Allison Winship

Nov 13 2007 by Karen McLauchlan, Evening Gazette

Area manager of Kids 1st Day Nurseries, who are opening two new sites on Teesside.

What did you want to be when you were young?

A nun - after watching The Nun Story!

How much was your first pay packet and what did you spend it on?

£7 working in a supermarket when I was studying for my Nursery Nurse Diploma, but I owed it all out so couldn’t spend it on anything.

What’s your dream job, other than your current one?

A food taster in Marks and Spencer’s food hall comes a close second to what I’m doing now.

What’s the best piece of business advice you have received?

You never get a second chance to make a first impression. We operate in a competitive market so we have to make parents feel confident that we offer the very best possible care right from their very first visit to the nursery.

And the worst?

Just ignore it and it’ll go away.

What is your philosophy when it comes to business?

Don’t forget where you started. My career has come a long way since I started out as a nursery assistant in a school over 30 years ago. If it wasn’t for those early experiences though I wouldn’t be where I am today in a job I get so much satisfaction from.

What are your hobbies?

Cycling, walking and socialising.

What’s your top business or financial tip?

Don’t be scared to move out of your comfort zone.

Does anything scare you and if so what?

Spiders - in particular the huge hairy ones.

What would you choose as your epitaph?

Worked hard and played harder.