2Inspire Business profile: Madeline McQueen

In this 2Inspire Business profile interview we meet Madeline McQueen, a highly successful business consultant whose sales consultancy has brought in millions for companies across the UK. Aside from being a true inspiration to so many other entrepreneurs she is also a happily married wife and dedicated mother. We were honoured to have Madeline share her story with us on The 2Inspire Blog and hope it inspires many others across the world to live their best lives! 

Madeline McQueen

Please tell us what is a typical business day for you?

I start my day with my journals noting down my thoughts and mantras and then listen to some kind of book motivational book that gives me positive words and thoughts that really help me step into my magnificence.  Once I’m up and ready, I check out the diary and ensure that I know what is on my agenda with regards to clients and take a look at my to-do-list. During my day I am either writing a training programme or info piece or conducting a session with a client onsite or over the phone (mainly Skype these days.) Everything that I do is around business development, sales, customer service and success.

I spend at least half an hour doing something to market myself and ensure that I am posting on social media things that inspire or things around success. Some days are spent wholly on client site whilst others are spent in my home office. The end of the day comes round pretty quickly as I have two daughters so late afternoon tends to become about them. 

What made you start the business and how did you get started?

I had my second daughter and decided that I did not want to go back to full-time work for someone else. I was already doing bits and bobs of business consulting and coaching as well as working with my husband so I decided to start vocalising that I was ready to branch out on my own and was looking to do more work.

My first contracts came from word of mouth and as I started working with various companies, I started to realise just how much I could offer and since my work allows me to work around my children it was a no brainer.

What would you say has been your greatest accomplishment in the business world to date?

Ohhh that’s interesting, I suppose that if we are talking in monetary terms I secured a contract when I worked in Corporate IT Retail for an international enterprise company for £2m per year, which was the largest UK contract signed for the company in the UK. I was up against a three other suppliers and had to compete not just on price but on service. In sales people buy from people they like and they bought me and part of their requirement was that I managed the contract.

What has been your biggest challenge in business so far?

In all honesty it has been overcoming my own self talk, where I used to question whether I was good enough. I think that this is the biggest problem that many of people have and yet it is just not true. We have lots of evidence that proves our worth, knowledge, skill and experience. I choose to challenge daily those thoughts and the results have been astounding. I now charge my worth, I ask for the business that I want and I work only with those I want to work with and all because I now know that I am a worth it.

What are your future plans for the business?

To conquer the Tech world providing some of the sales coaching and soft skills that often are lost on techies and to create a multi-million pound enterprise that supports others to achieve their success. I also have a perchance for property so that’s an area of business that over the next 5 years I want to really develop.

If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently?

I’d trust my skills and experience far sooner and not second guess myself.

Once you do this everything else falls into place. You start to realise that every mistake is an opportunity to gain new knowledge and skills and that beating yourself up is a fruitless task.

Why is it so important to inspire young women in particular to follow their dreams?

In a world where young women are being pushed an idea of beauty that belies their skills and talents, I think that it is imperative that we do everything we can to help them achieve their dreams.

In many ways our world has gone backwards promoting women as useful only as sex objects that can be picked up and put down whenever and wherever. Young women need to be shown that they are so much more than that. Their levels of intelligence, creativity and skills can take them wherever they want to go. More so by stepping into their magnificence they leave a legacy for the young women coming up behind them to push further and be greater than they were.

What advice would you give to somebody who wants to start a business in your industry? I would firstly say that they need to truly believe in themselves and focus on delivering to the best of their ability every time. I would also say that from the get-go hold your boundaries around what you offer and ensure that you deliver what was asked for and not try and entrance yourself into some else’s business. Charge your worth as what you do makes a massive difference to the bottom line. I would also say be very clear about what you offering can and cannot do, so that there is no room for misunderstanding.

What or who inspires you in business and why?

I tend to put my head down and get on with it but someone who recently inspired me was Farah Gray a young man from the Chicago projects that became a millionaire aged 14. When I think of him I think, if he can do it so can I. I am also inspired by the many women in business like, Ali Brown, Dani Johnson and Maria Forleo who have created brilliant info based businesses that push women to success. They make me want to push further and harder. What inspires me is the learning that I have gained through a variety of books about the human spirit and success mechanism. I listen regularly to Dr Maxwell Maltz “Psycho-Cybernetics” which is all about how activating your natural success system. I think it’s brilliant.

What is your favourite inspirational quote?

Now this is a really difficult one because there are so many that I love. When all is said and done I suppose this one really sums it all up ““Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right.” ― Henry Ford

Madeline McQueen 

Business Consultant 

Sales, Customer Service & Quality

t:      07533 159 371

w:    madelinemcqueen.com

tw:  madeline.mcqueen

b:    madelinemcqueen.co.uk