6 March 2021|Latest Posts, Meet the Successful Founder
Sarah started her career working for luxury fashion brand Burberry before moving to advertising agency BBDO .Her travel career started with Tui, working overseas before returning to head office to join the marketing department. Sarah was part of the product development team who pioneered new brands Thomson Sun and Thomson Superfamily.
She then worked for Universal Studios theme parks and resorts as European Sales Director leading the growth of theme park and hotel revenues throughout Europe specifically focusing on development in Spain. Key achievements included developing new airline routes to the region and launching a direct online sales platform with annual revenues in excess of 3million Euros
She launched W LOTUS in 2007 as a representation agency and spearheaded its growth into one of the leading PR and marketing agencies in the travel sector. Consumer “PR Agency of the Decade”, W Communications acquired a majority stake in LOTUS in 2018, Sarah is now overseeing the expansion into complementary lifestyle sectors which mark the next stage of the W LOTUS story.
What would you love to share to encourage other women to start their own business?
I work with people I like and who are smarter than me. The LOTUS leadership team is the same today as it was when the business was founded. We spend all day every day working together and have done for 15 years. The dynamic and chemistry works. We can finish each other’s sentences and intrinsically have the same business minds. None of this would have happened without them, they are smart, tenacious, funny women. This doesn’t mean setting up a business with your best friend! I went through this process many years ago and even at the concept planning stage we could see it wasn’t going to work. What we loved about each other socially (bossy, crazy v calm, cautious) drove us nuts in business environment. “
What are your 5 top tips for entrepreneurial success?
Enjoy it!
You win some you lose some – don’t beat yourself up about it.
Copied from the Hard Rock team “take time to be kind”
Cash is king
You know what you know, you don’t know what you don’t know…
Who are the women who inspire you the most?
Tanni Grey Thomson – determination, self-belief, self-effacing
Late RBG – brain and kindness
Monica Lewinsky – not the sex bit, the anti cyber bullying overcoming adversity bit.
Maria Callas – class A diva
What is your favourite inspirational quote?
“If not now, when?”
Website & Socials
@wearelotuscomms
