MY BUSINESS JOURNEY
Where It All Began....
My product business had been a rollercoaster ride! The idea was born from a difficult time that we experienced as a family.
Our world was turned upside down following my husband's accident and my own major surgery. After being a stay at home Mum for 11 years, I found myself needing to take charge of the family unit and try to carve out a future for us.
With no qualifications, no business experience and no confidence, I was at a loss as to how we would recover as a family.
Financially in ruin, we had to visit food banks to get by and our future looked uncertain. Making up games with our daughters to find money hidden around the house, they had no idea we were doing it just to survive. Upon receiving one of our food bank parcels from the amazing Trussell Trust, I remember using a sample sized body lotion that I found inside the package.
At such a dark time, that one action of using that product lifted my spirits and in the midst of the chaos made me feel human again.
It was from that moment that I vowed to dedicate my future to making other people feel special, if only for a short time, just as I had at that moment. The Soap Sponge Company was born and has a deep rooted passion for self care.
It was a good few years before we were able to get on our feet and in 2019 I opened the doors to my very own High Street shop. Following a few years running a Bricks & Mortar business I moved online and concentrated on wholesaling all over the world!
What Happened Next...
My business journey to this point had been an incredible experience, speaking on stages, winning awards, launching the Yes SHE Can Project Podcast and connecting with AMAZING women!
In the winter of 2022, everything changed. A freak accident left me with injuries which meant my product business suffered, I couldn't keep up with demand with the impact it had on my physical health left me in a vulnerable place.
What followed was a decline in my mental health and I suffered regular seizures that completely debilitated me. Early 2023 saw me receiving a diagnosis of FND (Functional Neurological Disorder) and as a result of the pressures I was under I suffered a breakdown. .
This forced me to stop and question the direction I was taking in my life....
I asked myself what makes me happiest with work, and the answer was EMPOWERING WOMEN!!
I know how difficult the journey of business can be and that has inspired the launch of The Female Business Mentor, I want to support you and show you that you can absolutely do this too! Immediately people I had connected with already got in touch and I took on my first few clients in a matter of weeks I was bowled over!
I sold my product business late 2023, and was able to fully focus on fulfilling my passion.
Throughout my business journey I have come across THE MOST incredible, talented, supportive and amazing women. Along the way I have gained valuable experience (and many mistakes made!) and know the importance of having that one on one support makes in our journeys. Built from a passion for supporting women in business I knew that I wanted to provide that amazing support and guidance that I have been lucky enough to have. Working with women and helping them see how incredible they are and what they can achieve TRULY LIGHTS ME UP!!!
And Now....
Helping women is my life long mission, whether that be in their business journey or in their lives. I have had the honour of helping so many female entrepreneurs since the beginning of this journey and when I say I am Living The Dream, I REALLY MEAN IT!!!
To be a small part of enabling women to see their strengths, realise their potential and see their futures are completely reachable, it is my LIFE!
I have come from a place of not believing in myself, letting my own negative thoughts hold me back and I want to make sure that every woman I work with KNOWS how incredible they are. It is by supporting one another through the most difficult and equally most joyous times is when we can truly thrive!
Now I have embarked on a journey to further empower women through their finances too by becoming a Trainee Financial Planner with Women's Wealth. My passion for helping women is what has got me through the darkest of times and I will continue to help them through theirs as I know just how VITAL it is to have that support of someone you can trust, who listens and who will be your cheerleader!
I want to be YOUR business mentor!