entrepreneurs 21


Photographs by Angus Thomas


the vision and we still have the ethics and values which are so important to me.


Who has inspired your success?


Alongside Sir John Harvey-Jones, it would have to be Anita Roddick, who set up The Body Shop. I loved the fact she was creating her own business and I liked the ethics behind the company, it didn’t fit into a square box and that’s how I felt – like a round peg in a square hole.


One of the first books I read was The Color Purple and I also followed Oprah Winfrey’s own story. She’s the true definition of someone who had a bad start in life and turned it around. She’s very inspiring.


How did you move from running a courier company into business consultancy?


I joined the Despatch Association in 1996 and when I went to my first event, I didn’t know a soul. I met a lady who was raising money for a new wheelchair for her son, so I grabbed the microphone and auctioned off a scarf, then


someone offered some tickets and it went on from there, raising several thousand pounds.


Afterwards, the chairman was so impressed he asked me to come on board, so I was co-opted onto the committee, eventually becoming chairman, and I managed to quadruple membership numbers.


From there, people approached me and asked if I could do the same for their business, which is how I began giving business consultancy advice. I love working with SMEs and getting involved in turnaround projects or start-ups and take-overs. It also showed me all the ways not to run a company and provided me with the vision for our unique business model or network partners.


What made you become an author?


Through my books, I hope to share the lessons I’ve learned over the past 24 years – hopefully enabling people to take the most from my last four more successful years and not make the same mistakes – then I would be very happy.


Life has taught me some tough lessons to pass on to others, I’ve been very naïve and trusting at times and although I always believed one day I would do it, I put up with a lot in the interim, particularly when I didn’t cross the Ts and dot the Is.


What’s your greatest achievement?


My two children. I’m also very proud of the business and the quality of the network, I make a point of visiting the Diamond sites to catch up with the franchisees and help build our spirit of Shared Success©. I have emails every week from people who say how cool the depots are – and I don’t even run them now. Gratifyingly it means our model of delivering excellence is being replicated nationally.


Social responsibility is clearly very important to you


Giving back is really important and I think if you are privileged enough to have the opportunity to do so, then it is only right. Among others, we’re involved with B1G1, which helps SMEs make a big impact through everyday business transactions,


THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – MARCH 2016


and wherever possible we try to directly support micro-charities which make a real difference on the ground. The depots can also nominate charities to support.


I love to travel and when I went to Cambodia, I saw the work the Wells for Hope Association was doing. Direct funding enabled us to see really tangible results – we funded the Diamond Logistics well, providing families with fresh drinking and washing water and, for example, we have previously bought bicycles for girls in India to be able to go to school, helping to empower them for the future.


Your awards include New Woman Franchisor of the Year 2015, Business Woman of the Year UK in the A1 Business Excellence Awards and winner of the Entrepreneur category in the Real Business First Women Awards 2015. How important are accolades like these?


I’m chuffed to bits, but Diamond is not one woman on her own – it’s a team approach and the awards are great for the team because it is public recognition of what they have invested in the business. We’re busy creating a new generation to run the business and I’m trying to encourage them to step forward and leverage their success.


What’s your next big goal?


I would like to see Diamond reach 40-60 depots through a national marketing campaign we’ll be launching next year. And then we’ll be rolling out our services nationally.


As to my role, I want to become chief talent spotter for the business and do more “people stuff”, while also doing more speaking, leading and mentoring because that’s what I’m really enjoying.


What do you do on your time off?


Travel – I’ve just returned from Laos and Vietnam, which were amazing, and I also love reading. Iain Banks and Ian McEwan are my favourite authors.


Details: www.diamondlogistics.co.uk www.businessmag.co.uk


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52