It’s said “fortune favours the bold and fortune favours the brave”
That’s pretty much my story growing up through school, my career and later the world of entrepreneurship.
At 67 years of age and looking back, I’ve got my Mum to thank for that because she encouraged that “never take no for an answer” mindset which she’d had to adopt during her lifetime (I could write a book about her life and I will one day)
So I would say that where I am today and the success I’ve achieved is down to the lessons she taught me growing up.
At school whenever someone said “Susan you can’t do that” she would say “yes you can”. I wasn’t the brightest of children but I would always try my best to succeed… in fact being told you can’t just made me try harder – definitely a trait of successful women!
A child of the fifties (now one of the ‘Boomer’ generation) I was encouraged to go to school, get a good education and find a career until it was time to retire.
I had other ideas on that when I had my first child and wanted to be what’s known as a “stay at home mum”. That was the start of my journey into entrepreneurship.
It was the year that Prince William was born and traditional baby clothes were all the rage. My Mum was a dressmaker by profession and together we set up Classy Baby making hand smocked baby clothes modelled on those worn by the young prince.
This was in the days before the internet so we had to find innovative ways to market our business ultimately finding ourselves featured in The Daily Telegraph through some brave moves!
The orders flooded in and Liberty of London asked us to make a range exclusively for them using their fabrics. I had my first taste of success and loved the buzz of working for myself.
Two years into the journey my Dad died and we sold the business as Mum couldn’t carry on. I often think about what if that didn’t happen but life throw you curve balls doesn’t it?
What next?
There was no way I wanted to go back to working for someone else so my next brainchild was born. With my career skills I would provide secretarial services to local businesses. This expanded into providing bookkeeping services as I discovered that most did not know even if their business was profitable!
And then I met Chris and life took on a new meaning. Aside from falling in love he was entrepreneurial too, already running his own successful business and he helped me expand mine taking my accountancy skills up a notch.
We’ve worked together ever since – an accountancy and management consultancy, a ski chalet business in France and in 2010 we gave up our traditional multiple six figure business and became online entrepreneurs with the aim of helping those in or approaching retirement achieve their lifestyle and financial goals… and we’re still here doing what we love.
Words of Wisdom
Never take no for an answer – fortune definitely favours the brave.
Never give up on your dreams of success because it’s just around the corner.
A woman cannot live on wine alone…
