Women Unlimited Inspiration, lnnovation, Collaboration

This week we hear from Tina C. Hines, founder of My Sister Friends. In business for a little over one year, My Sister Friends’ mission is to strive to educate, empower and enlighten women as they embark on their own personal journeys. They encourage women to realize their passions, achieve their goals and connect with their true selves. 1. What drove you to start your own business?  What was the turning point?  My personal “epiphany” began when I started a book club with my friends. Although we fully intended to discuss books, ... Read More »

This week we hear the amazing story of Sandra Shoemake Zwollo who has been organising exclusive retreats for women since 2009. What is a brief description of your business? Harem organises luxurious retreats exclusively for women. I’ve created a place where women can be themselves, are allowed to completely let go, no responsibilities, no demands, no decisions, just a healthy dose of self-indulgence, lots of high-end pampering, great healthy organic food and the time and space to put themselves first, for a few days, with even clothing provided, so nobody ... Read More »

This week we meet Sonia Calvo who has created her company Creating Serenity, a life coach business. Sonia works with people who are suffering with overwhelm, burn out and want to find another way of being, to find themselves again, their fuel and their passions. Having been operating for just over a year, let’s hear from Sonia about her entrepreneurial journey… 1. What drove you to start your own business?  What was the turning point? Having children and working in a 9-5 job which was not very flexible, prompted me to look ... Read More »

Today we have Alyssa Jade McDonald, founder of BLYSS gmbH sharing her entrepreneurial journey! So lets crack on and hear about her amazing story… How long have you been in business? The basis of BLYSS is Ilolo Estate which started in the uncarved jungles of Papua New Guinea in the 1920s by social entrepreneurs Percy and Gertrude McDonald. It passed through to son Robert and his Australian bride Patricia, who developed the multi-diverse plantations further. Meanwhile, Patricia’s father, a renowned pâtissier in Sydney, was crafting elegantly tiered desserts and gateaux with his wife Beatrice ... Read More »

Today’s ‘Your Story’ takes a slightly different format with Julie Waddell sharing her journey from – BBC Journalist to Artisan Food Entrepreneur. Julie Waddell launched The Little Smoked Food Company Ltd in 2012 and won a listing for her products in Waitrose in November of the same year. Here’s her story… I’ve been privileged to work as a BBC Broadcast Journalist for almost ten years, most recently working on my favourite show – Radio 4′s “The Food Programme”. I love this show because it’s interesting, entertaining, and intelligently informative and ... Read More »

Today we hear from Amy Kothari, CEO and owner of My Alarm Center. Amy was initially brought on as the company’s CFO, and then became the CEO of My Alarm Center over eight years ago, growing the business from 10,000 customers to over 140,000.  My Alarm Center began as a financing option for the over 14,000 small, mom-and-pop style alarm companies throughout the United States who had little access to capital.  Amy’s role with the company has transformed My Alarm Center from just a financial resource for the industry into a full-service ... Read More »

Last year at Thrive 2012 (have you checked out Thrive 2013 yet?!) we decided to do something a bit different. Rather than running a conference where all the speakers had made millions and squillions of dollars, I wanted to inspire the audience with some of YOUR stories. Women from our own commmunity who had started up their own businesses and had come along to our workshops and events. Women who had made the leap of faith and jumped into their new venture with anticipation, fear, excitement and hope. We had ... Read More »

Today’s story is from Thirzie Hull and Samina Raza, owners of Jeeves & Jemima Lifestyle Management. In business for only a short 6 months, Jeeves and Jemima call themselves ‘London’s most exciting Lifestyle Managers.’ Their mission is to help busy Londoners live simple and beautiful lives. We believe that beauty should permeate every area of life, even the most mundane. We help London’s busiest people live simpler, less stressful and more beautiful lives. Our unique service was created in response to the fast pace of city life, ours is a ... Read More »

Today on ‘Your Stories’ we have The Money Goddess, Karen Bashford telling us about her entrepreneurial journey. Karen has been a coach for 5 years and has been running her business, The Money Goddess since February 2012. She helps women have a loving relationship with money through her coaching programs, and shows them how to create the right mindset and have the confidence and knowledge to make money work for them, instead of the other way around. 1. What drove you to start your own business? What was the turning ... Read More »

Today we welcome Sarah Orecchia, founder of Unbeelievable Health Ltd.  The company launched in April 2010 at The Natural & Organic Products Europe show and has been an unbeelievable success! They are an ethical nutritional supplements company, making wellness remedies which include one or more bee ingredients combined with other nutrients to target specific health issues. So let’s hear about this fantastic journey from Sarah… 1. What drove you to start your own business? What was the turning point? I frequently suffered from colds and flu and started speaking to ... Read More »