Tesco Keynote: Falling Off the Ladder, Redefining the Climb
I had the privilege of being the keynote speaker at Tesco’s Confidence Within: Unlocking Potential, Powering Progress event.
My talk, Falling Off the Ladder, Redefining the Climb, was one of the most personal talks I’ve given to date. I spoke about what happens when life suddenly changes course, and how illness, burnout, or major life events can completely reshape the way we see success, leadership, and ourselves.
At the time everything happened, I was in a really strong place professionally and thinking a lot about what came next in my career. Then, very suddenly due to an unexpected and serious health diagnosis, my priorities changed completely.
What followed was a long period of rebuilding. Rebuilding confidence, identity, routines, support systems, and eventually redefining what success actually meant to me.
During the session, I spoke about:
The impact serious illness can have on careers, finances, identity, and confidence
Why women in tech often feel pressure to “push through” instead of slowing down
The importance of sponsorship, allyship, and psychologically safe environments
Learning to separate self-worth from productivity and job titles
Building a version of success that prioritises health, balance, and authenticity
One of the biggest themes throughout the talk was the idea that we are full humans, not just job titles, metrics, or “Women in Tech”. The more we embrace every part of who we are, the easier it becomes for others to support us as whole people too. I also shared something that became incredibly important to me during recovery: support does not need to be perfect; it just needs to be human. Sometimes the most meaningful thing someone can do is simply remind you that you are still you.
A huge thank you to everyone at Tesco for creating such an open, thoughtful, and supportive environment, and to everyone who shared their own experiences with me afterwards. The honesty in the room meant a lot.
This talk reminded me why these conversations matter so much. Careers are rarely straight lines, and sometimes the climb changes completely. That does not mean it is over.
