Book Review
Olivia Ansell, the author of Starved For Success: Powerful Lessons On Resilience And Resourcefulness From An International Entrepreneur, has been a successful entrepreneur since she was 10 years old, an age where unexpected tragedy sparked her unparalleled story of survival and success. As a young girl forced out onto the streets of Uganda, a side effect of an unforgiving African family structure, Olivia had to learn nearly overnight what it would take to thrive in a place that seemed to have the odds stacked high against her. But her incredible ability to recognize the significance of whatever little she had and use it to her advantage has since helped Olivia become the resourceful business owner she is today, starting multiple businesses in the U.S. and abroad that have collectively grossed millions of dollars in revenue.
In her book, Starved For Success: Powerful Lessons On Resilience And Resourcefulness From An International Entrepreneur, author and entrepreneur Olivia Ansell writes to anyone with the desire to start a business with little to no capital, no formal education, and a surrounding environment that says you shouldn't be able to succeed. Drawing on her own experiences as an immigrant turned international entrepreneur, Olivia shows how we can all use the resources available to us to capitalize on valuable opportunities, no matter how meager our circumstances or muddy our past. With simple ideas forming the basis of every business in existence, Olivia teaches us how to find those ideas for ourselves, validate our dreams, and eventually transform our goals into meaningful returns worthy of building wealth and a lasting legacy.
Olivia's multi-million dollar entrepreneurial mindset was one born of necessity and bred of hunger, but in Starved for Success, she demonstrates through vibrant storytelling, the possibility for anyone to create successful businesses across varying climates. To bear witness to Olivia's extraordinary journey is to watch the entrepreneurial dream operate in the flesh. You may think that you don't have enough time, money, or support to become a millionaire entrepreneur, but Olivia Ansell is a woman of action and here to teach you that you already have everything you'll need to get started.
Author Quotes
Scaling my business to unimaginable levels made me realize how much potential we all have to do extraordinary things once we are faced with change and driven to operate outside of our safety net.
Everything I have achieved has been due to my own business principles that anyone can apply anywhere - dream beyond your comfort zone; validate your business idea; and map out your plan and execute.
As long as you are moving forward, you are headed in the right direction. But you have to make those moves for yourself. No one else can do it for you. Because having all the opportunities in the world means nothing if you don't use them.
About the author
Olivia Ansell is the founder and owner of Ansell Dresses, a Facebook-based marketplace turned elegant storefront currently located in Kampala, Uganda. She is also the founder and owner of AMA Support Services, a healthcare-based company located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, catering to individuals with developmental disabilities. Ansell was born in the Republic of Uganda, forced by tragedy to adopt the entrepreneurial mindset that has helped her survive a challenging adolescence and grow to build the multi-million dollar grossing businesses she now owns today. Ansell is also currently doing the work to bring clean water to African countries through a budding non-profit organization meant to distribute critical filter technologies across the continent. She is married and the mother of four children.
Why LoA loves it…
Entrepreneurial experience is often hard-won, and learning from other women business builders who have gone through challenges, overcome obstacles, and achieved success is the best way of learning by example. Olivia Ansell shares many of her own personal life experiences and business lessons learned in her book, Starved for Success. It is a powerful story with a strong message of resilience and the power of human beings to overcome life’s tragedies and difficulties and emerge stronger and successful. An inspirational read. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo, Lionesses of Africa