Monica
CREATIVE DIRECTOR

 

Who is your ultimate female inspiration?

My ultimate female inspiration is Michelle Obama. She is incredibly inspiring to many young women around the world. She deeply cares about youth, education, and gender equality. I truly admire her intelligence and the way she carried herself as First Lady.

 

What was the hardest thing you had to overcome in your professional life?

The hardest challenge I’ve had to overcome was balancing my personal and professional life, especially when my kids were young, and I was working full-time. It was incredibly difficult to juggle both responsibilities while ensuring I spent quality time with my children.

 

What was your first job vs your job now?

My first job was in real estate, but it wasn’t for me. Now, I’m the Creative Director of Forcast, and I absolutely love what I do. I’m passionate about fashion and enjoy the creativity my role allows.

 

What's the best piece of advice you'd give women starting out their careers or pursuing their dreams?

Follow your dreams and don’t give up. It’s all your mindset—if you tell yourself you can do it, then you can do it.

Anita
SENIOR MERCHANDISE PLANNER 

Who is your ultimate female inspiration?

I find it really hard to elevate one woman as my ultimate female inspiration. I think there’s a lot of magic in the little things that women do while juggling so much in their lives—noticing when a mum has maintained her personal style while dropping off the kids at school (which is really hard to maintain), or a woman who has fun at work and creates joy in that moment when she’s away from the other parts of her life, or a woman who truly commits to making time for something she’s passionate about.

All those little things that women do—on top of the million responsibilities they have and the endless to-do lists running through their minds—are what I find inspirational.

 

What was the hardest thing you had to overcome in your professional life?

I think the hardest thing for me in my professional career has been overcoming imposter syndrome. I’ve been in the industry for 20 years—I’ve really earned my stripes, I have experience. I’ve lived through many retail seasons, business situations, and economic changes, and there are still times when I doubt what I can bring to the boardroom. I sometimes wonder if others might question my value based on what I know or the experience I bring. I do think if I were not female, I wouldn’t have that attitude.

 

What was your first job vs your job now?

My first job was in the family fish and chip takeaway shop when I was 13. I asked my uncle for a Friday night gig, and I kept that for a very long time. Now, I’m the Forcast Merchandise Planner, and I’ve been in the retail industry for 20 years.

 

What's the best piece of advice you'd give women starting out their careers or pursuing their dreams?

Don’t rush things. While you shouldn’t stay in a place where you're not growing, sometimes sticking around a bit longer allows you to learn more. Without that time, you miss out on gaining the experience and insight that comes from seeing patterns and cycles unfold within a business.

Alicia 
HEAD OF DIGITAL

Who is your ultimate female inspiration?

I don’t have one female inspiration, but recently I’ve been really inspired by some of the young female UK entrepreneurs starting their own businesses, like Amie Smale from Odd Muse and Grace Beverley from T/ALA and The Productivity Method as well. I love hearing how they started and how they really built their brands brick by brick.

What was the hardest thing you had to overcome in your professional life?
I think one of the hardest things I’ve had to overcome is starting in the industry so young. Being one of the youngest team members, I feel like I had to prove myself, show certain things so I could gain the respect of others, or have them even take me seriously.

What was your first job vs job now?

My first job was working retail as a retail assistant in a pyjama store, and now I’m the Head of Digital at Forcast.

 

What's the best piece of advice you'd give women starting out their careers or pursuing their dreams?

 If you’re not feeling challenged, you’re not learning. Stick it through the hard times and when you’re feeling especially challenged—at the end of it, you’ll find you’ve learnt so much.

Sam
SENIOR DESIGNER

 

Who is your ultimate female inspiration?
My ultimate female inspo is my mum. She moved my sister, my dad, and me over here from New Zealand when we were younger, just so we could have a chance at a better life and education.

 

What was the hardest thing you had to overcome in your professional life?

I think the hardest thing I’ve overcome is deciding the kind of person I want to be in the fashion industry. We’ve all seen The Devil Wears Prada. I think the fashion industry has changed a lot in recent years—everyone is a lot kinder, and people generally treat each other a little better.

 

What was your first job vs job now?

My first job was delivering newspapers for Courier Mail, and my job now is Senior Designer here at Forcast.

 

What's the best piece of advice you'd give women starting out their careers or pursuing their dreams?

Find something you like. It’s totally okay if what you like changes. If you’re looking to get into the fashion world- be annoying. And if you’re lucky enough to get an internship, shadow your seniors and absorb everything they do.

Mai
HEAD OF RETAIL 

Who is your ultimate female inspiration?
My female inspiration is my mum and my sister, who’s a mother of five, as well as every other mother out there, just for showing up and being amazing.

 

What was the hardest thing you had to overcome in your professional life?
The hardest thing I’ve had to overcome in my professional life, and I’m not sure if I have overcome this, is self-doubt. I'm still battling with that every day.

 

What was your first job vs your job now?
My first job was in a bubble tea store creating drinks for everyone, but I was let go because I was lactose intolerant. Now, my job is Head of Retail for Forcast.

 

What's the best piece of advice you'd give women starting out their careers or pursuing their dreams?

Trust yourself and put yourself out there.