Meet Amanda - Our Product Manager

Amanda - Nicola Jane's - Product Manager

Tell us a bit more about yourself – I am 42 and have two children, Holly 13 and Matilda 5. I began working for Nicola Jane in 1991 as a bit of a general dogs body! Since then my role has evolved and I am now the Product Manager for Nicola Jane. My role involves designing and choosing new products for our range. I also write all our literature and am involved in customer service.

How did you find out you had breast cancer? Ironically found out I had breast cancer 4 years ago. Matilda was 6 months old when I discovered a lump. Initially I was not too concerned thinking it was something to do with breast feeding but unfortunately the diagnosis was not so good. I had to have a full mastectomy followed by chemo therapy, zoladex, herceptin, radio therapy and tamoxifen. I feel fine now and try and live my life to be happy and fulfilled.

Why and how long have NJ featured real-life models? We featured our first real life model in 2007 after increasing customer requests who felt it would be helpful to see ladies who are in the same position wearing the products they are ordering. Since 2007 we have featured 20 real life models and our photoshoot day is an event that we all look forward to each year.

We meet first at our London shop so we can all get to know one another and try on all the products for the shoot. We then head off to the studio in Camden. The models are usually a little nervous to start but by the end of the shoot are stripping off and dancing around half naked!!

It is such a fun day with lots of chatting and comparing notes, useful tips and anecdotes and for anyone who has thought about becoming one of our real life models I would whole heartedly recommend it.

Any advice for ladies reading this. Tricky because everyones outlook is different after this life changing diagnosis. I try and live my life to the full, not to let cancer get in way and be happy. If you are not happy, change what is making you unhappy, that would be my advice. Oh, and spend lots of time with the ones you love, take time out and make lots of memories for family and friends