Why people like us need people like you
If you know me, you’ll know that supporting people to get on is a really massive part of what drives me and has acted as a catalyst for our journey of growth from one girl and her dog in 2010 to our 25 strong team here today.
Why such passion? Well, I was lucky to get a foot in the door for my first job in 1998 through someone I knew who gave me a shot to get into PR. Since striking out on my own, the desire to pay it forward and offer others the same shot has been a driving factor in what gets me up in the morning.
About eight years ago, enlightening conversations with EDI champion Advita Patel drew my attention to the issue that people from underrepresented groups can fail to access opportunities that can come easier to some. With this in mind, it’s transformed my approach to recruitment and the creation of initiatives like Open House and Talent Spot to ensure at Leoaprd we’re working harder to promote career opportunities, not hire the fastest finger first.
But the job isn’t done and we must keep working at it, which was why attending yesterday’s People Like Us x Women in PR event at Birmingham City University offered another brilliant opportunity to keep listening and learning.
The event left me energised, challenged, and deeply reflective. The room was filled with warmth, honesty, and an unfiltered sharing of lived experiences from eleven remarkable women of colour carving their paths in PR.
Their stories were powerful. Their perspectives were essential. And as I sat listening, one message kept echoing in my mind:
Why people like us need people like you.
Because allyship is not passive.
Because inclusion is not accidental.
Because change is not inevitable—it’s built by people who choose to act.
The most humbling part of the event was the reminder that no matter how committed we believe we are to inclusion, there is always more to learn—and unlearn. Each speaker brought a unique angle, prompting questions many of us in leadership roles should be asking ourselves more often:
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Whose stories are we not hearing?
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Whose voices aren’t yet represented in our teams, panels, and campaigns?
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What assumptions do we unconsciously make because they reflect our own worldview rather than someone else’s lived reality?
Taking to the stage were eleven women who spoke with courage and clarity, so a shout out to Summa Gill, Falon Paris Caines, Sofia Cerchiai, Sophie Sadera, Dawinder Bansal, Oyindamola Olojede, Nimra Shahid, Tofunmi Akinde, Amna Ali and Emb Hashmi.
Each shared not only their career journeys, but also the barriers they’ve faced, the allies who have lifted them, and the spaces they’re still pushing to break into. Their stories were full of grit, creativity, humour, and hope—all of which reminded me why representation in communications isn’t a “nice to have,” but a fundamental requirement for an industry built on storytelling.
A huge thank you must go to Sheeraz Gulsher, co founder of People Like Us, whose dedication to pay equity and representation continues to move the industry forward. And to Angela Balakrishnan, Vice President of Women in PR, whose leadership ensured the event platformed voices that too often go unheard.
Events like these don’t happen by accident—they’re created intentionally, with purpose and care. And they remind us what’s possible when allies use their influence to open doors rather than protect them.
So what do we do with what we heard?
For me, the takeaway was clear: Listening is only the first step. Allyship is the action that follows. People like us—leaders, founders, hiring managers, agency owners, senior practitioners—must commit to:
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Actively seeking perspectives outside our own
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Creating environments where underrepresented talent can thrive, not just participate
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Calling out inequity when we see it, even when it’s uncomfortable
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Using our platforms to amplify, not overshadow
Because true inclusion requires all of us. It requires choosing to be an ally every day—not just when it’s convenient or publicly visible.
If we truly want PR and marketing to reflect the society it serves, we must work together—those with lived experience of exclusion, and those with the responsibility to dismantle the systems that create it.
To the women who spoke at the event: thank you for shifting the conversation. To every underrepresented communicator pushing forward: we see you. And to every leader reading this: the work starts with us.