Today the sun is shining on London.  It’s meant to be here all week.  This glorious weather is not only making the buds grow and blossoms burst - this delightful weather is making me feel heady too. 

Covid is still here for sure.  It’s never going away.  But life in person is happening again which means I get to be back in the same room with clients and feel the joy and energy of delivering face-to-face.  Teams, Zoom and Webex were amazing through rolling lockdowns.  They kept us all connected, sane and productive.  But working from your bedroom simply isn’t as intoxicating as being able to be there in the room, reading body language and seeing faces in 3D.  I get energy from a live audience in a way that no video conference can ever replicate. 

Yesterday, I was in Cambridge (one of my favourite places in the world!), last week was Aberdeen, and the week before, Brighton.  Wherever I go, so too does the book manuscript.  It’s been on planes, train, café tables, kitchen tables and of course, the living room floor.  Each day, I make progress on the content.  Current events and conversations with close friends continue to play a role in helping me find my voice and shape the narrative.  A few weeks ago, when I was struggling to find the words for the closing chapter and my friend Karen gave me food for thought when she told me that ‘every ending needs a hero’.  Yesterday, a friend Jo reminded me of the importance of situational power.  Whether we are a stay at home parent, an accountant a CEO or an elite athlete, we each use our own sphere of influence to shape the world around us.

I look forward to the day I get the manuscript over to the Unbound team and begin the final editing sequence.  But first, I need to finish crowdfunding.  Today the book is 70% funded – a big leap this weeks thanks to Sarah, Laura and Helen and the team from Takeda.  I had the pleasure of leading their colleagues on a journey for IWD.  It was my first time using the stories from the book to help others build inclusion skills - and did it ever feel good! 

Today, more than 200 individuals have pledged their support, including you.  And so, as I go about my work on the glorious spring day, I send my gratitude for your support.  Thanks again for going on the journey with me.  I am excited to see where this book takes us all.