I believe there are times in life when you just have to hold your nose and jump in!Each time I've done this, so far, it's paid off.For example when M&S asked me one day to join a project team as Marketing Manager to transform the Hong Kong business I didn't hesitate - even though I'd never previously been further East than Turkey! As a creative, enthusiastic and highly motivated retail professional it seemed the perfect opportunity to focus on using everything they'd taught me and my natural initiative to help build the brand in another culture. I'd need to use every ounce of my extensive experience in managing pioneering retail projects, research, corporate communications, PR, events and media relations in the UK to establish the core elements of the brand in a way which appealed to the local population.Not only was this successfully achieved, but I'm proud of the fact that all these years later the business still thrives there.Living in Hong Kong was a fantastic experience. Best of all is the fabulous friends I made during that time who are still a huge part of my life. My excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to quickly develop trusting, productive relationships certainly helped. And lead to a subsequent 4 years based in Europe.The next great leap was into the M&S Millennium Project Team, establishing and growing a new charity initiative called Children's Promise, which took £1m and turned it into £21m in 18 months, with just 4 of us in the team. It was this that inspired me to develop my career working on projects with purpose. Founding my own business in 2001 to focus on developing profitable charity partnerships having just married and moved from London to Hampshire was a breeze after that!I'm proud that Ampersand UK Ltd continues to thrive over 20 years later. Such a variety of charity projects undertaken under my own banner and working collaboratively with Louis Kennedy; most recently leading the licesning partnership development for Blu Goblin.We also took another "hold hands and jump" move when we came up to live in Ludlow, Shropshire in 2013. I'd established Home Working when I went solo in 2001 and with the passage of time, this was becoming more common place. Regular trips to London for face to face meetings with clients, is extremely enjoyable and helps us keep in touch with friends and family based in the south east.