4 minute read
SWIB Awards Winners 2019
Erin Thomas Wong Digital Communication Award
Meet some of the winners of the 2019 Successful Women Awards
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Erin Thomas Wong started her first business 12 years ago when her son was born. Since then she has built five businesses while bringing up her two sons, and now mentors and supports hundreds of women as they grow and scale their own businesses around family life. Erin’s built her community online as she recognised that many women didn’t have access to in-person networking and business support, so she wanted to create a space where women could log in from anywhere around the world and feel connected, heard and understood. In winning the Digital Communication Award, Erin said: “I was absolutely thrilled to be recognised by SWIB and Em-Power for the work I do online. I’ve always believed that it’s possible to create real relationships in an online setting and I work hard to create a safe space to nurture those connections. Who knew that in 2020 this would be more important than ever. Winning the award was huge in terms of my visibility and a great opportunity for me to shout about what I do and how I can help.”
Samantha Acton
Innovation Award
Having founded her first business, Domestic Angels, in 2002, innovation has been the backbone to Samantha’s entrepreneurial success. With the original business franchised since 2017, this award recognised the launch of in-house software onto the open market, taking Sam and her team into the Global Fintech industry with Paxan Solutions. Sam tells us: “The award was for the whole team; we inspire each other, they certainly inspire me. Winning helped us all to realise what we’re developing and achieving is really very clever, which motivated us to plan converting more ideas into a reality. For me, the Innovation Award has even more relevance in 2020, a year in which the world of business has had to accept that agility and innovation are the two keys to success.” Since receiving the prestigious SWIB award, Sam and team have gone on to break into the Top 100 of Elite Franchises, become the Acquisition International Best Cleaning Franchise for 2020 in Europe and Sam was named their Most Influential Franchise Business Woman of the year. Sam concluded: “I’d like to thank Gill and the team at SWIB; our sponsor, Boutique in a Bus; and encourage business women to connect with SWIB and join a tribe of positivity and support.”
Nikki Holt
New Business Award
Nikki Holt is the founder of Nostara Home Fragrance. The name, Nostara, was derived from Ostara, the Goddess of Spring, symbolising new beginnings: the perfect metaphor for Nikki’s new venture, having enjoyed many happy years as a stay-at-home mum. She offers a range of natural soy wax candles and reed diffusers that are sustainable and ethically sourced, locally where possible. All fragrances are bespoke to Nostara and developed lovingly by Nikki and an award-winning perfumer, ensuring all her creations are unique and inextricably linked to her experiences and favourite places. When asked about winning the award she said: “I was thrilled to have won the New Business Award; it gave me a real boost! It inspired me to continue, and the determination and confidence to scale up the business. Thank you SWIB.”
Gill Freeman
Professional Services Award
Winner of the Professional Services Award 2019, Gill Freeman, Partner and Head of Charity and Not for Profit at regional accountancy firm Milsted Langdon, said: “The SWIB awards are very special as they recognise and celebrate the success of women and their positive impact on the wider community. Not only that, SWIB brings together women to discuss their work, their lives and their goals, and raises the bar for what we can achieve. I was truly honoured to have received this award. Ever since I joined the profession, I have done my utmost to not only support clients but also highlight the contribution that women make to our profession, while also mentoring my fellow female professionals. My firm is incredibly proud of this award and the trophy takes pride of place in our reception – which illustrates that as a company we take equality and diversity seriously and celebrate it.”
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