2 (13:02):
they say no.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
What?
When you asked Jacqueline andshe didn't say no, was that the
start of the?
Oh, actually, that's okay.
She didn't say no, I'm going totry again, yeah no, absolutely
it was.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
It was.
It was the moment of.
You know, I was so nervous, youknow, and I can go and chat to
people and speak to people andeverything, because it meant so
much to me and because of whoshe is, you know, she was very
successful, et cetera, and youknow, I was involved in I can't
remember what it was called, butshe used to do on Twitter like
the oh Wild.
(13:34):
Wednesday, wild Wednesday.
So I won one of those.
Actually, I think it was afterit was a few years later.
So I followed her andeverything.
So for me it was like anerve-wracking moment and you
know when you think, well, willthey understand me, will she
know what it's all about, youknow people busy, et cetera.
But to say yes probably becauseI'd just fallen on the floor I
(13:56):
was just like wow, she said yes.
So that boosted my confidencereally in thinking this has
begun, this has started.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
And you've pulled in some other bigger names out
there.
You've got obviously ColleenRooney.
Is there anyone out there thathas conquered?
I just didn't expect them tosay yes, obviously, jacqueline
was one Was there anyone elseout, there you go.
I didn't think that wouldhappen and just tried it.
Yes, tackling was one.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
Was there anyone else like that?
You go, I didn't didn't thinkthat would happen, I just tried
it.
Yes, so like.
So I I believe in networks.
You know relationships, so likewe.
Um, I attended anotherconference, a business
conference in Liverpool, and Imet Katie Piper and again after
the conference, so I got tospeak to Katie Piper, um, her
(14:45):
PA's, mum, or something likethat, and that's the power of it
, that's how I work.
If you don't know somebody, ifyou've got a strong network, you
know somebody else who does.
So it was through severalconnections.
Then, for example, I got to MelC I think we got like a t-shirt
from a piece of Andre as well.
We just used different networksto get to some people and it
(15:07):
was fantastic.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
I think you can never underestimate the power of your
network.
We always say if we don't know.
We know a woman or man who canright, You're going to know
someone.
What advice would you give tosomeone out there who's
listening, who wants to be bravebut felt, like you, going.
I'm a bit scared to do this.
I'm out of my comfort zone, Idon't know whether I can.
What advice would you say tothem?
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Yeah, I think you know, if you believe in it, I
think it's possible.
So the way I approached it wasI just spoke to people who I
knew, who I felt comfortablewith.
I didn't necessarily go askingthe direct question do you know
a celebrity?
It was more.
I told them what I wanted to do, wanted to achieve, and you
(15:49):
know, it naturally came.
And that's the thing I think.
Sometimes, you know, peoplethink, well, I'm not going to
ask that person or I'm not goingto go to that event because I
won't know anybody.
And you know, even like you,for example, you know, like if
you're invited to something andyou look on a guest list and you
think, well, I don't reallyknow them, and you just look at
people's job titles or theirorganizations to from you think,
(16:09):
oh well, they're probably notrelevant, so is it worth me
going?
I always say go because you youjust don't know who's in the
room and you know you don't knowwho their personal or
professional connections are aswell.
And the amount of times I'vejust gone, you just be yourself,
you just have a chat.
I've not necessarily gone toanything with any kind of agenda
(16:29):
, just have a chat.
I've not necessarily gone toanything with any kind of agenda
.
Just have a chat, people bypeople, and you have a chat, and
the next thing is I leave theevent or the room with so many
connections, ideas, contactsthat have just come naturally,
organically, just by talking topeople.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
And I think that's what people get scared of
networking Not for, because forthat reason I don't think I've
got any connection here, buthave you got any top tips for
that sort of opening a question?
Because sometimes you know, youand I have probably been to
many events where we've probablybeen sometimes the only woman
in the room or very few women inthe room, and sometimes it can
be a bit intimidating.
But you kind of any top tipsfor a teller.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
Yeah, I think you just have to have a chat.
I think you just have to.
And the first, the mostdifficult thing, is turning up.
You've got to turn up and you'vegot to enter that room the
amount of times people think I'mlike really confident.
And you know some people havecalled me a serial networker.
I walk in a room and if I don'tknow anybody I still sometimes
hover, you know, by the tea andcoffee.
(17:26):
You know, by the tea and coffee.
You know, take your timepouring a cup of tea, hoping
someone might come and justsmile or say hello or whatever,
because you, it's scary and Ithink you just have to.
You know, catch somebody's eye,they'll smile at you, say hello
, or you know you just have tostart a conversation, even like
oh, oh, hi, you know, I'm nicola.
Who are you?
What do you do?
(17:46):
Whatever.
And then you, what you oftenfind is they feel the same as
you, or the people in the roomfeel the same as you.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
I 100% believe we should be teaching networking in
schools or education.
It's taking away the stigma ofthe word, because sometimes I
think you simplify it by sayingit's having a conversation or a
chat.
Talk about them, people.
You know, sometimes peopledon't know how to do it, do you?
Have a best exit conversationfrom a networking when you know
(18:14):
you think, oh, how do I get onto?
Speaker 2 (18:16):
my yeah, yeah, um, so I think, oh gosh, so I think I
always feel that and I I feelthis the same in meetings or
everything else what's your um,what's your call to action at
the end?
And that sounds a little bitmaybe professional, whatever,
but it's not.
It's kind of like in your head,you, what you want to achieve
before you've left thatconversation or left that room.
(18:38):
I think, um, you know, I thinkexchanging contact details is
absolutely important, but evenjust, oh well, you know, that's
great, can we keep in touch it?
What's the next step?
And it doesn't have to beinformal.
It can be an informal next step, but just knowing in your mind
that you're not going to walkaway and then regret that you
didn't, you know, obtain whatyou wanted out of the
(19:00):
conversation or that value, andI think just being able to
reconnect with somebodyafterwards is really important.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
How would you describe yourself in three words
.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Oh blimey, oh gosh, oh gosh, you've thrown me.
Now I think I'm driven.
Yeah, and I'll say driven, butalso that just means that if I
believe in something, I'll gofor it.
But you still have your ups anddowns and doubts and fears and
everything else.
Um, I'm a people person.
(19:34):
That's two words though, isn'tit, but it's hyphenated, okay,
okay, so I am a people person.
I believe in people.
I love, I do love meetingpeople, even though I might you
know you might feel scarywalking into a room where you
don't know anybody.
Um, I believe in the power ofpeople and relationships.
Um and um, yeah, I think.
Um, gosh, I'm also.
(19:57):
You've got your three, I've gotmy three.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
There you go.
People purpose relationship.
Yeah, the purpose actuallypurpose yeah, purpose definitely
now we talked about celebritiesthat have supported your cause
because they believe in you,right?
Yes, because I think peoplebelieve in a purpose.
Yeah, how on earth did you endup doing the makeup for Wayne
Rooney?
Oh gosh.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
Honestly, this I don't.
I do know, but it was the mostbizarre thing that led me to it.
So, um, I was a couple of guysI know who used to kind of do,
like, uh, video content forbusiness events and things like
that, so they knew me quite well.
So I got a phone call one dayand they said we've been asked
(20:42):
to film Wayne Rooney for, um, Ithink he was patron of the NSPCC
or something at the time.
So it was for a televisionadvert for the NSPCC that was
going out at Christmas in themiddle of the Royal Variety
performance one year.
So they were asked a video andthey said we need a makeup
artist to come with us.
(21:04):
So I said, okay, let me have athink about who.
And no, and they're like no, no, no, you come and do his makeup
, because then you can get infront of him, you can tell him
about worn by us, and thenyou've got a route to maybe ask
for a dress from colleen.
And I was thinking I cannot dothat.
I, I, I can't do makeup.
And they're like you can, youcan.
(21:24):
So I tried to get out of it butthey were having none of it
because they put my name down,because you have to have your
name down to, kind of, it was togo to Carrington, the training
field and everything you know,the security and everything like
that.
So they put my name down.
So I went and bought some um,some items and some makeup items
in particular, watched someYouTube videos, practiced on my
(21:47):
husband and then turned up andwe had to wait for a couple of
hours because at the time theyjust finished, he was playing
for Manchester United, they justfinished training and they all
had lunch as a team afterwards.
So we sat there for a while.
But the lucky thing is hismanager was in the room with us
(22:13):
while we were, you know, whilewe were as agents, sorry.
I mean his agent was in theroom with us and Colleen's
brother also worked with theagency, so he was there for this
couple of hours.
So we just got chatting, wenetworked, didn't we Informally
networked?
We just got chatting.
So they asked me about, oh, youknow, doing makeup and things.
And I was like, oh yeah, andyou know I also I've worn by us.
(22:34):
So it was through that I didWayne's makeup.
He came in, I did his makeup.
He appears on nationaltelevision in the middle of the
Royal Variety performance withmakeup done by me and I got to
Colleen Rooney, so through herbrother, and Colleen donated a
dress for one by us.
So talk about driven the lensyou go to.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
But yeah, that's what happened and tell us, was it
smoky eye.
Where were we at Well?
Speaker 2 (23:01):
I tried to keep it as simple as possible.
And yeah, it was literally, youknow, just like you know, a bit
of powder and things like that.
But he had like a dark top on,like a navy blue top, and I was
thinking, oh my gosh, thispowder is going all over his top
and everything.
But you know what?
It was fine.
I'm not sure anybody reallyknew that, I wasn't experienced,
(23:23):
but now they probably do.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
Make it till you make it and just finally, what is
next?
As someone who is driven, whois purposeful, who is passionate
about networking through anyroute, even through skills that
you didn't have.
Still, I need to speak to yourhusband about what his makeup
look like by the way, what's?
Speaker 2 (23:41):
next for you?
Yeah, for me, I really want togrow worn by us.
Um, yeah, so we work withretailers now.
We take surplus stock.
We sell the wardrobes of peopleacross the country, so it's not
just celebrities.
Um, you were actually sellingthe wardrobe of um mel shilling,
who's presenter of married tofair sight.
We're selling the wardrobe ofsemen mahotra from real
housewives of cheshire, butwe're selling the wardrobes of
(24:04):
people right across the countrywho are, who are not celebrities
.
So, you know, you can buy areally eclectic mix of styles,
colours, sizes, brands throughWorn by Us, and we have a shop
in Birkenhead and we're online.
But for me, it's about takingthat to the next stage, taking
that to its utmost potential,and, of course, I do that with
(24:26):
the people I have around me andcontinuous networking.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
I love it.
Get online, get your frocksbought.
It's the 10th Northern PowerWomen Awards next year.
Come on, get to one of those.
Nicola Gleave, thank you somuch for joining us.
It's been an absolute joy andlooking forward to coming and
having a rummage over inBirkenhead quite frankly, thank
you.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
Thanks, simone.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
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