Cornwall


<p>International Women’s Day celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women as well as being a call to action for accelerating women’s equality. Here at Muddy Cornwall we are marking the day once again with an interview series of inspiring women across the Duchy, celebrating women’s achievements, how are we raising awareness about discrimination and what is being done to take action to drive gender parity.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="998" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/03/Rachel-Hammond-1000x998.jpeg" alt="Rachel Hammond TECwomen" class="wp-image-29925" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/03/Rachel-Hammond-1000x998.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/03/Rachel-Hammond-800x798.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/03/Rachel-Hammond-400x400.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/03/Rachel-Hammond-768x766.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/03/Rachel-Hammond-526x525.jpeg 526w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/03/Rachel-Hammond-500x500.jpeg 500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/03/Rachel-Hammond.jpeg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tell-me-a-bit-about-yourself-your-background-and-what-you-do-and-how-you-came-to-do-this">Tell me a bit about yourself, your background and what you do – and how you came to do this?</h2>



<p>I  started out almost 30 years ago in London as a B2B and tech journalist. The 1990s was a time of huge change for publishing and I&#8217;ve been made redundant four or five times. But in 1999 I was given the opportunity to work in digital media and it changed my path forever.</p>



<p><strong>Today, I am a marketing trainer and educator and I run two digital businesses: my content agency creates marketing campaigns, PR storytelling, SEO strategy,&nbsp;and training. And at The Storyboard Collective, I am a writing and storytelling coach, helping entrepreneurs and creatives to embrace PR and be the confident, public face of their business.</strong></p>



<p><strong>I&#8217;m really proud to work as a Government Skills educator, upskilling women with digital skills and mentoring them through transformative career change.&nbsp;</strong></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Tell me about how you are working to further the IWD area of celebration <em>improving equality for women in tech</em>.</h2>



<p>I&#8217;m a passionate advocate for the many benefits that a tech career offers to women &#8211; of all ages and at all stages of the career journey. I have a 100% pass rate as a CIM Marketing tutor and Digital Skills trainer. The work I do empowers women to learn new skills, set goals around career change or personal growth &#8211; and smash them!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">And what about the broader IWD themes? What do you/your team do to further <em>celebrating women&#8217;s achievements</em> in Cornwall?</h2>



<p>I&#8217;m delivering the marketing for the TECwomen DigitalUPLIFT project and it&#8217;s a real privilege. Women are hugely underrepresented in tech, engineering and digital creative industries in Cornwall. But this project is blowing it all open so that local businesses can connect with women who have the skills and aptitude to do really well with these kinds of careers &#8211; but just need the opportunity and self belief to start. And the PR work I do encourages women to own their own spotlight so that achievement is something we all assume we will achieve, not be a mere possibility.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">During the last two years day to day working life changed for some. Have you been able to continue any ideas into 2023? Or indeed anything you’d like to change? </h2>



<p>My biggest change is taking myself outside every day, especially for meetings and phone calls. It sounds ridiculous living and working in Cornwall, but my work is fast-paced and some days it can be hard to leave my desk. But one of my clients suggested during lockdown that we coincide our afternoon calls with a walk and a phonecall. This has set a pattern that we continue today &#8211; some of our most productive meetings happen outdoors, or with one of us walking outside and one of us typing it all down, inside.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Do you have any role models? Who are they?</h2>



<p>In no particular order Mary Portas, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, JK Rowling and Joan Didiom. But the inspiration I draw on every day comes from the women around me or in front of me, starting the conversations, leading by example, making things happen.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What’s your favourite Cornish beach / view?</h2>



<p>The nearly-home trees, the poppies at Pentire and Porth Beach on the Roseland. These are the memory pictures that I kept with me all the years I wasn&#8217;t in Cornwall and they all make me breathe that slow, relaxed breath that tells me I&#8217;m home. Sorry, but I can&#8217;t pick just one!</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2022/06/poppies-pentire-RB-image-1000x667.jpg" alt="poppies pentire cornwall UK" class="wp-image-27385" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2022/06/poppies-pentire-RB-image-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2022/06/poppies-pentire-RB-image-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2022/06/poppies-pentire-RB-image-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2022/06/poppies-pentire-RB-image-788x525.jpg 788w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2022/06/poppies-pentire-RB-image.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What do you do in Cornwall to make the most of living here?</h2>



<p>I saw a whole new side of Cornwall when I started running years ago, you just notice different things when you&#8217;re not looking out through a car window. I love walking, running or kayaking &#8211; and it doesn&#8217;t have to be sunny to be enjoyed!&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Favourite cafe/ restaurant / shop?</h2>



<p>Bread &amp; Butter, The Thomas Daniell, Illustrated Living are all in Truro. Good conversations always happen in these places, they are all run by the most wonderful creative, tenacious and thoroughly lovely people and I support them whenever I can.</p>



<p><a href="https://www.tecgirls.co.uk/"><em>tecgirls.co.uk</em></a></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="166" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/03/InternationalWomensDay_Landscape_PurpleOnWhite.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-29870" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/03/InternationalWomensDay_Landscape_PurpleOnWhite.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/03/InternationalWomensDay_Landscape_PurpleOnWhite-800x133.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/03/InternationalWomensDay_Landscape_PurpleOnWhite-768x127.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/03/InternationalWomensDay_Landscape_PurpleOnWhite-900x149.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>


Muddy Meets: Rachel Hammond, tech journalist and trainer

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