Reading time: 4 Minutes
I was reading “A New Earth” by Eckhart Tolle who writes, “Alienation means you don’t feel at ease in any place, situation or even yourself, you always try to get home but never feel at home.” He speaks of alienation as the universal dilemma of human existence.
Sitting on this, I thought about community and the sense of belonging it gives us. When seen through this lens, community can help us feel at home and may even lead to finding home within ourselves.
With this in mind, it felt fitting to intro Mill this week. Mills ability to create community wherever she goes, nurture those around her and give back is one I admire greatly. She’s authentic, passionate, hard-working and most of all… she’s a very good time!
I asked Mill who inspires her. “My family and community. I’m so lucky to have an incredibly supportive family and awesome friends. I look around and think, how did I end up with so many epic people in my life”.
Mill moved to London four years ago from Melbourne to pursue a career in fashion.“It’s incredible living here but there have definitely been dark times, and that’s when having a good community around you is so important. Whenever someone’s down, there’s always someone there to pick you up”.
“I can’t constantly think of the future as I want to enjoy the present moment and be mentally available to opportunities that may come”
But the feeling of home didn’t just come to Mill, she actively works to create that reality each day and when we spoke about it she referenced living in the present moment, to enjoy each day and focus on today “I don’t know how long I’ll be here, but I’m not living my life like I’m leaving. I can’t constantly think of the future as I want to enjoy the present moment and be mentally available to opportunities that may come”.
With this as a driver, she’s seen personal and professional success in London. Two years ago she co-founded Flourish in Diversity which supports underrepresented young people to access and prosper within the fashion sector and ultimately diversify decision-making roles and promote innovation, for a cleaner and fairer industry.
“Working in a team of women from 3 extremely different backgrounds and stages of life has been such an eye-opening and inspiring journey”
“For me personally, building this company and the programme itself has been a life-altering experience. Working in a team of women from 3 extremely different backgrounds and stages of life has been such an eye-opening and inspiring journey.”
This past August they hosted their first 4-week training programme for school leavers from minority ethnic and low socioeconomic backgrounds seeking a career in the Fashion industry. It was a huge success and they’ll continue to support and guide their graduates on their next steps; assisting them with job applications, mentorship and building industry connections.
Her balance of creativity and realness is apparent in what she does. Her approach to life is with energy and excitement, rooted in reality.
“I was speaking to the trainees and encouraging them to take jobs that may not fit in their linear vision of what a post-grad job looks like. I worked at a card shop, a pizza shop & many other non-Fashion-related workplaces, before landing my first job in the industry. This gave me life experience and was my bridge to opportunities that followed”.
I believe in the collective responsibility we have to help and be of service to others. My hope is to inspire connection with yourself and others by reading these stories and taking a peep into the lives of others in the world.
Grateful to have you here,
Tish xx