Episode 54: Mumsnet and Jo Malone – Lifting the Lid on Life as a Female Entrepreneur
Here at Secret Leaders we are all about bringing you the best entrepreneurs in the world - those people who you wouldn’t ordinarily hear from, but who have inspiring stories to tell. They share their highs and more importantly their lows, with the aim of sparking a fire in you to follow in their footsteps, or accelerate the path you’re already on.
Because let’s be honest, success stories are all good and well, but it’s the failures that shape us; it’s how we handle adversity that makes us who we are. And today’s two live guests are no strangers to adversity.
Jo Malone: “My goals have never been realistic and that's the secret of my success. I really go out there and I push myself above and beyond. I think what we have to realise is that mistakes are a part of life.”
Justine Roberts: “I worked very, very hard to find patient capital, which I think is what Mumsnet needs. And I made it very, very clear that we will always put purpose before profit.”
Today, sharing the live stage and their entrepreneurial experiences for the first time are Jo Malone CBE and Justine Roberts CBE.
Jo is the eponymous perfumier who came from humble beginnings on a council estate with no qualifications whatsoever, who has now successfully launched Jo Loves, her second bite at the startup apple. Justine has been described as one of the world’s most influential women and CEOs, the founder of Mumsnet, the most talked about parenting forum.
We chat about:
The hardest moments of their entrepreneur experience so far
The upside to being sued
The difficulty of finding funding for your startup from men, when you’re female
Why your equity in your business is your golden ticket
The difficulty of achieving a work life balance when you’re an entrepreneur with a family
Entrepreneurialism needs to be taught in school
If they had a do over, what they would do differently
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