We were delighted to host Hope 4 Life NI Youth Development Director Nadia Sayers for a firm-wide lunchtime talk. Programmed as part of our International Women’s Day event programme, Nadia gave staff an excellent presentation and reflection upon her own life and experiences, which ranged from the beauty pageant work that led to her being crowned Miss Universe Ireland in 2020 to her important work with Hope 4 Life and tips for managing mental health.

In reflecting on her journey that brought her, in her own words, through university, rock bottom, the third sector, pageantry, and into university for a second time through to Miss Universe and becoming a TEDx speaker, Nadia urged everyone to stay on top of their mental health by questioning the point of their actions. If you don’t see the point, she said, question the practice.

Nadia also presented her top five learnings from her journey, namely: know what your personal stress looks like and how to manage it; bring life back to its basics; remember that you don’t need to be boxed in by perception; be human – understand that mistakes are meant to happen; and to remember that this too shall pass.

Audit and Assurance Partner Joanne Small said: “It was fantastic for Baker Tilly Mooney Moore to host Nadia and to afford all of us the chance to take some time away from our desks to reflect on the important work of maintaining our mental health. To see such a confident and inspiring woman give such a presentation as part of our International Women’s Day event programme will have been inspirational to all staff.”

Consulting Partner Donal Laverty said: “It was a breath of fresh air to have Nadia join us in our office to deliver a thought-provoking talk on her journey in life so far and on ways to balance work and life and to stay on top of our stress. I found the resources and methods Nadia detailed to be both fascinating and useful and I will take them forward with me, as I am sure the rest of our staff will too.”