Melanie Ford – Project Manager
Mel, by her own admission, has had quite a varied work life and has never been afraid to try something, including beings a cleaner, a postie, a pet shop assistant, and a carer
For the past 10+ years, she has worked within the IT solutions sector and worn many hats, covering many roles up to management level. Her main focus has always been customer service and project management. Her current role at TVision is purely project management and she is looking forward to being able to focus on becoming more of an expert in this field.
Name someone you admire, and why
The person I admire most is my daughter, Georgia. No matter what life has thrown at her, she gets back up and continues to be an inspiration while staying so gracious and determined.. maybe not so graceful if it’s her horse that has thrown itself at her but nevertheless, she gets back up and carries on!
She works hard for the things she wants to achieve and is constantly pushing her own boundaries to overcome obstacles. Even as a young child, she has never expected handouts or taken anything for granted. Every day I look at her and admire who she is as person and also feel extremely blessed in who she is as a daughter and a mother.
What’s a typical day like for you?
A typical day for me is one that doesn’t have enough hours in it! I have a full life which I love. The day starts with a dog walk then a coffee which sets me up for morning cuddles and play time with my five month old granddaughter, Oriana. Once I’m ready for work I’m a bit of a juggler, picking up and chasing actions to keep our projects on track and the customers informed. I love a bit of a challenge and lots of variety so the work day passes quickly and I barely notice the time fly so it must be fun!
After work the fun doesn’t stop and it will be a trip out with my daughter to spend time with our horses followed by another dog walk if they didn’t come with us to the field. After all that fun will be the daily ritual of cooking up a plant based meal and then sitting down to digest that along with the day. I enjoy cooking and it is something I look forward to doing for my family. Then it’s finally some quiet time where I’ll enjoy sleepy cuddles with Oriana before her bedtime and by then, I’m about ready to turn in too!
Do you have any skills or talents that most people don’t know about?
Not many people will know that I am quite a whizz in the kitchen and know a lot about nutrition as well as herbal remedies and how food heals. It’s more commonly known that I am a qualified NLP practitioner and hypnotherapist and get a lot from coaching people through this crazy life! I am a very spiritual person and not many people know that I am a psychic medium. This isn’t something I advertise because it can be unnerving to some people. I do however let people know that I am a qualified Reiki energy healer and offer healing to people and animals. The most recent skill I’ve acquired is firewalking and I am a qualified fire walk instructor. The course also covered glass walking, Lego walking (never again, it’s the worst of them all!), board breaking, arrow snapping, and bar bending. I would love to put all my skills to good use in one place and facilitate a therapy program where I can help people overcome trauma and reach their full potential in life.
If you could be anywhere other than here, right this minute, where would you be?
If I could be anywhere right now I would be sat on a plane next to my partner, Scott and we would be planning our next stop on our round-the-world trip to visit all the places we have ever dreamed of and experience all the amazing things the world has to experience.
Flashback to when you were 10 years old. What do you want to be when you grow up?
I always wanted to be a vet. I absolutely love animals and couldn’t live in a world without them. I just wish the world was a kinder place for them all. I did work experience at a local practice when I was at school and those 2 weeks changed my mind. I never want to end up complacent when it comes to how important our animal friends are so decided to not make it my working life and instead I have been an advocate for animal welfare in many other ways throughout every other aspect of my life.
Finish this sentence. On Sunday mornings, you can usually find me…
Sunday mornings are usually spent sat on the sofa with a coffee thinking about all the things I never got round to doing on Saturday and deciding which of the many things I’d planned on doing on Sunday will wait until next weekend to fit in the Saturday things. I always over estimate what I can get done in one day so I settle on making a cooked breakfast instead and remind myself that we all need a day off!
How do you want people to remember you?
The thing I want people to remember most is my heart and how big it was, which shouldn’t be too hard as I wear it on my sleeve. I want people to remember me as someone you could always turn to in an hour of need. I always say, the only thing worth keeping is your word and as such I want people to remember that I lived in truth, honesty and would always do the right thing, even when no one was watching.
What do you think are the best skills that you bring to your job?
I think a methodical and logical foundation, coupled with a fair amount of flexibility and the ability to work dynamically is key when managing multiple projects and delivering to different customers. Being naturally optimistic and positive is absolutely one of my most valuable traits and along with a good sense of humour, this enables me to keep situations calm and productive during conflict management.
Name three words that describe you.
Loyal, Determined, Positive
How do you think your colleagues would describe you?
Organised, Confident, Reliable
Name something surprising on your bucket list
I would like to drive a huge articulated lorry!
Describe a personal goal that you want to accomplish in the next year
I’d like to be living in the house that will be home until forever. Somewhere rural with enough land to try and be self sufficient where they’ll be space for all my animal friends as well as rescue animals in need. The place where our grandchildren will love visiting and remember fondly for their whole lives
What are you happiest doing, when you’re not working?
I love spending time with my family and friends. That includes my animal friends so long walks or rides on the beach. I love laughing and I am quite competitive so a good games night with drinks and a takeaway always ticks the boxes.
What are some causes you care about?
I am very passionate about our planet and all living beings calling it home. I follow a plant based diet for moral and environmental reasons. I will never not stand up for the underdog and will always support change for the good of all. I believe in total freedom to be who you are without judgement and support equal rights for all. The body you are born in to is just a suit and is transient so it’s not important to me what you look like. What you do with your life and how you treat others is what matters. I care about spreading that message and hope it helps bring more love and peace to our world.
What would be your personal motto?
One person’s faith is stronger than the accumulated doubt of many.
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