Prior to my call to Ministry, I had four businesses employing 30-40 full and part-time staff. As owner, leader, and motivator, this meant making an impact while empowering others. Beyond listing my own skills, I focussed on connecting with and elevating others.

This is what drives me because I believe people connect with passion and a sense of purpose far more than they do with lists of achievements. It's the ability to develop people by ensuring motivation and confidence are steady, even when dealing with rejection.

I am a member of many Burns Clubs. Speaking at Clubs and delivering 1000's of Burns for Bairns books to schools, relating to teachers and children, the intention of keeping the works and words of Robert Burns in the Scottish Dialect alive, and relevant.

I am on the committee of RBWF First Edition Festival, not only arranging acts but also performing in the various venues myself. Everyone has talent and ability. Sometimes, I feel they just need a bit of confidence building, as I am a person who believes in total inclusion where no one feels left out!

As President of G&DBA, I am in the process of trying to ensure that all school children in Glasgow have the opportunity to progress to the national finals of Burns school's competition in future years.

At present, a couple of clubs run competitions, which are only open to children from their own areas, and the sad part is that those talented school children have no way of ever progressing to the national finals because the clubs do not go through the G&DBA.

My goal is to work in conjunction with those clubs to ensure the children have passage to regional competitions, whereby they may progress to the RBWF National Finals.