MBE for Grace Cole's Tracy Mort

Huge congratulations to Tracy Mort, managing director of beauty products brand Grace Cole, on being awarded an MBE in this year's New Year's Honours.

I don't expect Tracy has ever heard my name, but I have a personal reason to be delighted for her, as Grace Cole were instrumental in helping me to become better established in the early days of my freelance writing career.

During late 2010, I wrote for Hot Pink Magazine, an online promotional magazine that featured products from the company's Miss Cole brand, alongside topical articles about TV, fashion and other lifestyle topics.

Grace Cole were massively supportive of my writing, and gave me considerable freedom to choose my own topics and tone of voice - something that is almost unheard of now when I produce paid content for clients.

I genuinely believe writing for Grace Cole helped me to establish a portfolio and a reputation in my own right - and I hope that I helped them to sell a few of their products along the way too.

So to Tracy Mort MBE, I say congratulations and thank you - you're a worthy recipient of this recognition, and I wish you every success for the future.