February 10, 2025 • 19 mins
In this inspiring episode of the We Are PoWEr Podcast, we chat with Nicola Wood, founder of the Wonderful Wig Company. Nicola shares her incredible story of building a successful business while battling cancer, highlighting the personal and financial challenges she faced along the way.
From overcoming obstacles in entrepreneurship to expanding her reach through franchising and advocacy, Nicola talks about her resilience and dedication to making a difference. She discusses the impact of receiving awards, the importance of community, and how her TEDx Talk has shaped her future plans.
Find out more about We Are PoWEr here. 💫
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Episode Transcript
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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 PowerNever imitated, never replicated
(00:47):
singularly wonderful,everybody's wonder girl.
Well, today I am joined byNicola Ward, who is the Chief
Exec and founder of thewonderful Wig Company and a 2024
Northern Power Women Awardswinner.
Nicola, great to see you again.
How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:59):
I'm very well, thank you.
Thank you for having me.
Nice to see you again.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
And it was great to see you.
It was only last month, wasn'tit, when we were up in the Toon
up in Newcastle with thefabulous Kim McGuinness talking
about all things Newcastle,social value and everything else
.
So it was an amazing event,Great North East energy.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
So tell us about where the wonderful wig company
came from, because it'sobviously very personal yeah, so
I've been a hairdresser all ofmy life and so I was working as
a hairdresser, had a nice, um,suburban business, um.
I had to go out to Sunderlandand it I was quite happy,
(01:40):
plodding along and um, and then,when I was 36, I was diagnosed
with breast cancer and so offthe back of that, I really did
realize and saw firsthand everysingle day, the impact of a
woman having no hair and what itdid for her confidence, how she
held her hat, how she heldherself.
(02:02):
I just saw the sparkle gone inall of these women's eyes every
day for months and months andmonths, and and just had a bit
of an epiphany that actuallyI've spent my life making people
feel wonderful with hair.
How can I make people withouthair feel wonderful too?
And that was it really.
(02:22):
Um, that was how we, we thatwas where the fire in my belly
came from uh, to set up thatbusiness.
And you are well, you're wellnow.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
I am, and and at what point did you start that
business?
Because you're dealing with the, the, the, the attack on your
body, the, the mental pressure,and you've you've observed what
is going on around you withthese amazing women that are
going through sort of the same,similar and dissimilar situation
(02:55):
to yourself, but and you hadthat spark to do it, but at what
point in that?
Speaker 2 (03:01):
did you start?
Did that become action?
yeah yeah, like literally theminute I got home, I felt as is.
It was somebody who was I'mvery driven, I'm very high
energy, do, do, do.
I'm an action taker, but I likeit that way.
(03:22):
You know, this has been me allof my life.
I operate at a certain leveland with cancer, that was
absolutely taken away from us ina moment.
You know the ability toactually think what I could do
next, the ability to be able tofunction on a daily basis.
So all of these choices aretaken away from you and actually
(03:44):
your ability to think of what,what future have I got, you know
, and what is my legacy.
All of these questions arerunning through your head really
quickly and I think, um, when Ihad this epiphany and it
happened in the hospital, I justcouldn't wait to get home and
start research because it tookmy mind off cancer.
(04:08):
It saved me, it absolutelysaved me.
Having that epiphany, I neverreally thought for one minute
more oh, poor me, I've gotcancer, or what can I do today?
Because I had this purpose.
I couldn't cut hair, I couldn'tbe in my own business, but I
could research, and when I waswell, I could research, and when
I was well, I could be on theinternet and, and when I was
(04:28):
even more well, I could do a bitof traveling and explore what
was out there.
So it just it saved my, I, it,I felt like it saved my, my
mental health, my anxiety aroundcancer, everything.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
And what was the big challenge in that time?
Because you're, you're, you'redealing with that your health
and breast cancer and setting upa business the two really big,
big things, big, life changingthings.
Setting up a business is nomean feat.
What were those challengesalong the way and how did you
get through them?
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Yeah, I would say the first year, you know, whilst I
was in convalescence, if youwant to call it that sort of in
and out of treatment andhospitals, that whole year it
was the research element of thebusiness, it was the growing, my
knowledge, it was attainingthat ability.
(05:22):
So, from a financialperspective, there was no
pressure, you know.
However, there was a lot Withcancer.
I would say most of me, most ofthe actual pressures from
cancer come from not from thecancer, it's from being able to
be present with your little boy,who my little boy was six and I
(05:45):
wanted to just be normal forhim.
And paying the mortgage whensuddenly, like, the salon was
without its main breadwinner,all of those things tend to
stress you out more.
So those were the challenges.
And then, of course, once I'ddone the research and I wanted
to actually build this businessphysically, then it was where
(06:07):
the hell do I get the money?
Because cancer absolutely makesyou skinned and I didn't have a
contingency plan at 36 forhaving a year off work, you know
, or being a teen when I wasn'tthere.
So one of the biggestchallenges was definitely
finance, um, but I was adamantthat I was doing it and my
(06:31):
husband knows me really quitewell, and when I say I'm going
to do something, I generally do,and when I want something, I
tend to get my own way,especially with him.
So yeah, we, he, he, let meremodel our house and we took a
loan from my wonderfulfather-in-law and loaned me some
(06:53):
money to do it yeah, and wetalked.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
It's interesting you talk about finance because we
had Ginnan Adamu on the podcastjust before Christmas and again
she's just finished herradiation.
So big high five to our gananfor breast cancer Just literally
a few weeks ago and she talkedabout that, the unspoken issues
(07:17):
around cancer, which is thatfinance bit, and she,
fortunately.
She says I had insurance tohelp cover, but again
self-employed.
How am I going to do this?
How am I going to look after mylittle boy?
But this is not one of thethings that is spoken about is
it?
Speaker 2 (07:32):
I didn't realise really the life I was living
until it was kind of almosttaken away from us, and that was
, you know, I live in a nicehouse, I drive a nice car, all
of these things, don't?
You can't just give your carback because you can't afford
the payments anymore, can you?
(07:53):
You can't?
Just, they actually can'tafford that for the next year,
um, all of, and I didn't haveinsurance.
I didn't have insurance.
So, yeah, top tip get someinsurance.
Um, um, I didn't.
I mean, I've got life insurance, but I didn't have that um
specialist insurance for beingoff work with cancer.
So I wish I'd had.
(08:13):
It would have taken away a lotof the problems, a lot of
problems.
And then I think, just thatpressure that we're putting
ourselves or in I certainly doto still be the perfect mommy
who does the school run everyday, or who looks nice when she
goes to stay in threes, or canstill be a good friend, or still
(08:34):
be a good um leader, I thinkthat that's that kind of
pressure that I put on myself.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Yeah and you have with the wonderful wig company
and the advocacy, because thatcomes as well.
You, you're out there being anadvocate for her loss, but
you've reached over 15 000people and counting right yeah,
that's 15 000 people like inperson in seven years.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
What's next?
Yeah, so we last year we openedour first franchise because I
would like to have more UK.
I want everybody to be able tohave the service that they
deserve when they lose theirhair and the support that they
deserve and quite often it's itis better delivered in person.
(09:25):
What we do?
Of course we can.
We can do a lot of stuff onlineand we did so throughout Covid.
You know everything was online.
We can do that.
We can do all kinds online, butactually holding somebody's
real hand, and when they'regoing through the toughest time,
is so important.
So we want to do more of thereal hand holding and that would
mean getting a bigger reachacross the uk.
(09:47):
That means having more physicalsites across the uk.
Um, which is what we we'replanning to do and we talked
about.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
You are an advocate, you are a total advocate.
Out there and talk to me aboutthe.
You spoke about this, didn'tyou?
Tedx Warrington?
You've had probably just shortof 40,000 people view that TED
Talk.
How scary was that.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Yeah, that was scary.
That was really, really out ofmy comfort zone entirely and
it's so, so much hard work.
But the most incredible thingof accomplishment, the most
incredible feeling when you'venailed your script, when you
(10:30):
know it and you know it insideout and you can see it backwards
.
And I really did prepare.
It was very scary and I put thehours in and that is what led
to being able to deliver a goodtalk.
I want to say, and also I thinkthat's what's next it's me
(10:53):
using my voice to reach a biggeraudience, and the TEDx allowed
me to do that.
Obviously, I've got a bookcoming out and that will allow
me, hopefully, to reach peoplefurther afield as well.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
And we'll talk about the book in a minute, but we
have WhatsApp groups across thewe Are Power, northern Power
Women community for ourfinalists from last year and a
few weeks ago we were putting ashout out for this year's 2025
finalists.
We were putting a shout out forthis year's 2025 finalists and
one of your fellow commendedwinners or winners from last
(11:29):
year, alexandra Knight.
She's just had a TEDx talkpublished and there was sharing
notes.
But there are the top tips.
What would you say, alexandra?
I think you've just given onein the menu which is prepare,
prepare, prepare.
But Alex has just got a TED Talkout there and they are scary
and the fact that you get upthere without notes and you
memorize it.
(11:50):
But it does give you that reachand a voice.
I was back in the day TEDxlicensee for TEDx white all
women and I love the passion ofgiving people in the stage and I
love to talk and I love to chatand I love to have
conversations like this, but thethought of standing up there in
a TEDx environment is isterrifying.
What advice would you give outthere for someone who wants to
(12:10):
do that but maybe are feeling abit of the fear?
Speaker 2 (12:15):
um, pick the right place and the right team.
Obviously there's very thereare so many different ones you
can go for, but pitch to theright people and then build your
resilience.
Because, for all of the rightreasons, you know, I want to say
(12:38):
probably 100 script revisionsand every time you think you've
got it, you get more critiquethat it could be better, or
let's change this, or have youthought about that?
And actually I'm prettyresilient, but actually at
moments I was like maybe I justcan't do this, maybe like I just
haven't got it in us.
So just be prepared that it isa challenge like no other, but
(13:03):
you'll have no better feelingafter.
And actually you know you havemy message, which is so niche
reach that many people worldwide.
How many platforms give youthat?
Yeah, and also the.
You know the, the network thatyou build, the people that
you're on that, that path with.
They really get it.
(13:24):
And we've built such a lovelynetwork as well.
Go for it, do it, do it for it.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
Love that, go for it.
Prepare, go for it, do it.
No particular order.
Now in 2023,.
You were the winner of the MostInspiring Businesswoman at the
Best Businesswoman Awards andobviously, as I mentioned
earlier, you were our Disruptorfor winner of the most inspiring
business woman at the bestbusiness women awards and
obviously, as I mentionedearlier, you were our disruptor
for good award at the 2024northern power and awards.
What part of awards got to playin raising profile, building
(13:54):
communities?
You've just said incrediblyimportant.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Incredibly important.
I'd never, ever, I mean I'dbeen in business for I'd never,
ever, I mean I'd been inbusiness for 16 years prior to
building the wig company.
I'd never even given an award,a thought, nobody had ever
entered this for an award.
And then, obviously, doing thisand winning a couple of really
(14:20):
very, very prestigious award, itabsolutely catapults your, your
brand.
It absolutely puts you in frontof the network that has came
off the back of we are power is.
It's uncomparable to not tohappen, to being part of that.
(14:40):
You know it's a.
You've suddenly got this hugeteam of people who, just because
you're affiliated with theaward and because they've seen
work, it's putting you in frontof people who would never, ever
know.
Nicola from Sunderland who doeswigs.
You know, now I meet peoplefrom all over the country and
(15:00):
they know who I am and what I do, um, and so that's pretty
incredible.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
Let's talk about the book, and I'm so very, very
grateful and honored that youasked me to to write some words
for your book.
Tell me, um, what, what thebook is about and when it's out.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
Yeah.
So the book will be released onWorld Cancer Day, which is the
4th of february 25, and it is abook of.
It's a book of stories,antidotes, um lessons.
It's a book about my journeywith cancer, which, in the grand
(15:37):
scheme of things, is, you know,not that interesting to anybody
who's not me, I guess.
But what I found was I get alot of um release from writing.
You know, I mean, I wascertainly not a novelist, but I
journal all the time.
I'm constantly writing.
I've always got a notebook likeright by my side and I get a
(16:00):
lot of relief from that.
And I was writing more and moreand more as I was going through
cancer and for a couple of yearsafter things changed, you know,
but I was still it kept comingup in everything I was writing
kept coming out how I wasfeeling.
And then I met thousands andthousands of people going
through cancer.
We all talked about the samethings, even though my little
(16:22):
story is very different from thenext person's and experiences
are different.
We have similar outlooks, wehave a similar humor, we have a
similar script that we talkabout.
We'd speak a foreign language,like cancer is a foreign
language until you've got it andI just thought, and then I met
lots of people come to us andthey don't have anyone.
(16:44):
They haven't got anybody tohold their to us and they don't
have anyone.
They haven't got anybody tohold their hand through this.
They haven't got anybody who'llcome with them.
And seeing somebody who wascoming for a wig fitting, they
haven't got somebody to tellthem whether they look nice in
it or not.
And I just thought how sad isthat.
And once you find out thatyou're not alone in anything,
it's less scary.
So I just thought, oh, I wonderif we could write, I wonder if
(17:09):
a few of us could get acollection of like how
everybody's different but we'reall the same and just kind of
like a bit like a club, and Ialways we used to refer to
Hunter as the club that I neverasked to join, and so, yeah, I
went.
So basically it's a book ofperspective and probably almost
50 perspectives and that's ofpeople in treatment, the brother
(17:33):
of somebody in treatment,doctors, nurses, children, mums,
daughters their short storiesand perspectives on their cancer
path, and we've just compiledthat and it is the highs and the
lows and everything in between.
It's not about, it's not a bookto try and make everybody come
(17:55):
out of that book feelingpositive.
You know it's it's got somepositive in it but it's also got
some know some dink sadness init.
Because that is the reality ofcancer.
And I just wanted a book thatyou could read if you had cancer
.
You could read if your mum hadcancer so that you could get a
better understanding of how shewas feeling.
You could read if you, youcould buy it for your best
(18:18):
friend if she was diagnosed andjust kind of, yeah, a book to
have.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
Have everybody have a bit more understanding of what
it's really like it's like yousay, it's a hug in a book and,
and even more importantly, a big, huge northern hug in a book.
Yeah, yeah, nothing better,nicola.
You are full of passion andpurpose and impatience to make
(18:45):
change, but what would you sayis your superpower?
Speaker 2 (18:52):
I have the ability to make people feel that.
Speaker 1 (18:56):
It's priceless, totally priceless.
Nicola, you are so much morethan wigs.
You are so much more than thequalifications.
You are so much more than thequalifications.
You are so much more than theprofile.
You are especially you.
You are just an amazing humanwho is passionate about giving
back, paying forward and givingthat virtual hug.
Thank you so much for joiningme today and thank you for being
(19:19):
awesome.
Thank you, pavel.
Subscribe on YouTube, apple,apple, amazon, music, spotify or
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Leave us a review or follow uson socials.
We are power underscore net oninsta, tiktok and twitter, or we
are power on linkedin, facebookand we are underscore 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 PowerNever imitated, never replicated
(00:47):
singularly wonderful,everybody's wonder girl.
Well, today I am joined byNicola Ward, who is the Chief
Exec and founder of thewonderful Wig Company and a 2024
Northern Power Women Awardswinner.
Nicola, great to see you again.
How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:59):
I'm very well, thank you.
Thank you for having me.
Nice to see you again.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
And it was great to see you.
It was only last month, wasn'tit, when we were up in the Toon
up in Newcastle with thefabulous Kim McGuinness talking
about all things Newcastle,social value and everything else
.
So it was an amazing event,Great North East energy.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
So tell us about where the wonderful wig company
came from, because it'sobviously very personal yeah, so
I've been a hairdresser all ofmy life and so I was working as
a hairdresser, had a nice, um,suburban business, um.
I had to go out to Sunderlandand it I was quite happy,
(01:40):
plodding along and um, and then,when I was 36, I was diagnosed
with breast cancer and so offthe back of that, I really did
realize and saw firsthand everysingle day, the impact of a
woman having no hair and what itdid for her confidence, how she
held her hat, how she heldherself.
(02:02):
I just saw the sparkle gone inall of these women's eyes every
day for months and months andmonths, and and just had a bit
of an epiphany that actuallyI've spent my life making people
feel wonderful with hair.
How can I make people withouthair feel wonderful too?
And that was it really.
(02:22):
Um, that was how we, we thatwas where the fire in my belly
came from uh, to set up thatbusiness.
And you are well, you're wellnow.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
I am, and and at what point did you start that
business?
Because you're dealing with the, the, the, the attack on your
body, the, the mental pressure,and you've you've observed what
is going on around you withthese amazing women that are
going through sort of the same,similar and dissimilar situation
(02:55):
to yourself, but and you hadthat spark to do it, but at what
point in that?
Speaker 2 (03:01):
did you start?
Did that become action?
yeah yeah, like literally theminute I got home, I felt as is.
It was somebody who was I'mvery driven, I'm very high
energy, do, do, do.
I'm an action taker, but I likeit that way.
(03:22):
You know, this has been me allof my life.
I operate at a certain leveland with cancer, that was
absolutely taken away from us ina moment.
You know the ability toactually think what I could do
next, the ability to be able tofunction on a daily basis.
So all of these choices aretaken away from you and actually
(03:44):
your ability to think of what,what future have I got, you know
, and what is my legacy.
All of these questions arerunning through your head really
quickly and I think, um, when Ihad this epiphany and it
happened in the hospital, I justcouldn't wait to get home and
start research because it tookmy mind off cancer.
(04:08):
It saved me, it absolutelysaved me.
Having that epiphany, I neverreally thought for one minute
more oh, poor me, I've gotcancer, or what can I do today?
Because I had this purpose.
I couldn't cut hair, I couldn'tbe in my own business, but I
could research, and when I waswell, I could research, and when
I was well, I could be on theinternet and, and when I was
(04:28):
even more well, I could do a bitof traveling and explore what
was out there.
So it just it saved my, I, it,I felt like it saved my, my
mental health, my anxiety aroundcancer, everything.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
And what was the big challenge in that time?
Because you're, you're, you'redealing with that your health
and breast cancer and setting upa business the two really big,
big things, big, life changingthings.
Setting up a business is nomean feat.
What were those challengesalong the way and how did you
get through them?
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Yeah, I would say the first year, you know, whilst I
was in convalescence, if youwant to call it that sort of in
and out of treatment andhospitals, that whole year it
was the research element of thebusiness, it was the growing, my
knowledge, it was attainingthat ability.
(05:22):
So, from a financialperspective, there was no
pressure, you know.
However, there was a lot Withcancer.
I would say most of me, most ofthe actual pressures from
cancer come from not from thecancer, it's from being able to
be present with your little boy,who my little boy was six and I
(05:45):
wanted to just be normal forhim.
And paying the mortgage whensuddenly, like, the salon was
without its main breadwinner,all of those things tend to
stress you out more.
So those were the challenges.
And then, of course, once I'ddone the research and I wanted
to actually build this businessphysically, then it was where
(06:07):
the hell do I get the money?
Because cancer absolutely makesyou skinned and I didn't have a
contingency plan at 36 forhaving a year off work, you know
, or being a teen when I wasn'tthere.
So one of the biggestchallenges was definitely
finance, um, but I was adamantthat I was doing it and my
(06:31):
husband knows me really quitewell, and when I say I'm going
to do something, I generally do,and when I want something, I
tend to get my own way,especially with him.
So yeah, we, he, he, let meremodel our house and we took a
loan from my wonderfulfather-in-law and loaned me some
(06:53):
money to do it yeah, and wetalked.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
It's interesting you talk about finance because we
had Ginnan Adamu on the podcastjust before Christmas and again
she's just finished herradiation.
So big high five to our gananfor breast cancer Just literally
a few weeks ago and she talkedabout that, the unspoken issues
(07:17):
around cancer, which is thatfinance bit, and she,
fortunately.
She says I had insurance tohelp cover, but again
self-employed.
How am I going to do this?
How am I going to look after mylittle boy?
But this is not one of thethings that is spoken about is
it?
Speaker 2 (07:32):
I didn't realise really the life I was living
until it was kind of almosttaken away from us, and that was
, you know, I live in a nicehouse, I drive a nice car, all
of these things, don't?
You can't just give your carback because you can't afford
the payments anymore, can you?
(07:53):
You can't?
Just, they actually can'tafford that for the next year,
um, all of, and I didn't haveinsurance.
I didn't have insurance.
So, yeah, top tip get someinsurance.
Um, um, I didn't.
I mean, I've got life insurance, but I didn't have that um
specialist insurance for beingoff work with cancer.
So I wish I'd had.
(08:13):
It would have taken away a lotof the problems, a lot of
problems.
And then I think, just thatpressure that we're putting
ourselves or in I certainly doto still be the perfect mommy
who does the school run everyday, or who looks nice when she
goes to stay in threes, or canstill be a good friend, or still
(08:34):
be a good um leader, I thinkthat that's that kind of
pressure that I put on myself.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Yeah and you have with the wonderful wig company
and the advocacy, because thatcomes as well.
You, you're out there being anadvocate for her loss, but
you've reached over 15 000people and counting right yeah,
that's 15 000 people like inperson in seven years.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
What's next?
Yeah, so we last year we openedour first franchise because I
would like to have more UK.
I want everybody to be able tohave the service that they
deserve when they lose theirhair and the support that they
deserve and quite often it's itis better delivered in person.
(09:25):
What we do?
Of course we can.
We can do a lot of stuff onlineand we did so throughout Covid.
You know everything was online.
We can do that.
We can do all kinds online, butactually holding somebody's
real hand, and when they'regoing through the toughest time,
is so important.
So we want to do more of thereal hand holding and that would
mean getting a bigger reachacross the uk.
(09:47):
That means having more physicalsites across the uk.
Um, which is what we we'replanning to do and we talked
about.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
You are an advocate, you are a total advocate.
Out there and talk to me aboutthe.
You spoke about this, didn'tyou?
Tedx Warrington?
You've had probably just shortof 40,000 people view that TED
Talk.
How scary was that.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Yeah, that was scary.
That was really, really out ofmy comfort zone entirely and
it's so, so much hard work.
But the most incredible thingof accomplishment, the most
incredible feeling when you'venailed your script, when you
(10:30):
know it and you know it insideout and you can see it backwards
.
And I really did prepare.
It was very scary and I put thehours in and that is what led
to being able to deliver a goodtalk.
I want to say, and also I thinkthat's what's next it's me
(10:53):
using my voice to reach a biggeraudience, and the TEDx allowed
me to do that.
Obviously, I've got a bookcoming out and that will allow
me, hopefully, to reach peoplefurther afield as well.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
And we'll talk about the book in a minute, but we
have WhatsApp groups across thewe Are Power, northern Power
Women community for ourfinalists from last year and a
few weeks ago we were putting ashout out for this year's 2025
finalists.
We were putting a shout out forthis year's 2025 finalists and
one of your fellow commendedwinners or winners from last
(11:29):
year, alexandra Knight.
She's just had a TEDx talkpublished and there was sharing
notes.
But there are the top tips.
What would you say, alexandra?
I think you've just given onein the menu which is prepare,
prepare, prepare.
But Alex has just got a TED Talkout there and they are scary
and the fact that you get upthere without notes and you
memorize it.
(11:50):
But it does give you that reachand a voice.
I was back in the day TEDxlicensee for TEDx white all
women and I love the passion ofgiving people in the stage and I
love to talk and I love to chatand I love to have
conversations like this, but thethought of standing up there in
a TEDx environment is isterrifying.
What advice would you give outthere for someone who wants to
(12:10):
do that but maybe are feeling abit of the fear?
Speaker 2 (12:15):
um, pick the right place and the right team.
Obviously there's very thereare so many different ones you
can go for, but pitch to theright people and then build your
resilience.
Because, for all of the rightreasons, you know, I want to say
(12:38):
probably 100 script revisionsand every time you think you've
got it, you get more critiquethat it could be better, or
let's change this, or have youthought about that?
And actually I'm prettyresilient, but actually at
moments I was like maybe I justcan't do this, maybe like I just
haven't got it in us.
So just be prepared that it isa challenge like no other, but
(13:03):
you'll have no better feelingafter.
And actually you know you havemy message, which is so niche
reach that many people worldwide.
How many platforms give youthat?
Yeah, and also the.
You know the, the network thatyou build, the people that
you're on that, that path with.
They really get it.
(13:24):
And we've built such a lovelynetwork as well.
Go for it, do it, do it for it.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
Love that, go for it.
Prepare, go for it, do it.
No particular order.
Now in 2023,.
You were the winner of the MostInspiring Businesswoman at the
Best Businesswoman Awards andobviously, as I mentioned
earlier, you were our Disruptorfor winner of the most inspiring
business woman at the bestbusiness women awards and
obviously, as I mentionedearlier, you were our disruptor
for good award at the 2024northern power and awards.
What part of awards got to playin raising profile, building
(13:54):
communities?
You've just said incrediblyimportant.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Incredibly important.
I'd never, ever, I mean I'dbeen in business for I'd never,
ever, I mean I'd been inbusiness for 16 years prior to
building the wig company.
I'd never even given an award,a thought, nobody had ever
entered this for an award.
And then, obviously, doing thisand winning a couple of really
(14:20):
very, very prestigious award, itabsolutely catapults your, your
brand.
It absolutely puts you in frontof the network that has came
off the back of we are power is.
It's uncomparable to not tohappen, to being part of that.
(14:40):
You know it's a.
You've suddenly got this hugeteam of people who, just because
you're affiliated with theaward and because they've seen
work, it's putting you in frontof people who would never, ever
know.
Nicola from Sunderland who doeswigs.
You know, now I meet peoplefrom all over the country and
(15:00):
they know who I am and what I do, um, and so that's pretty
incredible.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
Let's talk about the book, and I'm so very, very
grateful and honored that youasked me to to write some words
for your book.
Tell me, um, what, what thebook is about and when it's out.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
Yeah.
So the book will be released onWorld Cancer Day, which is the
4th of february 25, and it is abook of.
It's a book of stories,antidotes, um lessons.
It's a book about my journeywith cancer, which, in the grand
(15:37):
scheme of things, is, you know,not that interesting to anybody
who's not me, I guess.
But what I found was I get alot of um release from writing.
You know, I mean, I wascertainly not a novelist, but I
journal all the time.
I'm constantly writing.
I've always got a notebook likeright by my side and I get a
(16:00):
lot of relief from that.
And I was writing more and moreand more as I was going through
cancer and for a couple of yearsafter things changed, you know,
but I was still it kept comingup in everything I was writing
kept coming out how I wasfeeling.
And then I met thousands andthousands of people going
through cancer.
We all talked about the samethings, even though my little
(16:22):
story is very different from thenext person's and experiences
are different.
We have similar outlooks, wehave a similar humor, we have a
similar script that we talkabout.
We'd speak a foreign language,like cancer is a foreign
language until you've got it andI just thought, and then I met
lots of people come to us andthey don't have anyone.
(16:44):
They haven't got anybody tohold their to us and they don't
have anyone.
They haven't got anybody tohold their hand through this.
They haven't got anybody who'llcome with them.
And seeing somebody who wascoming for a wig fitting, they
haven't got somebody to tellthem whether they look nice in
it or not.
And I just thought how sad isthat.
And once you find out thatyou're not alone in anything,
it's less scary.
So I just thought, oh, I wonderif we could write, I wonder if
(17:09):
a few of us could get acollection of like how
everybody's different but we'reall the same and just kind of
like a bit like a club, and Ialways we used to refer to
Hunter as the club that I neverasked to join, and so, yeah, I
went.
So basically it's a book ofperspective and probably almost
50 perspectives and that's ofpeople in treatment, the brother
(17:33):
of somebody in treatment,doctors, nurses, children, mums,
daughters their short storiesand perspectives on their cancer
path, and we've just compiledthat and it is the highs and the
lows and everything in between.
It's not about, it's not a bookto try and make everybody come
(17:55):
out of that book feelingpositive.
You know it's it's got somepositive in it but it's also got
some know some dink sadness init.
Because that is the reality ofcancer.
And I just wanted a book thatyou could read if you had cancer
.
You could read if your mum hadcancer so that you could get a
better understanding of how shewas feeling.
You could read if you, youcould buy it for your best
(18:18):
friend if she was diagnosed andjust kind of, yeah, a book to
have.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
Have everybody have a bit more understanding of what
it's really like it's like yousay, it's a hug in a book and,
and even more importantly, a big, huge northern hug in a book.
Yeah, yeah, nothing better,nicola.
You are full of passion andpurpose and impatience to make
(18:45):
change, but what would you sayis your superpower?
Speaker 2 (18:52):
I have the ability to make people feel that.
Speaker 1 (18:56):
It's priceless, totally priceless.
Nicola, you are so much morethan wigs.
You are so much more than thequalifications.
You are so much more than thequalifications.
You are so much more than theprofile.
You are especially you.
You are just an amazing humanwho is passionate about giving
back, paying forward and givingthat virtual hug.
Thank you so much for joiningme today and thank you for being
(19:19):
awesome.
Thank you, pavel.
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