14 years ago I was in demand as a woman in tech. I ran a review site for consumer gadgets, and got involved in multiple tech roundtables to help shape how companies marketed to supported women. I was even recognised for my work, being named as a “Remarkable Woman” and winning awards. I worked on…
Author: swanny
Strange times but new beginnings
Let’s be honest, it’s been a very odd few weeks! Most parents are pulling their hair out trying to home school and do everything else they would normally do. I know that working from home and trying to teach your kids at the same time can be a super frustrating process, but one that I…
Isolation: Day 1
What is going on with our world?! I feel like I’m in a movie. So, today was day one with the kids at home. I was weirdly excited about this last week, but the weekend happened and I was already done! Monday morning was upon us… We did Joe Wick’s workout live on Youtube. Wow!…
Finding Swanny…
This admission might surprise you all! Despite my seemingly confident, outgoing and bubbly personality, I struggle daily with my confidence and self-esteem. This took a turn for the worst back in February when I lost my best friend to the big C… Cancer. Grief I have been on quite the journey since the death of…
Reflecting and Refocusing after Loss
I lost one of my longest and best friends to cancer last week. It was a huge shock as she didn’t tell anyone other than close family… I’m heartbroken at the loss. She meant so much to me and it was just a couple of weeks ago she messaged me with a picture of her…
Wireless Headphones: M4U 8
PSB M4U 8 The catchily named M4U 8’s are the newest noise-cancelling headphones from Canadian manufacturer PSB and follow the well-received M4U 1 and M4U 2 models. Unlike previous iterations, these are wireless, connecting to devices over standard Bluetooth or the new fangled aptX. The M4Us aren’t going win awards for visual appeal, but they…
The Misfit Mum – Beating the ‘Mum’ Anxiety
Tough Week The Misfit Mum: So the past week or so has been very busy. Emotionally it’s been a bit of a roller-coaster. Boo is having a ball at his new school, but this week had an altercation which has completely set off my anxiety. I’ve always had a bit of a complex when it…
Women in Tech – Battling the Bias
The ‘ick’ I’ve been running Girls ‘n Gadgets for over nine years now. I’ve always aimed to be a voice within women in tech and make tech fun and understandable. However, it never fails to amaze me how gender biased and narrow minded technology companies and their PR’s can be. Nine years ago, I guess…
Premier League, Primary Stars
A couple of weeks ago I was invited celebrate a year of the Premier League Primary Stars programme. The event was so inspiring and until that evening, I wasn’t aware of how much went on behind the scenes. I had seen a few tweets about the programme when it first launched in March 2017, but…
The Road to TestBash Brighton
Around two months ago, almost exactly to the day, I found myself head in hands wondering what to do with my life. As someone who worked their entire life until having my son, the past few years have been incredible, but have left me wondering where the ‘real’ me went. Whilst you know, as a…