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allyship isn’t something you claim for yourself. It is something others recognize in you through your actions.

Why I Love FEW: A Journey of Growth, Confidence & Community

A personal reflection on what FEW has meant to me — and to international women in Tokyo

I still remember walking into my first FEW Career Strategy Seminar. I was in my 30s, not very satisfied in my job, and I had come along to see a friend speak — mostly out of curiosity. What happened next changed everything.

The women in that room were incredible. I lacked confidence and vision, but I left with both. Through workshops on consulting, technology, and coaching — and a panel that literally blew my mind open — I was electrified. I remember a journalist talking about how she had rented a tiny room near her home just to have a quiet space to write. A publicist who had started with her first batch of business cards and eventually ended up hosting Victoria Beckham. The President spoke about overcoming adversity to make the CSS happen. These were real women, with real stories, doing remarkable things.

The networking afterwards was electric. I met three of my most enduring close friends that day, my first coach, and dozens of collaborators, clients, and peers who are still in my network now. Not a single woman questioned my dreams or ideas. Not one. They encouraged, questioned, and believed in me. I left bristling with motivation and inspiration.

A Member Since 2008

The following year I joined FEW — nervously taking the mic to introduce myself as a new member, staying close to my pal Tracey for moral support. It was the beginning of something I could not yet fully see.

Before long, I was invited to join the FEW CSS committee. This was pivotal. I watched as mentors and sempai delegated thoughtfully and we all worked together toward making the event the best it could be for our attendees. The MC became my next coach. My network grew, my confidence grew, and my presence in the Tokyo international community grew with it.

Then I was invited to join the Board of Directors. I was stunned. But this belief in me from women I deeply admired further bolstered my confidence — and crucially offered concrete, practical ways to express leadership, collaboration, and authority. I learned to use my voice. I learned to disagree (which felt terribly risky at first, but I built the muscle). I learned how to run a small business. These were not abstract lessons. They were lived.

President of FEW Japan, 2011–2013

Somewhat remarkably, I became President of FEW Japan, serving from 2011 to 2013. I oversaw the CSS committee, hosted the event (while empowering everyone to own their roles), and worked to ensure our members had every possible opportunity from their FEW experience. I ran a mind-mapping workshop and stood on that stage with a confidence that FEW had given me. I vowed, standing there, to do the same for others — in my life and in my business.

And it was during this time that I started my own coaching business — absolutely as a result of the skills, knowledge, network, confidence, mentoring, connections, encouragement, and playground that FEW had provided me. Not least my immigration lawyer (a FEW connection), who helped me get my permanent residency and advised me on small business. FEW connections are not just professional contacts. They are life-changing allies.

The Years That Followed

After retiring from the board, I was invited back as a keynote speaker at CSS — an incredible full-circle moment. I hosted the Small Business Salon for a year. I MC'd the event alongside an artist and a parent coach, opening and closing the day and meeting one of my closest collaborators and dear friends in the process — someone whose project I would later co-direct.

I ran a workshop on Lifeplanning and offered mini laser-coaching sessions, and I have witnessed people radically change their lives as a result. CSS really is an investment that delivers back — abundantly.

I once chose to give up my speaking spot in the interest of having a more diverse collection of voices on stage. That too felt like a FEW value — generosity, not gatekeeping.

Why I Love FEW: The Longevity. The Service. The Women.

I love FEW because of its longevity. In a city like Tokyo, where expat organisations come and go, FEW has endured — and not just endured, but grown, evolved, and continued to serve. It has offered something rare and sustaining to international women in Tokyo for decades: a genuine community built on mutual uplift.

I love FEW because of what it has offered to international women in Tokyo — women who are navigating new cultures, new careers, new identities. FEW meets us where we are and shows us somewhere further ahead. Somewhere we might not yet see for ourselves.

Why do I tell this long and involved story? Because FEW CSS and membership provided me with concrete skills, a powerful network, clients, advice, leadership opportunities, collaborations, partnerships, and mentors — not to mention lasting friendships. The women of FEW uplifted me, believed in me, gave me confidence, listened, counselled me, and provided a sense of belonging I hadn’t known I was looking for.

Every single thing that has happened in my life and business since my first CSS is a direct result of the connections, skills, and support I received from FEW mentors and members — and my investment in the organisation. They met me where they saw me. Which was further along than I saw myself.

And Then There’s the Magic

There’s something about being in a room full of women who all know why they’re there. Who are focused on the elevation of themselves and others. Who are there to create more and more for everyone in the room.

FEW CSS is special. It always has been. And I am honoured to have grown alongside it.