Top Tips for Female Entrepreneurs

What’s makes your business stand out from the crowd?

I think the fact that we have built literally everything from scratch ourselves – the concept, the cabins, the pond and the woodland spaces – everything! There was literally just fields when we arrived and now we have created a unique space that is quite unlike anywhere else in the world. It might surprise you to know that we never actually set out to create a retreat venue. We just wanted to have our own little piece of land that we could rewild and restore to its natural state, whilst also pursuing our dream of becoming self-sufficient. This goal felt like something tangible we could achieve and control, rather than worrying constantly about the climate crisis and global environmental disasters. And if we can share a little bit of our ethos and eco-conscious habits with people who come and stay here, then we feel like we are doing our bit. We care passionately about making sure that everyone who comes to stay feels special and important. That means they are well looked after, reap all the benefits from being immersed in nature, and leave feeling relaxed, refreshed and inspired. We call this ‘The Forge Magic’ and as anyone who has stayed with us can tell you, it’s a feeling that endures long after you’ve left.

What’s the best piece of business advice that you’ve ever received?

Don’t get too comfortable and always look at least two years ahead. What may be working well for your business now, may not suit the market in a few years’ time. Keep a close eye on the trends that are happening around you and try and pre-empt what your clients want, even before they realise they want it. For us at the moment, I am leaning into the AI revolution, thinking about how I can offer experiences that help counter the prevalence of AI and screen addiction, by offering retreats and experiences that remind people what it’s like to be present in the moment and really connect with people in real life and at a deeper level. I think this is going to be particularly important for corporate organisations who are struggling to engage their people and generate original and innovative ideas. I always say never underestimate the power of getting a group of people around a campfire to break down barriers and get the creative juices really flowing!

Secondly, look after your clients and they will look after you. Although I often feel like my current life running wellness retreats has absolutely nothing to do with my previous life as a management consultant, I think this piece of advice has stood me in good stead as I’ve built my own business. I’ve worked hard to attract and retain some amazing clients, the majority of whom are also female-founded small businesses in North Wales, and it’s been incredibly rewarding to watch their businesses grow at the same time. My old boss once said to me “a rising tide lifts all ships” and it’s stuck with me because I’ve never felt any sense of threat or competition from these other small businesses working in the same space. As far as I’m concerned there is enough business for everyone and we can all support each other to be even better.

And what advice would you pass on to young female entrepreneurs?

Prioritise your own health and wellbeing. As a solopreneur you ARE the business so you have to make sure you are setting yourself up for success. This doesn’t mean working every hour of the day and night, although I know from experience this can be tempting. When I left the corporate world after 20 years working in the City I had to completely reframe how I thought about work. It was no longer about the number of hours I worked, it suddenly became all about the impact that I was having. I found that I needed a different kind of energy and creativity to keep moving my business forwards and this meant prioritising time for me so I could give The Forge my very best. For me this means doing something that is completely unrelated to my business that allows me the headspace to step away from the all consuming and relentless demands on me, whilst also allowing me to stay fit and healthy. I love competing in triathlons and ultra marathons and I have a coach who tells me what to do, which is a breath of fresh air when you run your own business and family and you are usually the one calling all the shots! It also means I have the strength and energy to do all the physically demanding elements of my job like carrying bell tents, cleaning composting toilets and taking my clients up into the mountains, whilst also carrying sumptuous picnics!

My second piece of advice would be don’t be afraid to fail, and fast. When I was first starting out at The Forge I had an idea of how I wanted the business to be and what I wanted to offer. But over time, what clients want and what I want to do personally has changed. I think of it as a big Venn diagram – what you want to do, what you are good at, who you want to work with, what will earn you enough money, and what the market wants. You need to work in the sweet spot where all the circles overlap. It’s all very well having a brilliant idea that you love, but if you try it and it doesn’t work then there is no point in continuing to pursue it, even if you feel emotionally attached to it. It can be hard to let go sometimes but often running your own business is about finding the compromises in the Venn diagram that you can live with, and still make a living from.

What keeps you motivated?

I won’t lie, it is a lot of hard working running The Forge and there have been many times when the lure of a nice, safe, warm desk job again has seemed very tempting! But then nothing from my previous life as a management consultant ever comes close to the feeling I get when one of my clients tells me that their life has completely changed since coming on a retreat at The Forge. Or seeing the difference that a couple of nights enjoying time away from everything can have on stressed, overworked people. I know from my own personal experience of burnout how much people need what my business offers – time away from their usual responsibilities, someone else making all the decisions for them, hearty nourishing food, the exhilaration of cold water swimming and a hot sauna, a good nights’ sleep, and the sense of community that comes from being on a retreat. It’s these personal transformations that make all the hard work worthwhile and keep me motivated to keep sharing my message about looking after yourself and discovering the healing power of nature.

What’s the best thing about owning a business?

I love the freedom of being able to shape my own working week and decide how and where I want to focus my time and energy. If the weather is good, I might spend a day exploring new waterfalls and wild swimming locations for our retreats. If it’s grim, I’ll knuckle down and focus on website updates or next year’s pricing strategy. I also love the speed at which I can make and implement decisions about new retreats or projects. Having grown up in an organisation with over 500k employees with complex and slow decision-making processes, I still find this quite a novelty and still half expect a line manager to demand to sign off on things! It means I can try things out and see if they work and if they don’t then we know pretty quickly not to do that again. But if you hit upon a winning formula then you can start to hone and develop it into something that your clients will love. An example of this is our annual International Women’s Day Swim & Sauna event which I set up on a bit of a whim, but has proved to be a huge success and has led to lots of follow-on business from some wonderful new clients. Suddenly you just strike a chord with the market and then you can just go with it.

What do you love about your job?

Well first of all I would say it doesn’t actually feel like a job at all. Without meaning to sound corny, it’s more of a lifestyle and it’s hard to separate ‘work’ from ‘not work’. The Forge is my home and my big self-sufficient living and rewilding adventure, so the fact that I’ve managed to turn it into a viable business just feels like I’ve won the lottery every day. When I left London and the City, I was worried that I would miss the great people and the cut and thrust of consulting, but now I just bring it to me instead! I get to meet such amazing people from all walks of life and work with fantastic clients who all add to The Forge magic. That and the fact that I get to swim in waterfalls and eat cake for a living now!

An abbreviated version of this interview is available in the March edition of North Wales Magazine.