No Limits

As we prepare ourselves to enter the New Year with bellies full of anticipation and brains loaded with unanswered questions, I find myself sitting here writing what will inevitably be my last column of a very busy, yet very successful 2019.

 

Taking this time allows me to reflect on the astonishing accomplishments that Women in Business NI members have achieved this year, paving the way for women behind them, and I couldn't be prouder. 

 

Over the years, I have had the great fortune of bearing witness to the incredible journeys of so many young aspirational business women as I watch how they beautifully blossom into future leaders, pushing boundaries and shattering glass ceilings with sheer determination and passion along the way. We must, and we will continue to support, encourage and motivate these women. We must carry on showing the world that our ambition will not be tamed and it will be realised.

 

My friend, and esteemed Women in Business NI board member, Mairead Mackle is a true inspiration and a picture-perfect model of what Northern Irish business women have to offer the economy, not just here in Northern Ireland, but on a national and even global scale.

 

CEO and Founder of Tarasis Enterprises, a suite of complementary businesses encompassing housing, care, training and renewable energies, Mairead has, rightly so, received excellent recognition for her work within a very challenging sector.

 

The Women in Business NI Awards proudly presented Homecare Independent Living with the ‘Best Customer Service Award’s in 2003 for the continuous forward-thinking and life-changing work that they do and the impact they have had on those who benefit from the many services provided, however, Mairead has multiple wards under her belt.

 

The Armagh mogul was recently presented with the ‘NatWest EveryWoman Woman of the Year Award’ at the 17th award’s ceremony in London. Celebrating the UK and Northern Ireland’s most inspiring female entrepreneurs, each recognised for their outstanding achievements, the awards champion women in enterprise from all walks of life, providing a platform to share their journeys to success, and in my opinion, they couldn’t have picked a better woman to acknowledge.

 

An innovative and dedicated visionary, Mairead took home the highly coveted overall award of the day, and was described as a“ woman who really breaks down barriers, dedicating her energy to working in one of the most challenging industries and is transforming it by creating effective solutions.”

 

Ever so humble and grateful, the mother to seven children has made it her priority to fulfil her passion for philanthropy and giving back to her community, highlighted in the number of charities & mentoring initiatives she is involved with. To quote the multi-award winner and family woman; “No-one achieves success alone and I am incredibly proud of both our family and our team who all have a part to play in our collective success.”

 

Mairead is most certainly correct in saying that no-one achieves success alone, and I second that. We should learn from Mairead and the thousands of women out there like her. A final note of encouragement from Women in Business; Let us embrace this coming New Year with open minds and hearts, let us grasp every opportunity that come’s our way with both hands and lastly, remember there are no limits.

 

Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas and an extremely prosperous New Year.