A Little Back Story On The Founder, Janet Kirlew
“In 2012, I moved to a new area and wanted to find women to dress my windows, plumb in my washing machine, and do electrical work on my property. I knew a few outstanding tradesmen, but the feminine approach was more appealing. I started to wonder where these women were and how I could hire them. After a fruitless search, I knew I had to do something about it.”
When PR guru and founder of London Fashion Week Lynne Franks said yes to the first cover of Women in Trade Magazine back in 2012, Journalist and Voice Over Artist, Janet knew that she was at the start of something great and went on to create the UKs first publication focusing on women’s trades in the UK.
In a recent interview, Lynne talks openly about the hit TV show Ab Fab. She is the inspiration for the character Edina Monsson played by Jennifer Saunders.
She is the brainchild behind London Fashion week. Before LFW there was no place to showcase British talent with no catwalks. In 1984, at the Commonwealth Institute of Kensignton, Lynne organised a fashion tent and the rest is history!
Women in Trade Day (Worldwide)
Janet’s first thought was to compile a list of female tradespeople to share with others. She found inspiration in real-life stories of those who worked in various trades; then, the idea developed into the Women in Trade magazine. “I am proud to have featured the likes of Alexi Polizzi AKA The Hotel Inspector, property expert and TV presenter Sarah Beeny and former First Lady Cherie Blair, these were real WOW moments for me considering I started out with 3 pence in my pocket and a redundancy letter hanging over my head back then".
Janet also produces and hosts a podcast called “Women in Trade: The Hats are Off!” This podcast launched on Spotify during the pandemic in early 2021 and features interviews with women from different trades and businesses. They share how they got into their line of work and talk about their experiences working and running businesses. The show also addresses their well-being and mental health issues at work.
“Having the right tool is one thing, knowing how to use it is another”
She says, “I love the way the women open up about their journeys. The more I speak with them, the more I get to find out surprising things.”
In the wake of Women in Trade’s success, Janet came up with the idea of a special day to celebrate women worldwide who work in a trade.
“Thank you to all the women who keep our roads clean and safe, stop our walls from caving in, keep our aircrafts tip-top, and work behind the scenes.”
WITD will be the first official day recognising and showing appreciation for the work done by women across all trades and businesses. It also acknowledges how we have overcome the barriers that women face.
Our hashtag for this day, #removingblocks, is about celebrating the steps we have taken to improve women’s opportunities in trade while acknowledging that there is still work to be done — in many countries around the world, women still face significant challenges to achieve their goals.
Blocks to success can be at a societal level, but they can also be experienced in the more personal arena of mental health and well-being. How we negotiate these other kinds of restraints can dictate how we progress in our careers.
Women in Trade Magazine and Women in Trade: The Hats Are Off! Podcast