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@techpixies

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I'll never forget the moment.

I was sitting in a recruiter's office prepping for a job interview.

The recruiter asked if I had any final questions before wrapping up the meeting.

Just a few weeks before the meeting, I had gotten married.

My husband had just turned 40. He was 10 years older than me (technically 9 years and 11 months if you ask him!), and I knew he wanted a family.

I wanted a family AND a career, and both were important to me. At 30, I didn't want to wait too long to start trying for a family, but I also wanted to play by the rules.

So, without realising the potential consequences, I asked the question...

"What is the company's maternity leave policy?"

My question was met with silence.

The recruiter stood me up, grabbed my elbow, and escorted me to the fire escape.

He didn't even give me the dignity of leaving out the front door.

"I can no longer help you," was all he had to say.

As I walked down the metal staircase, my shoes clanging with each step...

Clang
Clang
Clang

My heart sank into my stomach, and I knew my corporate career was over.

On the train ride home, I thought, "There's got to be a better way."

"There must be other women out there like me," I thought. Women who wanted part-time, well-paid, flexible work so they could have both a family and a career.

I realised at that moment that if a job like that didn't exist, I'd have to create it for myself. And that's how my entrepreneurial journey began.

Hi, I'm Joy Foster. I'm an American married to a Brit, based in Oxford.

I've been working officially for myself for nearly 16 years (unofficially for 22 years!). In those two decades, I've learned a lot about life, social media, and business.

That's why I set up TechPixies so I could help women return to work, change careers, or start a business through life coaching, social media coaching, and business coaching.

We've now helped 15,000+ women get started on their social media journey, and nearly 1,000 have participated in our Social Media Mastery programme.

Do you know someone who could use my help? Tag them below.

Our Social Media Masterclass is also linked in our bio.

#BeBravAndSparkle #TechPixies by @techpixies

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2 years ago

Here’s what a 10-year overnight success story really looks like...

2015-2016: 11 years ago I launched a pilot project to help 12 women return to work. It took us 12 months to reach that initial target.

2016-2019: My next goal was to help 100 women return to work. It took us nearly 3 years to hit that milestone.

2019-2026: I then set my goal to help 1000 women return to work, change careers, or start a business.

And guess what?

It only took 7 years (only!) but...

We did it!

Today, we welcomed our 1000th member into our Social Media Mastery programme.

Here’s to every one of the 1000 women who said yes to themselves, yes to personal growth, yes to a new way forwards. I am so proud of you.

Here’s to the investors and the lenders who have kept things going financially even when it looked bleak.

Here’s to the coaches and trainers and mentors who I have invested a LOT of time and money in learning from to get to where we are today.

Here’s to the team! The amazing people behind the scenes (nearly 40 of you over the past 10 years) who’ve kept the tech going, supported students, written endless copy, built tons of design assets and funnels, edited thousands of videos, reconciled bank statements, filed taxes, posted on social media, and most importantly, kept me sane.

And here’s to my family and my parents and my partners in believing (you know who you are) who always believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. My husband especially who has basically cooked me lunch every day for 11 years and dropped it off at my desk so I could keep going (among other things!)

And here’s to me. For not giving up when I could have. For staying the course when it got tough. For believing in every single woman who came my way even when they didn’t believe in themselves. by @techpixies

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8 months ago

Lucy needs our help.

I wish I didn’t have to write this post.

Lucy is an incredible woman and a TechPixie.

Years ago, Lucy did the TechPixies programme, became a social media manager and then after working for others doing their social media, she decided to tackle £44k worth of debt by stepping into the world of content creation.

And she’s been doing an incredible job inspiring people every day to reduce debt in many different ways and has helped reduce shame around debt with her account, inspiring 10s of thousands of women along the way.

Very sadly, she’s just been diagnosed with acute leukaemia.

This has meant that she is unable to work while she is fighting for her life in hospital.

If you can give £2, £10, £20, £50, £100 or more, please take a moment to support Lucy. The link is in her Linktree @figuring_out_finances_at_40

No one should have to go through what she’s going through.

She’s a Mum, a wife, a daughter… she’s a TechPixie.

Sending Lucy’s family lots of love during this time. Lucy, we love you. ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ by @techpixies

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20 days ago

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a month ago

She hadn’t done anything in 3 years.

Sadly this is the reality for too many women in mid life in the UK.

Somewhere between a career and becoming a Mum, they lose their confidence.

I met her in what can only be described as a ‘Dream Achieved’ moment for me at @ideas_fest run by @frankie_j4y.

I had the incredible opportunity to run a workshop in the Thrive Tent hosted by Pam Bateson.

I asked if anyone wanted to come up and share their biggest fears.

Her daughter nominated her.

What were her fears?

1. That everyone would hate her product (eco friendly deodorant - including the packaging!)

2. That no one would buy her product.

3. That she would embarrass herself.

And guess what? We smashed those ANTS 🐜 (Automatic Negative Thoughts).

Turns out people love eco friendly products (who knew!) and she had even won an award in Milan for it.

She hadn’t made any sales (because no one knew it existed). So right there on stage, I bought her first one for £20.

Now she had brain based evidence that someone wanted to buy her product. She made at least a done pre-orders right there from the stage.

And embarrassing herself? Well I reminded her that part of being an entrepreneur is being willing to embarrass yourself for the product you believe in.

Fear and Failure are a requirement for success.

Confidence comes from doing something and realising you didn’t die.

So here’s to all the entrepreneurs who are brave like she had to be, to put their products and services out into the world.

♻️ Repost to remind entrepreneurs that their products and services make the world a better place.

If you get a chance go and follow @heyitsnada.co and pre-order the world’s only FULLY eco friendly (packaging included) deodorant.

P.S. I want to know, what is your most embarrassing moment as an entrepreneur 👇 taken in Ideas Fest by @techpixies

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a month ago

Sometimes the problem isn't that you're doing it wrong.

Joy Foster spent years building her business before discovering she had ADHD. That realization helped her understand what was actually happening in her brain and what she needed to function better.

For Joy, that understanding changed everything.

Full episode in the link in bio.

#FounderLife #EntrepreneurMindset #WomenInBusiness #ADHDEntrepreneur #HelloChaos by @techpixies

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a month ago

Dream Achieved Snapshot Moment Alert!

My son wants to be a pilot.

And today, he got to fly a plane for the first time (with an instructor of course).

One of the things I decided to do for my children was always support their dreams.

One of the gifts my parents gave me was to always support mine.

I work with so many clients whose dreams were crushed by their parents.

It affects them for the rest of their lives until they find the right support of course.

I do 2 things with my clients, the second one is the game changer.

First, I help them craft a vision of a life they’d love.

Second, we rewire the negative thoughts that come up when they think about creating the vision.

There is always a gap between where they are and where they want to be.

But you have to close the gap, not just with a vision, but with action.

So many people don’t take action because of ANTs (Automatic Negative Thoughts) also known as self-limiting beliefs.

But rewiring a self-limiting belief with brain based evidence completely changes the game.

♻️ Repost for those who need to be reminded that dreams can still come true.

➕ Follow me (Joy Foster, founder of @techpixies) for more on entrepreneur, leadership, neuroscience, and closing the gender gap. by @techpixies

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a month ago

Vanity might be a business strategy.

I’ve only just started investing in this stuff. Hair, makeup, nails. A big part of me always thought it was a little vain.

Two things changed my mind this week: Amy Hunt, and the pretty tax.

Amy Hunt just became the first athlete in history to win four gold medals at a single European Championships. Full nails, full glam, for EVERY race in Birmingham. Her look isn’t an afterthought. It’s part of how she shows up ready to win.

Then I learned about the pretty tax. The extra cost, in money and hours, of being taken seriously while female.

→ Grooming affects pay more than raw attractiveness does, and the effect is strongest for women. A well put together woman can out earn a naturally more attractive one who isn’t.

→ The average woman spends around 55 minutes a day on her appearance. Add that up and it’s roughly two working weeks a year, gone.

→ Women spend hundreds more than men annually just maintaining how they look, before a single client meeting or investor pitch.

I’m not going to pretend that’s fair. It isn’t. And the fact that you can’t expense it but it’s required to be on equal footing is so frustrating.

That said… it got me thinking. What if paying for a blow dry wasn’t a vanity move.

What if… it’s what’s required to get to the next level. I could stay where I am OR I could try it out and see what happens.

So this morning, before my vision workshop, I paid someone to do my blow dry my hair.

And you know what? I looked good… just like Amy Hunt said - when you look good, you feel good.

I walked into the with my shoulders back and my voice steady, thinking about my content, not my hair.

Twenty years in business and I’m only just learning this. Did you know about the pretty tax? Are you paying it, and how?

♻️ Repost this to get more women talking openly about the pretty tax.

➕ Follow Joy Foster, founder of @techpixies for more posts on leadership, entrepreneurship, neuroscience, and closing the gender gap. by @techpixies

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2 months ago

Midlife doesn’t ask permission before it turns your life upside down.

Redundancy, divorce, menopause, and an empty nest can all land in the very same handful of years, and most women are expected to just get on with it.

After decades spent focused on everyone else, most women never stop to focus on themselves.

But creating a vision for your life isn’t selfish. It’s the oxygen mask you put on yourself before you can help anyone else.

When you get clarity on where you actually want to go, and what you want to be doing with the years you have ahead, everything changes.

That’s exactly why I run Vision Workshops. If you’re in a season of change (or you can feel one coming), I’d love to have you there.

👇Comment VISION and I’ll send you the details.

👉 And forward to a friend who might need to hear this message today.

If you’ve never heard of me, I’m Joy Foster, the founder of @techpixies and over the past decade, I’ve helped 1000+ women gain confidence on social media as well as 200+ women gain clarity on their next move through my coaching and training programmes.

My vision when I first started out was to help 12 women return to work. I had no idea that vision would change and evolve to helping and inspiring more than 16,000 women across the UK.

I’d love to help you with your vision. ❤️ Don’t forget to comment VISION and I’ll send you all the details. 👇

P.S. For full transparency, this image was created using AI. I’m 100% safe and sound… but I did want to stop your scroll! Thank you for your concern and I’m sorry if I panicked anyone! by @techpixies

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2 months ago

On Sunday, @hsobc_rowing won their THIRD straight Henley title.

And they did it in style.

Not only did they win, but they broke EVERY course record on the way to the finish line.

It was, as they say in Britain, a masterclass.

Huge congrats to the girls. Every single one of them rowed exceptionally well.

This wasn’t a lucky day. It was the result of years of hard training, showing up, and trusting each other in the boat.

I also want to shine a light on the incredible coaching staff that I am proud to be a part of.

And in particular, the senior squad coaches: Ryan Demaine, Chris Hermes, Antonia Waite, and Tom Symington.

Building a crew that wins Henley once is hard. Building one that wins three years running (and 4 out of the last 6) and gets faster each time, takes a different level of skill, both in and out of the boat.

Legacy in sport isn’t just winning one race. It’s a coaching team good enough, and athletes committed enough, to make winning repeatable.

♻️ Can I get a repost for this exceptional team and their amazing coaches!!

➕ Follow me (Joy Foster @techpixies) for more posts on leadership, entrepreneurship, neuroscience, and closing the gender gap. by @techpixies

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3 months ago

You are a miracle.

Today I stood on top of the Dune du Pilat in France, the largest sand dune in Europe.

Scientists estimate it contains around 2.5 quintillion grains of sand.

That’s 2,500,000,000,000,000,000 individual grains.

For context that is more grains of sand than there are leaves on all the world’s trees.

As I looked across that endless sea of sand, I found myself wondering…

What are the chances that you and I even exist?

Every one of our ancestors had to survive. Our parents had to meet. One specific sperm had to fertilise one specific egg. And that same chain of events had to happen over thousands of years.

No one can calculate the exact odds, but they are almost beyond comprehension.

Standing there, I realised that finding one particular grain of sand in that entire dune might be easier than explaining the probability of your existence.

So why do we spend so much of our lives doubting ourselves?

Playing small.

Waiting until we’re “ready.”

Worrying about what other people think.

Mary Oliver asked a question that still drives me today:

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

This isn’t a dress rehearsal.

The fact that you’re here at all is extraordinary.

So stop waiting for permission.

Life choose you, you get to chose what you want to do with it.

♻️ Repost for someone who needs to hear this today. Or better yet, tag someone who you think is extraordinary (they just need a reminder!).

➕ Follow @techpixies for posts on entrepreneurship, leadership, neuroscience, and closing the gender gap. taken in Dune du Pilat , Bassin d'Arcachon. by @techpixies

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3 months ago

They’re off!

500km into a 1500km cycle.

I’m the road crew. My job is to keep them hydrated, cheer them on, pick them up and drop them off.

One of the best things about being married to an Olympic rowing champion is that he’s a total team player.

Tim has spent WEEKS planning this trip, picking routes, and organising around contingencies.

All with a dual purpose, fun memories and to build the athletic base of our two teens, both competitive rowers. (And maybe to keep himself fit too!)

It’s a full family effort with early mornings (5am starts to beat the heat), fueling, and group stretching sessions.

And we’ve built in deliberate down time to get the right amount of rest in before pressing on (Versailles, the Louvre, Tour de France finish).

It’s experiences like these that feel like a real gift to my family and is one of the many reasons I’m grateful I picked well when it came to a life partner.

♻️ Repost to encourage families to do more physical exercise together.

➕ Follow me (Joy Foster @techpixies) for more on entrepreneurship, leadership, neuroscience and closing the gender gap. by @techpixies

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3 months ago