We’re approaching the first anniversary of WCorp. It’s hard to believe the distance our work has gone in the short year since we first launched. I thought I’d share with you the rags-to-riches, underdog story of our success. 

This is the story of how my personal struggle led to a global movement.

A Mother's Challenge Becomes a Mission

I never intended to go into business in the first place. I trained as a corporate lawyer; I married; I became a mother. 

When my son was born with life-threatening allergies, my world turned upside down. I was used to solving problems, but this was different. We were in and out of hospitals; I was so scared all of the time. 

Even when I was forced out of my work as a lawyer because it wouldn’t accommodate my needs as a mother, I was being a “good girl”. I was doing everything I was supposed to do. 

At the same time, I was living in a dangerous domestic situation. It wasn’t uncommon for me to take the kids and hide in the bathroom. 

One day, after screwing up my courage, I took the kids and I left. My family, ashamed of my choice to divorce, turned their backs on me. I lost many of my friends.

For a long time, I had no home, no money and no car. My children and I slept in the spare room of the house of a friend of mine. 

These experiences pushed me to dive deep into nutrition and wellness, eventually leading me to found my award-winning business Nosh Detox in 2008.

Little did I know, this was just the beginning.

From Lawyer to Wellness Guru

As Nosh Detox grew, so did my client list. I had used business to fight my way out of a dark hole, and it was working. One of the first things I started doing was giving back to women that needed support just like I had, through charities like the Microloan Foundation. 

Soon, I found myself coaching high-profile women like Gwyneth Paltrow and Sarah Ferguson. But something was missing. I saw brilliant women burning out in systems that weren’t designed for them to thrive.

I have a particular memory of coaching a very high-profile client, somebody who was bringing in millions for her company, who turned to me one session and admitted that she was always exhausted before she travelled for business. 

“Before?” I asked. “Why?” 

“Because I’m batch-cooking for my husband and my two adult sons. I need to fill the fridge with food to last them the whole week.”

I wish I could say I was stunned, but I was beginning to see how common this thought process was. To manage family, career success and personal health, we as women are expected to sacrifice sleep and do the impossible. 

The seed of an idea was planted.

The TV Interview that Changed Everything 

I had appeared on TV many times by the time I turned up on that fateful morning to the studios. Usually, I gave my insights on health, wellness, women’s confidence, and business success. 

This time, alongside Ed Balls and Susanna Reid, we were going to discuss menopause. Avanti West Coast, a train company, was giving out controversial ‘menopause goody bags’, including things like ‘gummy bears, for when you just want to bite someone’s head off.’ 

I brought up that menopause is an extremely physically and mentally challenging stage of life… that was forcing talented women out of work, because people trivialised it so much. I said it was time to stop trivialising menopause. 

I was shocked when I was talked over and told I was wrong. You can watch the interview here (featuring my thoughts fresh after it aired). 

On the heels of this incident, I immediately got to work. It was time to invest in all the knowledge I’d honed over the years - on business, on women’s health, on what it takes to success in a career and raise children all at once - and take action. 

The Birth of WCorp

In 2024 at the United Nations CSW, I launched WCorp. Our goal? To certify companies creating safe, supportive environments for women. 

The response was overwhelming - more people showed up than I ever expected. 

Of course, building WCorp wasn't easy. People are inclined to think that just because they care about women in the workplace, that they actually act on those beliefs. 

One potential client told me: 

"It's not really doing anything new; why would anyone need this? Our firm doesn’t do any of those bad things; we've absolutely covered all of that." 

…While not realising the irony of rushing to collect her very young new child from her expensive evening childcare. 

But another certified business owner said this: 

“[Before certification], I kind of thought that I had spent a lot of time making sure that we had this environment where women could thrive, succeed, be themselves and feel really safe. But actually, there were some gaps in policy that were not okay. But [WCorp’s] lovely partnership was present at every single one of those conversations. 

[Since certification], I think the women in the business feel safer. We had gaps around menstrual cycles; we had some gaps around where to go if you have an issue with your direct line manager, or you want a safe space to go and talk about about that and be supported through it. 

Culturally, we feel like a safer place to be. Structurally, we feel more professional. I now think we are delivering excellence. It benefits everyone, men and women, equally as much, and I'm so very grateful to be part of the process. Thank you.” 

But we persevered, driven by the stories of women whose lives we were changing.

Today, WCorp-certified businesses span six continents. 

The Journey Continues

As we celebrate WCorp's anniversary, I’ve been blown away by how far our movement has gone, and how many people we’ve reached in just 1 year. The businesses we’ve certified span six continents, meaning that our work is reaching women and businesses across the globe. 

We’re even moving into the AI sphere, with our new AI-powered ROI calculator (test out here, for free!). 

And this year, on March 21st 2025, I’m representing WCorp at the United Nations for a second time! 

What a journey it’s been - and we're only just getting started. Join us, and make history.