.
ISSUE NO.01
Digital Business Women
BADA*SS BUSINESS WOMEN LEARN ABOUT THE CHALLENGES, THE UP AND DOWNS, THE ADVICES, THE WHY AND ALL GLORY OF BEINGÂ IN BUSINESS.
CONTACT US BUSINESS WOMAN CLUB Candyce Costa hello@businesswomanclub.co.uk
INTERVIEWS
WELCOME
Thank you for joining us in this journey! I’d like to welcome you all to the first issue of Digital Business Women magazine. This magazine will serve as an extension of the business events we are planning around London in 2018 and a way to keep the debate and talk freeflowing between our face to face business events. The first issue is all about the speakers that believe in this project and without reservation, accepted my invitation to speak out loud about their expertise. The main goal is support women in business with serious advise and techniques. If you are looking for support and collaboration, you have found your place here - we believe in collaboration and serious business.
Anyway, we hope you enjoy this one. CANDYCE COSTA founder
ALEXANDRA GALVIZ ALI MOORE CAROLINE STRAWSON CLARICE LIN EMMA HOLMES JADE HICKS JANAINA SCALISE JOYCE ONG JULIA SAMPAIO JULIE HALL JULIE WHITE MATILDA EGERECOOPER NATALIA TALKOWSKA UZO IJEWERE
THANK YOU RENATO MELO NANCY HARRIS CLARICE LIN EMMA WILLIAMS
DIGITAL BUSINESS WOMEN LONDON BASED BUSINESS EVENTS FOR BUSINESS PEOPLE
Our Mission and Vision is to empower serious business women to achieve their dreams... Some of our goals are improving skills through business workshops and talks about digital and innovation in business, talks about personal experiences in business sharing hands on information and advise, cases studies to reveal the though process of creating a business, and all is to enable you to learn, implement and find the success that you deserve.
Our Mission To empower and nurture women in business and life to achieve their true potential and connecting them to create a collaborative and powerful community. Our Vision To create the most collaborative and encouraging platform to accelerate the change of the role of women in business and the modern society.
ALEXANDRA GALVIZ What is your mission? (or) What’s your company’s goals? My mission is to empower others to share their stories. I think there is so much power in sharing our career paths, so that people can follow. Share adversities to support others and our successes to empower others to also follow their dreams. What service(s) or product(s) do you offer? I help people get to their career goals and objectives through leveraging LinkedIn. I coach and train on profile optimising, building a bespoke brand strategy and then helping them create content that is going to build their brand on there.
Tell us about you and your business. I’m a LinkedIn Personal Branding and Strategy Consultant which mainly works with individuals that are looking to increase their profile or even build one from scratch all through leveraging the platform. On the side I also run events called LinkedInLocal where I invite my network to meet in person and build relationships on a human level. I also do a lot of public speaking on all topics such as personal branding, authenticity, confidence...etc
If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be? Just be you. So often I see people starting out that somehow morph into these super power house, egotistical, arrogant people to show that’s what an entrepreneur looks like. The truth is no one wants to collaborate or do business with you if you’re like that. Just do you.
ALEXANDRA GALVIZ What is unique about your business? There are a lot of LinkedIn trainers and coaches out there but I specialised mainly in helping people share their stories. To what do you attribute your success? Perseverance. I’m relentless in chasing the things that I want and I almost always get it because I’m literally a dog with a bone. I won’t stop working towards something if I truly want it, even when things go wrong, I’ll pick myself up, dust myself off and start again. What's your favourite quote? “Sometimes it takes getting to where you want to be, to realise it’s not where you’re meant to be…” by yours truly
Have you ever turned down a client? I have actually. For me it was key from the very start to define what type of client I wanted to work for and strictly stick it. I think it’s important at the start as you set your boundaries from the get go and don’t risk pushing past those. I was working in an industry that I didn’t particularly like and with some people I didn’t particularly get on with but I had to. So, it was really important for me to stick to my values and only work with those that also possess those same values. What's your productivity secret? To be honest, I don’t have one. There is SO much advice out there on this topic. I think you naturally find what’s the best way that works for you. What do you wish you knew before you started your first business? You never quite switch off. I feel like I had that same feeling in my corporate job but it’s quite different to running your own business. There’s a dimension of pleasure to it because essentially it’s your baby.
What did you learn from your biggest failure? How important my mental health is. I put it as my biggest priority before anything. If I need a break I take it, if I need a change of scenery, I go elsewhere, if I need to switch off, I switch off (yes i know, the irony given the above answer). How do you find inspiration? I have the pleasure of running some events called LinkedIn Local, they constantly provide me with inspiration as I’m surrounded by these amazing progressive, creative, innovative, funny and caring humans I’ve met. It’s a wonderful community that continuously keeps me inspired.
ALIMOORE Tell us about you and your business. Bemoore is a therapy and coaching practise. I specialise in Positive Psychology Therapy including Memory Consolidation Therapy and also Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy. Working with individuals I look to support them in the processing of trauma, the overcoming of limiting beliefs and feeling totally reconnected with themselves. What is your mission? (or) What’s your company’s goals? My goal is ensure that mental wellness is seen as a must and can be talked about. That support can be found. Providing a safe and confidential space for clients to explore their feelings and experiences and make permanent change. I am passionate about women feeling fabulous about themselves hence my Women Achieving groups which are open to women from all backgrounds and on a non profit basis.
What is unique about your business? I combine both a range of therapy techniques alongside my many years of coaching individuals in a very driven environment. This means your support can be tailored to exactly what you need - in a way that makes sense to you. It is not simply about following a process or ticking a box - it is about allowing you to explore, understand and feel empowered about your progress. The Reconnection Program is my own creation based on research and previous results. It is not offered in any other practise. My practise is unique because I know clients will base a lot of their choice on the practitioner so being clear on my approach and my overall style is crucial.
What do you wish you knew before you started your first business? That you need to do a lot of non profit work to keep the paid work coming in - networking and collaboration have been so vital and for the first few months I was lost in this area. I also really wish I had upped my own technical knowledge only now I am learning how to truly maximise my business through the digital world and create an income stream. What service(s) or product(s) do you offer. Positive Psychology Therapy, Memory Reconsolidation, Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy and Positive Psychology Based Coaching are all part of the suite of approaches used in my programs. Ranging from traditional Psychotherapy sessions which explore the root causes of current challenging thoughts or behaviours to a full set program which is designed to explore all aspects of your life and your world reconnecting you at all levels and helping you to discover your purpose. FREE Initial Consultation The Reconnection Programme Coaching for Purpose Mindfulness For Life Mindfulness Practise
ALI MOORE Have you ever turned down a client? Yes - when I first started I thought the way forward was to show I could work with all different types of therapy challenges - a one stop shop. However I discovered it was important to me that clients were not simply looking for a quick fix. If a client cannot get past the belief that therapy alone - in the therapy room administered by me - will be a cure then I would not work with them. My clients understand we go on the journey together. They are committed to enabling themselves and they put the work in in between sessions. What's your productivity secret? Lots of lists, lots of collaboration with others to create energy and inspire and being very organised and understanding when I work best. I am currently in the middle of three study programs including a degree as well as running a business with multiple parts - it is important to be clear on your daily objective - but I have also learned to make time for life itself. Listen to your body and of course Mindfulness for me has helped transform my thoughts.
What did you learn from your biggest failure? No one is an over- night success :) - I planned my first workshop but I had little on -line presence and thought advertising a few weeks in advance would give me one of those sell out shows everyone on social media says they are having - you know the ones where hundreds of people are coming through . You need to build a brand and you need to have a presence and people are actually more likely to book your events based on coming to see you than the topic however interesting you might think it is ! - I remember clearly the disappointment of cancelling an event because there were no bookings - I remember that every time I now host a successful one ! How do you find inspiration? Clients inspire me with the incredible courage they show to make a change for themselves, my Women Achieving members inspire me when they share their stories and talk about how much the community means to them. I love reading and exploring different beliefs and approaches. Everyone in my network I have built around me gives a me a boost !
To what do you attribute your success? Resilience, self efficacy , tenacity and the support of my wonderful husband who is now married to a very different person than the one he married i think :) If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be? You cannot do it all yourself - if knowledge is power then sharing and asking for help is ultimate power. So many people are willing to help you and willing to collaborate with you - allowing you to expand and grow. What's your favorite quote? It’s not because things are difficult we do not try - it’s because we do not try things are difficult. Anon... Many years ago at a very difficult time in my life my own counsellor gave me her business card with this on the back - I have kept it ever since ..
What's your productivity secret? My productivity secret is PLAN PLAN PLAN. Running three businesses, have 2 children, 3 step children, studying for a Masters and writing a book, I need good time management!!! I have a paper diary that I live by and a social media content planner. I fill 80% so that if I need to rearrange, I have space to manoeuvre as overwhelm is something that I need to be aware of!!!
CAROLINE STRAWSON What is your mission? (or) What’s your company’s goals? My mission is to help women thrive and flourish personally and in business. Life is precious and for living and far too many women feel stuck and unable to move forward. All my businesses combine my passion in helping people physically and mentally to be able to overcome challenges and have a resilience to do so whilst accessing the world of Facebook. I want to show people that you can overcome adversity and this does not need to define you as I literally lost everything in 2013 including my home and was a single mum to my two children and at rock bottom. I am passionate about ensuring mental health is not a taboo subject.
What did you learn from your biggest failure? I learnt from my biggest failure is that you can't spread yourself too thin as I got burnt out in my first business. The reason for this was that I was not focusing on income producing activity and having a good structure in place but trying to be everything to everyone!!! Health is vitally important and should be first on your list of priorities. What is unique about your business? What is unique about my business is that I genuinely care about each individual I speak to whether that be in business or on a persoanl level. Life is about giving and adding value to help people and from my own personal exoerience, I know that life can throw us curveballs which get us stuck!!! I want to unstick people so they can thrive and live a happier and healthier life
What's your favourite quote? My favourite quote is by Marianne Williamson and was one that was given to me nearly 4 years ago and was like a lightbulb moment to me..... Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so other people won't feel insecure around you. This quote made me realise that I was playing small so as not to make others feel like a failure but as women we should celbrate success and by one being successful does not mean there is less success to go around.
CAROLINE STRAWSON What service(s) or product(s) do you offer. The services I offer are free and paid Facebook strategies, messing bot building to increase subscribers and revenue and Active life Rewards helps people get better protected financially with life insurance, critical illness, income protection and private medical insurance but with a host of perks to get healthier and save money. Have you ever turned down a client? I have turned down clients because if I can't offer the right product to the person, I will always recommend someone else. Again it is not about the money but the person as I believe that if you always focus on helping the person, good fortune comes your way anyway. How do you find inspiration? I find inspiration from reading books, attending seminars and training and connecting with people. I love making new friends to see how I can help them and every one has a story. I believe we can learn something from everyone. My children continually inspire me each day to be the best version of myself and show them that life is for living and to lead a happy and thriving life is achievable for all no matter what our education. What do you wish you knew before you started your first business? I wish I knew that do not worry what people say about you because they will talk about you anyway and at the end of the day, it is your life and their opinions do not pay your bills!!
Tell us about you and your business. I run three businesses under the umbrella of The Flourishing Female Foundation. I run one totally on Facebook and now have a passive income from this, Active Life Rewards is a passion that came about as I realised so many of us were not protected or financially prepared should the unthinkable happen and my company saves people money with a whole host of perks, helps them get fitter but have total peace of mind their family is protected and financially prepared should this happe. I also help people utilise free and paid Facebook strategies incorprating messenger bots and funnels to build their business and increase engagement, sales and profit!! I incorporate alot of mindset into this from my own personal experience and currently studying for a Masters in Positive Pyschology as understand building a business can be lonely and at times mentally challenging and want the people I work with to not only grow in business but to flourish in their everyday life and move away from a life of mediocrity.
To what do you attribute your success? I attribute my success to my laser like focus and indomitable work ethic. I was brought up that things do not just happen, you have to work hard and go out and make them happen and that is exactly what I do.
If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be? My one piece of advice would be to find yourself a mentor. Someone who can be by your side guiding you, supporting you and helping you be accountable. This can give you more strength and courage than you believe you may have and whilst it may be a cost, this cost will pay for itself ten times over.
What do you wish you knew before you started your first business? No matter how much you plan, there are going to be up and downs. Persistence is key
CLARICE LIN Tell us about you and your business. I help my clients to build successful businesses by creating bespoke marketing and strategy plans. What is your mission? (or) What’s your company’s goals? I want to help entrepreneurs to change the world by becoming the best version of themselves. What service(s) or product(s) do you offer A Multi-Channel Marketing Strategy Plan and Content Marketing Workshop via LinkedIn & Medium. To what do you attribute your success? Drive, perseverance, consistently showing up, willingness to put in the work.
How do you find inspiration? Learning from inspiring entrepreneurs how they achieved great successes and overcame epic failures. If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be? Embrace the fact that your path in life will never be a straight line. Go with the flow and trust that the stream of life will bring you to your destination eventually! :)
What did you learn from your biggest failure? You have to develop resilience against hearing "no". You are going to hear it a lot. Never give up!. What is unique about your business? I don't bullshit like others, even if it hurts. Do you want to get results or comforting words? See... Have you ever turned down a client? Yes, I only work with action takers! If you are not willing to do whatever it takes, we won't be a good fit and I wish you the best of luck! :) What's your productivity secret? Get things done in short, distraction-free power sessions combined with frequent breaks, healthy food, exercise and good sleep. How do you find inspiration? Learning from inspiring entrepreneurs how they achieved great successes and overcame epic failures.
LES BROWN
"TOO MANY OF US ARE NOT LIVING OUR DREAMS BECAUSE WE ARE LIVING OUR FEARS." WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTE? CLARICE LIN
Tell us about you and your business. I’m Emma Holmes, founder of Rebels & Rockstars. Let me tell you a little bit about me. I am the mum of two lovely (well most of the time) little people, Jack and Maggie, and wife to a professional hero (sounds better than works for the Fire Service PLUS I reckon his ego quite likes the professional hero tag too.). I’ll let you into a few little secrets about the paradoxical me;
EMMA HOLMES What service(s) or product(s) do you offer? I work with entrepreneurs on a 1-2-1 basis to really harness their power and possibility in their business as well as online group environments.
What is your mission? (or) What’s your company’s goals? My mission is to support entrepreneurs to believe & achieve. It’s about believing that it’s totally possible to be yourself, to be individual, to bring yourself into your business AND to do it without the tactics and strategy that makes them feel icky. I want entrepreneurs to know that they don’t have to view their clients/customers as walking purses and tip them upside down at every possible opportunity. I want to inspire them to bring together a sustainable and highly profitable business their way. t’s important to me that I work with these gorgeous entrepreneurs to sidestep their own restrictions and limitations and allow them to grow their business all in and full out!
I care A LOT I’m soppy I’m intuitive I’m a butt kicker and a hugger I’m a geek and a technophobe I am selfish and selfless I’m driven and lazy I’m strong but I can break I’m a control freak and an outsource advocate I’m shallow but I’m oh so deep I’m spiritual but I’m practical I AM HIDEOUSLY, HELPLESSLY & HORRENDOUSLY IMPERFECT AND I’M SUPER OK WITH THAT. Rebels & Rockstars is about helping and supporting business owners to build a business on their terms, a business that doesn’t rely on icky strategy and tactics and a business that’s truly aligned to their ethics, integrity, goals & dreams.
EMMA HOLMES What is unique about your business? It’s infused with me, it’s about doing things the right way and being super supportive to those I work with ~ no half help. Have you ever turned down a client? Hell yeah!!! It’s important that you work with people who are the right fit for you and your business. It’s not lame and you’re not making judgement on your own skills by not working with everyone ~ it’s wise and it shows a trust in your own work. What's your productivity secret? Every moment is a moment to be productive. Don’t waste time! I am a big advocate of the power of the pen, breaking tasks down and having a workable to do list which is super cathartic to tick things off.
What do you wish you knew before you started your first business? That it’s totally ok to do things your way, break the rules and little and commit to building my community sooner. I wouldn’t change a thing though, every single thing that’s happened has helped me move forwards. https://www.rebelsandrockstar s.com/stuff-wish-id-knownsooner/ What did you learn from your biggest failure? Failure is simply a judgement tag that you’ve placed on something that didn’t go so well. There’s always either a fab outcome or there’s a fab lesson.
How do you find inspiration? In my journal! Writing, letting ideas out of my head. To what do you attribute your success? Commitment, consistency, continuity and tenacity
If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be? Trust yourself, ask for help when you need it, don’t be afraid to ask questions, serve the pants off your crowd and stay true to what you’d like to do. What's your favourite quote? Some people will love you, some people will hate you and none of it will have anything to do with you ~ Abraham Hicks
JADE HICKS Tell us about you and your business. I’m Jade and I help legacy building ladies Stand out, get noticed and get paid by their ideal client. What is your mission? (or) What’s your company’s goals? To help all women create emotional connections with themselves and then turn that into a brand that will cement their legacy, help them to get paid and achieve their biggest goals, desires and dreams.
What service(s) or product(s) do you offer? I help women in business get noticed by consulting on their brand and styling; and providing editorial, vogue esq, photography and films. I offer services for lady bosses at all stages of their entrepreneurial journey, from my fabulous Legacy Building Ladies Facebook community to my subscription services and online programs, and at the top end, I offer a select amount of 1-2-1 brand consultancy, photography and film.
What do you wish you knew before you started your first business? To go deep, invest and work on myself first! What did you learn from your biggest failure? Surround yourself with the most brilliant and fabulous people who only lift you HIGHER.
JADE
HICKS
Have you ever turned down a client? Yes - I will only work 1-2-1 with What's your productivity secret? Lots of Personal development know its not possible to do the 1,000,000 things you WANT to do all at once, choose a few to do at a time and do them fabulously then give yourself kudos for getting them done! How do you find inspiration? I am a creative so I can find inspiration in lots of ways. A sure fire way to get my creativity flowing is looking through beautiful books at artwork that I emotionally connect with. If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be? Make the right investments ; firstly in yourself so you can get out of your own way and achieve real and substantial “success”, and secondly DO THE WORK. Get clear on the foundations which set your brand up to be STRONG, focussed and unstoppable so you can communicate exactly what you are all about from the get go. This will save you so much time and money and hard learnt lessons.
How do you find inspiration? I am a creative so I can find inspiration in lots of ways. A sure fire way to get my creativity flowing is looking through beautiful books at artwork that I emotionally connect with. To what do you attribute your success? Firstly a vision so clear for my goals, dreams and desires that it acts as a constant fuel driving me forward. Add a tonne of personal development and investment in myself which I continuously work on. An inextinguishable passion for helping women feel amazing and make their dreams a reality, and finally a red hot, strong and consistent work ethic. My favorite quote is: "more important than the time that you start your day is the mindset with which you start your day." from Hal Elrod
What is unique about your business? I am what makes my business unique. I am fiercely passionate, abundantly creative and whole heartedly kind and compassionate. I have a HUGE passion for helping women. Shaping and posing women so they feel amazing, confidence and flattered. Showing women how to fall back in love with themselves and helping them achieve their wildest dreams and ambitions. I am an expert in making women look and feel the best they have so they can confidently connect with themselves to build a Stand Out brand and take an empowered step into the spotlight at the front of their business.
Tell us about you and your business.
JANAINA SCALISE Have you ever turned down a client? Many times. I have to enjoy the challenge at hand otherwise I won’t give my everything. What's your productivity secret? Doing less. I get a lot more done by getting rid of things rather than piling them on. It’s all about priority.
What is your mission? (or) What’s your company’s goals? Our brand promise is make remote work hassle-free, accessible and even more enjoyable but our biggest ambition is to disrupt once and for all the conventional way of working. We work excessive overtime hours, in uninspiring environments and with no signs of progress. It’s frustrating. We want to change that. We want woala to inspire a lifestyle where ‘life comes first’.
Woala is the outcome of two remote workers’ passion for freedom, autonomy and quality of life above anything else. These remote workers are my partner and I. It exists to inspire and encourage people around the world to live a more fulfilling life breaking free from a conventional way of working. It’s an ambitious project, but we believe in its purpose. Our first service is called Woala Spaces an online booking system with carefully curated work spots around the world. It’s just been launched so now we are at stage 2 and the challenge is to grow the brand along with the service. How does the service work? People can now book a table, for free, near a power outlet, in a cool and independent cafe, for up to three hours. All we ask in return is that people commit to a minimum order spend. It’s fairer to everyone - you get to work for a few hours in a nice place and cafe owners get their business running! We believe this to be an effective way to change cafe owner’s perception about remote workers while, at the same time, offering peace of mind to remote workers. I had this idea in 2015 when I went to spend a few months in Amsterdam and really struggled to find a place to work with reliable internet connection and a desk available. All precious places were always crowded. After a whole year cooking the idea, my partner, Silvio, helped me bring it to life as he is a brilliant web developer. I’m the business mind and the strategist behind the brand.
JANAINA SCALISE
What service(s) or product(s) do you offer For now, we only offer one service called ‘Woala Spaces’. All Woala Spaces are local businesses, with a vetted internet connection, nice atmosphere, power outlets and a good enough menu to keep remote workers going for up to three hours. And, for peace of mind, we let remote workers book a table in advance at one of these places, for free. https://www.woala.com/ What is unique about your business? We have 3 points of differentiation: The quality of the work spots The fact all our woala spaces are local It’s a free service How do you find inspiration? I find inspiration in a variety of subjects from science to music. Most importantly, you need to be open-minded and truly curious about culture, trends and everything happening around you. My advice? Be interested and try stuff.
What do you wish you knew before you started your first business? I spent too much ‘perfecting’ the idea before its launch. That was a waste of time and resources. As soon as I launched Woala, things changed. And then it changed again. It’s constantly changing. So I’d spend less time trying to be perfect and more time prototyping. There is nothing better than trial and error. What did you learn from your biggest failure? My biggest failure was to rely solely on data. When you don’t go out there yourself to actually connect with your audience, feel what they feel, observe and learn first hand how your product or service fit into their lives, you are only dealing with cold numbers. You are not close enough. Data is just a guide. In order for you to really understand how you can create value, you have to put yourselves in their shoes on a number of occasions. To what do you attribute your success? My need to achieve something however small - every day.
If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be? Try stuff. Have ideas, find a way to bring it to life and put it out there. It really won’t matter if it doesn’t work. The worst thing anyone starting out can do is wait for things to happen. Stand out by showing true passion for learning. What's your favourite quote? ‘What if I fall? But, oh my darling, what if you fly?
JOYCE ONG
Have you ever turned down a client? If a business wants my opinion, I know they have a limited budget and aren’t ready for a mobile app or haven’t considered focusing or investing in other core areas of their business first, then I’d say so.
What is unique about your business? We provide an all-round mobile marketing service i.e. we develop the technology, design and build it for you, help you with mobile marketing and on top of that, we manage and monitor app marketing for you. Here’s the deal - not many app developers would do all of that well enough. What's your productivity secret? Trello, Google, Hootsuite, LinkedIn apps – they’re great time savers. Seriously, just write down your specific goals and focus on activities that will help you make it happen. Strange but wonderful things happen when you do so.
Tell us about you and your business. My business helps small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) generate a positive return on their Marketing investment by building customer loyalty and converting followers into paying customers. In short, we build Cool Customisable Business Apps to help your Business Grow!
What service(s) or product(s) do you offer. Through my technology partner, Eazi-Apps, we build affordable business apps for SMEs. In addition, I provide mobile marketing consultancy, app marketing services and training for businesses, all of which are crucial towards making business apps work for the business.
JOYCE ONG
What do you wish you knew before you started your first business? If you come from the corporate world of monthly paychecks and regular exotic holidays, be prepared to rewire your brain and learn loads of new skills when you run a startup.
What did you learn from your biggest failure? I didn’t know what the hell I was doing in my first business, so didn’t do my homework when deciding to work with service providers who, unfortunately, talk a good talk but don’t deliver and don’t care. If you want to throw away lots of your valuable time and money, this is the way to do it
How do you find inspiration? When on holiday or just chilling out – pen and paper or my iPhone Notes always on hand for those lightbulb moments To what do you attribute your success? Marketing Tech is growing and not yet 2! If you are that way inclined, do connect and follow us on social media to find out what we’re doing, how we think and who we work with. If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be? We can’t all be tha-a-at busy – if it matters to you, be alert to and make time for new opportunities. What's your favourite quote? Simon Sinek: people don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe
What is your mission? (or) What’s your company’s goals? OfCom’s Communications report for the UK market (published 2017) shows that SMEs significantly lag behind larger corporations when it comes to the use of technology for their business. Affordable, efficient, customer friendly technology such as mobile apps, chatbots etc are widely available to small businesses across the world. My mission is to help as many businesses as possible harness affordable technology to help them grow, whether it is progressive web apps or native apps today, chatbots tomorrow or something else that’s been commercially tried and tested.
Tell us about you and your business.
JULIA
SAMPAIO
What is unique about your business? Finding different ways of talking to people, in a way they can understand our message and at the same time creating a reaction from them. In its core, we create engagement and find solutions for communication challenges. Have you ever turned down a client? No. Only client’s suggestions as how to do my job.
What is your mission? (or) What’s your company’s goals? My personal mission is to always try to deliver the best piece of work possible. Advertising agencies exist because we have the mindset to find great solutions for a communication problem, and if I’m not doing that I’m not doing my job right. What service(s) or product(s) do you offer I’m a Senior Account Director and Project Manager working in Creative Agencies.
I’m known as Julia Sampaio here in London and I’ve been working in the advertising industry for the past 10 years now. I’m originally from Brazil, but I’ve been lucky enough to have the chance to live in different countries and also to travel quite a bit. Knowing new cultures and meeting new people is for sure the reason I’m here. I’ve worked in big and small creative agencies in the Client Services Department, but I hardly let the job role stop me, so I’ve delivered projects as a project manager and as a producer. I like to consider myself as a person who finds a way to make things happen.
JULIA
SAMPAIO
What's your productivity secret? Making sure that my team is happy is the first one, a happy team produces a lot more and better and I never work alone, I always consider myself and my work as part of a team. Being patient and remembering I’m not saving lives. There’s always a solution for a problem and panic is not helpful in any situation. What do you wish you knew before you started your first business? Never opened my own business, but if I would say before I started working in this industry would be: learn how to sell yourself.
What did you learn from your biggest failure? Egos are a hard thing to deal with and sometimes honesty is not the best policy. How do you find inspiration? By seeing other people succeed. If they can do it, so can I. To what do you attribute your success? To my hard working parents that always pushed me to be the best. To all the opportunities I had while growing up which made me a better person and therefore a better professional.
If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be? Be yourself. You don’t have to change who you are to be a better professional. The world has now evolved and we should be allowed to be who we want to be. Always push yourself and always accept a good challenge, you’ll only learn from uncomfortable situations. What's your favourite quote? Home is where my heart is. It means that we make our home wherever we want it to be. Everything we do, depend on us and everything we do we should do it with our hearts.
What service(s) or product(s) do you offer.
JULIE HALL
Tell us about you and your business. I am a business & marketing mentor for small businesses, a service which I offer through my website http://www.julie-hall.com , I am also a Digital Marketing Trainer for Google and am the founder of The School of Marketing (http://www.theschoolofm arketing.net) .
What's your productivity secret? Saying no to things I don’t want to do. I’m very protective of my time and am really clear on what I want to do and why and not letting anyone or anything else subvert that. What do you wish you knew before you started your first business? I should always trust my intuition. What did you learn from your biggest failure? That failure isn’t fatal. Often it is just a stepping stone to something greater. How do you find inspiration? I trust that it will find me (and it always does)
Business mentoring around strategy, marketing and helping my clients overcome their blocks to success. I also run public and private workshops on digital marketing for small businesses as well as speaking at larget events for Google and training Google’s trainers for the Google Digital Garage across the UK. Have you ever turned down a client? Yes … if I feel they are not ready to work with me, I won’t work with them. It’s a big investment for many business owners to work with me and I need to believe that they can get that investment back many times over.
JULIE HALL
To what do you attribute your success? Letting go of trying to control things, exploring different opportunities, knowing who I am and what I’m good at. I have been working with an EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) coach 15 months ago and it has transformed my life. So much so, that I am now working towards becoming a certified practitioner myself as it brings a whole new dimension to my mentoring work with my clients. One of the things that I have discovered is that it’s helpful to know what to do but if the mindset and mental work hasn’t cleared the way, then it is very difficult to achieve real success. EFT allows me to bring both the strategy and the mindset together.
If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be? Just start. Don’t wait for everything to be perfect. Your business is going to give you the ride of your life. It will be full of highs and lows. There will be times when you question your sanity about making this choice but stick with it. Be flexible, try things out, learn. Sometimes it takes a few tries to get it right. But when you do, there is nothing better. And being your own boss is totally addictive. Trust your own instincts and listen to your own inner voice before others because you are usually correct. What's your favourite quote? “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou
What is unique about your business? Honestly, I don’t even know where to start with this one. I am a serial entrepreneur and love the process of creating and growing a business. I am both a strategist and a technician and love both aspects of my skillset. I can teach people to build a website as well as put together marketing strategy for a website. I understand digital marketing technology at a deep level which means that I can help my clients in ways that most trainers and business mentors can’t. I have also accomplished some pretty amazing things, including creating a business community of over 20,000 entrepreneurs and teaching over 5000 entrepreneurs digital, marketing and business skills. And so far, I’ve had a 100% success rate with my clients.
Tell us about you and your business. Some may call me a business consultant, but in a nutshell I’m a motivated, courageous, human communicator and Dragon slayer. Inspiring people to sell in a human way.
JULIE
WHITE
What is unique about your business? My sales methodology is not traditional or process driven. It is very much based on connection. Many of my clients feel that sales is a dirty word and so they are ideal because i help them to see that sales is about a human conversation and we just need to be ourselves and understand our client’s world and pain in order to provide a solution that suits them. It’s not about us sales is always about the client.
What service(s) or product(s) do you offer I work as a coach, mentor or trainer depending on what my client’s require. For many entrepreneurs we work via 12-1 sessions. I also work with corporates by delivering workshops and 1-2-1 mentoring with Senior Managers. What's your favourite quote? Life quote - The only thing limiting you is your belief that there are limits. Sales quote - Sell the solution, not the product
What is your mission? (or) What’s your company’s goals? Sales is the life blood of any business and we can all sell. Life skills are sales skills. What is most important is the human connection and so I don’t teach the pushy, convincing process driven way of selling. My goal is to help every business owner to fall in love with sales.
JULIE
WHITE
How do you find inspiration? My son - he is my shining light wise, loving and beautiful. He is 13. My clients inpsire me everyday. Their light bulb moments and actually their willingness to learn and get better; and the people who inspire me are people like Oprah Winfrey, Brene Brown and Simon Sinek who talks about my favourite subject - the why..! To what do you attribute your success? Work ethic, determination, resilience, and my love of people. I am fascinated by how different and unique we all are and it is a joy. My parents also gave me the greatest start in life and were role models showing me that working hard and giving were the two most important things to keep everything going. I miss and love them both very much If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be? Know your why...know your ideal client and know their why. Understand that there is a need for whatever you offer and the route you will take to make sure people know about you and your solution. Don’t think it’s easy, it is not, but get the fundamentals in place and surround yourself with good people and your journey will be better and incredibly rewarding.
What do you wish you knew before you started your first business? I wish I had known how hard it was and that people do not always do what you expect them to do. I would also have got the important foundations right in my business before going into growth. Keep it simple but make sure the fundamentals are in place to support your business of the future. What did you learn from your biggest failure? My journey was colourful - I won investment on Dragons’ Den from Peter Jones for my Truly Madly Baby business and then built a £million profitable business without taking his investment, but instead took on a different business partner. That journey ended when we needed a second level of investment and sadly that business partner took my business into administration and bought it back for herself the next day - I lost everything. My lessons - no-one can take away learning, awards, achievements, and how proud I am of my Truly Madly Baby journey. That is why I do what I do today - helping entrepreneurs to fulfil their dreams.
Have you ever turned down a client? I think it is really important for both parties that you are a match. In order to get the right outcome the client and I have to understand each other and the client has to feel comfortable that they will get real value from working with me. If I don’t think I can help someone then I will be honest. What's your productivity secret? Don’t try and do everything because it is not always possible and you may burn out. Equally we all have our own specific strengths, so surround yourself with great people who can support you and potentially collaborate with you. The very best entrepreneurs surround themselves with great people.
MATILDA EGERE-COOPER Tell us about you and your business. Southerly is a creative content agency set up by Shelley Hoppe in 2009. I’m the Creative Content Lead at Southerly, and my hybrid role involves managing Southerly’s award-winning blog, copywriting and editing, pitching, devising strategic creative content marketing solutions for prospective briefs and contributing to the delivery of various client projects. What is your mission? (or) What’s your company’s goals? Our goal is to help our clients to achieve the outcomes they need through creative and engaging communications. To what do you attribute your success? I attribute my success to having faith and working hard.
What is unique about your business? Southerly is incredibly flexible and we work in an agile way, to ensure we’re delivering the right thing for our clients every step of the project. What's your productivity secret? When I want to crack down on a task, I listen to Robert Glasper’s Canvas album. It’s a beautiful jazz project and always helps me to focus. How do you find inspiration? I find inspiration everywhere, but some of my favourite magazines for creative inspiration are Fast Company and Wired.
What service(s) or product(s) do you offer We specialise in: Brand communications We create effective brand communications that help organisations build a positive reputation with their customers, stakeholders and the wider public. Internal communications We help organisations communicate effectively with their employees in engaging and interesting ways. Employer brand and recruitment marketing We create effective marketing campaigns and ongoing communications support that help organisations find, attract and retain high-performing employees. Out-sourced communications We offer full in-house marketing and communications support and services, so SMEs can focus on running their business. If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be? Don’t feel you have to put yourself in a box. We all have a range of skills, so it’s worth trying out different things to see what really sticks.
LEO BUSCAGLIA
‘CHANGE IS THE END RESULT OF ALL TRUE LEARNING’ WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTE? MATILDA EGERE COOPER
What's your productivity secret? If you find yourself in a funk - leave what you’re doing now - do something completely different come back to it after. Way more productive than sitting and procrastinating over it. What do you wish you knew before you started your first business? Buckle up kid - it’s going to be one hell of a ride!
NATALIA TALKOWSKA Tell us about you and your business. Natalia, I run Natalka Design creative agency specialising in visual storytelling helping you to engage, pitch, sell, promote, strategize better and stronger + Doodleledo social fun events for anyone who says ‚I can’t draw!’ both for public and companies, in 20 countries now. What is your mission? (or) What’s your company’s goals? Help people remember, retain and recall information easier, communicate their messages in a creative, easy to grasp way thus (what follows) help them pitch better, sell, promote, engage and strategize better and more powerful. Drawing people’s attention for you, that’s what we do. What's your favourite quote? Shut up and deal with it.
What service(s) or product(s) do you offer Visual storytelling in all its shape and form (animation, visuals, brand work, scribing etc), training (visual storytelling training, Doodleledo), consulting and problem solving. What is unique about your business? Our visual style (people recognise it, often send us pictures: saw your work here - knew it was you! ) of delivery and how we handle each project as it’s our first one. Have you ever turned down a client? Yep. Especially being an established business now we get to choose who we work with, not always the other way around.
What did you learn from your biggest failure? It’s normal. As Aaliyah sings: ‘Dust yourself off and try again’. How do you find inspiration? Everywhere everyday through talking to people, being on my own, music, art, movie, starring into the sky, walking, you never know when it hits, that’s the beauty of it. To what do you attribute your success? Hard work, no whining, knowing I bring value since day 1, my mum being nr #1 support, Darren Robson - my guardian angel who believed in me before I did that I can do it. .
"NEVER GIVE UP, ASK QUESTIONS, SAY YES, LEARN AS MUCH AS YOU CAN, BE STELLAR AT WHAT IT IS YOU DO, BELIEVE IN YOURSELF, NOT EVERYONE WILL BUY FROM YOU - THAT’S OK. YOUR PIECE OF ADVISE NATALIA TALKOWSKA
UZO
IJEWERE
Tell us about you and your business? Augment Results is a business coaching and consulting practise. We are focused on delivering business transformation by impacting and augmenting the people within it. In a nutshell, we re-engineer you and your people to improve results. The word Augment means to "make something greater by adding to it". Therefore, by inference, it means the 'thing' is already good. At Augment, we work with good people who want to be better, in order to provide a consistently excellent service to their clients. https://www.augmentresults.com Have you turned down a client? Yes
What's unique about your business? We have a few differentiators: ·We do not offer cookie cutter solutions - even in our group mentoring programme where we work with different businesses at the same time. · We take a top down approach – by impacting the executives and senior leadership, change is driven quickly and more permanently through the organisation. Emotional intelligence training is a key pillar in all our solutions.
What is your mission / your company's goal? · To play a part in disrupting the way of working in large organisations. · To help small businesses adopt more strategic approaches earlier in their development. · To create workplaces where the leaders are communicative and emotionally intelligent, and the people are empowered and trusted to deliver their best work.
UZO
IJEWERE
What did you learn from your greatest failure?
What services / products do you offer?
To forgive myself and keep going. There is no time to look back.
We offer a variety of services to organisations of every size small, medium and large. Services are delivered via consulting, workshops and training programmes, and 1-2-1 and group coaching. Each client benefits from a bespoke / tailored service.
How do you find your inspiration? In my faith, in my family, in my relationships – business and personal.
To what do you attribute your success? A belief that what I do makes a difference. The success of every client makes me want to go out and do it all again.
What's your productivity secret? I learned that multi-tasking is a lie. I focus on accomplishing one task at a time.
If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be? Take the time to design your business. It may take a day, or it may take six months. Give yourself the space to understand what you do and don’t want, and figure out how you will build it. What's your favourite quote? “Anticipate Resistance”. It’s a reminder that things will be challenging, but if you expect that to be the case, you can also overcome the challenges.
We would like to thank you!
hello@businesswomanclub.co.uk
weneedhelp@weorganiseevents.com