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Writer's pictureDoyenne

Meet the Women Behind Doyenne: Inspiring Stories from Our Leaders

Helen Roberts Doyenne Ambassador for Wales


What is the biggest challenge you've faced as a woman in this field, and how did you overcome it?


Imposter syndrome is a massive deal for me that I live with every day and has got worse the more successful I am. I always revert to the ‘they know more than me’ ‘they are better than me’ ‘when are HR going to come knocking on the door and ask me I am pretending to be a senior leader’. Do I overcome it? Probably not to be honest. I use it as a tool to make sure I am knowledgeable, up to date with the topic matter and remind myself that we are all cogs that bring the machine together. None of us are more important or more deserving than the next.

 

Can you share your happiest memory from your time in the industry?


Easily the day I received my business card (they were a thing then) saying 'Associate Director'. It felt SO GOOD!!!!! For those who have read my back story you will know that I was once told there are three types of people in this world (spitters, swearers and smokers) and I was apparently all 3.  That moment encapsulated my success for me.

 


How do you balance your professional responsibilities with your personal life?


I have the benefit of an amazing, supportive husband, great pre-school and after-school facilities that I can tap into. We are trying to remain as a one car family for as long as possible so sometimes that can cause stressors when travelling with work. Ultimately, I think that anytime there is a conflict in balance the best way out of it is to honest whether that be with client, customer or employer. Guaranteed that everyone else is struggling to balance things too so just be honest and you can work your way through it.

 

What book has had the most significant impact on your life and why?


Being such an avid reader you would think this would be an easy one to answer but I am not sure that any have had an ‘effect’ on me. So I am going to go with the Welsh children’s book ‘Dw'in fy caru mam’. Not only was it one the first books that I read to my daughter, it marked the start of my learning of the Welsh language. Marrying into a Welsh speaking family and then bringing a little girl into the world that would be bilingual I knew that I had to learn the language too. It is no doubt one of the hardest things I have ever done but cuddled up in bed and being able to read in Welsh gives me the greatest satisfaction.

  

What motivates you to get up and go to work every day? 


I’m going to be controversially honest here – money! Of course, there are things that make me passionate about what I do and things that I look forward to or dread but at the core root of getting up every day is money!

 

Who has been the biggest influence in your life or career?


My biggest influence comes more from having a lack of influence. Growing up in a challenging environment with a million things against you, no paths laid for you and no parental guidance to push could have gone the other way. I made the decision at a very early age that I would push myself to be the best that I could and my environment would not determine who I was to become. As an adult it's my family that influence me. The thought of my daughter growing up thinking her mum is a force to be reckoned makes me grow everyday.

 

What's a personal goal you are currently working towards?


Sadly I don’t have personal goals, I am just not that type of person. I am fully supportive of people who have plans and goals - I wish I was the same. I am more of a fly by the seat of your pants type of girl. Life is so busy I can barely think about the next day let alone the future.

 

Would you rather have the ability to speak all languages fluently or be a master of every musical instrument?


Without a doubt a master of all languages. People who speak multiple languages blow my mind!

 

If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?


Cheese wotsits? lol

 

How do you unwind after a long day at work?


I like to cook – particularly working from home I need that transfer of time from work to home. Having an hour in the kitchen de-stresses me and makes my heart and mind happy.

 

What's a fun fact about you that most people don't know?


When I was 21 and living in Ibiza I needed a job to stay on the island and pretended that I was a qualified scuba diva instructor on a phone interview (I had never scuba dived in my life). They asked me to come and meet them on the dock the next morning. Little did I know that a group of tourists would be waiting on a boat and the second stage of interview was a practical taking this group out to sea. Luckily at 21 -  I had kahuna’s the size of watermelons and thought how hard can this be and did it. The tourists survived (just) but needless to say I did not get the job😊

 

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?


I could copy the A-Z of the world and paste it in. Nothing makes me happier than travelling, immersing myself into different culture and trying new food and experiences.

 

What's your favourite inspirational quote or mantra?


When life gives you lemons – drink tequila!

 

What is the biggest lesson you have learnt in life?


Oh lord! I’m really not sure, I am not a great learner from my own mistakes! However, I would say love hard, live harder and laugh LOTS. This emotional roller coaster we are on called life is so short. Eat the cake, drink the wine – do the thing you shouldn’t do.


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