Speakers offer real inspiration at conference

International Women’s Day was marked by the Chamber’s Enterprising Women network with a special conference in March, where a series of keynote speakers told their stories and helped delegates to self-reflect on their own personal and professional journeys. Dan Robinson was in the audience at the Nottingham Belfry to take notes of the discussions.

Learning From The Biggest Challenges

Emily Smith, who was crowned Business Woman of the Year at last year’s Enterprising Women Awards, gave an insight into her career and the many hurdles she has had to overcome.

Starting work aged 13 and becoming an accountant at 16, she opted to take the apprenticeship route ahead of academia – along the way proving her teacher wrong after being told she couldn’t become a chartered accountant without going to university –before joining Leicester-based switchgear and control panel manufacturer Michael Smith Switchgear, and rising to finance and operations director.

Emily, who is also managing director of sister company AVW Fabrications, learned about manufacturing processes on the shop floor to earn the respect of staff and made it her task to modernise a business with a “1980s mentality”.

She has had to contend with “negative comments” and overcome imposter syndrome, which included doubts about her own leadership style, to move the company forward.

Lessons she has learned include not being afraid to show emotion –she believes breaking down in tears in front of staff when the pandemic first hit displayed her “human side”, while demonstrating passion in the right way can “show you are just trying to make things better”.

Others include “being prepared to say no”, after turning away a major customer who disrespected her staff led to the team having more time to generate work and grow the business; the importance of relationships and open communication; and the benefits of pushing herself out of her comfort zone.

Stepping Into The Unknown

“Just have a go” was the message from coaching expert Sandra Whiles, who set up own company in 2016 without any knowledge of running a business after spending 12 years as chief executive of Blaby District Council. Her time as a leader had taught her the value of taking risks buther experience of the private sector was minimal.

“All I really knew was I had to see an accountant and it would help to network and meet people,” she said. “Nearly seven years on, it’s doing well and I love what I do in offering business and leadership coaching.

“So for me, it’s important to push yourself – recognise what it is that might hold you back and what you need to do to overcome it.”

Enjoy What You Do

Amanda Daly also left behind what appeared to outside observers as a comfortable life to find her true calling.

She spent more than two decades as sales director and then managing director of a successful telecoms and IT company, recalling: “When people looked at me they thought I had a lovely life with a nice house and car, but they didn’t realise I was absolutely breaking because I had fallen out of love with the business.

“It gave me a wonderful life but it has to be about the human side, not just about the material side, so seven years ago I took a leap of faith and set up a coaching business on my own.”

The Turnaround CEO helps business owners to see their company from a different perspective to draw out areas where it can become more successful.

Amanda spoke about the four objective variables to measure trustworthiness – credibility, reliability, intimacy and selforientation – as part of the “trust equation”.

She added: “Be authentic and accepting about who you are, and don’t allow any barriers to get in the way of what you want to do.”

A NETWORKING EVENT with a twist is the next date in the Enterprising Women diary.

The event on 18 May features a “peer share puzzle” activity that challenges attendees to consider how they can use existing skills to solve problems and “escape” career obstacles.

It takes place at Dryden Enterprise Centre, in Nottingham, from 13.30pm. Afternoon tea and refreshments are included in the ticket, which costs £15 for Chamber members and £20 for non-members.

Visit www.emc-dnl.co.uk/ enterprising-women

Influential woman award for Eileen

Eileen Perry MBE DL was recognised as a Woman of Influence at the Nachural Entrepreneurship Awards 2023.

The Enterprising Women co-chair and Chamber board member was honoured for her role in championing the causes of women in business at the ceremony, held in Leicester on 10 March.

Eileen, who runs Leicesterbased recruitment agency ER Recruitment, said: “I was delighted to have been presented with this special award, which is a new category for Nachural.

“As co-chair of Enterprising Women alongside Jean Mountain, we are passionate about encouraging women to enter and progress through the world of enterprise. This is hugely supported by both men and women.”