Kirsty Davies-Chinnock is our kind of woman. She’s spent over 30 years in a male-dominated industry and, in her own words, has “come in like a wrecking ball”. We’re so excited to feature her as one of our first founders because she not only has a great career to talk about, but her latest project – Women With Metal – is really making a change in the manufacturing world. Plus, she’s completely badass! 

In this ‘What A Woman’ we meet Kirsty Davies-Chinnock, Founder of Women With Metal and Managing Director of Professional Polishing Services Ltd, the UK’s market leader in mechanical surface finishing.

It goes without saying that you are *quite* the woman! Tell us a bit about your business journey so far… 

I had a fairly standard journey working for Professional Polishing Services. I started there and worked my way up the ladder. Along the way I took on a variety of Non-Exec roles and then in 2023 accidentally held a sold out conference for over 100 women working in the metal sectors and founded my new company, Women with Metal Ltd with I run alongside being the MD for PPS.

What inspired you to set up your business and what have been the most significant steps in growing it to where you have to date?

Women with Metal is very young but in 2024 our conference will triple in size to 300 delegates and we will also be in mainland Europe working with the largest European Aluminium trade show in Dusseldorf which is very exciting!

I was having a conversation with someone who said with all the golf days and 5 a side tournaments in our sectors I should arrange an afternoon tea for ‘the women’ and within 48 hours I had booked a venue and twisted the arms of several speakers and voila, Women with Metal was born.

Did you dive straight into entrepreneurial life, or did you take your time planning?

I think this is an age thing, but I wouldn’t call myself an entrepreneur. As I’ve always worked in an established business and then became MD, and held directorships elsewhere, this is for me an extension of my career path.

And planning was limited – I checked my husband didn’t mind me gambling a chunk of our savings and when he was happy for me to do so I jumped in with both feet. It was absolutely terrifying!

Business support comes in so many forms – accelerators, mentors, finance, and networking, to name a few. What support have you found the most significant in helping you to start and scale?

It helped I set the business up with 35 years’ experience in the sector so this is a really difficult question to answer. For our second conference one of the most wonderful things is the companies who have wanted to be involved as sponsors – this has enabled me to hold our 2024 conference at the ICC which gives me so much possibility in scaling it over the coming years. Having contacts who believe in what I’m doing is invaluable and I truly appreciate their support.

Support has also come from people within the metals sector – both men and women – who have committed their time and money for their teams to attend and spend the day learning and networking.

What’s on your vision board this year?

A holiday

Another Labrador (might take a lot to get that past my husband)

Me standing on stage in front of hundreds of people at the ICC

They say “if you don’t ask, you don’t get” so what’s the magic bullet that will help you scale and who do you need to make it happen?

The collaboration I have with RC Global for Women with Metal – The Aluminium Awards in Dusseldorf this year could lead to global events which is very, very exciting. The proof will come in October when we run it and then next year the world (literally!) is my potential oyster.

Apparently, a founder’s morning routine says a lot about them. Talk us through yours…

4.45am I get up and sort out the dogs (we have two Labradors)

Then it’s coffee and checking the bank for my first job.

Then I do 20/30 minutes of either strength training or on my Peloton – in May due to a charity challenge this will be an hour and I’ll be getting up at 4am.

I’m on site at my desk by 6.30am / 7am – being in the manufacturing sector early starts are common.

I am in bed by 9pm though!!

What are your non-negotiables, in both business and life?

Own up if you make a mistake and don’t hide it.

Don’t lie to me.

As a successful founder, how easy do you actually find it trying to have work/life balance?

My main work is being the MD of Professional Polishing and I fit in other roles, including Women with Metal around this.

I am absolutely rubbish at the work / life balance thing because I really enjoy work, particularly as I have several roles. I am actually going on holiday this year for a few days though, which I haven’t done since 2019.

For me the rest comes at Christmas as our industry shuts down for nearly two weeks so that’s my main break.

Are there any go-to resources you’d recommend to fellow founders – be that books, podcasts, memberships, or something else entirely?

 Build you tribe! Having credible people in your network – and being a credible person in someone else’s network takes time and effort to build so commit to it.

Learn as much as you can about your sector or industries associated with it. Knowledge is key and then share that knowledge with others.

And I highly recommend listening to The Women in Industry Podcast that I started last year!

On the subject of advice, what’s the most BS advice you’ve ever received? Did you ignore it straight away or learn the hard way?

“Cost is everything” – you don’t have to be the cheapest and if you want to be the best you can’t be the cheapest.

Finally, we believe in the power of celebrating your wins. What are you most proud of?

Coming in like a wrecking ball! I have in just a few months disrupted the status quo of an established sector and I’ve done it in a way that, hopefully, hasn’t been divisive but has been revolutionary.

WHAT. A. WOMAN!

Do you know a founder that will inspire The 51% Club community?
Get in touch with us and tell us a bit about her story: girlpower@the51percent.club