Ambitious WOMEN

Inspired by Hillary and Chelsea Clinton's docuseries Gutsy, recently premiered on Apple TV+, Woman meets three trailblazing ladies who broke down barriers

- VERONIQUE HAWKSWORTH

'I LOVE EMPOWERING FEMALES'

Abby Robbins, 41, lives in Marlow with her husband Alastair, 40, and kids Matilda, 10, and Rowan, six. She owns recruitment agency Yellow Bricks.

Clinking a glass of champers with my colleagues, we proudly celebrated our ninth year in business. But when I set up my recruitment agency Yellow Bricks back in July 2013, I started from the ground up.

Before then, I had worked at a big recruitment agency for eight years, where the money-obsessed mentality left me feeling drained.

Looking after my newborn baby at home in 2012, I finally had a chance to pause and reflect on what I wanted from my job. But having just moved into a new home with our growing family, my partner - now husband - Alastair and I were already feeling the pinch. Returning to work after maternity leave made me even more determined to forge a new path. I realized that, with my expertise, I could start my own recruitment agency and do things my way.

I started saving, putting aside three months' salary to get set up. I had previously been our household's main breadwinner, so we had to make sacrifices, from reducing our childcare bill to cutting down on meals out and holidays. But Alastair supported me every step of the way, fuelling my determination to make my business a success.

Recruitment was a man's world, fraught with competition. It was tough to find advice and support from within the industry, but friends lent a helping hand, with one even offering to set up my website.

Within six weeks, I managed to fill my first job role. I loved helping people find careers they could flourish in - and the money I earned was a bonus.

Filling the equality gap