What does it take to improve fire door safety across an entire industry? In her insightful episode on Making an Entrance, Nicola John shares the experiences and ideas that shaped her career and led to the creation of Fire Door Maintenance (FDM) Training and Development.

Nicola reflects on her early career in hospitality, where she learned valuable lessons about customer service, management and leadership, as well as the influence of her family life and education. She also discusses her first directorship in construction and how she later began working with UAP as a consultant.

That consultancy work sparked the idea for FDM: practical, relevant training to help people better understand fire doors and their responsibilities. Nicola explains why effective training needs to go beyond theory, why understanding a fire door’s lifecycle matters, and how the industry has supported FDM as its courses and qualifications have grown.

The conversation explores door ownership and the Responsible Person's role, the importance of demonstrating competence, and the ongoing need for a deeper understanding of the Building Safety Act (BSA). Nicola also discusses why individuals should take ownership of their continuing professional development (CPD), and why organisations committed to improvement invest in developing their people.

Finally, she looks ahead to FDM’s future as part of Allegion and the opportunities that come with being part of a global group. For Nicola, the purpose remains clear: make a difference, support professional development and drive higher standards across the industry.

Listen to the episode today on Spotify.

Discover more about Fire Door Maintenance (FDM) Training and Development at: https://fdmltd.co.uk/