My journey unveiled

Hi, I’m Rianne a final year Business Enterprise & Development student at Aston University, and this is my story.
Over the last three years, I’ve grown in ways I never expected. I started this journey quiet, a little unsure of myself, and cautious about putting my ideas forward. Now? I’m bold, confident, and I follow through. I even built my own hair business, RILAIDITT 

What you will find here

🤝 Team Experiences — From building businesses in project teams to navigating what didn’t work, including my time in Team Phoenix and the lessons from a previous venture.
🎯 Leadership & Followership — How my understanding of leading and following has evolved over three years.
📅 Houston’s Calling Reflections — Five reflections on real-world events that shaped my thinking and development.
🌱 Skills & Growth — A look at how far I’ve come and where I’m heading.
📖 References — The academic foundations behind my reflections.

My journey, your inspiration

This platform is more than just a portfolio; it's a diary of my university experience, highlighting my growth in leadership, teamwork, and entrepreneurship. Through real experiences and linked theories, I evidence my learning and showcase my business, RILAIDITT, as a part of my evolving story. Parker (2018) reminds us that the way we gather and present our experiences matters  that how we tell our story shapes how others understand our journey and our purpose. Discover a creative and engaging alternative to a traditional portfolio, designed to inspire university assessors, future employers, and aspiring entrepreneurs alike.

Information

Why a Website?

When it came to choosing how to present my Portfolio of Practice, I didn't want to default to the expected. A written report felt like it would only tell part of my story  and my story deserves more than that. A website felt natural to me. It's dynamic, visual, and interactive in a way that a document simply can't be. It reflects who I am: someone who thinks creatively, works digitally, and isn't afraid to do things differently.

Choosing this format also allowed me to demonstrate something the module actively encourages digital capability. Rather than just writing about my development, I wanted to show it. Every design choice, every page, every word on this site is a deliberate act of communication. And communication, as White (2021) argues, is one of the most powerful soft skills a professional can develop.

About This Portfolio

This Portfolio of Practice is the final assessment for BD010: Leading High Performance Teams, a module on my Business Enterprise and Development degree at Aston University. Weighted at 70% of the module, it represents three years of learning, growing, and showing up in team projects, in life, and in business.

The portfolio is designed to evidence my development as a team member, a leader, and a follower across my time on the programme. It draws on real experiences, links them to academic theory, and reflects honestly on what I've learned along the way. Widdowson and Barbour (2021) describe this kind of reflective practice as essential for building self-awareness and becoming a more effective leader  and that is exactly what this portfolio sets out to demonstrate.