SPOTLIGHT SERIES: Meeting the local women involved in the Ladies First Charity Calendar - Bianca Rodrigues-Perry

We meet the local women involved in the Ladies First Charity Calendar, launched this month. In this article, we speak to Bianca Rodrigues-Perry.

Tell us about yourself. When did you establish your brand and why?

I’m Bia Rodrigues-Perry. I’m originally from Brazil and have lived in Warwickshire for around 17 years. I’m an author, creator and presenter of BIA’S Kitchen Show, founder of BIA’S Marketing, Production & PR and a self-taught chef. I’m also a wife and mum of three.

BIA’S Kitchen Show grew from my love of food, people and storytelling. Over the years I’ve had the opportunity to meet chefs, small businesses, nutritionists and some incredible people from different cultures and backgrounds.

I later created BIA’S Marketing, Production & PR, bringing together my professional background in marketing, strategy and production with my experience producing my own projects. Today a lot of my work overlaps – food, presenting, marketing, production, charity and community projects – and I love bringing people together to create something with a purpose.

What did you do before that?

My professional background is in marketing, production and strategy. Presenting and cooking came later and developed naturally through the projects I created.

I’m a self-taught chef and presenter. I’ve also learned an enormous amount through experience – being behind the camera, in front of it, making mistakes, learning and constantly trying to improve.

Why did you agree to be part of the calendar?

I loved the purpose behind it.

There are so many different women involved, with different stories, personalities, ages and backgrounds, all coming together to raise money and awareness for charities that mean something personally to them.

I’m one of the ladies appearing in the calendar, BIA’S Marketing, Production & PR is sponsoring the project, and I’m also part of the production team which produced the documentary telling the story behind the calendar.

I love documenting what happens behind the scenes because that's often where you find the real story – the nerves, laughter, friendships, challenges and all the work that happens before anyone sees the finished result.

For me, being involved isn't just about appearing in a photograph. It's about being part of a group of women using what we each have – our skills, businesses, platforms and voices – to help other people. I feel very grateful to be part of it.

Were you nervous on the day of the shoot? How did you overcome those nerves?

Of course! Being a presenter in front of a camera is completely different to posing without many clothes for a calendar.

I was fortunate that my husband, Dave Perry, was the photographer. We work together regularly, so I trust him and felt comfortable in front of his camera. The atmosphere amongst the ladies was also incredibly supportive. We laughed, encouraged each other and the nerves quickly became part of the fun.

What have you learned about yourself through this experience?

To be a little kinder to myself.

I’m in my mid-forties, I’ve had three children and I’m going through menopause. Like many women, I can look at myself and immediately find something I would like to change.

This experience reminded me that our bodies tell our stories. We don't have to be perfect to feel beautiful or confident.

Is there anything noteworthy about your appearance in the calendar?

I’m one of the Miss Januarys, which I love because January represents a new beginning – a fresh chapter and another opportunity to move forward.

Besides raising money, what is the most important message behind this calendar for you?

Women supporting women.

We all have different bodies, ages, backgrounds, businesses, families and life experiences, but we can stand alongside one another and do something positive.

I also think there's an important message about getting older. Women don't become invisible after 40. We are still learning, changing, laughing, building businesses, taking risks, starting again and discovering new parts of ourselves.

Why did you choose your charity to support?

Mental health is extremely close to my heart. I struggled with postnatal depression and experienced some very dark moments myself. We also lost Oli, my brother,-in-law, to suicide.

Those experiences made me understand just how important it is that people have somewhere to turn, someone to talk to and access to support before they reach crisis point.

That's why I chose Coventry, Warwickshire and Worcestershire Mind. It's also the charity I support through my cookbook, A Culinary Journey of Gratitude. Mental health is something we need to keep talking about, because asking for help should never feel like something to be ashamed of.

Website: cwwmind.org.uk

What woman most inspires you?

First, my mother. She doesn't have a university degree, but she is one of the wisest women I know. She taught me through the way she lives, not through qualifications, and one of the greatest things I learned from her is never to allow other people to make your dreams smaller simply so they can feel better about themselves.

I'm also a great observer of people. I've had many inspiring people on BIA’S Kitchen Show and I've met so many through Ladies First.

I'm inspired by real people – real struggles, real mistakes and real stories of overcoming life's difficulties. Sometimes the most inspiring woman isn't somebody famous. She might be sitting next to you and you simply haven't heard her story yet.

What main piece of advice would you give to your 16-year-old self relating to womanhood?

I think I would tell her: slow down a little. You don't have to experience the whole world at once.

At 16, I left home to study in Rio de Janeiro, around 16 hours away from my hometown. I had always been a dreamer and very driven. I knew there was a big world outside my hometown and I wanted to discover it. The sky wasn't the limit for me – I genuinely believed there were endless possibilities.

After I left, I never went back to live with my parents. Looking back now, perhaps I would tell that 16-year-old girl to stay at the table a little longer. Enjoy being at home. Enjoy your mum's cooking. Enjoy being looked after and those simple moments with your parents, because one day you will realise how precious they were.

I wouldn't tell her not to go. Leaving home, taking risks and following those big dreams helped make me the woman I am today, and I believe our experiences have a purpose.

I would just tell her: keep dreaming as big as you do, but don't be in such a hurry to get there. Enjoy where you are while you're on your way.

Tell us something unusual or unique about yourself that most people don’t know.

I'm passionate about music. I used to sing, I've written songs in the past and I even had one of my songs played on Brazilian radio.

But something else people may not know about me is how stubborn I can be about my dreams! I grew up in Brazil, where opportunities weren't always easy, and I learned very early that being “good enough” often wasn't enough. It made me someone who doesn't like cutting corners. If I'm going to do something, I want to give it everything I can.

I don't give up easily.

I also try to live with the awareness that life isn't guaranteed. I'm certainly not happy every minute of every day – nobody is – but I consider myself a genuinely happy person. I try to enjoy today, appreciate people and make the most of the life I have.

Is there ANYTHING else not covered in these questions that you think is relevant/interesting to this piece?

One of the parts of this project I'm most passionate about is producing the documentary that tells the story behind the calendar.

I've documented the women, charities, sponsors and the enormous amount of work happening behind the scenes – the things people don't see when they look at the finished photographs.

On launch night, people saw a beautiful calendar. But behind every page there is a woman, a story, a charity and a reason why she chose to be there.

For me, that's the real story of the Ladies First Charity Calendar 2027.