Work Like a Woman: A Manifesto For Change

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Loved this book and Mary’s conversational style of writing - you can imagine her saying every line. Referencing her own experiences of work in an alpha-male world, Mary challenges the typical workplace and how ‘working like a woman’ and bringing equality into both the workplace and the home can have benefits for both women and men. Mary has got it spot on with what millennials in particular are looking for in their working life, and there’s very few companies taking into consideration sharing childcare, collaboration, letting people be their real self and standing up for what they believe in, I’d love to work’s at the Portas agency. I can only hope that every company moves to this way of thinking in the future and we create a more equal working culture. Beginning her retail career in John Lewis, Harrods and Topshop, she joined Harvey Nichols, progressing to the Board as Creative Director in 1989. She was credited with leading its transformation into a world renowned fashion store. In 1997 she launched her own agency, Yellowdoor (now called Portas) which has made its mark in the creative advertising landscape, producing category challenging campaigns and championing brand development for clients including Clarks, Louis Vuitton, Oasis, Swarovski, Dunhill, Boden, Thomas Pink, Patek Philippe and Westfield. Alongside her work with the agency, Mary has embarked on a number of personal projects. She has published three books, Windows: The Art of Retail Display, and How to Shop. In February 2015 she released Shopgirl, a memoir of her early years. She did do some television after this, but much, much less than before (today, she still gets four TV offers a month; her agents are always begging her not to turn everything down). Meanwhile, after some deep thought and a lot of scribbling in an orange notebook, she set about rearranging her life and her business. For the agency this meant, among other things, creating a profit share, bringing in a “menu” of options for working parents (the company provides emergency childcare and even night nannies), and encouraging the practice of “radical candour”; the boardroom table would now be round, rather than rectangular.

Work Like a Woman: A Manifesto for Change Book - Oliver Bonas

Both womens' success can be attested to a combination of 'right-place, right-time', hard work, good sponsors/mentors, and so on. I'm happy they have both have had successful careers and I'm sure inspired many other women with their success. This is half-memoir and half-advice, which actually worked really well for me. Each chapter starts with Mary Portas telling part of her story and it seamlessly changes into advice that links to what she as talking about at the start of the chapter. It makes for both easy reading and it shows how Mary knows what she is talking about and has experienced the advice she is giving. She has had a fascinating life and career where she had to work incredibly hard to get where she is now. Mary is very experienced which came across in her writing. Some of her anecdotes were interesting and helpful, other times it felt a bit like an autobiography which is not what I signed up for (maybe I’m being a bit harsh). It's about calling time on alpha culture and helping every one of us to be happier, more productive and collaborative.In January 2013 she re-launched her agency as Portas with a new offer reflecting today's retail landscape, and how consumers behave today. However. While she condemned Sheryl Sandberg's 'Lean In' for only advising women to navigate the patriarchal business system, and not dismantling the system itself, Portas' book seemed to share a similar tone with Sandberg's. This book written by Mary Portas about her life is a memoir to feminism and all women who are fighting against alpha culture in the workplace✨ If you had told Mary Newton at 15 what life she would end up leading, she would not have believed you. I am a completely different person now. I genuinely do think that a person can have more than one life.” Again, she shakes her head; again, every last hair snaps to attention. And, as I watch this happen, I realise she is that rare and marvellous thing: at once both a brilliant invention and yet, somehow, so completely and utterly herself. ‘I don’t want to lean in’ Widely recognized as the UK’s foremost authority on retail and brand communication, Mary Portas has a multitude of expertise; business woman, advertising executive, retail expert, Government adviser, broadcaster and consumer champion. The British media crowned her “Queen of Shops”.

Work Like a Woman - Penguin Books UK

She is infuriated by the fact that even now only 10% of boards in the retail sector comprise women, and believes the high street would not be in such trouble were this figure higher. “You read the papers time and time again, and it’s always: here comes another man to save Marks & Sparks. Look at the stats, they say. He’s been at Asda! Give him a clap! What no one is doing is looking at women and what’s important in our lives. That’s what connected shopping is about.” I've always admired Mary Portas, as she has made such an influential name for herself within the retail industry and has had a fascinating life at home and at work. She also writes about the values in embracing typically 'feminine' qualities within work, steering away from the usual hierarchical alpha-style working practices of offices, businesses and boardrooms. She suggests (using examples from her own business practices) that being more flexible, more open minded and more supportive of each other could really transform the quality of employees' working experiences and could help to bridge gender gaps. Portas reflects on her career progression starting in the early '80s outlining the alpha culture that was apparent and the decisions that she made on the way to create a career where she felt she had more control. The creation of her own organisation allowed her to shape a culture of compassion, her decision to change her role in the same organisation again giving her the freedom to do the kind of work that she wanted.Best for: People looking for a bit of a memoir mixed in with some genuinely good ideas about improving our workplace. I listened to the audio book and enjoyed it. I'm glad Mary Portas narrated it herself as she did so with vigour. I was entertained by the book, and enjoyed learning about her career journey. Clients shouldn’t expect me to have nice lunches with them because that’s a waste of time’: Mary Portas. Photograph: Jean Goldsmith/The Observer