INTRODUCING HANNAH ROPER - THE FEMALE CREATIVE
I met the incredible Hannah last year when we were taking classes online during the first lockdown and we've become really good friends since then! We both started our businesses within the last 12 months and she has been an incredible mentor to me. Hannah is a start-up Business Coach and helps women turn their ideas and visions into a money making business.
Tell me a bit about you and your journey of how you got to where you are today.
I am a mum, step mum, wife, coach, teacher, learning consultant, singer, event organiser and business women! So I wear quite a few hats in my life! There are a series of experiences that have shaped who I am today. The first was Camp America in my early 20s. Naively, I travelled to New York, first time I had ever travelled alone, got on a bus and found myself in the middle of the mountains in upstate New York. My expectations were sooooo wrong! I knew I would be working with children living in povety, children from broken home and children with a vast array of emotional and educational needs but nothing could have prepared me. I learnt more about myself in 3 months then I have in my entire life. I laughed, I cried, I fell in love with children who still sit in my heart today, I experienced the realities of racism and what under privileged really meant. It changed me so much I went back for another year before training to be a primary school teacher. A year or so later I joined the police service. I was thrown into a world of trauma and pain, seeing the worst that humans could do to each other. I met my ex husband and was catapulted into a ready made family situation. This taught me to be a mother long before I had my own child. Over the years my confidence, self belief and self esteem were steadily attacked. I lost the ability to make decisions for myself. I was isolated from my family and friends and every action was controlled. This was all whilst having a baby and dealing with my changing body and hormones. Following my divorce I found my self in criminal court as a victim of harassment. I was ripped apart by my ex husbands defence lawyer, my whole being was questions and criticised, I had to relive the trauma I had experienced over and over again. It was the first time I admitted to someone that yes my husband did used to hurt me, hurt me in a way that no man should ever hurt a women. It took a year of intense counselling for me to admit that to myself, I still struggle to say it out loud. But it shaped me and I can't change it. This whole experience shook my trust in the organisation I worked for so a pivotal moment in my life was leaving the Police and joining the corporate world. I felt free, I felt I could be me, it was liberating. From there, thanks to my new husband, my children, my family and my friends and being able to use songwriting as therapy, I have continued to grow and rediscover myself. I have realised the power I have within and that changes are always within my control. This is why I started my business The Female Creative. I want to show women that they can be anything they want to, they just need to find the passion within and the right women to surround themselves with. I still have a lot of growing to do, I'm not there yet, and maybe, I never will be completely healed from my experiences but. I will always be learning and moving forward.
What is biggest obstacle you have overcome?
The biggest obstacle I have over come was walking away from my abusive marriage. There is an assumption that when you know you are being abused you get up and you leave, but it is not that simple. I wasn't just walking away from an abuse, I was walking away from my husband, the father of my child, my step daughter, my family unit, my home, my stability, my future. Imagine doing that with overwhelming feelings of fear, embarrassment, shame, confusion and so much more. This is why I had planned that day for months in my mind, plotted out every aspect to keep me and my son safe, however the day I actually left was nothing like my plans. It was totally in the moment as I had reached my enough is enough moment. I walked out of my house that day with nothing, not even a toothbrush or a clean set of pants. Little did I know in that moment that this was just the beginning and I would go through years of hell to protect myself and my son, still be subjected to abuse and controlling behaviour years later, but I did it, I rebuilt my life, I acknowledge I deserved something better and I made that change.
What have you learnt most about yourself in the last year?
I have learnt over the last year and that I am more capable than I ever knew I was and that I can inspire others to reach out and grab an opportunity to make a change.
How do you make sure to celebrate your wins? How do you pick yourself up when you’re demotivated?
I celebrate my wins by writing down three things that I have achieved at the end of the week and making sure that I keep lots of records of all of the successes that I have
When I feel demotivated are definitely revisit my wins in my successes but you also take a break and go and do something fun maybe watch a family movie make a dance around like a crazy person and making sure I do something fun
How do you practice self love and self care?
Practising self love and self-care is always been a difficult one because it’s finding the time to fit that in but I am really making the effort to concentrate on mindfulness and taking moments in the day to just be in my body I also make sure that I take time to myself that might be a bath and might be reading a book or going on a walk and listening to a podcast it doesn’t happen every day but I try and make sure that at least once a week I get some time to myself
Why is empowering other women important for you?
Empowering other women is so important for me because it was how I moved on from my traumatic experiences having other women in power me validate my feelings and give me space to grow was absolutely invaluable and I want to be able to do that for others in the way that it was done for me
What would you tell yourself as a first time mum/teenager/child/in your 20s?
What I would’ve told myself at the age of 20 is that you have plenty of time to achieve everything that you want to take in the moments that are around you and take it slow it wastes time to think about what you should be what you could be or everyone else wants you to be you just do you and make the most of it
Do you remember the first bit of jewellery you every owned, do you still have it or remember what happened to it?
This is tough question! The first piece of jewellery I owned was an 18ct diamond bracelet from my grandparents for my 18th birthday. They had brought it from the Caribbean when they were on a cruise. It was so beautiful I was too scared to wear it!
If you own some of our pieces describe why you chose those pieces of Gem&I jewellery and what it means to you.
I love wearing my star sign in jewellery because it makes me feel like I’m connected to myself from my higher power. I really relate to the characteristics of Scorpio and it makes me feel complete to wear this in my jewellery. I also love wearing my name because it reminds me of my energy. I have a powerful energy but that energy still remains feminine.
I have many Gem&I pieces! My first was the gold constellation necklace for Scorpio, I love anything to do with star signs! I also have several pairs of earrings in gold to match when I go out. I also have the personalised charm necklace with my birthstone which is so beautiful. My favourite 2 pieces of Gem&I Jewellery are my gold crescent moon necklace and my silver moonstone necklace. The Moonstone is my latest purchase and I just love the look and feel of it and the meaning behind the crystal.
Click the link below to find out more about Hannah and The Female Creative!
http://www.thefemalecreative.co.uk/
http://www.instagram.com/the_femalecreative/