A strange one yesterday - I was asked to give a lunchtime talk to Pro-Sheffield - a gathering of the senior people invloved in the 'professions.' So I was faced with a room full of lawyers, accountants, bankers and financial advisors.

As an entrepreneur this was like facing my worst nightmare! For years I have collectively called this bunch the 'forces of evil' - the people that have the ability to crush the spirit of aspiring entrepreneurs - the people who have the ability to make entrepreneurs tremble and weep in the face of complex explanations and incomprehensible documents.View Complete Post

Strange thing... I meet plenty of people who tell me they read my blog - I then wonder why they hadn't sent me an email to let me know - and to give me their thoughts on the things I bang on about.

Quite a few people tell me before they joined the company they did their research and read my blogs. They were inspired by the blogs and did what they could to get through interviews etc so they could join in with A4e.

I am surprised that these people don't let me know.

I think it is the pedestal thing again - I think that even though I think I am just Emma ..View Complete Post

Just had a great weekend away with friends - celebrating a 40th birthday. A real treat - no kids - quirky hotel near Hull - lots of laughs.

They are my very good friends, so you talk about anything and no one is on their best behaviour. So... you start to notice their peculiarities - especially amongst the men. It became obvious that two of my male friends are permanently competing. It really is rather funny. Little comments, postures - even charades had a serious element.

I started to laugh and point it out - some other guys in the gang said 'yeah yeah its the alp..View Complete Post

So - can't help myself - see a problem - work out how to fix it - get some other poor suckers involved and hey presto a year down the line and something great happens.

Remember i spent ten days in Dagenham as a 'secret millionaire' - seeing who I could help - realising yet again that there are fantastic charities out there doing amazing work - who are forever getting into financial trouble because they don't have all the stuff that big organisations take for granted. 

Thus the idea for the Foundation was born - and now it is alive and kicking. Helping and supp..View Complete Post

At the beginning of the week i was lucky enough to be visited by over 300 of the staff from A4e (Most of them  - new starters at A4e). They all came to my home for my regular event called 'In conversation.'

People from several different countries all getting togther to hear my vision for A4e - the story of where the company has come from and the plans for the future laid out by Bob Martin (our Group CEO).

I told them of when I started back in 1987 - with less than zero money - and how after non stop working - late nights - scary decisons - being brave when I felt weedy..View Complete Post