#79 - From 'Be a Secretary and Get Married' to Award-Winning CEO: The Power of Proving Them Wrong - Alison Dunn

At 16 with no qualifications, someone told Alison Dunn to "be a secretary and get married." That comment lit a fire that turned her into an award-winning CEO leading 230+ employees and transforming communities across the North East.Alison's journey from secretary to lawyer to CEO is raw fuel for anyone refusing to shrink their ambitions. She gets brutally honest about the 15 years she spent adopting "male characteristics" to climb the legal ladder - and the moment she decided authenticity mattered more than playing someone else's game.The real turning point? Becoming grandmother to an autistic grandson completely rewired how she sees exclusion and barriers. It shifted her from "processing people through systems" to actually understanding what they go through - and using that insight to create real change.Now she's building the flexible workplace she wished she'd had, proving you can lead powerfully without compromising your values. From "good talker" to social justice activist, Alison shows how personal stories drive systemic change and why your voice matters more than you think.This isn't just another success story - it's about turning every doubt, every "no," every challenge into rocket fuel for something bigger.