Catherine's Story

It’s easy for MDs to fall into the trap of taking on too much. Your board and directors are there to consult and advise, but, ultimately, as MD you’re responsible for the day-to-day running and success of the company.

For Catherine Bell, the step up from operations director to MD came with added pressure: She was taking over the role at Mearns and Company from her mum. But instead of succumbing to the extra pressure, Catherine took a different approach — and created more space and balance in her life.

“Everyone’s got each other’s back, and that gives you real strength in achieving your ambition. It’s boosted my confidence too.”

Catherine first heard about Vistage when reading Fierce Leadership by Susan Scott, which piqued her interest. A series of uncanny coincidences then followed. Catherine first attended a Vistage open day from Scottish Enterprise. Then, at an Investors in People event, she connected with Jo Macsween. Unbeknown to her at the time, Jo was in the process of setting up a Vistage group. 

Before joining, Catherine knew the basic structure, with group days and 1:1s. But, as she explains, what she didn’t know was who would be in the group or the group dynamics.

“Naturally, I hoped it would be a supportive environment where we could learn together and bounce things off each other but what I didn’t expect was the strength of connections and friendships that have grown. We’ve formed such a strong unit. I feel like we’re a team.”

In between group sessions, members connect on WhatsApp; this helps to build a safety net of people you can rely on, whenever you need it. In addition to group member day Zoom sessions and 1:1s, Jo introduced weekly ‘connect calls’ during the Covid-19 crisis to give those who wanted it extra support. 

For Catherine, this extra support was much appreciated “Even though the business hasn’t been negatively affected in the same way as many businesses, it still involved a change in the way we work, so it was great having those catch-ups.”

“I’ve made space for exercise and creativity and spend more time doing activities outside of work.”

Working with her Vistage group gives Catherine a space to cover topics that you wouldn't want to bring up on a night out or during family dinner.  As she explains, “Running a business has its own challenges which other people who run a business understand.

“Being involved with the group and my coaching sessions with Jo have helped me achieve a better work-life balance. I’ve made space for exercise and creativity and spend more time doing activities outside of work. Before joining Vistage, I would often go home and still think about work and prioritise it over things I probably shouldn’t have done.’

Last year, Catherine won the Vistage Scotland Impact Award in recognition of remarkable development, achievement and impact. “As a company, we’ve won a lot of awards which we’re so proud of, but winning something personally was really special. It meant a lot.”