From Vision to Impact: Fay Sharpe on Building a Legacy
In Part 1 of our interview, Fay Sharpe shared what it takes to build a standout agency brand. Now, in Part 2, we go deeper—unpacking the real work of leadership, the power of mentorship, and how purpose drives long-term impact.
From founding one of the UK’s top agencies to launching FastForward15, Fay has continuously redefined what leadership looks like in the events world. In this chapter of the conversation, she opens up about the power of mentorship, the importance of mental wellbeing in agency life, and why empowering your team is the most strategic move you can make.
Mentorship, Leadership & FastForward15
Emily, inVOYAGE: What inspired you to start FastForward15—and why do you think mentorship matters now more than ever?
Fay, FastForward15: OK, so FastForward15 was the industry’s first mentoring programme, which I set up in 2014. At the time, I was actually running and owning Zibrant, and we were in the middle of selling it. I wanted to create a legacy—something meaningful to leave behind.
I came from a council house background and worked my way up to selling my business for £15.9 million. I wanted to leave something good behind for the industry. I remember standing in a room at an events awards ceremony and noticing that nearly 80% of the Event 100 nominees were men—only about 20 were women. And in an industry that’s over 75% female, I thought, “Hang on a minute, what’s going on here?”
I also started noticing other things. A lot of organisations had all-male leadership. You’d go to dinners and awards, and entire tables would be made up of men. That didn’t sit right with me. I saw that many of the women in my team weren’t putting themselves forward for opportunities. I’d encourage them, and they’d hesitate. Confidence is hard won, it starts with inner belief and it’s something I have worked hard on. Pushing yourself outside your comfort zone, is one of the key learnings and making baby steps (or small goals) can help.
In my previous role and now at FF15 Confidence I realised this was one of the biggest barriers holding women back. So that’s where I started realising there was something I could do: help women build confidence and achieve their goals.
So, I created a mentoring programme. It’s not just about pairing two people together; it’s a formal, structured, year-long programme. Only 15 women are selected each year. The mentors—men and women—come from all corners of the industry: agency, corporate, supply-side. I put it out there, and in the first year alone, we had 300 applications and loads of industry leaders wanting to get involved, and the community just gets bigger and bigger!
I did get some criticism at first because it was female-focused, but I said, “When we’ve got true equality—when boards are 50/50—then we can open it up. Until then, women need the opportunity to level up.
Mentoring is powerful because our mentors have no agenda. They’re not pushing you toward a job or outcome—they’re simply there to listen, support, and help. People need someone impartial, especially in today’s world, to talk about their career or life goals. That might mean changing careers, advancing to the next level, or simply getting unstuck.
Mentorship helps people step back and ask: “If I had a blank sheet of paper, what would my ideal life look like?” I also coach entrepreneurs (separate from the FastForward15 programme, which is free), and being a solopreneur or a leader can be really lonely. Having someone there just for you? That’s powerful.
Emily, inVOYAGE: So inspiring. Over the years, you’ve mentored countless women—what do you see as the biggest challenges women in events face when it comes to leadership?
Fay, FastForward15: I think there are a few things. First: confidence. We don’t always put ourselves forward. Women tend to wait until they’re 90–100% ready for a promotion, whereas men will often go for it when they’re 60–70% ready. Women need to stop procrastinating and say, “You know what? I can do this. Even if I don’t know everything, I’ll learn as I go.”
The second challenge is childcare. Women are still often the primary carers. When they reach a certain point in their careers and want to have children, it becomes a huge juggling act. I really struggled with this—even though I ran my own business, I felt guilty at work and guilty at home. We need to be more open about sharing childcare responsibilities with our partners and honest with our workplaces about what we need to make things work. That might mean logging back on later in the evening—and that’s OK.
Things have definitely improved. COVID really transformed the landscape with remote work, which has helped a lot of women. But men also need to play a role—they need to create space for women in leadership. If you have an all-male leadership team, ask why. I always say, hire the best person for the job, regardless of gender—but we do tend to hire people like ourselves. That’s why diverse leadership teams are so valuable—they bring different perspectives to the table.
Emily, inVOYAGE: What’s one piece of advice you find yourself giving over and over again to future leaders?
Fay, FastForward15: Communication. It’s absolutely key. A lot of leaders haven’t even stopped to define their vision and values. When I coach leaders, I always start with: What are your personal values? Not your business values—your own. What do you live by? What should your leadership model be based on?
We often talk about the business’s goals but not the individual’s. What’s your dream for the next 10 or 20 years—and how are you going to get there?
Then there’s communication with your team. Keep them engaged. Make sure they feel involved. These are the basics, but they’re the building blocks of great leadership. Get those right, and you have a strong platform for everything else.
Emily, inVOYAGE: So, how can agencies and corporate teams foster a culture of mentorship within their own organisations?
Fay, FastForward15: Start small and build on it. For example, reach out to someone you admire or trust and ask them for coffee. That alone can kick off something meaningful. When my daughter started working for a big PR company, the first thing I told her was, “Ask one of your company’s leaders if they’ll mentor you.” And they did.
Of course, the senior team can’t mentor everyone, but she agreed. I told my daughter, “Now that you have this opportunity, respect it. Prepare for your meetings—don’t just show up and chat aimlessly. Show that you value their time.”
That’s a great starting point: ask people internally. Or if you’re a leader, initiate it—ask who wants to mentor and who wants to be mentored. Then create a simple framework around that.
Or as a leader, maybe say we we'd like to start doing mentoring in terms of people who would like to be a mentor and who would like to be mentored and then maybe set up some sort of framework for that internally.
Emily, inVOYAGE: Wow, what an inspiring story and something, I think we can all learn a lot from that.
Fay, FastForward15: It’s really funny—at her first meeting, we ordered Lola’s Cupcakes. She made them themed, with the director’s face printed on rice paper, and included the company logo. It was such a creative touch.
In the second meeting, she brought a personalised Marmite jar personalised with her name on it—playing off the “love it or hate it” slogan. At every meeting, she came prepared: what she wanted to talk about, what she’d achieved since the last meeting. It wasn’t fluffy—it was focused and meaningful.
And both of them enjoyed it. They’re still in touch, even though the director has since moved on. They still speak regularly.
Emily, inVOYAGE: Love that! What a great lesson in the importance mentorship and building a rapport among your team.
Fay Sharpe’s story is a powerful reminder that real leadership isn’t just about building businesses—it’s about building people. As the events and hospitality industry continues to evolve, her message is clear: if you want to future-proof your agency, invest in your team, lead with purpose, and create a culture that puts wellbeing and mentorship at its core. Because when your people thrive, your business follows.
Enjoyed this article? Click here to read Fay’s guide on building your own brand