• Home
  • Blog
  • Knowledge
  • Cover Stories
  • Startup Stories
  • Playbooks
  • Podcasts
  • Português
    • Events Homepage & Booking
    • Tech FoundHER Africa Challenge
    • Start-Up Night Africa Series
    • Lioness Lean In Series
    • Lionesses of Africa Annual Conference
    • Harvard University / Lionesses of Africa Conference
    • Young Lioness Lean In Series
    • About Us
    • Impact Partners
    • Contributor Team
    • Contact
    • Join the Community
    • Signup for FREE Newsletters
    • Share Your Startup Story
    • Share Your Lioness Launch
    • Share Your Lioness Co-Lab
    • Become a Contributor
    • Nominate to '100 Lionessess'
    • Become an Impact Partner
    • Contact LoA
Menu

Lionesses of Africa

276 5th Avenue
New York, NY, 10001
(212) 634-4540
The Pride of Africa's Women Entrepreneurs

the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs

Lionesses of Africa

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Knowledge
  • Cover Stories
  • Startup Stories
  • Playbooks
  • Podcasts
  • Português
  • Events +
    • Events Homepage & Booking
    • Tech FoundHER Africa Challenge
    • Start-Up Night Africa Series
    • Lioness Lean In Series
    • Lionesses of Africa Annual Conference
    • Harvard University / Lionesses of Africa Conference
    • Young Lioness Lean In Series
  • About +
    • About Us
    • Impact Partners
    • Contributor Team
    • Contact
  • Connect +
    • Join the Community
    • Signup for FREE Newsletters
    • Share Your Startup Story
    • Share Your Lioness Launch
    • Share Your Lioness Co-Lab
    • Become a Contributor
    • Nominate to '100 Lionessess'
    • Become an Impact Partner
    • Contact LoA

The Female Entrepreneur: A step-by-step guide to the adventure that is starting your own business! - by Charly Lester and Caroline Brealey

August 26, 2018 Melanie Hawken
Charly Lester and Caroline Brealey

Charly Lester and Caroline Brealey

The Female Entrepreneur, by Charly Lester and Caroline Brealey, is a step-by-step guide to starting your own business. Combining personal stories, practical advice and quotes from leading female founders, The Female Entrepreneur will teach you how to start your business, brand it, attract clients, and make sales. 

 

A League of Her Own co-founders, Charly Lester and Caroline Brealey, in their new book, The Female Entrepreneur, guide you through every step of taking a business idea through to action and becoming an entrepreneur. Applying skills and experience accrued from running multiple businesses, Charly and Caroline address all the hurdles and challenges involved with the early stages of business. These two innovative entrepreneurs who are always looking to stay ahead of the game, champion the importance of passion and positivity, and offer advice and encouragement for tackling doubts and staying on track. Aimed at women with a business idea, early-stage entrepreneurs, or anyone bored of their day job and considering a side hustle, this book takes you from start-up to scale-up.

Author quotes

We know first hand it’s tough starting a business, especially if you’re juggling a career, family or heck, even just general day-to-day life! It’s absolutely possible though. We want to get you to where you want to be in business, faster… and have some fun along the way!
If you have a business idea, but don’t know where to start, then you have picked the right book. We were both in your position once. We wanted to make the transition from working full-time for someone else, to working for ourselves.
Here’s what we can tell you about being business owners - it is incredibly rewarding, demanding and satisfying. Most people can only dream of working for themselves, but a growing number of people are taking the plunge, following their dream and making a career that fits their exact parameters.
In this book, we will give you the support we wished we had when we were starting out. We will also include advice from other women who have started their own businesses. They all share one thing in common - they were where you are now, and they made a choice to pursue a dream and turn it into reality.

About the authors

Charly Lester is the Founder and CEO of The Dating Awards, an international set of industry awards for online and offline dating companies. Over the past four years she has established the UK Dating Awards, European Dating Awards and US Dating Awards.  She also runs annual industry conferences in the US and on the European mainland. Charly is the former Global Head of Dating for Time Out, and was once the Dating Editor at the Guardian. She teaches regular classes in Blogging, Marketing and Entrepreneurship at the Guardian, and is on the Board of Advisors for the Media Department at Regent’s University. Charly is an award-winning blogger, and Head Judge at the UK Blog Awards.  She was an expert advisor to Lord Sugar on The Apprentice Final 2015.  Together with Caroline, Charly is the co-founder of the Dating Expert Academy.  They have co-authored a book called ‘How to Become a Dating Expert’. In her spare time, Charly plays Roller Derby (she’s on Team Romania for the upcoming World Cup!) and does triathlons (she’s done two Half Ironman distance ones this year, and is training for a Full Ironman).

Caroline Brealey never set out to be an ‘entrepreneur’. Working in the voluntary sector with children with complex needs and their families, Caroline craved change and decided to turn an idea she’d had for a business into a reality. Mutual Attraction, a now double-award winning matchmaking service launched in 2011. She has since gone on to launch the Matchmaker Academy, a training school for matchmakers which stemmed from her book ‘How to Become a Matchmaker’. Through the Academy, Caroline hosts training weekends, delivers 1:1 coaching and in 2016 launched their first online course. Together with Charly she launched the Dating Expert Academy. Caroline has many business achievements she’s proud of but the biggest has to be not fainting with nerves before doing live TV! A finalist in the Great British Entrepreneur awards, an author and a regular commentator for female entrepreneurship in the press, Caroline is excited to be connecting and working with female founders around the world.  In her spare time she enjoys walks in the countryside with her husband, baby and sausage dog ‘Lady’.

www.leagueofher.com 


Why LoA loves it….

It’s often said that for many aspirant women entrepreneurs, the biggest challenge is just starting. So for all those who need an encouraging step-by-step guide, they have found it in Charly Lester and Caroline Brealey’s new book, The Female Entrepreneur. It gives practical, implementable advice and information on everything from launching a business and getting clients, to branding and marketing, and everything in between. This is a great read for all those women entrepreneurs who want to take their idea and finally make the plunge to getting started in business.
In Essential Tags Books
← The importance of staying fit and healthy as an entrepreneurHow to Stay Focused at Work and in Business During Tough Times →

Tech FoundHER AFRICA CHALLENGE

Five female founders win over $100,000 in TechFoundHER Africa Challenge. Read more


CELEBRATING 10 YEARS


LATEST PODCASTS

Lioness Radio Show Interview: Listen to Mr Jules Ngankam, Group Chief Executive Officer of the African Guarantee Fund, discussing the journey from Bias to Bankable - AGF’s Case for Financing Women Entrepreneurs.

Lioness Radio Show: Five Mozambican women entrepreneurs share their experiences of building successful green businesses and creating green jobs for local people. From an environmentally-friendly, high-impact skincare brand, to an innovative green transportation business transforming marine waste into bicycles, these Lionesses are making waves in Mozambique. Listen to their stories, learn from their experiences, and be inspired by their tenacity.


LIONESS WEEKENDER COVER STORIES

LIONESS WEEKENDER COVER STORY
Vanessa Mhlom, a South African wellness brand builder
Vanessa Mhlom, a South African wellness brand builder
Morongwe and Michelle Mokone, two social impact entrepreneurs building a high-growth, premium sustainable homeware business
Morongwe and Michelle Mokone, two social impact entrepreneurs building a high-growth, premium sustainable homeware business
Dr. Phindi Cebekhulu-Msomi, an agripreneur focused on climate-smart solutions
Dr. Phindi Cebekhulu-Msomi, an agripreneur focused on climate-smart solutions
Retang Phaahla, a pioneer for South Africa’s indigenous teas
Retang Phaahla, a pioneer for South Africa’s indigenous teas
Dr Margaret Kemigisha, a publishing entrepreneur passionate about childrens’ literacy
Dr Margaret Kemigisha, a publishing entrepreneur passionate about childrens’ literacy

IMAGE OF THE DAY. CELEBRATING WOMAN MADE IN AFRICA.

Image of the Day / Eva Sonaike

Vibrant interior design…The striking new interior designs by Eva Sonaike caught our eye this morning. Like the rest of the world, we love the African aesthetic which is increasingly finding its way into global i
Image of the Day / Kunjina

Statement designer fashion…We are big fans of Kunjina in Ethiopia, the fashion brand founded by the talented Kunjina Tesfaye in 2017. She launched the brand while she was a university student studying construction t
Image of the Day / Dathonga Designs

Traditional craft elevated…We love the impact-driven accessories created by Márcia Nangy O’Connell, founder and artistic director of Dathonga Designs in Mozambique. Since 2010, she has establis
Image of the Day / FiveStars Africa

African Cycling Style…Who says cycling and style don’t go together? If you are a cycling enthusiast and you want to look and feel good whilst you are are on the road, then take a look at the seriously
Image of the Day / Adèle Dejak

Luxury statement accessories…We are big fans of luxury jewellery and accessories made with love and passion on the African continent, and Adèle Dejak in Kenya is the epitome of handmade luxury. The
Image of the Day / The House of Agness

An elegant floral gifting idea… Mariana Agness Francisco Eria is a creative force in contemporary floral design. Her business, The House of Agness, is a luxury florist and gifting boutique nestled in Map
Image of the Day / Abiola Olusola

Minimalism x artisan craftsmanship…If you are looking for a contemporary women’s ready-to-wear and bespoke fashion brand interweaving minimalism with artisan craftsmanship, then look no further than Abi
Image of the Day / Black Mamba Foods

Chilli Heaven…Spice up your life and your favourite foods by cooking up some great chilli-based recipes using some of the finest chilli sauces and new Hot Honey from Black Mamba Foods in Eswatini. The comp
Image of the Day / AAKS / Luxury accessories…We just have to share one of our favourite accessories of the year so far, this beautiful hand-woven bag created by award-winning designer Akosua Afriyie-Kumi and her AAKS brand in Ghana. We love se
Image of the Day / Vanhu Vamwe

Marvellous macrame…We have always been big fans of the uber-talented Pam Samasuwo-Nyawiri, co-founder of luxury Zimbabwean accessory brand, Vanhu Vamwe, together with husband Simba Nyawiri. This show-stopping co
Image of the Day / Eva Sonaike

Vibrant interior design…The striking new interior designs by Eva Sonaike caught our eye this morning. Like the rest of the world, we love the African aesthetic which is increasingly finding its way into global i Image of the Day / Kunjina

Statement designer fashion…We are big fans of Kunjina in Ethiopia, the fashion brand founded by the talented Kunjina Tesfaye in 2017. She launched the brand while she was a university student studying construction t Image of the Day / Dathonga Designs

Traditional craft elevated…We love the impact-driven accessories created by Márcia Nangy O’Connell, founder and artistic director of Dathonga Designs in Mozambique. Since 2010, she has establis Image of the Day / FiveStars Africa

African Cycling Style…Who says cycling and style don’t go together? If you are a cycling enthusiast and you want to look and feel good whilst you are are on the road, then take a look at the seriously Image of the Day / Adèle Dejak

Luxury statement accessories…We are big fans of luxury jewellery and accessories made with love and passion on the African continent, and Adèle Dejak in Kenya is the epitome of handmade luxury. The Image of the Day / The House of Agness

An elegant floral gifting idea… Mariana Agness Francisco Eria is a creative force in contemporary floral design. Her business, The House of Agness, is a luxury florist and gifting boutique nestled in Map Image of the Day / Abiola Olusola

Minimalism x artisan craftsmanship…If you are looking for a contemporary women’s ready-to-wear and bespoke fashion brand interweaving minimalism with artisan craftsmanship, then look no further than Abi Image of the Day / Black Mamba Foods

Chilli Heaven…Spice up your life and your favourite foods by cooking up some great chilli-based recipes using some of the finest chilli sauces and new Hot Honey from Black Mamba Foods in Eswatini. The comp Image of the Day / AAKS / Luxury accessories…We just have to share one of our favourite accessories of the year so far, this beautiful hand-woven bag created by award-winning designer Akosua Afriyie-Kumi and her AAKS brand in Ghana. We love se Image of the Day / Vanhu Vamwe

Marvellous macrame…We have always been big fans of the uber-talented Pam Samasuwo-Nyawiri, co-founder of luxury Zimbabwean accessory brand, Vanhu Vamwe, together with husband Simba Nyawiri. This show-stopping co

STARTUP STORIES. MEET THE WOMEN WHO’VE LAUNCHED.

Featured
Dr Juanri Jonck and Bernadette Kruger, co-founders of a first-to-South African-market serum-only skincare range
Dr Juanri Jonck and Bernadette Kruger, co-founders of a first-to-South African-market serum-only skincare range
Gillian Holl, a South African architectural entrepreneur building a sustainability-focused business that responds to the needs of both clients and the environment
Gillian Holl, a South African architectural entrepreneur building a sustainability-focused business that responds to the needs of both clients and the environment
Júlia Silota, a Mozambican green business builder, focused on environmental waste management
Júlia Silota, a Mozambican green business builder, focused on environmental waste management
Claudia Machaieie, a Mozambican green business innovator transforming marine waste into reading glasses
Claudia Machaieie, a Mozambican green business innovator transforming marine waste into reading glasses
Matilde Mawelele Rungo, a Mozambican tech-preneur helping to drive digital transformation in the country
Matilde Mawelele Rungo, a Mozambican tech-preneur helping to drive digital transformation in the country

Screen Shot 2020-01-27 at 6.01.32 PM.png
Screen Shot 2020-01-27 at 5.34.58 PM.png

Sign up today to receive the #1-rated newsletters for Africa's women entrepreneurs.

* indicates required
Required: Please select your newsletter(s):


LIONESS BOOK REVIEWS

Featured
Built on Purpose: Discover Your Deep Inner Why and Manifest the Business of Your Dreams by Betsy Fore
Built on Purpose: Discover Your Deep Inner Why and Manifest the Business of Your Dreams by Betsy Fore
The Magnetic Female Entrepreneur: The Art of Empowered Presence, Rising to New Levels of Impact and Influence, and Financial Success on Your Own Terms  by Mary Grant
The Magnetic Female Entrepreneur: The Art of Empowered Presence, Rising to New Levels of Impact and Influence, and Financial Success on Your Own Terms by Mary Grant
Women Entrepreneurs Rewired To Rise: Powerful Habits that Break Through Burnout, Silence Your Inner Critic, and Build a Thriving Business from the Inside Out  by Fiona Soutter
Women Entrepreneurs Rewired To Rise: Powerful Habits that Break Through Burnout, Silence Your Inner Critic, and Build a Thriving Business from the Inside Out by Fiona Soutter
Dream Big and Win: Translating Passion into Purpose and Creating a Billion-Dollar Business by Liz Elting
Dream Big and Win: Translating Passion into Purpose and Creating a Billion-Dollar Business by Liz Elting
After the Idea: What It Really Takes to Create and Scale a Startup by Julia Austin
After the Idea: What It Really Takes to Create and Scale a Startup by Julia Austin

About Us  |  Contact Us  | PRIVACY POLICY | terms OF SERVICE  | Community Guidelines  

© 2026 LIONESSES OF AFRICA public benefit corporation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.