Victoria Stokes

Always the bridesmaid?
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SELF

Engaged? No. Married? No. Pregnant? Still no…

Being ‘The Last One’ in your friendship group to take so-called adult steps can suck as you see…

By Victoria Stokes

The emotional toll of being a leader
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AGENDA

How to manage the emotional toll of being a leader

Effective leaders have always managed the emotions they display at work. They project optimism and confidence to inspire…

By Victoria Stokes

highs and lows of business
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AGENDA

Why, as businesswomen, it’s time to start sharing our lows

Being in business is not all about sold-out launches and award wins. There are tough times, quiet times…

By Victoria Stokes

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SELF

‘All my friends have kids, and it feels like we’re running out of things to talk about’

I’m the only child-free friend in my social circle. My friends are still the centre of my universe.…

By Victoria Stokes

Strong female leadership and the nice girl conundrum
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AGENDA

The ‘nice girl’ conundrum: Can you be nice and still be successful?

We’re brought up with the notion that girls should be nice. Then we’re told ‘nice girls’ can’t be…

By Victoria Stokes

Quiet quitting when you're self employed
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AGENDA

Quiet quitting might benefit employees, but what happens if you’re self-employed?

Quiet quitting - aka quitting the idea of going ‘above and beyond’ in your work - is the…

By Victoria Stokes

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HEALTH & WELLNESS, BEAUTY, WEDDINGS

‘I’ve shed a tear or two about the state of my skin in recent months’

As she prepares her wedding and deals with a change in birth control, Victoria has spent an ‘inordinate’…

By Victoria Stokes

Parenting: mother and kids
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SELF

The struggle bringing up your children without family close-by is a real one in Ireland

With rising childcare costs and increasingly demanding schedules, parents need the support of their nearest and dearest now…

By Victoria Stokes

Undecided woman: motherhood uncertainty
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AGENDA, SELF

Motherhood uncertainty: how do you decide if you really want to be a parent?

For many women, the ‘motherhood question’ is one that feels too big to answer. It involves too many…

By Victoria Stokes

Strong woman syndrome
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SELF

Strong woman syndrome: Are you carrying the weight of invisible labour?

‘You can have it all as a woman’. The phrase that was designed to empower women has become…

By Victoria Stokes

International Women's Day 2022
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AGENDA

International Women’s Day: can we celebrate the women who aren’t hashtag girl bosses too?

The purpose of International Women’s Day is to recognise the cultural, historical and economic contributions of women around…

By Victoria Stokes

Picture perfect weddings pressure
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STYLE

‘The dreams of my picture perfect weddings have fallen away’

There's a very real pressure to have a picture perfect wedding and nobody's talking about it, writes former…

By Victoria Stokes