Happy New year everyone. Firstly thank you for all the support with Women Rock throughout 2021, we really enjoyed interviewing some great folk across the industry and also running the Little Girl is Me campaign and also What Rocked You feature.This year we will continue to promote ED&I across the industry, sharing stories, career highs, and lows and also speaking with companies about what they are doing to attract, retain and promote diverse talent within their teams. If we work together we can really make a change.I am buzzing to kick start 2022 with the awesome Theodora Costley-White We talked about her successful career and her current role as Technical Director at Edit. Her journey and advice as a working mum, being a black woman in technology, her new group – The Women in Tech Coterie and how girls just wanna have fun!Have a read, it’s great, and remember ‘you won’t know if you don’t try’Hey Theodora, thank you so much for taking part in Women Rock and sharing your story and journey in the hope it provides inspiration for other folks in the tech industry.YOU HAVE TOLD US THAT FOR MOST OF YOUR CAREER YOU HAVE BEEN THE ONLY FEMALE IN YOUR TEAM OR EVEN COMPANY. HOW HAS THIS AFFECTED YOU? HAS IT MADE YOU STRONGER AND MORE DETERMINED TO CHANGE THE INDUSTRY?In most part it has made me stronger but has been wearing. It has meant I have had to be extremely comfortable in my opinions, my voice, my perspective, and being alone when doing so because you will stand out. It has also made me say enough is enough, there is no excuses for why women are so underrepresented in Tech, we can change this…. We must.YOU ARE SUCH AN INSPIRATION FOR ALL WOMEN IN TECH, IN LEADERSHIP BUT ALSO FOR BLACK WOMEN IN TECHNOLOGY. IN YOUR OPINION HOW CAN COMPANIES ENCOURAGE BETTER DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION ACROSS THEIR BUSINESSES?I don’t know about being an inspiration, but I do hope to change the situation however I can. For starters employers need to stop assuming that there isn’t a diverse talent pool out there simply because their adverts are not attracting the talent, there is.Their recruitment campaigns need to be more targeted and intentional. Women after all go through more changes in their careers than men do, and so there are many considerations to be made when trying to attract women into Tech.I FIND THAT THERE ARE SO MANY WOMEN WHO FEEL AS THOUGH THEY MUST CHOOSE BETWEEN THEIR ROLE AS A MOTHER OR THEIR TECH CAREER – WHY DO YOU THINK THIS IS? YOU HAVE A SUCCESSFUL CAREER AS WELL AS BEING A MUM, I’D LOVE TO HEAR MORE ON WHAT ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE A BUSY WORKING MUM?My personal experience of being a mother in the Tech industry is that because it’s an evolutionary industry. There is the perception that women who take time away from the job will fall behind in capabilities and this is simply untrue, we have so many mediums for continued development nowadays. It’s like saying you will forget how to read if you stop reading. What is true is that technologies evolve, but so do the women during that phase, becoming a mother does not stagnate your intellectual development, I would argue it enhances it. You learn so many skills that go on to serve you well in the workplace, and in leadership particularly.Parenting does not come with a manual; it takes emotional intelligence, agility, adaptability, compromise, time management, and resilience to parent and the same characteristics needed in the workplace. It has been proven that we hire better when we seek transferable skills and attitudes, and not just capabilities.The best workers are those who can understand our clients’ problems and then apply the tech to solve it. That skill comes from life experience and the ability to put yourself in the shoes of another. I have a friend who has returned to working as a Software Developer focusing on Accessibility for a FTSE 100 after nearly 10 years of staying home to raise her children, and she is doing great!My one advice to working mums is to make special time to invest in yourself, professionally and personally because you are still YOU, the individual before you are an employee, mum, wife, sister, etc.I AM SO EXCITED TO BE SUPPORTING YOU ON YOUR NEW PROJECT ‘WOMEN IN TECH COTERIE’ I THINK MORE THAN EVER WE NEED A NEW WOMEN IN TECH GROUP IN BRISTOL. CAN YOU TELL US ALL ABOUT IT AND THE PLANS?We plan to have fun in-person and virtual networking events – Black Tie events, Meetups and Socials. Also we will be running technology capability training sessions, offering coaching, mentoring and peer pairing work. It will also include blogs and thought leader speaker events as well as awards ceremonies recognising up and coming talent. We are especially excited to be working with the next generation of women in Tech – Schools and Universities, to help young women along with their career progression into Tech and increase diversity for the future.WE SHARE THE SAME PASSION FOR ENCOURAGING THE NEXT GENERATION AND SUPPORTING THEM INTO THE TECH WORLD. IF YOU HAD 60 SECONDS TO ADVISE ALL YOUNG WOMEN ACROSS THE GLOBE TO FOLLOW A CAREER IN TECHNOLOGY – WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?Don’t knock it before you have tried it – Technology as an industry is very broad and its more interesting and diverse than you realise. It’s not just about IT Helpdesks though they are the lifeline of every company, there is so much more than what is portrayed in the media. Speak to people in the industry, do some work experience you will be amazed at the wide range of fun job types available. Yes, I said fun jobs!IF YOU WE’RE A SONG, WHAT SONG WOULD YOU BE?You’re going to find this one funny, when I was a kid, I was a huge fan of ‘Girls just want to have fun by Cyndi Lauper and still am, it’s on my ‘Get up and go’ playlist. I made my mum make me a poker dot tutu just like in her video and I would roller-skate on my driveway draped in plastic bead necklace, singing the song at the top of my lungs. It just made me feel fearless like I could be anything I wanted to be, and I’d have fun doing it!WHAT IS THE SAYING OR MANTRA YOU LIVE BYYou won’t know if you don’t try. I’d rather live knowing I tried and failed than never having tried, wondering for the rest of my life. Thank you so much Theodora! Keep rocking #womenrockAn interview by Alicia Teagle.A voice for diversity in Tech & Engineering <3I: @womenrockbristolT: @womenrockbrstl

She was born and raised in Bristol with her father, mother, and older sister. She had a wonderful upbringing with her father being an Inspector in the Police Force and mother working around fathers shifts in the hospital. She never wanted for anything and was privileged to have a lovely childhood.She made friends at school easily and was bubbly and outgoing. Teachers said she talked too much 😊She wasn’t the most academic but tried her best and took extra tuition from her teacher in Maths. This was the subject she wanted to improve.She was very athletic and took up Irish dancing from the age of 4 – 16 she had a great career gaining multiple titles with her team at the world championships & got to travel the world.At 16 her working life started in retail at 48 hours a week – long days, working weekends and bank holidays.At 25 she decided enough was enough. Retail life isn’t for her and went back to college to study AAT. Got a part time job at a small family run business as their financial controller and never looked back. That company sadly went into liquidation, so she embarked on the start of her finance career in recruitment.She desperately wanted a family of her own, 3 years of trying followed, doctor appointments, 2 miscarriages 👼👼.Being diagnosed with polycystic ovaries and chances to conceive very slim, she came to terms with adopting.At the age of 30 she had a little bit of a melt down that she hadn’t started a family 👨‍👩‍👦2018 Her miracle boy was born completely naturally! 👶 This little girl learnt that sometimes great things happen when you relax.2018 her dad took a turn for the worst with his health and it seemed that he had a stroke and everyone was very worried that we could lose him – turned out to be sepsis and he was extremely ill.Her father has thankfully recovered.2018 affected her in a big way – she was diagnosed with post-natal depression. The once bubbly outgoing girl now struggled with anxiety, not feeling good enough and struggled with her own emotions.Mental health still affects her 3 years on.People asked her:“when she will have another baby? – before she gets too old!”“Ohhh won’t your son be lonely”“You are a part time mum as you work full time”“You can’t have a good career with flexibility of being a mother”2021 After being made redundant (without a redundancy package) earlier this year, things looked like they would take a downward spiral. I knew a lot of people were losing their jobs due to the Corona Virus pandemic.How wrong ‘this little girl’ was…She is now the Finance Manager of a very successful recruitment agency SR2 | Socially Responsible Recruitment | Certified B Corporation™ which has phenomenal growth and goals for next year alone.People say things happen for a reason and she certainly does believe this.This little girl is:A working motherA career womanA warriorA survivorA Never give up-er#Thislittlegirlisme WHY AM I TELLING YOU THIS?Because 70% of girls feel more confident about their futures after hearing from women role models. I’m happy to be part of the #thislittlegirlisme campaign for female empowerment initiated by Miriam Gonzalez Durantez of Inspiring Girls International to mark International Day of the Girl 2021.A VOICE FOR DIVERSITY IN TECH & ENGINEERING ❤️I: @womenrockbristolT: @womenrockbrstl

#thislittlegirl grew up in Bristol, loving to sing, perform & make people laugh. Her parents were great, loving her to bits, supporting her in everything she wanted to do and achieve. Her dream was to be a popstar one day & could sing the alphabet before she could speak. She hated school, feeling she was never good at anything, especially the difficult subjects and struggled to pay attention in class. She daydreamed about singing most of the time!Fast-forward to completing her A-levels, following her passion of singing by starting a course in music, but she didn’t enjoy it and realised that any type of ‘school’ environment just didn’t float her boat so left all that behind & went out into the working world… Now she was really starting to learn about life, firstly working in a preschool, doing 50 hours a week on a low wage, but it taught her about hard work. Little did she know, this was only the beginning of a very exciting path in life. It allowed her to get a spot at a children’s summer camp in California for the summer, then she travelled across America.She caught the ‘travel bug’, got a one way ticket to Oz all by herself. Now she was all alone in a new country, trying to make friends & earn money to afford hostels and food – she discovered a hidden talent for sales, worked for Hello Fresh, knocking doors all around Sydney and selling it to people. She worked on 100% commission with no stable salary – but she did great, loved it and was able to travel more!She met incredible people on her travels, who left imprints on her heart and they’re now her friends for life. They went on to travel around South East Asia together! Lots happened whilst travelling, one huge life changing experience where she discovered about her purpose and found faith in God. After this she knew it was time to come home, but she felt complete now and wasn’t searching for herself anymore.Fast forward 4 years later, she knows the meaning behind it all and that it was part of a plan. If it wasn’t for the preschool, she wouldn’t have gone to America… if it wasn’t for the Summer camp, she wouldn’t have gone to Australia and got the experience that little did she know, was going to help her to excel in a recruitment career.She bought her first house last year. She’s a Principal Consultant at SR2 | Socially Responsible Recruitment | Certified B Corporation™ & couldn’t be prouder of the person she’s become through her adventures & the people she’s met along the way. She strives to be her best self everyday & wants to help others to know they can achieve the same. She’s learned there’s a reason for everything in life, and that she should always trust the process ❤.#Thislittlegirlisme WHY AM I TELLING YOU THIS?Because 70% of girls feel more confident about their futures after hearing from women role models. I’m happy to be part of the #thislittlegirlisme campaign for female empowerment initiated by Miriam Gonzalez Durantez of Inspiring Girls International to mark International Day of the Girl 2021.A VOICE FOR DIVERSITY IN TECH & ENGINEERING ❤️I: @womenrockbristolT: @womenrockbrstl

This little girl grew up in a small town. She was the type of child who would never stop talking. 🤐She constantly asked ‘why’- she wanted to know EVERYTHING. She’d prance up to people to introduce herself in her then thick Scottish accent “I’m GINA!!!” (With her parents in tow) and she wanted to be everyone’s best friend.Fast forward a few years and starting school, she randomly lost all her confidence and would sob, refusing to leave her Mum behind at the school gate. her parents were regularly called back in with “she won’t stop crying but she won’t tell us what’s wrong”.(I genuinely remember this, when the teachers would ask what was wrong, I’d sob “I don’t know.” and I genuinely didn’t know. I just felt panic and worry for no particular reason, and this went on for MONTHS.)At a bit of a loss, her parents decided to enrol her into Stagecoach, a weekly school of singing dance and drama lessons to try and get a bit of her confidence back. She ended up staying there for 10 years and it was probably the best decision her parents ever made. (Eternally grateful to Mum and Dad, even to this day!)She never became a singer, definitely not a dancer, or an actress, but it brought back the spark she had lost and gave her the tools she needed to go out into the real world and become the woman she is today.Since growing up she’s moved to 2 new cities alone, and she packed her bags and got on a one way flight to Australia to fulfil her dream of living and working on the other side of the world.Fast forward to today, and to be honest I’m still deep down the same little girl who never stops talking, wants to be everyone’s best friend, and constantly asks ‘why’. I’m just a bit older and have rent and bills to pay now 🤣I certainly am not perfect, and I make mistakes, but I feel like I’m on a path in life which I’m proud to be on. I’m proud to be a Tech Recruiter, and I’m even more proud to work for a company like SR2 | Socially Responsible Recruitment | Certified B Corporation™The tools I learned throughout my childhood have been instrumental to becoming who I am today – and being a woman working in tech myself, I am so grateful that we have got blogs like Women Rock – A Voice For Diversity In Tech. which is there to give more of a voice for underrepresented humans in the technology space.#Thislittlegirlisme WHY AM I TELLING YOU THIS?Because 70% of girls feel more confident about their futures after hearing from women role models. I’m happy to be part of the #thislittlegirlisme campaign for female empowerment initiated by Miriam Gonzalez Durantez of Inspiring Girls International to mark International Day of the Girl 2021.A VOICE FOR DIVERSITY IN TECH & ENGINEERING ❤️I: @womenrockbristolT: @womenrockbrstl

This little girl grew up an only child on the outskirts of Bristol with a caring mum and dad struggling with alcoholism. At 4 years old her mum left her dad to find stability in the countryside with her grandparents. She would occasionally see her dad when he would take her to The Rising Sun for the day and she would play pool with the locals (and beat them) to pass the time until her mum came and rescued her. She felt neglected and learned that her needs were not important. She was not good enough.Over the years she saw her dad less, growing up with a single mum who worked long hours to provide for them. This little girl found escape in sport. She played County Hockey, won the league with Bristol Ladies FC and Captained Somerset Girls Cricket Team through an unbeaten season. Things were going well. This girl grew in confidence. She was happy. She had found her purpose.Unfortunately during school, she started to get bullied for being “big” and “butch” and she lost her confidence and enjoyment in sport. Once again she felt not good enough. She didn’t want to be the things people were calling her so she went out to change it. After a while people had stopped calling her “big” and “butch”. She was too thin. She had an eating disorder. She was unable to carry on playing the sport she loved as she no longer had the energy.She struggled with her eating disorder for a couple of years and instead of socialising she spent her time studying to get good A Levels. She managed to get AAB and got into Cardiff Uni.A year into her degree she was sold the recruitment dream… “100K OTE+ first year” was the promise. The reality was very different. She started on 15K, was told to rent in Bristol and worked her a** off each day from 7:00AM to 8:00PM. This continued for over a year until one day, without any pre-warning she was fired for underperforming on a dead market.She’d hit rock bottom.But like with most rock bottoms it was actually the biggest blessing in disguise.This girl who felt burnt out and depressed would have never left. She still believed that her needs were not important and that she was not “good enough”.Despite this, she decided to continue her career in recruitment. This girl has now gone on to hit lunch clubs and holiday incentives. This girl started to believe that maybe she could be good at recruitment. She overcame her eating disorder, she now looks after her body, and also the importance of looking after her mental health.Now this little girl isn’t so little she is able to look after that little girl and she tells that little girl that her needs are important and that she is good enough every single day.#Thislittlegirlisme WHY AM I TELLING YOU THIS?Because 70% of girls feel more confident about their futures after hearing from women role models. I’m happy to be part of the #thislittlegirlisme campaign for female empowerment initiated by Miriam Gonzalez Durantez of Inspiring Girls International to mark International Day of the Girl 2021.A VOICE FOR DIVERSITY IN TECH & ENGINEERING ❤️I: @womenrockbristolT: @womenrockbrstl

This little girl grew up in Cornwall & then Bath. Her dad was a pilot and her mum looked after her and her brother. She was lucky in life, she had very loving parents and family. She loved animals, reading Enid Blyton and spent her days dreaming of becoming a vet. Her life revolved around horses, her pets and at just 8 years old she was selling her toys on the side of the road raising money for animal charities. She did well at school and got a scholarship to secondary school (rewarded with a kitten of course). Then, one teacher at school changed the whole direction of her life. A personality clash with her science teacher made her rethink her career choices, made her lose her passion for wanting to do the Science A Levels needed to study Veterinary Science. She changed schools, decided to do different subjects and went to a high performing academic school for her A Levels where she felt constant pressure to keep up and where she felt out totally of her depth. She felt like she didn’t fit in, wasn’t good enough, intellectual enough and was never going to do as well as everyone else. But, with her family's support she picked herself up and took control of her life. She got good results and went to University and studied Geography. Following graduation and with no idea of what she wanted to do, she decided to apply to recruitment roles. Recruitment was, and still is a tough industry . At the time it was very much male dominated and she was told she was too fluffy, too nice, not tough enough. But, she was stronger now, she wasn’t going to let anyone make her feel like she wasn’t good enough and couldn’t do it. She found her own style, and showed others that you didn’t need to be the stereotypical salesy, cut throat person that the industry thought made a good recruiter. 13 years later and she is still going, stronger than ever, in a company full of people whose approach to recruitment is just like hers, where she is no longer the odd one out. Does she still wish she had become a vet? Yes, every day, but life is for living and not regrets, she found a job she loves, where she can make a difference to people’s lives. Now a wife and mum to 2 gorgeous girls (and many animals) the one thing she wants to do is encourage her kids and others to believe and follow their dreams. Have confidence in themselves and not to let anyone stand in their way or make them think they aren’t good enough. You are in charge of your own destiny and as Walt Disney said if you can dream it, you can do it 💗.   #Thislittlegirlisme  WHY AM I TELLING YOU THIS? Because 70% of girls feel more confident about their futures after hearing from women role models. I’m happy to be part of the #thislittlegirlisme campaign for female empowerment initiated by Miriam Gonzalez Durantez of Inspiring Girls International to mark International Day of the Girl 2021. A VOICE FOR DIVERSITY IN TECH & ENGINEERING ❤️ I: @womenrockbristol T: @womenrockbrstl  

Once upon a time there was a little girl that was so shy she used to pretend she was a cat! I’m not joking …. it got to such a stage, that when her mum went to the parent’s evening (year one I will add) all the teacher had to report was ”well she isn’t meowing as much in class”. She struggled in school without the confidence to join in or ask questions, eventually finding herself in all the bottom sets.At the age of ten, she joined a circus school, where she trained three days a week practicing for a total of 8 hours, not your normal hobby I know but something fascinated her and before you knew it she was hooked. A few years down the line it was time to start performing her new acts amongst the other kids of Gerry Cottles Circus. As you can imagine this was terrifying and I can’t lie mistakes were made and embarrassment was felt, but that’s the point I’m trying to make.It wasn’t easy but as her skills grew so did her confidence and this started to show in all areas of her life, school got easier and she went on to graduate university with a first.I can’t pretend she has everything figured out yet (just yesterday she got a parking ticket) but what she has learned is, confidence is something that is worked on every day, in every area of life, by everyone! Although now her circus days are behind her the self-confidence she gained remains and she hopes what she learned was passed on to the new generation of children at the school.Now she is on a new adventure at SR2 | Socially Responsible Recruitment | Certified B Corporation™ where they have tools such as the Women’s rock platform, created to share stories and journeys to educate and inspire.It’s not easy but do what you are passionate about, and you will find it for yourself. Just remember when you have found it, share and encourage it in others around you.photo: Glastonbury festival 2011#Thislittlegirlisme WHY AM I TELLING YOU THIS?Because 70% of girls feel more confident about their futures after hearing from women role models. I’m happy to be part of the #thislittlegirlisme campaign for female empowerment initiated by Miriam Gonzalez Durantez of Inspiring Girls International to mark International Day of the Girl 2021.A VOICE FOR DIVERSITY IN TECH & ENGINEERING ❤️I: @womenrockbristolT: @womenrockbrstl

This little girl didn’t have your typical childhood… it started amazing, a lovely little family in a beautiful home in Bristol. However, when she turned 6 everything changed. She was told her father had terminal cancer, and before she knew it, she had lost him. She went through immense pain and couldn’t even fathom what her mother was going through.The years following this were difficult for her – she was sad, numb, and wondered how she would live without him. She then had to tackle secondary school, which was particularly difficult. Her friends were able to talk about their dads and go on the school holidays, but this girl couldn’t as her incredible mum was working ridiculous hours just to support her and her sister 💙. She built some amazing friendships, but for the most part, she felt shy, inferior, and lacked confidence both personally and academically.She received below-average GCSEs for her school and had to move for the sixth form, as her father’s inheritance money could no longer cover the cost of that school. She knew things had to change. She put herself out there, worked smarter, and harder, and got herself into university.She went on to be the first to graduate in her family. She received a 1st class degree. What’s even crazier is that during this time she gained a stepsister… her best friend from school! These girls bonded through their hardship at a young age, which brought their parents together and in 2017 they got married 💕.Fast forward 3 years and a whole load of recruitment later, this girl has just moved to London and started a master’s degree with a scholarship. Her sister has her own business, and her stepsister is a doctor. She (and her sisters) may have been dealt a strange hand in life, but she is grateful for every card!Where you start in life doesn’t define where you will end up – aim high!#Thislittlegirlisme WHY AM I TELLING YOU THIS?Because 70% of girls feel more confident about their futures after hearing from women role models. I’m happy to be part of the #thislittlegirlisme campaign for female empowerment initiated by Miriam Gonzalez Durantez of Inspiring Girls International to mark International Day of the Girl 2021.A VOICE FOR DIVERSITY IN TECH & ENGINEERING ❤️I: @womenrockbristolT: @womenrockbrstl

This little girl is me.She was from a little seaside town in the South and had a privileged upbringing. She had a father who was a lawyer and a mother who retired at an early age to look after her and her big sister.Life was good. She was put into an all-girls private school at the age of 8. Her teachers would say “if she put her mind to it, she would do well”. She was the captain of the netball team and has lots of friends. She was labeled as independent and never wanted for much. She started working at 16 and loved having her freedom.Then everything changed.She was 16 when her father was taken to hospital for a problem with his hand. 3 weeks later, he had a tracheotomy and was put on life support for reasons we still don’t understand or know.She’d lost her father, the breadwinner, the glue that held their family together. He’d left her mother in debt she didn’t know about. Her mother was struggling mentally and financially but she didn’t know how to help.After that, she found everything hard to understand. She was lost. She lived with her boss and ran away from her problems.She soon realised if she wanted to succeed in life it was only up to her. She moved to Bristol on her own and decided to pursue a career in recruitment. It was a tricky start but the founders ofSR2 | Socially Responsible Recruitment | Certified B Corporation™ saw something in her. She’s now a Senior, and working for an organisation that is changing the industry. She couldn’t be more proud.These experiences have fuelled her to work hard, be a good human and live life to the fullest.<#Thislittlegirlisme WHY AM I TELLING YOU THIS?Because 70% of girls feel more confident about their futures after hearing from women role models. I’m happy to be part of the #thislittlegirlisme campaign for female empowerment initiated by Miriam Gonzalez Durantez of Inspiring Girls International to mark International Day of the Girl 2021.A VOICE FOR DIVERSITY IN TECH & ENGINEERING ❤️I: @womenrockbristolT: @womenrockbrstl