Unknown Speaker  0:19  
Northern Power Women Podcast for your career and your life no matter what business you're in.

Simone Roche MBE  0:26  
Hello and welcome to the second episode of our We Celebrate Season of the Northern Power Women Podcast. I'm your host, Simone Roche and we are now just one week away from the Northern Power Awards which takes place on the 21st of March. I'm not sure I've mentioned this, but it is the largest celebration of gender equality in Europe, where we unearth amazing changemakers and trailblazers who are shifting the dial and importantly using their power for good. Every week, I'll be chatting to some of the incredible role models in the Northern Power Women community and today I am joined by no one other than Barbara Bray MBE geting in the habit collecting MBES, who is joining the Power List of 2022, is a PhD researcher in healthy ageing nutrition. I need that. Barbara's work delivers food safety and food supply change and nutrition strategy for businesses, alongside leadership and educational roles in her public engagement activities. Her leadership roles have included director of the Oxford Farming Conference and representing the private sector mechanism in speeches at the UN committee for food security. Barbara is also a fellow and committee member of the IFST as well as a trustee of the nutrition society. Back in 2019, Barbara was awarded an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to food nutrition. And Barbara is currently researching diet to protect health in doctoral training programme at the Centre for Public Health at Queen's University Belfast where I'm speaking to you today, I think in that area. Welcome, Barbara.

Barbara Bray  1:58  
Thank you very much, Simone. It's an absolute pleasure to be with you today.

Simone Roche MBE  2:02  
I know I'm delighted, delighted to be having this conversation. So tell us, let's go back to 2014. And what was that that light bulb moment that went, you know what I'm gonna set my own business up.

Barbara Bray  2:14  
It's one of those things that I think I always knew I wanted to do, but never had the bravery. And like with most things, it takes a monumental shift or a complete change in your circumstances for you to get that bravery from somewhere. It was always there. But having gone through restructuring the business I was in and getting the opportunity to take voluntary redundancy was the only invitation that I needed. And I had no excuses it was do it or die. So I went for it. And I haven't looked back, I think it gave me the push that I needed. Because I knew that business as usual, I couldn't carry on doing the same thing. I wasn't getting fulfilment from it. And I felt that my talents lay with helping people in a different way. So that's why I set up my business and being able to use my technical knowledge. But also the skills that I had gained from working with people and understanding that a lot of problems come from people not having their expectations met or not understanding what's required of them. And it's not actually skills and technical detail that's the first priority. It's it's getting people in the right headspace to make the right decisions and learn and reach out for what they need to know.

Simone Roche MBE  3:21  
And it's just occurred to me that, you know, I set my own business up in 2014 too and I think you talked about the word bravery there. I think for me, it was never clear. This was something I was never going to do. I never saw myself as the entrepreneur. You know, I didn't think I was brave enough. But I guess that's that's what we all need, isn't it? We all need that. And because we come to us, we learn skills and knowledge throughout every step of our journey. And no one piece of experience goes on it goes wasted I don't think but we definitely don't come to the table with a guidebook on how to set up and run a business. So where did you research and find your information about setting up the business.

Barbara Bray  4:04  
At the time I was looking to do this, I was also based at the University of Chester so that's where I was doing my master's in human nutrition. And they had a business incubation setup at that university at the time. I don't know if it's still running. But it was almost like a checklist of everything you needed, and all the facilities in one location. So it was almost like the lazy persons way of doing business. I literally had to rock up to the riverside centre say I want to set up my own business and they rolled out all of these things that I had to do from hooking it with an accountant and a business advisor and a space to work. It was all under one roof. So they made it as easy as possible. And like I say, I never looked back because the setup was right from the very beginning. And in terms of research, yes, I had to do a little bit of research into my particular sector but the actual nuts and bolts of setting up a business I had a lot of hand holding

Simone Roche MBE  4:55  
And we talk about mentoring a lot. You know, we're big advocates and fans of of mentoring in any form, you know, in our levelling up report progress report at the end of last year, you know, we wanted to get the country mentoring in whichever form that looked like so how did this impact on you was that there and available for you at the start?

Barbara Bray  5:15  
It was like I say, with the service that I accessed, I was able to get a business mentor. But then I realised mentoring, it's not just about one thing is that you need a range of people supporting you, for me that's having an advocate so that somebody who puts you forward for things, or lets you know, what's available, a sponsor, somebody to help you get there, as well as a mentor. And I think having one mentor isn't, you know, the be all and end all, I think you should really have more than one. And I was lucky in that I had a business mentor, but I also had somebody who understood my sector who I could go to. So a lady who I'd worked with years ago, who was just there on the end of the phone and somebody to bounce ideas off and be the real source of support for me. And I've changed mentors over the years, I've had quite a few, you need the right mentor for the right stage that you're at as well, I think that's very important. And also, I've been a mentor to mentees, which has been brilliant, because you learn again, when you do that, too.

Simone Roche MBE  6:10  
And I know that it's really important for you is advocating for women in your sector, particularly at the start of their career. Tell us about what are the things that you are generous with your time and what you get involved with and why it's important.

Barbara Bray  6:23  
Obviously, I have to talk about Northern Power Women being a mentor for them. That was brilliant. Last year, when I got my mentee, we had such fun. But within the organisations that I work with on a voluntary basis, so for example, Nutrition Society, supporting people coming through that process, especially around the things like going to conferences and getting the courage to speak up in public and present work that type of thing, but also from the other organisation. So when I was a director of the Oxford Farming Conference, it was about looking a bit wider than our usual remits, or going to universities or going to organisations who wouldn't normally put people forward for things like the scholars programme that we run, and making sure that they knew that we were welcoming. And it might not be a sector that you've looked at before, like agriculture is not particularly an obvious choice for a lot of people. So it's about making sure that people who are interested in food and interested in careers and welcoming them with open arms and saying, yes, it's for women. Yes, it's for people of colour. Yes, it's for people who probably have felt excluded in other areas. But we're here. And we want to encourage you to get involved in this fantastic sector.

Simone Roche MBE  7:29  
And and we're you identifying role models out there, because you know, wouldn't want to assume but this sector is this a sector that is ethnically diverse.

Barbara Bray  7:42  
Not at all it's been, I think it's a difficult one, because if you think of agriculture, pure agriculture, in farms, and how the system is structured, it tends to be a career that you are born into. So you know, whether you're in this country or think where my family from, from Gaana, people tend to be sons and daughters of farmers. And it's very rare that new entrants come in, so if you're in a particular geographical location, chances are you will inherit your land and you'll inherit your business. Whereas in other business sectors, you buy a business or you start a business. So by the very nature of that, then the sector in the UK is not very ethnically diverse, because it's been handed down through the last five or six, you know, 10 generations or something. And from that point of view, I guess if people are growing up in the same location, going to school with the same types of people, getting married in the same communities, it doesn't make it diverse at all, for lots of different reasons. And coming in as somebody I grew up in County Durham, which is quite a rural area. Even though I grew up in a market town, I was in that environment. So it was an easy path for me to tread because I was surrounded by people I already knew who were doing that type of thing. But I think if you're coming in from somebody who's lived quite a city lifestyle, and you've had an education that hasn't included food and agriculture, you wouldn't necessarily gravitate towards it. So it's about putting those opportunities in front of people because the barriers aren't necessarily difficult barriers to cross. It's more about building relationships with communities who are in that space. And once you have those relationships, people are welcoming but obviously if you never get introduced to those sorts of people in those locations, and it makes it quite hard.

Simone Roche MBE  9:23  
And this is our we celebrate season and you know, we talked about you received your MBE in 2019, which I can imagine was totally thrilling and really important to you. But, you know, it is really important that we are signalling these great recognitions and achievements to other men and women of colour and really role modelling around that. You know, this is important, so important, isn't it? Why is it even more important now that we High Five those achievements?

Barbara Bray  9:57  
Well, I've realised quite late in life is the importance of visibility, and I remember my dad telling me a story about when he was at university. And you know, he was involved in quite a lot of things. And there was a photograph that needs to be taken his department. And at the time, he was busy, and he said, he never made it onto that photograph. And now, that's become quite an iconic photograph, because there is now some really famous people who've been celebrated and lauded by the university about their achievements. And you can look back and see it was only white people in that photograph. And he kicks himself to this day that he didn't show up. And I truly believe that the future is in the hands of those who do show up. And I've learned from that story and being visible, encourages other people. And I remember when I received my MBE thinking, actually, this is not about me, this is representing a community. This is about showing people what can be done and giving them hope and encouragement and inspiration. And all the things I hadn't realised that was representing to so many people. So many people were so proud of seeing me get that award. And I had no idea of the support that was out there in the community, and not just my own community, a wider community of people who I hardly even knew. It was just so wonderful. And it continues to be something that advocates for all sorts of people. So encourage them and help them see what can be done, and how you can help other people as well. So that visibility for me, is absolutely key.

Simone Roche MBE  11:24  
And it is it's using your power for good. And I think it's almost as a stepping stone as to almost go, gosh, I've done this, and I've achieved this. But naturally, Barbara, you just talked about we and you know for me, you know, and actually, it's really important that one of the sole reasons for creating the awards was to encourage people to high five themselves and to take themselves out of the comfort zone. And at last week's podcast, I got my team on the podcast, and I have to sort of, sort of grab them in there, not quite kicking and screaming, because everyone's different. But you know, it's really important to have that audible and visible celebration and recognition. And how good are you at high fiving yourself?

Barbara Bray  12:09  
Oh, that's why I have a mentor and a coach because they remind me to do that and my supervisor as well. Look back at the things that you've achieved and be grateful and thankful for what you've been able to do. But also acknowledge it. And I think by doing that it helps give other people permission to do the same. I think it's very easy to end up in that culture trap of just getting your head down and doing a piece of work and not celebrating your successes. But I think that is really important. So I'm learning I'm on that journey as well about learning to celebrate my successes too.

Simone Roche MBE  12:39  
And please keep doing that. And I love that whole your your dad's story about showing up. You know, we talk about having seats at the table, but actually show up for the photograph, you know, which we know that an awards day in a week's time, we're gonna have Manchester Central, full to bursting 1000 people attending and we get everyone on stage at the end to have that visible recognition. It's massively important. So, Barbara, I'm so delighted you are on this year's power list. 2022. Thank you so much for your ongoing support advocacy, your mentoring, we're going to be exciting as we're opening the spring cohort of Northern Power Women mentoring virtual programme as well. So we hope to get you involved. But thank you for everything that you do. Thank you for continuing to be awesome.

Barbara Bray  13:28  
Thank you so much for having me on the show tonight. Take care.

Simone Roche MBE  13:31  
And thanks to all of you for tuning in today. Please do tell your pals and your friends about our podcasts reach out to us on socials at Northern Power Women on Twitter and Northern Power Women on all our other social media or drop us an email at podcast@northernpowerwomen.com. Join us on Monday the 21st of March awards day when I'll be joined by another force of nature from the northern power women community. My name is Simone Roche you've been listening to the Northern Power Women podcast a What Goes On Media Production.