“Speak up for yourself and say it with your chest.” – Helen Bandcroft, Sales Leader & Investor

“It's about not being smaller so others can be taller.” – Jo Phillips, The Woman Behind The Women

This week in The Chat Womb, Jo Phillips sits down with Helen Bandcroft, sales leader, part-time investor, and unapologetic champion of financial empowerment. Jo and Helen unpack one of the most overlooked inequalities facing women today: the gender pension gap.

Helen shares her journey from hairdressing to sales leadership, revealing how she strategically built her wealth through shares, investing, and financial self-education, despite the systems not being designed for women to win.

They talk about salary negotiations, workplace power dynamics, financial freedom, and how to start building wealth (especially if you feel behind).

(02:10) – Introducing Helen Bandcroft: Sales leader, investor & financial empowerment advocate

(04:00) – The shocking stats behind the gender pension gap

(05:00) – From hairdressing to head office: Helen’s career journey

(07:30) – The power of shares, and how they helped Helen buy her first flat

(10:15) – Why asking for shares may be smarter than asking for a raise

(13:00) – Where to start if you’ve never invested: tools, tips & resources

(15:00) – Investing secretly: your money = your options

(20:00) – Walking away from a job on principle and what happened next

(28:00) – What Helen would tell her 21-year-old self (and her 13-year-old goddaughter)

(32:00) – Assertive vs. Aggressive: Standing your ground and speaking with purpose

Helen Bandcroft is a sales leader, public speaker, and part-time investor with a fierce passion for helping women understand their worth, in life and in their finances.

From leaving school early and working in hairdressing to buying her own flat with her share payout, Helen has built a career and financial portfolio on her own terms. She’s a firm believer in speaking up, investing wisely, and carving out power in rooms that weren’t designed for women.

Follow Helen on LinkedIn

About your host: Jo Phillips

Jo coaches ambitious women like you to break through career barriers, own their worth, and finally get the career and salary they deserve. Through 1:1 coaching, Jo helps you identify what’s holding you back, to build an unapologetic strategy for success, cheerleading you every step of the way—because you already have what it takes. It’s time to stop waiting and start moving with audacity…

Connect with Jo:

Website: The Woman Behind The Women

Socials: Linkedin / Instagram: @thewomanbehindthewomen

'The Chat Womb' is hosted by Jo Phillips and proudly produced by