Throughout all my years of being an entrepreneur, I have always relished the opportunity to pitch and present my businesses. Today, nothing makes me prouder than when I can stand up and pitch my vision and mission for Lionesses of Africa to audiences around the African continent, and the world. Being able to confidently pitch our businesses to potential customers or investors is an essential skill for all of us as women entrepreneurs. It goes with the territory - whether we are natural pitchers or not. I always say that we are our own best business ambassadors, and no-one can get our message across better than us. Our passion for our businesses, and our knowledge of what we do, and why we do it, can sell our products and services better than any advertising campaign. Over the years, I have had the privilege of seeing so many incredible women business owners stand in front of audiences large and small, passionately pitching their businesses and telling their startup stories. But the world has now changed and so much business is now being done remotely, relying on our computer screens to help us engage with our potential future customers and partners. Our ability to master the art of the virtual pitch is now essential. Talking to experts in this field, one fact remains true - the most powerful way to engage your audience still remains your passion for your business and what you do. Harness the power of your most impactful asset for your virtual pitch - YOU! Now, go out there and make it count.
Read moreRedefining entrepreneurship + motherhood
For decades, women have chosen to become entrepreneurs and mothers at the same time, and they have found a way of making it work for them. Many of us know from first hand experience just what this choice means at a practical and emotional level. We know what it feels like to juggle every aspect of our business and personal lives, quietly celebrating when we get it right, and dealing with the guilt when we don’t. We are all too familiar with the task of organizing complex daily schedules and routines that would make NASA proud, just to ensure that business meetings and production processes fit in with our children’s busy school and social lives too. Let me share with you a story from my own personal experience that illustrates this challenge, of raising my two wonderful step-daughters at the same time as being an entrepreneur. I recall all too well sitting at the side of an important sports-match one day, watching my youngest step-daughter play, whilst balancing a laptop on my knees trying to watch the match whilst at the same time responding to a pressing business deadline. I stepped away from the match for just a few minutes to take a business call that I thought couldn’t wait, and as a result I missed my step-daughter score the winning goal. A precious moment in time missed whilst I juggled work and family life. Sound familiar? Now for the flip side. Today, my step-daughters are proud that I am an entrepreneur, that they come from an entrepreneurial family. They are proud of me and our achievements. They love the fact that our life is impactful, that it is never dull and boring, that we do things differently, that we innovate. They love our entrepreneurial lives that enable us to meet the most inspirational people around the world and make a difference. Ultimately, they are empowered to make an impact in their own lives. So, my message to you all is that yes, being an entrepreneur and a mother at the same time can be a challenge - but it’s also an incredible privilege, and provides an inspiration to the next generation of young women. So, this morning we celebrate all the women in our community who are bravely redefining entrepreneurship and motherhood!
Read moreHarness your passion
How do you relax when you are not busy building your business, promoting your brand, and trying to get your family organized in their day to day lives? In my case, my relaxation comes in the form of my passion for cooking. I find the whole process of researching recipes, sourcing ingredients, spending precious down-time creating delicious, healthy, beautiful meals for myself and my family really therapeutic - and, of course, the bonus is that everyone gets to enjoy the end-result. I spent a great evening last week attending a webinar event featuring the world famous cook, restauranteur, and entrepreneur, Yotam Ottolenghi - you may be familiar with or even have copies of his many best selling books. He was talking about his new book ‘Flavour’ at the event, and hearing him speak, I was reminded once again about the power of passion to connect with audiences. Yotam has always been passionate about his work, the incredibly innovative food he creates, and the ethos of his restaurants and delis. But when he speaks about them you are transported virtually to his world, to the food, ingredients and places he loves. It is very powerful, and it is a superpower that we, as women entrepreneurs, have too. Our passion for what we do is what connects us with our customers and it keeps them loyal to us, even in the toughest times.
Read moreAre you a time chaser?
I have to confess that I am a time chaser. What do I mean by that? Well, you know that feeling when you wake up in the morning knowing just how much there is to do and fit into the day, but it looks like you will need all 24 hours to get it all done. So you constantly chase time, trying to get that essential work done, whilst at the same time trying to fit in some family and personal time that is also much needed, not to mention getting a good night’s sleep too! We all know the saying, “time waits for no-one”. So if you are anything like me you are always on the look out for better and more effective ways to manage those precious 24 hours in the day we have at our disposal. Good time management is a priority for any woman entrepreneur, but it can also be hard to get to grips with when you have so much going on in your life. However, it’s essential for maintaining productivity in business, and creating vital personal time too. They say you are never too old to learn new tricks, so I am constantly open to looking at new apps and techniques for squeezing the most productivity out of the 24 hours in my day. Hopefully this will help me stop being a time chaser!
Read moreDon’t fear the unknown
Life has always been unpredictable, and this year is a testimony to that statement with so many unknowns in our lives and businesses. Many women entrepreneurs I speak to around the world right now are battling just to keep going, fearing so many unknowns about the future, and speculating about the trajectory of the global economy in a post pandemic world. I know it’s natural to feel apprehensive at times like these, and I myself have had moments of wondering what the future is going to bring. But if there is one thing I have learned over the years, it’s that fearing the unknown and letting that fear control our judgements and decisions is not good for our health and wellbeing, or our businesses in the long-term. I have found a number of ways of overcoming fears about the unknown over the many years I have been an entrepreneur. Firstly, bring a sense of control back in your life by trusting what you do know - yourself, your instincts and your abilities. They will help you to cope with whatever life throws at you. Secondly, be proactive and plan for worst case scenarios - this will help you to feel prepared to deal with the unexpected. Thirdly, embrace change, whatever that looks like, and be open to the opportunities that change inevitably brings with it. Finally, take a moment to remember why you became an entrepreneur in the first place, and reflect on all the things that you do have control over in your life and your business. The unknown doesn’t look so scary now does it?
Read moreDelivery on demand
I know I may have mentioned this before, but over the last few months I have completely transformed my personal shopping habits. Going into a physical store has become a thing of the past, and instead I now do all my shopping online - everything from groceries to business equipment. I am a complete convert! But like so many digital consumers, I want my purchases delivered quickly - it’s that feeling of instant gratification, when you see a product you need, and you want to receive and enjoy it immediately. So I now judge my personal customer experience not just on the quality of the product I buy, but on how quickly I can get it delivered. It seems I am not alone. According to the Retail Touch Points survey, 88% of online shoppers are wiling to pay a premium for same-day or faster delivery services. Even with free shipping, consumer expectations have changed. RetailWire suggests that the average maximum time that shoppers are willing to wait for an item to be delivered in exchange for free shipping is now 4.1 days. Large e-commerce retailers like Amazon offer many different shipping options to meet consumer needs. There are lessons for all of us, as women entrepreneurs who operate in the digital commerce environment, to learn from this data. Faster and more efficient delivery times matter, and it’s all part of ensuring the best customer experience.
Read moreRegeneration is a superpower
I love it when I learn something really fascinating and new, and particularly when I can take inspiration from what I have learned and apply it to the world of entrepreneurship. I recently attended a webinar by the renowned neuroscientist Daniel Levitin on the subject of The Changing Mind and Ageing Well. It was a really insightful session and I gained some interesting learnings - it certainly made me stop and think. But one particular example he used during his presentation really captured my imagination. He talked about an incredible creature I had never heard of before, the ‘Axoltl’ - do look it up, you will be fascinated too I am sure. It is an endangered species of salamander which has the extraordinary superpower of being able to regenerate itself, to literally regrow whole parts of its body that have been damaged, meaning it can go on to survive and thrive. As a result scientists are studying this creature very closely and have decoded its genome in 2018 (it was found to be 10 times larger than the human genome) in the hope that we may one day be able to harness this regenerative superpower for ourselves. This got me thinking about how, as women entrepreneurs, we need to tap into our own superpower of regeneration to rebuild, redesign, relaunch our businesses when we go through the inevitable difficult times. We also need to understand that such times may mean that we need to lose one part of the business in order to let another part thrive. So if you need a little inspiration, look no further than the little ‘Axoltl’.
Read moreThe only constant is change
How much change have you experienced in your life as a woman entrepreneur? Probably more than you think, and right now in these challenging times we are living in, probably more than you would like. Personally, I have always been a fan of change - it ensures a constant stream of fresh ideas are generated, and it keeps energy and passion levels high. Change is a constant in all our lives at the current time, and how we react to that change is key to our success and our sanity. We are all having to change our business models to adapt to the new business environment and rapidly changing customer habits. Innovation is now not a luxury but a necessity as we look to create new ways of doing things and new products and services to take to market. But it is worth remembering that if we want to survive and keep growing, change is a priority. As founders of our businesses, we are responsible for leading and managing that change, and importantly, ensuring that our people, our partners, and our customers are with us on this journey. As Peter Drucker famously said, “The entrepreneur always searches for change, responds to it, and exploits it for opportunity.”
Read moreBravery is part of our DNA
Like me, you have probably been told numerous times over the years by lots of different people, including friends and family, that your decision to become an entrepreneur was a brave one. Yet it doesn’t seem like a brave decision to us, instead it is a heartfelt conviction that our idea simply has to be turned into a business reality, regardless of whether others believe in it or not. Bravery is part of every woman entrepreneur’s DNA. It makes us repeatedly pitch our business and products to customers that need to be won over, each and every day. It makes us walk into an exhibition hall, ready to tell our story and promote our business and brand to everyone who will listen. It makes us pick up the phone and cold-call hundreds of potential customers, just waiting for that one who says ‘yes’. And it makes us keep going, no matter how tough the journey gets, or how many pivots we have to go through, because we passionately believe in our businesses and what we are doing. Call it brave, call it crazy if you must, but being brave is not a choice, it is a way of being if you are a woman entrepreneur with a vision.
Read moreTake a mindful approach to business
With age and experience comes wisdom, or so they say. And in my experience, what also comes is mindfulness, something I now intentionally practice on a daily basis in my personal life and in my business life. How often do you take a step back from your business, from the madness that is the entrepreneurial life we have all chosen, and really think about what you are trying to achieve, both in your personal and your business life. Do you take the time to really reflect on how you are approaching your goals, how you are dealing with key challenges, how you are managing your people in tough situations? Taking a mindful approach to slowing things down, not rushing into important decision-making without first reflecting and considering all the potential outcomes, can be so beneficial, both to ourselves as entrepreneurs and to our businesses. When we react to situations and problems quickly, without thinking, we can make impulsive decisions that we might regret later. Taking a more mindful approach means we remove the initial emotion, we allow for reflection time, and ultimately we make positive decisions that are well thought out and will be beneficial for everyone. Another reason why mindfulness is rapidly becoming a practice adopted by entrepreneurs around the world in these stressful times.
Read moreA premium value proposition
I have always been an art lover, going back to the days many decades ago when I studied art history at university. Over the years, I developed an appreciation of ‘limited edition’ prints by contemporary artists, all individually signed and numbered by the artist, thereby placing a distinct premium value proposition to them. In the art world it makes sense, but it could also provide an opportunity in the business world for women entrepreneurs who are creating beautifully hand-made, artisan products and looking to differentiate themselves in the marketplace. By creating a range of premium products that have a story to tell, each individually numbered and signed by the maker/crafter, the customer is not only prepared to pay a higher premium price for this limited edition product, but also places a higher aesthetic value on it. In the luxury artisan fashion sector, there are a growing number of designer brand builders who are rapidly growing their businesses and reputations by taking this approach. They are creating small runs of hand-tailored clothes, all individually signed and numbered by hand by the designer entrepreneurs themselves. The experience has almost a bespoke quality about it, and that is what makes it special. In these days when conscious consumers are looking to have a different kind of buying experience, creating a premium value proposition through limited edition production runs could make good business sense.
Read moreThe handwritten note
Do you remember those days when important celebrations were marked by the giving and receiving of carefully chosen, hand-written cards containing lovingly written personal messages? Or those days when a handwritten note on a beautiful piece of stationery would arrive from a friend or loved one? Do you recall how it made you feel, experiencing the warmth of someone taking the time to reach out to you in such a tangible, personalized way, delivered to your door? I still love that feeling, which is why I am delighted to see a new and growing trend emerging in the artisan e-commerce space. Over the past few months, as my own online shopping habits have led me to seek out more personalized experiences from niche artisan brands, I have had the pleasure of receiving hand-written notes in my beautifully wrapped packages. Often written by the founders or designers, these notes create a sense of personal connection with the brand and add to the shopping experience. For me, it is a small gesture with a big impact, as it turns me from just another satisfied customer, to a loyal brand customer who will buy again. It’s something for any women entrepreneur to think about as she takes her brand online and looks to build digital connections and touch points. It is here that the small business has a distinct advantage over the big companies. You can more easily create that ‘by-hand’ and highly personalized experienced that consumers are wanting.
Read moreA growth mindset is an attitude
There is a well known saying that to become a successful entrepreneur, your mindset is as important as your skill set, and I have to say I agree with that philosophy. Having the right mindset is everything. When it comes to developing a growth mindset in particular, it is definitely a different kind of attitude that is required. It means being open to continually learning, trying new things, pushing boundaries, questioning ourselves and our business models. It is about never standing still, always looking to improve, always being curious and open to learning from others. As Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck says, “When we have a growth mindset we believe that our intelligence, creative abilities, and character are things that we can improve in meaningful ways. We can always learn and get better at what we do.” Remember, you don’t have to wait for external events to be the catalyst to develop your growth mindset, do it because it is key to your future success story.
Read moreLet’s celebrate our achievements
So here’s an interesting question for you - when you proudly speak about your business to other people, do you find yourself using the word ‘we’ instead of ‘I” because you don’t want to sound as if you are bragging? Can you imagine our male counterparts doing that when talking about their businesses? I don’t think so! As women entrepreneurs, we are often guilty of this approach, we find it hard to own our achievements, to have the confidence to speak about them to others using the first person. I hear it all the time from women when they speak about their businesses - and, I have to admit, I have been guilty of it myself in the past too. But we will never the change the narrative around women’s entrepreneurship and our value as economic drivers if we don’t start owning and talking about our achievements. It’s important for us to say, I have a vision; I built this business; I created these jobs. It’s not bragging, it’s just recognizing our value and our contribution to society.
Read moreCourage can be contagious
There is a word that comes to mind when I think about women entrepreneurs and the leap of faith they take when they decide to build a business - courageous! So often, that decision to become an entrepreneur is motivated by the desire to make a difference in the world, to build a legacy for the family, to create the jobs that can support a community. That decision takes courage - to take the risk of going into unchartered waters armed only with your passion, your determination and your idea, and with no guarantee of success. I have watched this type of courage in action so many times, seeing women entrepreneurs who are defying the odds, who pick themselves up and start again when life throws them a curve ball. They are truly inspirational, and importantly their courage inspires other women entrepreneurs who are watching, waiting for their own inner courage to spur them on. When we show our courage, when we demonstrate that we are prepared to take risks and move forward despite the challenges and the uncertainty, it makes it possible for others to follow in our footsteps and easier for others to do so. As Michelle Obama so aptly said, “Don’t ever underestimate the impact you can have, because history has shown us that courage can be contagious, and hope can take on a life of its own.”
Read moreWe all need a good sounding board
Women entrepreneurs often ask me what is the one piece of advice I can give when they are trying to take their business to the next level - and my advice is almost always the same. You need a good sounding board, someone who is experienced in business building, someone neutral but interested in what you are doing and who can ultimately help you to test your ideas before you take those all important decisions. At key times on my own personal entrepreneurial journey, I have always found it incredibly useful to take a step back from the day-to-day operational details and to brainstorm new ideas with another person. I find it so useful to see their initial reaction and then to get their more detailed feedback. It is all too easy to get caught up in the small details of our businesses and lose sight of the big picture - so the process of explaining our ideas to someone objective can help in getting clarity. A sounding board is like market testing your ideas without the risk of actually launching them to your consumers. Just brace yourself for some very honest feedback that you might not be expecting!
Read moreThat lightbulb moment!
Have you ever experienced one of those lightbulb moments, when suddenly everything becomes bright and clear in your mind - you can see a way forward for yourself and your business, you have direction. It’s a great feeling! I had one of those pivotal moments many years ago when the idea for creating Lionesses of Africa was first formed and then turned into reality. I instinctively knew at the time that it was an idea I had to pursue, and one that required me to go ‘all in’, to quote one of my favourite books by Stephanie Breedlove - "All In: How Women Entrepreneurs Can Think Bigger, Build Sustainable Businesses, and Change the World." In my case, that lightbulb moment was truly life-changing, and has been ever since. You can understand, therefore, when I say that I am a passionate advocate for turning lightbulb moments into tangible action. So, when you experience one of those lightbulb moments of your own, and I hope you do, open your mind to the life-changing possibilities it could bring - and go all in!
Read moreTell your own story!
I spend a lot of time writing and talking about the impact that women entrepreneurs can make in the world when they get the right kind of support and encouragement. It’s a subject I feel passionate about. And the one thing I have come to appreciate and acknowledge is the power of storytelling to help change the narrative for women entrepreneurs in the marketplace. Every woman entrepreneur has a unique story to tell, one that is powerful in its own right. That story has the power to connect and engage with customers in a way that is personal, authentic and heartfelt, and customers are increasingly looking for authenticity from the businesses and brands they buy from. As we all now have a much better appreciation for the need to use digital content to reach those all important customers, we need to start valuing our own stories as powerful marketing tools. As social media marketing guru, Gary Vaynerchuk says, “Storytelling is by far the most underrated skill when it comes to business.” It’s time to not just tell our own stories, but to own them!
Read moreIn praise of daily routines
I don’t mind admitting it, but these days I love the idea of having routine in my life. My younger self would have laughed aloud at hearing me say such a thing, having rebelled against anything resembling routine back then. But having spent so many years travelling with Lionesses of Africa, I have come to really value those small routines that make sense of each busy day, no matter where I am in the world. My quiet hour of meditation and journalling before the rest of the world wakes up allows me to reflect, to focus, and to gear myself up for the day ahead. My walk in the park watching the sun rise or set is still as inspirational today as it has always been, and provides me with a sense of my place in the world each day. Sitting down quietly over a cup of Earl Grey tea, writing my daily blogs that I hope will inspire other women entrepreneurs each morning as they gear up to face the challenges ahead, is still a source of joy to me. These are just a few of my daily routines that have become so important, both personally and as entrepreneur, as they help me prepare to fulfill my purpose in life and in business. It seems I am not alone in my thinking - bestselling leadership author, John C Maxwell, said: “The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.” I couldn’t agree more!
Read moreBelieve in yourself
Don’t you just love those people who are full of self-belief, those who genuinely believe they can achieve anything they set their minds on? I am fortunate to count many such women entrepreneurs in my network of friends and peers who personify the idea of self-belief. They are truly inspirational, each and every one of them, and it is a life-affirming experience to spend time with them. They are definitely ‘glass half full’ people. I believe there is a direct correlation between their significant success in business and in life, and their levels of self-belief. As we all know, to be successful you have to be laser focused on the vision you have for your business and you have to drive the strategy you have developed to achieve that vision. But ultimately, it is your unwavering, passionate self-belief that will get you there. There will always be detractors who will question your vision, your abilities, even your business acumen. But just remember that your self-belief will win out because deep down you know you can achieve anything if you want it badly enough and are prepared to work hard and work smart to get there.
Read more