It has been just over three months since I left full time employment and the corporate world and started my portfolio career journey. My days have been busy working on my podcast (Stories by Career Sistas) finishing my book, (more to be revealed in the coming weeks) building the website and more. However, this weekend was one of those moments when I looked up from the laptop and decided to proactively spend some time seeking to be inspired, listening, and learning from other people’s career stories.
The place I chose to do so was to travel to the Midlands to attend the Birmingham edition of the Black Business Show. I was not disappointed. As always it always wonderful to surrounded by people of diverse backgrounds, people of colour, but as you might have guessed I was most inspired by the stories from the career women, the entrepreneurs, the innovators, the women changing the game.
Building connections
As always, when I make the effort to visit a venue where diverse talent is at the centre of the experience I am reminded by how powerful everyone’s unique story is. And I am not talking about the speakers yet, great though they are. I am talking about the people I met. Visitors to the event just like me. I met a young woman doing an apprenticeship, looking for connection as in her degree programme, in her day-to-day life she is “the only one”. I met a young woman of Latin American background on the verge of completing her PhD deciding which direction she saw her career moving in. There was a Black woman who asked a question in one of the sessions. But her question was more testimony than typical question, she had recovered from stage 4 cancer and yet was choosing to be there to pivot her career despite all the challenges that life had put in her way, she was the picture of resilience and strength. Many others were pursing or wanting to pursue side ventures including property, consulting, and coaching to name a few. They were also there to learn, connect and be inspired, just like me. And if that was not enough, I unexpectedly ran into a former colleague, someone that I hired and worked in my team over five years ago. Accordingly, it was also a place of re-connections.
Learning from the career journeys of others.
While there were many excellent sessions, I will share a few of my favourite.
The Moments that made them: Female Founders share their unfiltered journey to success
This session was moderated by Monique Codjoe (HSBC), during which three female founders Scarlett Allen- Horton (Harper Fox Partners), Kameese Davis (Nylah’s Naturals) and Sasha Ellese Gilbert (Nala’s Baby) shared the unfiltered stories of their journeys, successes and turning point moments in their entrepreneurial journeys. Some of the standout moments for me were:
- Acknowledging that you can’t have it all
- Accepting at times, you must give 100% percent of yourself to your business.
- Knowing when you need help in your business so you can truly focus on the things that matter.
- Being inspired by Kameese’s story about reading Shonda Rimes “Year of Yes”, that motivating her to sign up for Dragon’s Den, getting an offer but ultimately turning it down because it was not right.
- Reflecting on Scarlett’s thoughts on non-exec directors and that access to their knowledge can be more important than funding.
- Considering whether you truly need investment or whether you can you grow the business organically to a certain size.
Launchpad Competition
This is a segment where four finalists compete to win support from the sponsor in a mini version of a Dragon’s Den (UK)/Shark’s Tank (US) type experience. The four finalists were all worthy competitors, but the winning pitch came from Reah Coo who was just a touch above the rest. She painted a picture with the facts, stories and brought to life the needs of families with children with special educational needs and how her business was already helping them and with further support could do even more. I look forward to following her journey and the progress of her company Inspire 321 Ltd.
In Conversation with Dame Denise Lewis
Then on to the final event. Those that know me, know that I don’t typically care much for sports and typically if it had not been for that setting most likely I would not have even attended a segment featuring a sports person. However, I would have been wrong, and I would have missed out on a lot…attending that session is now one of the highlights of my year thus far.
Denise’s story is inspiring. She shared a bit of her background growing up with her mum, a single mother of Jamaican heritage in the Midlands through to the career pivots she has made from Olympian to broadcaster, businessperson and more. She talked about the glass ceiling but acknowledging that for women of colour and in particular Black women “the ceiling is thick”. She talked about being at the height of her fame, when she was winning Olympic records but back then brands thought, she “was not relatable,” too black, too strong… She spoke about dealing with challenges, acknowledging the hurt, but then thinking about the alternative. One statement she said that really resonated was “You can’t look and sound like everyone else, but that does not mean there is not a space for you.”
She shared a story about being injured before the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Due to an Achilles injury, she was unable to physically train for nine weeks for the Olympics. Nevertheless, she focused on what she could do, her mental strength and despite the setback she faced she won gold in the Heptathlon, which for the sports novices like me apparently has seven events – An amazing accomplishment at the best of times much less when recovering from an injury.
One of her final thoughts to end on, is you can’t do it on your own and life is short, therefore:
- Don’t worry about what everyone else thinks.
- Connect with others.
- Amplify your profile.
- Be willing to step outside your comfort zone.
Ultimately, surround yourself with people that think like you, that make you better. For me, at the heart of her message was the focus on continuous progress and constantly moving forward. It as she said, it is therefore important to:
“Take one little step, then two, then three, then four. Then you are jogging and if you are lucky then you are sprinting.”
That sentiment is relevant whether you are talking about sports, business, or life in general, just keep moving.
Attending the Black Business Show in Birmingham was a timely reminder on the power of connection, representation, and growth as professional women, especially from diverse backgrounds. Whether you are just starting out, navigating a career pivot, or building a portfolio career or business like I am, surrounding yourself with ambitious like-minded individuals who can help you take the next step with confidence. If you found these insights helpful and want to stay connected on more practical career strategies, events, and advance news about my upcoming book, I invite you to join my mailing list. Sign up today to be the first to know. Let’s continue the journey together.
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