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2inspire Network blog is one of the mediums the Network uses to empower and inspire individuals. It is used to share knowledge and messages that will make a positive impact in people's lives and is also used as a platform to promote the products, services and events of the Network and external organisations.
Friday, 31 May 2013
The 2Inspire Academy is seeking Ambassadors
2Inspire Inspirational Woman: Atiti Sosimi
In this business profile The 2Inspire Network meets the formidable Atiti Sosimi, an award-winning business woman who has really defined the concept of "having it all" but living a life that she truly loves! Read on and be inspired!
Please tell
us what is a typical business day for you?
I have a very structured work schedule which allows me
to manage my busy work/family life. I generally get up between 5.10am and
5.50am which is my ‘quiet time’. The family get up at 6am and are out for school
by 8.00am and then my tasks for the day depend on the day of the week since
I have split the business areas I service across the days of the week.
I have face to face and Skype meetings, sometimes I
am out delivering workshops or speaking at events, preparing for then hosting
my ‘Tea with Atiti’ monthly events or working with my project manager on my
Eyato accessories collection.
What made you
start the business and how did you get started?
I have been a creative serial entrepreneur since
mid 2000. Developing and delivering a high growth personal development
business. I folded my company 2011, I spent
several months exploring what the future of my business would look like and
made some tough decisions. Those decisions saw me start up
a business which has evolved out of my last business. Previous successes
determined business continuity, but the environment determined the delivery and
practice.
What would
you say has been your greatest accomplishment in the business world to date?
1.
Developing a powerful business brands
that aligns with my values; celebrating your uniqueness (Distinctly Different /
Eyato) Celebrate yourself, cherish and replenish yourself (Eyato/Tea with
Atiti)
2.
Inventing the board game Shhh or Tell
It which was described as a diamond by the then Argos games buyer (see website www.shhh-or-tellit.org) and it’s accompanying Facebook App
3.
Achieving Peer recognition through
business award nominations and winning business awards
 |
| Atiti speaking to an audience with HRH Princess Anne on behalf of The Citizens Advice Bureau |
What
has been your biggest challenge in business so far?
Responding to change.
Recognising that it was time to pivot
in a new direction using a different approach, maintaining business activity
during this exercise and refining/ clarifying what the future business would
look like and refining what it would offer.
What
are your future plans for the business?
To keep growing and expanding into the
global marketplace whilst maintaining a lean and profitable enterprise.
If you
had to do it all over again, what would you do differently?
I would probably give myself exposure
much earlier than I did and not rely solely on the exceptional quality of my
business services and products to bring the market to me via word of mouth.
Why is it so important to inspire young women in particular to follow their
dreams?
We live in a world of gender
inequality; life and certain care responsibilities seem to be
disproportionately heaped on women by society e.g caring for home, children and
family. So young women’s dreams more often than not end up on the back burner
and often never get re-visited even after life has changed/improved e.g
children have grown and flown the nest or circumstances involving aged family members have changed.
If women are to have a better chance at
following their dreams then we need to inspire them as early on as possible
with role models who have managed life and passion side by side in order for
them to hold onto and pursue their dreams and they need to see themselves that
their dreams are very important in order not to shelve them at the first
obstacle.
What advice would you give to somebody who wants to start a business in your
industry?
·
Clarify and establish what makes what
you are about to offer unique
·
Ensure you have a committed market of
customers who are prepared to pay for what you want to offer
·
Lock down your marketing and
distribution strategies
What
or who inspires you in business and why?
I am inspired by the gift of life, the
fact we can make the lives of others better, more enjoyable, less stressful and
more fulfilling if we chose to and as I choose to I am driven by my ability to
use my life, gifts, talents and abilities to make a difference in the lives of
everyone I come into contact with one way or another. I am inspired by
possibility!
What is
your favourite inspirational quote?
"Impossible is
just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live the world
they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible
is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare.
Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing." John C Maxwell
Contact Atiti
Eyato
www.eyato.com
Tea with Atiti
www.teawithatiti.com
The Big Secret Comapny
www.the-big-secret.org
www.eyato.com
Tea with Atiti
www.teawithatiti.com
The Big Secret Comapny
www.the-big-secret.org
Email atiti@ah-tt.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/atitisosimi
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Atiti_distdiff
Tuesday, 28 May 2013
2Inspire Business Profile: Punkin Patch - Luxury designer baby nursery furniture
In this business profile we meet Toks Aruoture the founder of Punkin Patch Luxury designer baby nursery furniture made to the highest safety standard. Read on as Toks shares her amazing story.
Please tell us what is a typical business
day for you?
No day is typical! A good day will have me awake at
4:30am, in reality it’s usually 5:30. I get the children ready for school and
all out of the house by 8:30. I have different activities scheduled for each
weekday, and my tasks range from visiting clients, processing orders and
liaising with craftsmen or suppliers. At the moment I am working on a project
called DREAM, which encourages mums to be to be more daring in their nursery design
schemes.
What made you start the business and how did you get started?
I went into interior design after a long break from
my previous job as a Medical Representative. On my return to work, the terms offered
were unfavourable to me coupled with the fact that I didn’t really enjoy the
job. My husband suggested I do something I really love, which was interior
design. I had done that as a hobby for a while. I later moved to the United
States and purchased a beautiful baby boutique, then merged my love for
interior design with the sale of beautiful furnishings.
What would you say has been your greatest
accomplishment in the business world to date?
Surviving! Actually it would probably be the fact
that I rescued the business from certain death at the start of the recession.
When I faced the difficult decision to close my store, I chose to move it
online instead. I had gone through and been fleeced by a number of web
designers who never delivered the website I had in mind and now I had 28 days
to learn how to build a website from scratch. 5 years ago it really was rocket science. I had not dabbled in
that side of things before and first I had to overcome the trepidation that
stared at me, next I had to ‘unbelieve’ the fact that my business was over, and
then retrain my mind to get up, dust down and keep going. I still refer back to
that period when I’m facing a seemingly insurmountable challenge, I draw
strength from the experience and it reminds me that it is possible.
What has been your biggest
challenge in business so far?
One of my biggest challenges has been
logistics. A number of our products are made abroad and we have been through a
great deal trying to find a good match for us. Sometimes items get damaged
during transit. Considering the fact that most pieces are custom made to order,
it isn’t as straightforward as simply getting a replacement. The replacement
has to be made from scratch too. We have made some very costly mistakes in our
choice of logistic partners and have certainly learned from them. I see it as
paying for a course in choosing whom to work with.
What are your future plans for the
business?
My immediate future plan is developing
the interior design side of things. I realise that much as I love running
Punkin Patch, I miss the hands-on creative side of things. I am a creative at
heart and I realise I have been doing more sales and admin, that isn’t what I
signed up for although it is essential when you run your own business and it is
still in its early growth stages. On the production side we have some big plans
in the pipeline.
If you had to do it all over
again, what would you do differently?
I would start slowly and focus on
building a solid foundation from the start. Building the foundation is hard and
there are no immediate results. So the tendency is to rush through things in
order to get the business into a productive state. However a solid, water-tight
foundation will keep the business grounded and even when challenges occur- as
they often do- you’ll feel secure knowing the ground on which your business
stands is solid. A bit like the parable of the wise and foolish builders.
Why is it so important to inspire
young women in particular to follow their dreams?
Everyone was born with a gift inside of
them; no one arrived into the world empty-handed. I believe that our gifts our
linked to our dreams, we dream about or aspire towards bearing the fruit of the
gift that is inside of us. Leaving your dreams to fester will leave you feeling
incomplete and dissatisfied with life. It’s leaving business unfinished. Along
with the dreams and gifts come the ability to carry them out. It may be through
networking, taking a course or two on related subjects or getting help via bartering.
There’s always a way to get past the obstacles we face as women.
What advice would you give to
somebody who wants to start a business in your industry?
Make sure you are passionate about
design. Do a lot of research and decide on a niche within the industry- a niche
is important because it gives potential clients a laser view towards you.
What or who inspires you in business
and why?
I love Laura Tennison and Sara Blakely
(SPANX) Sara is daring, positive, inspiring, these are qualities I admire and
they resonate with me. The fact that they are women who started out on a limb,
all on their own from a simple idea is very inspiring.
What is your favourite inspirational quote?
Do what you love and
you’ll never work a day in your life again.~ Confucius
Toks Aruoture
twitter: @punkinpatch
Facebook.com/thepunkinpatch
Linkedin: Toks Aruoture
Friday, 24 May 2013
Attend The So Amazing Health and Lifestyle Show 9th June
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2Inspire Network Business Profile: Carib Gourmet
In this 2Inspire Network Profile we meet Vanessa Bolosier, the founder of Carib Gourmet. Her inspiring business journey is a great example of following one's true passion in life...it feels great and in Vanessa's case it tastes great too!
Please tell us what is a typical business day for
you?
I wake up around 6am, have a good breakfast. I
typically start the day with some lime juice and water or ginger tea. I then
check my emails, usually there are tons of them so I pretty much email back for
a good hour or so. I then set the objectives for the day and liaise with my
assistant and interns. When there’s no
admin, mornings are primarily dedicated to cooking, developing recipes and
spending time in the kitchen.
I usually have a light lunch and move on to
meetings. I then try to keep all my meetings in the afternoons so all that
needs to be handled admin wise is done and managed. Meetings can either be with
suppliers, manufacturers, external consultants that carry out sales on my
behalf or plain and simple networking.
After all the meetings, I have an afternoon treat,
like a piece of coconut fudge or a cake to pick myself up. I’d have that with a
nice cup of coffee. I finish my day with all the product shipping depending on
the orders that come through. I debrief the day with my staff around 6pm. I
usually work very late but I don’t know if that qualifies as work. It’s more me
writing blog posts, looking for innovative products, looking at my competition
etc. I then have a good stodgy dinner, oftentimes something Caribbean or
African as my partner is from Ivory Coast and enjoys me experimenting with West
African recipes.
What made you start the business and how did you
get started?
The opportunity came organically. Every
time I went back to Guadeloupe, I’d bring back local goodies like jams, rums and spices. I ended
up going to people’s homes to show how to cook and enjoy them. Everyone said I
should do it professionally – so I set up the company! I started the business because I come from a
family of successful entrepreneurs. I believe in being in control of my
destiny, I wanted to feel free and happy in what I do.
What would you say has been your greatest
accomplishment in the business world to date?
There are many things but I could mention such as
brand endorsements etc.
But there are two things I’m very proud of:
- Helping my very small suppliers who had no
exposure secure high order volume from large companies across Europe.
- Secondly, I can confidently say that every single
customer that has come through my company has learned something they didn’t
know about Caribbean food and definitely Caribbean gastronomy from a different
angle.
What has been your biggest challenge in
business so far?
My personal challenge was really
differentiating a hobby from a business. Making viable and profitable (and
sometimes clinical) business decision was the hardest, especially when very
passionate.
What are your future plans for the
business?
We are launching our own confectionery
brand called Coco Gourmand. The range includes coconut fudge made from pure
coconut milk, coconut drops, coconut ice and coconut brittle. If you have as
much of a sweet tooth as I have, this is a winner!
If you had to do it all over
again, what would you do differently?
I’d approach organisation that provide
funding for start-ups. They really do help in terms of mentoring and honing
your business skills.
Why is it so important to inspire young
women in particular to follow their dreams?
I think women are very powerful
individuals. They have so much passion and are often very multi-talented. Being
able to juggle so many things at once really is a skill that women inherently
have. So why not put it at the service of your dreams? It’d be such a waste to
let anyone else benefit from it.
What advice would you give to somebody
who wants to start a business in your industry?
Be passionate about what you do. That’s
what will keep you driven when all hell breaks loose. Get your numbers right,
your business model right: that’s what differentiate a business from a hobby.
Get a mentor and surround yourself with driven business people.
What or who inspires you in business
and why?
What inspires me: the power of being
able to change things, change a perception and impact positively. Who inspires
me: successful female entrepreneurs such as my mother.
What is your favourite inspirational quote?
Worry about nothing and pray about everything.
Philippians 4.6
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