5 March 2021|Latest Posts, Meet the Successful Founder
Following a management career in hospitality, Abby moved into the technology sector and then business travel and management consultancy. She joined Focus Travel Partnership as Managing Director and was promoted to CEO when she transferred the business travel consortium of 60 partners into a limited company. She lives in Felixstowe with her husband, two children and a dog.
What would you love to share with other women to encourage them to start their own business?
Ultimately it’s a belief in yourself, if you truly believe in what you have to take to market you are pretty much there. If you have done all your market research and appropriate checks dig deep for the courage to make the move. Take a look around you at others who have made the leap and success, they are no different to you, you can do it!”
What are your top 5 tips for entrepreneurial success?
Have a strategy, without one you have no milestones or measurements of successes or failures. Without a strategy how do you cement your vision?
Be in control of your finances at all times, it’s great to have support but this is your business and ultimately your responsibility
Motivation is key to success, have a can-do mindset, prepare for hard work, be brave but ultimately be prepared to learn along the way. There will be mistakes and disappointments as well as successes but if treated as a life lesson this will ultimately strengthen not just your business but you as well, dig deep stay focused and power through!
Tell your story, don’t be scared to self-promote yourself as well as your brand. Be bold, be tactical but be considered around promotion. This is key to positioning your organisation
Innovation comes in many forms and staying ahead of your game through innovation will always keep you current.
Who are the top 5 women who inspire you the most?
All Working mothers in particular single mothers, Having been a working single mother in my 20s I know how hard it is to balance the logistics of both a career and child care but the emotional pull as well.
Maya Angelou really set the bar for me at a young age, I read all of her books as a young adult and whilst upsetting to reading the story of her life I took complete inspiration from her strength and kindness, I saw her years later in a TV interview and despite the many awful life experiences she encountered it was the air of wisdom and compassion that she displayed that impressed me the most.
I was lucky enough to grow up in the 80s and 90s where we had a female Prime Minister and a Queen on the Throne. Regardless of your political beliefs or thoughts on conflict, for an 11-year-old girl to see a female prime minister at the helm of a challenger One tank and a woman taking her place as head of state, for me this normalised women in power.
Dame Kelly Holmes really inspired me at the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics. It was so inspirational to see this amazing athlete achieve a great level of success and achievement taking home 2 gold medals and then founding the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust in 2008.
The many women who have helped form my moral compass and continue to do so from my Mother to my amazing daughter and the very many great women who I work with. Women who support women are my true inspiration
What is your favourite saying/Inspirational quote?
“The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.”
– Coco Chanel
Website and socials
Website: https://focustravel.uk/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/focustravelp
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/focuspartnership/
