I’m naturally inquisitive (some would say nosy) and love meeting people and hearing their stories. I grew up in Hong Kong, which is a vibrant place, full of colour and sound and bustling people, so there was always something new to see, taste or experience.

After reading English at university in London, I entered a talent contest for creative writing at a glossy fashion magazine and scored myself a month’s internship there.

This was followed by internships at other magazines and newspapers for another 18 months until I finally got my first job in the beauty department as an assistant at a magazine called Red. 

I stayed for years, rising through the ranks until I was made executive fashion and beauty director, then made the leap into the sparkling world of jewellery and watches. I was executive fashion and jewellery director at Harper’s Bazaar and Town and Country UK until last year, when I went freelance.

Now, I write about luxury jewellery, fashion, watches (and, yes, still beauty sometimes) for all sorts of fantastic newspapers, online titles and magazines. I’ve worked hard to get to where I am, but I’ve also met some amazing people (including friends for life) and visited some incredible places along the way, so I am extremely lucky.

Initially, breaking into the publishing industry. The competition is high, and London is an expensive place to live, especially when you’re an intern on low wages and don’t live at home.

I was enormously fortunate to be able to make it work, but for many it’s often a matter of who can afford to survive the longest on a pittance before a job opens up, which isn’t fair. 

Now, it’s about keeping creative, fighting burnout, and convincing people of the value of good journalism at a time when everything can be reduced to ‘content’.

Churchill was right. There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a (wo)man. Riding keeps me fit and it keeps me sane.

My passion has taken me all over the world – I’ve ridden across Mongolia, through the Australian rainforest and over Moroccan deserts and I’ve made some wonderful friends.

I’m lucky enough to be able to ride in Hyde Park in the mornings before work, which is blissful, and earlier this year I thought it would be a good idea to train as a jockey for a charity race at Glorious Goodwood. It was toughest and most exhilarating thing I’ve ever done.

Now, I’m looking for my next horsey challenge, so watch this space…