With over 10 years experience in the luxury fashion sector and a successful career in Burberry I was made redundant at the end of 2019 due to an internal department restructure. The new year came and with it, an offer of a global role in an upcoming brand. The dream job with a young, agile and very promising upcoming brand. As Global Retail Director, I was hired to expand their retail network across the continents, from New York to Tokyo to Dubai. This exciting offer was withdrawn a few days later due to lockdown. Covid 19 and the pandemic has put all retail on hold. The uncertainty of the sector meant no more expansions and It felt as though all my experience became irrelevant and later obsolete.

It was during this time that I turned to my community. Instead of looking global, I looked local. I watched the world breaking complicated supply chains and I was lucky to have a strong community and Bosley Patch to help me overcome the loss of my job. I rolled up my sleeves and touched the soil, seeding, picking, weeding and packing. I was lucky to have some incredible women on my side. My friends, my sisters. We were a family. A group of amazing hard working people coming together to provide organic, fresh produce to our community. At the beginning of the lockdown we were spending 12 hours packing vegetable boxes to be picked up by a drive-through system allowing safety and distancing. We were physically exhausted but full of happiness.

Today, life is going back to some sort of normal. I spend my days on Zoom meetings with a new role as Sales Director of a new fintech venture and slowly rebuilding my career. I look back to those months of lockdown with joy and a sense of fulfillment that I could use my time to support my community. 

Find Virginia on LinkedIn here