5 March 2021|Latest Posts, Meet the Successful Founder
Taz Thornton is a multi-award winning business and empowerment coach, trainer, best-selling author and motivational business speaker who specialises in personal empowerment, business confidence and visibility.
Known as the Pink Powerhouse, Taz has appeared on TV, radio and in newspapers and magazines, motivating and encouraging people to be the best they can be. In 2019 she was a finalist in the Diva Awards and a nominee in the National Diversity Awards. She has also appeared in the Diva Power List twice for most influential figures in the LGBTQ+ community. In 2020 she was named Business Professional of the Year for Central England last year.
What would you love to share to encourage other women to start their own business?
The world needs more female energy rising to the top. We need more compassion, more empathy, more heart-led leadership in every area of our society, from small community ventures to corporates and politics. We need you now. It’s time for us to step up and shine!
What are your top 5 tips for entrepreneurial success?
1) Patience – we need to accept everything won’t happen yesterday and have that dream mix of tenacity, passion and belief, together with the steadfast determination and staying power to keep playing until the pieces land where we need them to. We need to stop giving up before time.
2) Show up! We need to get over our shyness and start building our visibility. Show up on social media – give advice, be interested in others, be so brilliant we cannot be ignored.
3) Serve first. Sure, we all want to grow our brands and bottom lines, but we’ll be noticed – and remembered – for what we give back. Aim high, go for gold, but help, inspire and motivate as many as you can as you climb. Make your primary daily objective to serve and support on your way to greatness.
4) Stop being afraid of having an opinion. Beige might not offend anyone, but it’s nobody’s favourite colour either. It all starts with your message… use that to start building your audience, which is where your tribe of advocates will grow from; after that, when there’s enough interest, you can start rolling out more products and services. You cannot have a party without people, and that all starts with your story/message/opinion. Start sharing more!
5) Understand what drives you. You WILL have days when you feel like hell and don’t want to get out of bed, so you need that ‘calling’ to be greater than you; it needs to motivate you when you’d much rather hide under to duvet. There’s a balance point to this, though (which is really a 6th point!) – it’s not all about hustle and grind. If there’s a sunshiny day and you have that chance to go to the beach with your kids, create the space to do that. It you’re committed to your mission and doing all you need to be doing to make a success of your business, you deserve downtime too. You only get to spend each day once, so spend them well!
Who are the 5 women who inspire you the most?
Oprah Winfrey – for all she inspires in people and how she’s built her empire with such deep spirituality and heart.
Erin Brockovich – for her grit and determination.
Jodie Foster – for getting on with her career and building massive success and answering those questions about her private life on her terms, when she was ready. Yes, it was frustrating when so many LGBTQ+ women were desperately wanting public-facing role models but, by refusing to play into the ‘is she?/isn’t she?’ media circus, Foster proved our business ability, success and brand is irrelevant to our sexuality.
Rosa Parks – because ‘Nope, not today’. Lines in the sand can be hugely important and women, in particular, need to learn the importance of clean, clear boundaries far more.
My wife, Asha – because, in the face of life throwing some really tough challenges, not least a multiple sclerosis diagnosis, she carried on. She used those pivotal moments as tipping points to reassess what she really wanted, what filled her up and made her soul sing, then went on to reinvent her life and business. That’s inspiration, right there. Asha refused to be defined by a diagnosis or other people’s labels.
What is your favourite saying/inspirational quote?
It’s not so much a saying for me as a mantra that came through during meditation one day. It’s now tattooed on the inside of my arm and on my official merch range too:
‘Doubt behind me. Courage before me. Love all around me’.
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