• A Place In The Sun overseas property magazine - Selling Expert regular feature
• Richard & Judy show - Channel 4
• Overseas Property TV - subject of Women In Property programme
• Grampian TV - Wings'n'Things - Children's television
• BBC Radio - frequent talk show appearances as expert
• Honeybone - spoof presenter in pilot TV comedy
• The Guardian newspaper - comments as expert
• The Mirror - personal feature
• Daily Express - feature on success through property

• In the space of 10 years, progressing from living in a tiny room in an illegally rented council flat in south-east London to a country mansion in Sussex with my own businesses, a six-figure income and a large and ever-growing property portfolio
• Going from terrified non-swimmer to accredited Open Water Diver in 3 years ("Some of you won't find this a big deal, but I didn't learn to swim until I was 35! And, yes, that WAS just last year - ahem!")
• Passing the MENSA entrance exam and being invited to join ("I didn't join because the members' magazine was so boring")
  
• Passing the police force entrance exam ("I didn't join because I couldn't wear stilettos")
  
• Working up to the position of Manager of European IT in a top US law firm in the City of London ("the only female to pass the Microsoft MCSE+I certification course by the 6 week bootcamp method - what a fluke that was!")
  
• Trained in speaking in the US under the guidance of Bill Gove, CSP, CPAE ("a lovely man, now departed.  My first comparison to the wonderful Jeanne Robertson")
  
• Professional Diploma in Management (NVQ Level 5) ("The flukes just keep on coming")
  
• Qualified Nutritionist ("You've got to take care of yourself, nobody else will")
  
• Cat lover ("Endless source of amusement & love")
  
• Professional Network Marketer ("One of the most rewarding businesses ever")
• Someone about whom people say "You've really inspired me" and "You're a comic genius" ("Both are music to my ears")"

Where's she from?

Born in Liverpool, England, in the Sixties (right before they started swinging), Maria's travels around the UK started at the age of three. The remaining years saw her living in locations the length and breadth of the UK, from Caithness to Sussex.

Always the entrepreneur, Maria has enjoyed a wide variety of life experiences such as working as an Avon lady at age 12, presenting on children's television, modelling ("I once sat on Henry Cooper's shoulders"), working in the music industry and the corporate world before branching out into property investment, several businesses, speaking and sales.

Although she travels frequently both nationally and internationally, she now lives in Sussex with her musician husband, Stuart, who - along with her cats and her best friend, Margaret - is the subject of many of her amusing anecdotes.