News
Purple Mash and Soggy Bottom
Jan
I’d rather work than have purple mash and a soggy bottom any day…
Well, that was how I felt when I returned to the office on 2nd January. I only had to cook for four on Boxing Day but after placing the red cabbage above the potatoes for mashing in the steamer resulting in purple mash and the temperature too low for my Yorkshire pudding, I ended up with a soggy bottom! I appear to have more in common with Bridget Jones than Nigella Lawson, so I raced back to the business like a marathon runner and set myself a number of goals for 2020.
SEARCHING FOR AWESOMENESS
The No.1 goal for the business in 2020 “You don’t have to be blonde to work here…”
We pushed out our advertising campaign to attract another awesome individual for the team. I’ve recognised that we can’t move the business forward until we add to the talent in our team, and this is my focus in Qtr 1. We are still accepting applicants so if you know an awesome person with Business Development experience who fits the bill… brunettes, redheads, ombres, mermaid please send them our way.
JANUARY BOOK RECOMMENDATION
I finished “Finding my virginity” Richard Branson’s second autobiography and at a whopping 44 chapters. It really is packed with some inspiring stories. When people say “live everyday as if it were your last”, I think Richard is living proof of this. With countless near-death experiences, he really pushes himself in every aspect of his life. I love the honesty of the content as he recalls incidences when he has embarrassed himself after having too much to drink. Many of us have been there and his passion comes through in the language as he talks about the hypocrisy he has met. At 67 years old, his age is not a barrier to challenges he takes on, he truly is one of the most amazing entrepreneurs of our time.
I CAN’T GET ENOUGH NETWORKING
As someone who runs a networking organisation, I know how important it is to get out there. So this month I visited the “Sociable Business Network” hosted by Lee Ferguson from the Stonegate group. Held at the Slug and Lettuce Blackpool, Lee puts a lot of effort into creating a local community of business people who come along and connect. Following this I received a call from a lady who wants to scale up her side hustle into a full-time one, so thanks Lee for the referral. Despite the temptation of free Prosecco, I declined and drank water but that is down to another goal set.
PARTNERSHIPS THAT PROSPER WITH A “COMMUNITY OVER COMPETITION” APPROACH
Last year, I took the decision to partner with Lancashire Business View who run the Red Rose Awards. A number of people have asked me why do this when I have the Enterprise Vision Awards, surely we are competitors? We all have competition, it’s healthy and keeps us on our toes but there is a real difference in what we offer.
We are female only, RRA are mixed, we are North West, RRA are Lancashire. We both want to impact on businesses and shine a light on success which is something we do share. Working with LBV has given me an opportunity to share the success of our members and customers and that can only be a good thing for them. I have really enjoyed joining the #RRA20 pre-judging panel and look forward to the awards ceremony in March. Good luck to all the finalists.
IT’S SHOWTOWN IN BLACKPOOL
I was privileged to be invited to the VIP launch of the “Blackpool Museum Project” at the iconic Blackpool Tower. Held in the circus with the media in attendance and Blackpool ambassadors including Laurence Lewellyn Bowen, the project name was revealed “Showtown”. Appropriate with the rich and diverse entertainment history of the town. The museum will be housed within the new 5 star promenade Sands Hotel later this year and I am sure will be a great family attraction add value to the town.
A Menagerie of meetings in Manchester
We nipped over to Manchester to meet up with two fabulous ladies. First was Emma Corkish from “October Creative” who we are thrilled to be working with as our artwork partner for the EVAS2020. It’s a great time to bring fresh creative eyes to the team as we have re branded for our 10th Anniversary and want to give our EVA bird a bit of a makeover. Looking forward to the brand changes across all platforms. We also popped into the “Menagerie Restaurant” as we have invited Karina Jadhav to speak at our forthcoming “International Women’s Day” event in Lancashire. Karina has had such a fascinating entrepreneurial journey so far and is host to her celebrity clients while also entertaining her young baby.
#EVAS2020 – IT’S OFFICIAL! WE’RE OPEN!
The 2020 Enterprise Vision Awards are now open for entries, the wait is finally over. Pop over to check out our brand new web design created by the team at “Yellowphin”. We have added four new categories including; The Affiliate Award, Employee of the Year, Family Business and Charity of the Year.
We have some Free EVA Roadshows coming up and you are welcome to join us. If you would like to join us as a sponsor then get in touch. The EVAS are the highlight of our calendar and as always we eagerly anticipate the nominations. Nominate a woman (in the North West), it could make their day!
And finally after swopping one addiction to another I may have to look at Bridget Jones big pants!
I was motivated to give up smoking after attending Tony Robbins “Unleash the Power” last year, I’ve had a few blips along the road, but I am delighted I ditched the cigs. Consequently, I piled on the pounds substituting the ciggies for munching, so I have reluctantly joined a diet group, wish me luck!
