How to turn adversity into success
I’m used to writing stories about other people, but here is a rags-to-riches story about me and my journey from a dysfunctional and dead-end start in the world to a life of achievement and happiness. It’s about how I made things happen to better my lot in life and achieve relative success. I hope it might serve as an inspiration to anyone who is struggling in their business or personal life to show that you really can turn a negative into a positive.
I didn’t have the best start in life as my mother was dying and didn’t even know she was pregnant. So my entry into the world was not planned and was a total surprise! Not only had my mother been given just three months to live, she was also unmarried and out of work! In 1948, when I was born, being an unmarried mother carried a huge stigma in society and was distinctly frowned upon.
These were a lot of hurdles for her to overcome and for me to deal with whilst growing up. With these handicaps, how was it possible for me to take my first step on the ladder of success and get to where I am now?
My life as a child consisted of doing without a lot of the things that other children take for granted and, as I had to spend a lot of my free time helping and looking after my bed-ridden mother, I didn’t have any friends and hardly ever spent time in the company of my peers.
When I left school at 16 and was thinking about going to college and what I should study, I told my mother that I wanted to be a journalist. In those days, there were no career advisers – boys went to work in factories and girls became shorthand-typists. My mother’s reply to me was “You need to get a proper job and be a secretary!” In her mind, being a secretary was a step up from being a shorthand-typist and far better than being a journalist!
So, over the years, I had various shorthand-typing, secretarial and personal assistant jobs, but was always the thwarted journalist deep down inside! It was always in the back of my mind that I wanted to write.
I knew then that I had to carve out a different life for myself to the one my mother envisaged – I had to move away from my birthplace and start a new way of life. My philosophy has always been that if you want something badly enough, you can get it. My motto or strap line is: “I can make things happen” – and I can! I really can! I always tell people that they too can make things happen if they are determined to succeed and turn any opportunity that arises to their own advantage. I think my determination to succeed is probably as a result of being an only child and always being used to getting what I wanted! This has continued into my adult personal and business life and second best is just not good enough for me.
Why accept second best? Why not strive for perfection and make your life, home, job, relationships the best that they can be. I am a perfectionist and believe this is definitely a plus point to nurture. Going for gold is so much more fulfilling than winning bronze or silver!
Around 40 years later in 2000, my own children having grown up, I got my first job writing a weekly column in the local newspaper – the Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard (or WAGS for short). Since then, for the past 27 years, I have written regularly for WAGS and ad hoc for many other newspapers and magazines – hence WAGS, rags and mags!
I actually call myself a freelance journalist and facilitator as, not only do I write press releases for people, businesses, organisations and events, but I also help with facilitating fundraising for community groups and, 15 years ago, I founded and was the facilitator for a Business Club that now supports hundreds of businesses across Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire.
Soon after starting my journalism journey, I got involved in community work and also became a Town Councillor and District Councillor as well as being elected Mayor of my town. With these links to other organisations, one thing led to another and I started making a name for myself as someone who had her finger on the pulse and knew at first-hand what was happening in my area and was, therefore, also able to write about it.

I started writing, editing and publishing a Newsletter for the Town Council; then started writing and editing a Newsletter for the Business Club I founded as well as notching up more local magazines and newsletters on my belt.
I don’t claim to be an expert on business or promoting businesses but, over the years, I have learned a lot and now find myself in a position to utilise my experience to help others. When I first decided to start a Business Club, someone said to me: “This has been tried before and didn’t work.” Well that was like a red rag to a bull and it gave me the impetus to start up a Club and make it successful. So, I advertised that I was holding a meeting for business owners who may be interested in networking together for mutual support, and was elated and encouraged when over 80 business owners turned up to the first meeting. Running the Business Club enabled me to find out what makes businesses tick. What they want from customers, suppliers, advertising and marketing. And what works best for them to get the best promotion for them and their businesses.
I am still a Town Councillor; I am also a Gloucestershire Ambassador for Business (GLAM for short!) and a Switch on to Swindon Ambassador. I still write every week in my local newspaper, but the original weekly column has now grown to a whole page; I also have a monthly Business page in a local magazine (The Advertiser in Faringdon); and, a year ago during the pandemic, with so much marketing work coming my way, I took the decision to create a ‘proper’ PR and marketing business under my own name: Chris Roberts MBE PR.
Yes! Chris Roberts MBE – as I was thrilled to have been awarded an MBE by HM The Queen in her 2009 Birthday Honours. It was one of the most glorious and memorable days of my life being presented to Her Majesty, chatting to her and receiving my medal in front of my husband, daughter and son. I was bursting with happiness, yet was sad that my mother had not lived to see the day and discover how successful I had become.

Before starting my Chris Roberts MBE PR business, I had mostly written articles, press releases and articles for free! It was for me a way of doing what I loved doing and also giving back to my town community and business community.
However, when I first started my business, a successful PR guru friend of mine told me that I needed to start charging for what I did and not under-value myself. Previously, most of my PR work was done philanthropically – my contribution to the community. But my friend explained to me that if you give something away for nothing, it appears to have no value. Yet, if you put a price on your service, then it becomes worth something of value.
My Chris Roberts MBE PR business has proved even more successful than I ever imagined, especially as I had not envisaged anyone actually wanting to pay me for what I did! I now have a number of clients that I write for on a regular basis; new clients wanting to engage with me each week and I continue to produce my regular WAGS, rags and mags pages.
In addition, I have very recently started to contribute bi-monthly to a successful woman’s online magazine and have also embarked on another new business project. This will involve interviewing people about their life and then capture their life story on camera for them to pass on to their loved ones as a legacy of their life after their death.
I boast that ‘I poke my nose into other people’s business and then make up stories about them’. And I do! I love hearing about people’s lives, businesses, events and then promoting them with their unique, interesting stories. Very often, stories are more powerful than paid adverts to promote what you do and who you are, because stories evoke emotion, are more engaging, they build rapport and relationships.
If I was to create an advert about say a photographer and wrote that this particular photographer is experienced in child photography, portraits, animals or weddings, then you probably wouldn’t be overly interested as you have heard it all before, and many other photographers can claim the same thing.
If, however, I wrote a story to say that this photographer had won an award for a beautiful photograph of a child picking daisies in a meadow, then your interest would increase. It paints a lovely picture in your mind. If the story then went on to say that this child was the son or daughter of a well-known celebrity, then you might be even more interested and maybe even consider using the photographer yourself. This is how the right story can make a powerful impact. Sadly, or maybe fortunately, not everyone deals with celebrities, but every business has an interesting story to tell. It’s just a question of finding the interesting hook!
Previous clients have told me that the press releases I write encourage more customers to their business and that they love seeing their names in print in the media and social media. My new clients have certainly discovered this for themselves and I have a page of glowing testimonials to prove this!
Since starting my business in October 2020, I have been very busy. I never like to say ‘no’ to anyone, so will always try to fit a new or existing client into my schedule. I work very hard and quite long hours, but I enjoy what I do and get a real buzz out of making someone happy with a story that has been published for them. My job is a labour of love and something that I am pleased to have made happen after my initial desire to become a journalist 57 years ago!
So, what do I love about my business? Well it would probably be quicker to ask what I don’t like, as there is very little.
Long before the pandemic, lockdown and the requisite working from home, I was working from home through choice. I love being in my own home environment and not having to get in the car and drive anywhere on motorways or in the rush hour. I can have a tea/coffee/lunch break whenever I want; I can also be there when the post delivers a package that has to be signed for; I can hang the washing out on the line and then hurriedly bring it in if it starts to rain. There are so many positives about working from home.
I think the main perk of my job is meeting so many lovely people either actually (pre-Covid) or virtually (post-Covid) and listening to what they have to say. The majority of people are only too happy to talk about themselves, their businesses or their interesting – often unique – stories. Armed with a few questions to ask them, I generally find that people are usually more than willing to give me as much information as possible about themselves or their business in order for me to create a magnificent promotional article for them.
After interviewing my victims – sorry I mean clients! – I really enjoy getting their feedback on the draft I have written for them, even if this needs changing somewhat sometimes. Their input is very relevant and necessary. I pride myself on being ‘an ethical journalist’ i.e. I don’t go for sensationalism or dishing the dirt. I like feel-good stories that make you smile and feel warm inside. I enjoy seeing or hearing about their reaction when they read their story or promotion in print for the first time. It is their moment of fame and is exciting for them and me. Finally, probably the best bit for me is getting a positive and glowing testimonial which makes me smile, warms my heart and which I can use to promote my own business.
One such testimonial I received recently said: “You are a super star, Chris. Thank you for believing in me and being a driving force in getting my business started by writing your wonderful words.” Another testimonial I loved, but haven’t yet taken advantage of was from a coffee shop owner, who said: “I just wanted to say thank you for the article you wrote in this month’s magazine. It was a lovely read and great for my little business. The afternoon teas have been a massive hit and you must book yourself in to try one!”
I love every single minute of every single day being a writer, journalist and promoter of businesses, people and events. My business – Chris Roberts MBE PR – gives me so much fulfilment and pleasure especially as I love making things happen for people as well as poking my nose into other people’s business and making up stories about them!
One particularly successful article I wrote was an interview I had with Sarah Pinborough, the author of the book Behind Her Eyes, a supernatural psychological thriller that was made into the No. 1 Netflix six-part series. I had worked with Sarah in the past, so decided to contact her about her book and Netflix success and asked to interview her. The interview then got picked up by What’s on Netflix magazine, who then posted it on their website and in their Newsletter. Quite a coup!
I have been asked quite often what I believe is my greatest achievement. That’s easy! It was receiving my MBE (for services to the community of Fairford) in 2009 from HM The Queen at Windsor Castle. It was incredible receiving my MBE in the historic Waterloo Chamber and seeing at first-hand many of the beautiful rooms in Windsor Castle with their ornate furnishings, embroidered carpets, gold-detailed carvings decorating the walls and gold trim on the ceilings, stunning chandeliers and original fine art everywhere.
I did manage to remain not too over-awed when Her Majesty spoke to me, asked me questions and laughed at some of my responses. She made me feel very comfortable which enabled me to forget I was speaking to and shaking hands with the most famous woman in the world!
When I heard that I was going to receive an MBE, I really wanted it to be the Queen who presented the honour, as I had met Prince Charles, Prince Phillip and Princess Anne on previous occasions. And I really wanted to receive it at Windsor Castle, because I had previously been to a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace and wanted a different Royal venue!
So, was it cosmic ordering, mind over matter or the power of positive thinking that gave me what I wanted or was it just luck? Probably a bit of everything.
It could also have been the fact that I had put my desire to be awarded with an MBE on my bucket list of the top ten things to do before I die. It is definitely extra beneficial to have a goal at the forefront of your mind or on paper and try to achieve it – something to strive for, accomplish and then have the satisfaction of crossing it off your list. The thrill of knowing you have achieved something will then spur you on to the next thing on your bucket list.
Looking back on the successes and achievements in my life, I think I can put these down in part to my dysfunctional childhood – being brought up as the only child of a terminally-ill, financially-strapped, single parent! A psychiatrist would probably diagnose that I suffer from ‘only child syndrome’. Children with this syndrome can be spoiled, selfish, self-absorbed, bossy, but also have advantages such as achievement, intelligence and creativity.
Throughout my life, I have nearly always managed to be successful at job interviews and with sitting and passing exams. With interviews, I seem to have an in-built insight into the employer’s perspective and seem to know the right thing to say. I am able to read people and understand what they want and then interact with them. Exams were relatively easy for me at school, not because I was inordinately intelligent, but because I had a knack of being able to think outside the box to give an innovative answer that the examiner would like. Always try to think on your feet and don’t give the answer that people expect you to give – something original always grasps people’s attention and leaves a lasting impression.
I believe that I have managed to be resourceful and determined and not to accept the hand that fate originally dealt me. And the ‘only child syndrome’ really does seem to have worked for me and has made me try much harder in life than I might otherwise have done.
It is this philosophy that has helped me become relatively successful in life. My dysfunctional childhood and early life illustrates that anyone can overcome hard times; anyone can defy the odds and use adversity as a reason to find the strength and determination to build a better life. I escaped a life of being brought up by an ailing and sometimes bedridden single parent on benefits in a Council house in the rough end of town to living in a lovely home in a beautiful part of the country with a well-respected business, comfortable life-style and enjoying family life with my husband of over 40 years and the two children that I always wanted.
I believe that I have managed to beat the odds and have made good, positive things happen for me. Anyone can do this too if they want it badly enough.
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