For us, March is about momentum. Ideas gain traction, plans take shape, and our energy shifts forward. It also coincides with International Women’s Day, which feels like the right moment to focus on the women who are quietly (and not so quietly) driving progress across various industries.
We are proud to share conversations with women within our network who are building, leading and pushing things forward in their own way. They talk about what drives them, how they found their footing, and the moments that changed the direction of their careers. What stands out most is their ambition, resilience and the drive to keep moving forward.
As the year gathers pace, their perspectives feel particularly timely, serving as a reminder that progress is shaped by the choices we make and the momentum we maintain.
Mercury in Motion
January took us to Antigua for a first look at The Residences at Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Antigua site, and we couldn’t resist a cheeky helicopter ride to St. Barth’s to top it off. This will translate into high-impact coverage across key luxury titles, followed by a focused six-event week in London to maintain momentum, deepen media relationships and support sales lead generation.
At the Old Course Hotel, guest chef Rachel Allen will bring Ballymaloe’s Irish touch to the iconic Scottish hotel this weekend, including a special International Women’s Day afternoon tea.
We’re now preparing for our first press trip with Low Wood Bay Resort & Spa, spotlighting its enhanced spa and wellness offering and ongoing partnership with ESPA as the conversation around wellbeing continues to evolve.
A strong start with plenty more to come!
Inspiring Women
Fittingly, both of the women we spoke to are shaping the wine industry — a sector rooted in craft, patience and long-term growth. There’s something about that slow-build philosophy that mirrors their approach to momentum. From pandemic pivots to leaving established careers behind, their journeys are grounded in risk, resilience and steady progress.
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Mine was a swift pandemic pivot from theatre producing across the globe to a wine-jack-of-all-trades. I’m still not entirely sure how to describe what I do. I’m a writer with a weekly “wine without the snobbery” column in City AM, and I have been published in various newspapers and magazines from the Independent to Condé Nast. I have flown around the world as a wine competition judge, hosted everything from sophisticated supper clubs to raucous festival tents, and filmed and presented on multiple platforms, including being a regular wine “expert” on Alan Carr and Lee Peart’s ‘Bottoms Up’ podcast. Through my consultancy, “Bacchus & Brodie” (a nod to the god of theatre and wine), I have worked with brands like Idris Elba’s Porte Noire on their social media strategy and curated wines for events such as the National Theatre’s opening night. Last year, I was honoured to be voted by my peers as no 19 on the Top 100 Most Influential in Drink list. Safe to say, the last five years have been a whirlwind.
This is probably not the most romantic of answers, but when I think of what motivates me day to day, it is the precious empowerment of financial freedom. It is something women are not really taught about at school, at least I wasn’t. There was a background expectation that men earn more than women (overall true) and that we would get married, and our partners would earn at least the same as us, but potentially more. I swiftly learned through a short marriage, a divorce and single motherhood that this was not always the case. We have to rely on ourselves. We must keep working, saving, and developing our careers and network. That might sound daunting, but it isn’t – it is freeing and uplifting. I am master (or mistress) of my own freelance career, time and energy, and I get to dictate how I use it. It is the best feeling in the world to take your child on holiday, knowing you made that happen or to be able to order something in a restaurant without checking the price first.
“So, I guess you could say the backbone of my motivation is survival and freedom.”
Layered on top of that, however, are the people around me and the product itself. For me, wine is the great connector. Unlike a can of beer or a cocktail, it is deliberately served in a bottle to share. It has been enjoyed by friends and family together since pre-biblical times. It is woven into our culture and psyche, and there is no greater pleasure than relishing something delicious with people you love.
I want to survive and grow (harking back to my theatre days, “the show must go on”), but I am increasingly motivated by my colleagues, the positive impact I can have on the community and raising the people I respect and love up alongside me. Nothing keeps me going like the tribe I choose to surround myself with.
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At the beginning of 2020, I made the decision to leave my long-term career in finance for something I felt more passionately about. I had an inkling my new career may be something to do with wine or travel, and started doing some wine qualifications while still working in investment.
My original plans to take time out and travel were derailed by the pandemic, so I started building my wine consultancy sooner than planned, albeit in a fairly slow way. I made the most of lockdowns to study for more wine qualifications, and took extended trips to Georgia, learning about the wines there, and Jerez, to improve my Spanish and learn about sherry. Both of these trips led to opportunities for work - I created educational content about Georgian wines, and I now work as a brand ambassador and educator for sherry as a category in the UK.
As a freelancer, the early days can seem precarious, and it’s easy to worry about not getting enough work. Investing time at the start of my business to build both knowledge and contacts has reaped rewards in the long term.
One of my big motivations is looking at friends, particularly women, both in the wine industry and outside of it, who are successfully building their own businesses. In wine, there is much more of a blurred line between business and friendship, and it’s incredibly helpful to have supporters to turn to who know the challenges you’re facing, particularly when you work for yourself. The positive, supportive networks I have found continue to inspire me.
I also try to take time to reflect and set professional goals periodically. Last year, recognition from two industry awards felt like an important milestone. Knowing that I chose this career path and have the control to shape the work I do is something which helps to push me forward.
Many colleagues from my previous career called me brave for leaving the stability of finance for a freelance career, and it did feel like a bit of a leap. I’ve learnt a lot in the last five years, including that momentum can be at your own pace, and how important it is to build solid foundations. Every year, I continue to grow in terms of knowledge, experience and client base.
“I’m incredibly glad that I took that leap.”
The Mercury Perspective
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Across the brands and leaders we work with, there’s a noticeable shift in tone and in how momentum is being built.
Authority is edging out aspiration. Founders and senior leaders are stepping forward with clearer, more defined points of view. There’s less emphasis on curated lifestyle and more on credibility, and on what makes a brand distinct, informed and genuinely trustworthy.
Relatability still matters, but expertise now carries greater weight. Audiences are drawn to leaders who understand their craft deeply and communicate it with clarity. Personal narrative plays an important role here; people value honest accounts of how and why a business was built. That clarity builds trust, and trust sustains momentum for growth.
Growth, too, feels more intentional. Expansion is thoughtful rather than aggressive. Community-building is deliberate, centred on cultivating the right audience rather than the largest one. Increasingly, brands are value-led. Not in a performative way, but in how decisions are made, teams are built, and partnerships are chosen. Purpose is embedded, not broadcast.
The women featured here reflect that shift. Their leadership isn’t loud for the sake of it — it’s assured. And that assurance is what carries real momentum forward.
