URE LIFE

Tell us about you and your career history to date.

I’m a retail consultant, boutique owner, and co-founder of a start up co-working business. I’ll do my best to sum up my career history… it has been expansive!

Starting in a video shop in Australia at the age of 14 (remember those??) and then into retail while I was at school and uni (where I fell in love with beautiful things and customer service). Over the years I’ve worked in the management of events and projects, as well as hospitality, retail (mostly separately but sometimes at the same time) and business support roles. My curiosity took me from working on a ski resort in Vermont to a 5 star hotel in Florida to a bar in Ireland to being a manager at a flagship store on Regent Street – and even many years navigating the corporate world.

After swapping Australian life for London 12 years ago and then North Yorkshire, I now channel everything I’ve learned (and continue to learn) into building my own ventures. I support independent retailers through Sarah Lewis & Co., I curate classic womenswear at Apple Tree House, and I co-founded Medley Ripon, a co-working and business support hub with a mission to bring community back to rural working and businesses. In short: I love businesses, I love beautiful things, and most of all, I love people. So, I’m on a mission to help ambitious women and businesses thrive.

What finally pushed you to take the leap into entrepreneurship?

Primarily a mix of frustration and instinct… and a quiet little voice that wouldn’t go away. After many years in corporate roles, I realised I didn’t just want to support other people’s visions any longer, I wanted to build my own. I could see so many brilliant independent retailers and small businesses struggling, not because they weren’t talented, but because they didn’t have the support. I knew I could help.

Moving from London to North Yorkshire gave me the space to think differently. Working from home gave me clarity (and a bit of restlessness and loneliness), but more than anything, it highlighted how much I value community, creativity and autonomy Ultimately, I wanted freedom to build something meaningful. Not just a business, but spaces and support systems that genuinely help people thrive.

“I realised success didn’t have to mean fitting into a structure someone else had designed… I could design my own.”

Which skills from your corporate career have proven the most valuable in building your businesses?

There’s the obvious – operational thinking, project management and customer experience, which have been helpful and do play a very big part, but the skills that I have found most valuable are relationship building and persistence.

I realised very quickly that in corporate life, nothing happened without people and that if you want things done efficiently, it helps if you’ve built strong relationships. That awareness now helps me in everything I do, whether it’s collaborating with local venues for Medley or supporting customers at Apple Tree House. Secondly, persistence, this is absolutely essential. Corporate taught me that if you’re not prepared to follow up, chase, clarify, and keep going (politely but firmly), projects stall. I combine and develop these two skills daily through building strong local relationships, collaborating with others, and connecting like-minded people via my co-working business and boutique.

Coworking and retail are both people-first businesses. How does community and connection shape your decisions?

As a self-confessed ‘people person’, for me, people always come first. In both co-working and retail, I don’t start with “What can we sell?” I start with “How do we want people to feel?” That question shapes everything, from the venues we choose for Medley, to the tone of our emails, to the brands I curate for Apple Tree House.

Connection also guides the bigger decisions. When I moved from London to North Yorkshire and experienced first-hand the isolation of working alone, it highlighted how powerful shared energy and belonging can be. Medley was born from that realisation. The same applies to my consultancy work – I’m interested in supporting real people, not just working in spreadsheets. I’ve seen how transformative it is when people feel part of something, when a conversation sparks confidence or a room feels full of possibility. If I can create spaces where that happens, where someone leaves feeling encouraged or less alone, then I know I’m doing meaningful work.

What has been the biggest mindset shift from employee to founder?

So many! But the biggest ones are: realising no one is coming to tap you on the shoulder and say, “it’s your turn.” As an employee, there’s always a framework – a boss, a structure, a salary, a defined next step. As a founder, that is all you. You set the pace. You decide what matters. And if you don’t move things forward, they simply don’t move.

I also had to shift from thinking like a supporting role to thinking like a main character. That means trusting myself, making decisions without perfect information, and accepting that growth, especially personally, sits on the other side of discomfort (a lesson I’m still learning). And while it’s challenged me, it’s also shown me that I’m capable.

What does success look like for you now, compared to earlier in your career?

Earlier in my career, success honestly looked like a steady salary and working with nice people, because that’s what I’d been raised to value. Security, stability and being reliable. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. It gave me a strong foundation, introduced me to wonderful mentors and colleagues and helped me understand my strengths. But as I became more exposed to entrepreneurs and to people building or running businesses with real ownership, my definition started to evolve. I realised success didn’t have to mean fitting into a structure someone else had designed… I could design my own.

Now, success is freedom and impact. It’s working hard and building meaningful businesses, earning well because I’ve created genuine value, and surrounding myself with ambitious, supportive people. It’s no longer about security alone, it’s about possibility, ownership and creating something that reflects me and my values.

“I’m interested in supporting real people, not just working in spreadsheets. I’ve seen how transformative it is when people feel part of something, when a conversation sparks confidence or a room feels full of possibility.”

What big plans have you got lined up?

For Apple Tree House, the plan is steady, intentional expansion. I am building a loyal community of women who love classic, effortless style, while refining the edit and strengthening the brand. Over time I would love to blend online with a physical presence. I want it to feel like stepping into a beautifully designed, light-filled space – timeless, elegant, relaxed and elevated – where everything feels considered and effortless. Both ventures are about the same thing really: creating spaces where people feel seen, inspired and supported.

For Medley, Katie and I are always thinking and planning! The focus now is securing a permanent space in Ripon – somewhere warm, friendly and community-driven. A space that not only supports local business owners, but actively nurtures growth and collaboration. Longer term, Katie and I want to create a sustainable rural co-working model that can be replicated across other North Yorkshire towns building a connected network of hubs that bring energy, support, and opportunity back to smaller communities.

Tell us about your Women in Business meet-ups and how it feels to bring fellow businesswomen together.

We are so lucky to gather an incredible group of local female founders and professionals each month through our Ripon Women in Business monthly meet ups and I genuinely love being in that room! These women support, uplift, collaborate and actively look for ways to help one another. It’s a space filled with ambition and generosity, where ideas are explored, partnerships are formed and confidence grows. There’s a very special atmosphere when we’re all together, like anything can happen…

Every time I leave, I feel energised and reminded of what’s possible when ambitious women come together with openness and intent. It’s powerful, and that’s exactly why we do it.

Which women have influenced you the most?

At different stages of my life, different women have shaped me. As a child, I found comfort and inspiration in books, so my earliest influences were strong fictional characters – Anne Shirley, Jo March, and Elizabeth Bennett (to name a few). They were independent, imaginative, outspoken and unafraid to want more. I didn’t realise it at the time, but those stories planted seeds. As I moved into my career, I was fortunate to work alongside inspiring female colleagues, intelligent, capable women who led with both strength and warmth. They showed me resilience and professionalism in action.

Now, as a founder, I’m particularly inspired by ambitious women building meaningful businesses. Reese Witherspoon, Sara Blakely and Emma Grede all stand out, not just for their success, but for the way they’ve built brands with ownership, vision and longevity.

And closer to home, Katie, my business partner at Medley Ripon, has been a huge influence in this chapter. Building something from the ground up alongside someone equally passionate and driven is both grounding and energising. I feel incredibly lucky to be doing this with her.

When I look at the thread connecting all these women, it’s courage, imagination and the willingness to build something bigger than themselves, qualities I hope I carry forward too.

What does IWD mean to you?

IWD is a moment to pause and recognise just how much women carry, build and contribute – often quietly and consistently while “doing all the things.”

For me, it’s about acknowledging the power of women coming together. I see every month through our meet-ups what happens when women support, encourage and champion one another – it’s transformative. There is real strength in that collective energy.

It’s also a reminder to honour the women who paved the way before us, and to consider how we can continue lifting others as we climb. Progress doesn’t happen by accident, it happens because women choose to lead, support and create change.

One day almost feels too small to hold it all. The impact, resilience and ambition I see in women every day deserves recognition far beyond a single date in the calendar.

What advice would you give someone making the leap from corporate to entrepreneurship?

Don’t try to do it all alone. The shift from corporate to entrepreneurship can feel surprisingly isolating. You lose the built-in structure, the team around you, the sounding board in your colleagues. So one of the smartest things you can do is intentionally build your own support system.

Find a mentor. Work with a coach. Join a community of people who understand what you’re navigating. Surround yourself with those who will challenge you, encourage you and remind you what you’re capable of on the days you forget.

Entrepreneurship requires courage, but it doesn’t require solitude. The right people around you will accelerate your growth more than you can imagine.

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If you’re a local business person and would like to be interviewed, please send your request to hello@ure-life.com.