Celebrated since 1911, International Women's Day is a day of celebration of women from across the globe as well as a call to recognise women as equals. International Women’s Day aims to push us towards a gender-equal world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination.

In honour of International Women's Day, we would like to put the spotlight on ourselves; the all-women team at Paddington Works.

Here is a brief introduction to us. Get to know us a bit better and read about our journeys so far.

Tell us about yourself.

I began my career in radio fresh out of university where I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism. After a year-long stint as a presenter and broadcast journalist, I took three years out of audio, splitting my time between travelling the world and dabbling in a variety of industries including teaching, customer services, tourism and admin before jumping back into radio ad operations and freelance podcast editing. Working from home 5 days a week in my previous role without much interaction with people proved to be tricky for me, so I decided to explore my skills in coworking. I took a Friday off, journeyed to Paddington Works, handed my CV to the lovely Rosie and accepted the role the following Tuesday! I started at Paddington Works as Front of House and Member Relations and after three months moved into running production studios as Audio Coordinator too. It’s been an incredibly fulfilling journey, both in my personal and professional development.

Why do you think it is important to celebrate International Women’s Day at Paddington Works?

We are incredibly proud to be an all-female team here at Paddington Works which feels particularly profound on International Women’s Day. Individually, I take strength and encouragement from that knowledge, as well as appreciating that as a team we all have a mutual understanding of how hard we have had to work for opportunity collectively as women. We empathetically learn from each other in our struggles as well as feel empowered by how our team have overcome those trials.

Did you ever doubt your abilities in your role? Why? How do you handle these situations/feelings? What/who motivated you during times of self-doubt/imposter syndrome?

The admission of doubt in your role can feel like a failure but I think we would all be lying if we hadn’t felt it at some point in our lives. I feel that women are afforded a lot more scrutiny and criticism in general, and so when those moments of doubt do filter in we shy away from voicing it through our perceived need to continuously prove ourselves. I try to remember that my core skillset is grounded in experience and knowledge and to not judge myself based on uncontrollable events or internal feelings. Getting out of a negative mindset can be difficult, but by confiding in and indeed supporting fellow colleagues in how you feel, can provide positive reinforcement that you are doing a good job and also serve as a reminder that everyone is human.

How can we encourage more women to pursue senior leadership roles in their careers?

Mentorship. Knowing that paths have been paved before you is inspiring. It’s always more difficult to see the road ahead when you have little blueprint for how you get to where you want to be. Following exactly the same process as your mentor could be regressive, but even just the knowledge that a shared goal has been achieved is fuel enough to find your own way there, and any tips along the way will speed that process up!

What is the most important message you want to send out to young women/ female PW members thinking about their careers?

Advocate your own worth. Find out what your strengths are, develop them, and cultivate jobs within your role that demonstrate them. Never be afraid to ask for resources or help to allow for your strengths to shine through.

Tell us about yourself.

Hi, my name is Rosie, and I manage Finance and Operations in the building, sharing the Operations role with Natalie the Studio Manager. I have always been in Finance and started out my career in retail, where I worked my up through the company for the next 19 years. I began as a ‘Saturday girl’ in the office, (one of my first jobs was collecting kimble tags) and left as Operations Manager. Five store openings, a handful of qualifications and two daughters later, I moved to the serviced office industry (co-working of its day) where I worked for six years. In 2010 I joined Great Western Studios and worked as Finance and then Operations Manager for nine years. I was part of the team that ensured the smooth running of all 124 Studios and their occupiers during this time, including taking the building through a two-storey expansion!

In June 2019, I joined Paddington Works, starting my current role in Finance & Operations. Every day is different! My main role is in Finance, I make sure members are billed, and ensure our suppliers are paid. I deal with day-to-day operational issues, which can range from a blocked toilet to lights not working, making sure our members are safe and secure as well as making sure our IT/Cleaning and Maintenance is spot on.

Why do you think it is important to celebrate International Women’s Day at Paddington Works?

I think it’s a wonderful thing that this business is run by women, and it absolutely should be celebrated!

Did you ever doubt your abilities in your role? Why? How do you handle these situations/feelings? What/who motivated you during times of self-doubt/imposter syndrome?

I sometimes have felt ‘should I know how to do this?’ and the most important thing I learnt is that is okay to ask if you are not sure – far better that way than doing a task incorrectly. Knowledge is power! My motivation has always been to learn more, to work things out, to solve a problem. This is extremely important to me.

What is the most important message you want to send out to young women/ female PW members thinking about their careers?

To believe in yourself – don’t ever think you can’t do it, there is always a way.

Are there any female colleagues or PW members that inspire you in your career?

The whole team inspires me – we all have different roles and I love it when they interlink almost like a relay race to get the job done.

Almost seven years ago, I had to make a choice. It was between staying in Poland and going to University (which everyone else was doing) or doing something different. Back home, everyone in some way or another dreams about getting out of the country. I decided to do something that will give me more opportunities. I booked myself an intensive one-month English course in London, and at the age of 19, not really knowing the language, I arrived in London.

It was quite a journey. I had no idea that the accommodation I was given would be all the way in Zone 3 in East London. However, this is where I found friends for life and met people from all over the world. It turned out to be the best decision I’ve ever made!

After a year of learning English, living in London, and working as a barista, I decided to study Events Management. I fell in love with events while organising different projects – including Tennis Tournaments and Air Shows (I even managed to find a highlight video! If you fancy watching, fast forward to 1:40 for the best part: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2D3GwlHzSQgand).

During my time at Uni, I worked at places such as O2, Wembley Stadium, Wimbledon and other major venues in London.

After graduating and finishing my dissertation about Drug Use at London EDM Events, I landed a position at Paddington Works! My role is Sales & Events Manager and my day-to-day tasks are focusing on delivering events and overlooking the sales process.

Since coming to London, it’s been an eventful journey. I’m a strong believer that if you work hard enough and get out there - grab every single opportunity that comes your way and do things your own way, whatever makes you happy – everything is possible.

Tell us about yourself.

Hi, my name is Dara. My role is FOH & Digital Media. With my degree in Graphic Design, I became a graphic designer at a property marketing company based in the UAE. Even while working all the way from London, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of the UAE's culture and belief systems as well.

As I scoured Indeed on a whim in search of something new, I came across an ad for a position at Paddington Works looking for experience in both front-of-house and social media/graphic design. It seemed like the perfect role. I applied for the role and started two weeks later.

Please write an overview of your role at Paddington Works.

I have a dual role. There is the FOH role. A few examples of these tasks are creating day passes, booking people in for day passes, and fulfilling member requests. There is also the Creative Media/Marketing role, which involves creating marketing and promo materials such as flyers and posters, making social media posts, and writing and publishing articles for our website.

Why do you think it is important to celebrate International Women’s Day at Paddington Works?

We are an all-female team at Paddington Works. Which is not something you often see. It is very motivating to see a team of women working in tandem to ensure that Paddington Works is not only running smoothly but also catering to members and guests and making them feel looked after.

Did you ever doubt your abilities in your role? Why? How do you handle these situations/feelings? What/who motivated you during times of self-doubt/imposter syndrome?

Due to my scatterbrained tendencies, I constantly switch back and forth between tasks which causes me to not be as focused as I should be. As a result of the hybrid nature of the job role, I found myself sometimes struggling to grasp both the admin and front-of-house aspects.

As a result of shadowing Rose, following time management suggestions from the ladies, and paying attention to how the ladies solved problems, I was able to complete tasks more quickly. My improvement has made me even more motivated and confident not just at work but in everyday life as well.

What is the most important message you want to send out to young women/ female PW members thinking about their careers?

Be confident and passionate in your abilities, we all have different skills that we bring to the table.

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