International Women’s Day 2022 #breakthebias
We recently caught up with five inspirational women in the food industry ahead of this year’s International Women’s Day.
As a predominantly female agency, we are keen to help inspire the next generation of women into the workplace. We are proud to be part of a number of mentoring incentives and take on interns; this enables us to share our knowledge and experience with others.
We asked some questions of our inspiring women around this year’s topic of breaking the bias.
Karolina Ba- Founder of multi-award-winning tea brand Theenk Tea and is celebrating a recent listing in Selfridges.
What are you doing to support other women in business?
I think supporting other women in business is extremely important on so many levels. I personally always try to collaborate with female-founded businesses as much as I can, offer them my help and time, and shout about the amazing things they’re doing whenever I can. I recently heard this amazing quote ‘You need friends who would mention your name in a room full of opportunities’ and I think this perfectly sums up the relationship female founders should have with each other.
What are the three things we can all do to prevent inequality in the workplace?
Truly listen to ideas coming from people different from us.
Try and ask for others’ opinions. Being a minority often means people may be afraid to speak up.
Treat others with the same respect you’d like to be treated.
Who are the most inspirational women in business that you can relate to?
There are several female founders that are extremely inspirational role models to me. Recently I’ve been fascinated with the achievements of Whitney Wolfe Herd, founder of Bumble and Melissa Snover, founder of Get Nourished.
What advice would you have for any woman looking to start out in a business sector that is dominated by men?
I’m not going to lie by telling you it will be easy, because it’s not. You will find yourself in situations that will put you very far out of your comfort zone. My advice would be to try and connect with as many inspirational female role models as you can and ask them to become your mentors. Having those strong female figures in your life will definitely help you see that you too can be successful and that gender has nothing to do with it. You will also have to learn to be the founder and the CEO and not to settle down for anything other than respect from men who get to work with you.
Karen Green – founder of Food Mentor which she set up to help growing food companies overcome commercial challenges.
What are you doing to support other women in business?
The majority of my clients are women who are looking to grow their businesses. I work with them to grow their businesses whether that is through mentoring, building their strategies, or training. Every year I give away a free VIP mentoring package and it is always the majority of women that enter and women that win! Last year, Karolina Ba from Theenk Teas was my winner and she has been very successful in gaining listings in Selfridges. This year’s winner is Yogita from Gudness foods and she is making great strides in gaining wholesaler listings for her breakfast range.
What are the three things we can all do to prevent inequality in the workplace?
The challenge with inequality is whatever we do to redress the balance eg positive discrimination, we are effectively creating inequality for those who miss out. I think the three things we should do are:
– more female role models in films and TV – how many films are led by males with a female sidekick, starting with James Bond
– educate the young to remove the unconscious bias that someone of my age has and who grew up expecting a male to be a doctor and female to be a nurse
– deal with the challenge of investment funding – still only 4% funds go to women of colour. The more women we have investment for, the more likely it is that they will help drive out the inequality in the workplace
Who are the most inspirational women in business that you can relate to?
I am part of a coaching programme lead by Shaa Wasmund and she is an inspirational woman who started with nothing and has created her own narrative. Author of several best-selling books, coach and training for hundreds of women and entrepreneurs many times over. But she is still a mum and managed to take off all the school holidays for her son thus maintaining a serious work life balance.
What advice would you have for any woman looking to start out in a business sector that is dominated by men?
First piece of advice is that if you are in a sector dominated by men then you are already creating an interesting niche that you use to create your own point of difference! Only 14% of the institute of chartered accountants are women yet women over 40 are the fastest growing entrepreneurial sector. So there is a sector that women should thrive in as an entrepreneur. However, if a woman is starting in a male-dominated corporation my best piece of advice, which served me well when I worked for Boots, is to find a female mentor within the organisation. They will understand the organisation and help guide and support you through the challenges.
Ruth Bater – Community Manager at Virgin Startup
What are you doing to support other women in business?
In 2019, Virgin StartUp made a pledge to enshrine gender equality into their startup funding programmes, and today are reaffirming their promise to build on the incredible work they’ve done to make entrepreneurship more accessible to women founders.
From providing more exposure to women founders to recruiting more women mentors and business advisors, to training the Virgin StartUp team on how to better support women founders, they’ve already achieved so much but they’re not stopping here. Virgin StartUp has funded over 2,000 women founders and supported tens of thousands more through their masterclasses and accelerator programmes and will continue to strive towards achieving gender equality in startup funding.
What advice would you have for any woman looking to start out in a business sector that is dominated by men?
Going out on your own can be scary, and that’s why speaking to other experienced entrepreneurs who understand your concerns can give you the motivation to keep going. It’s no secret that on average women encounter more barriers in accessing funding for their startup, so having someone who can advise you and even introduce you to their network is invaluable. There is no magic formula, but I’d suggest you get three opinions on each big idea or problem you have; this way you’ll be more inspired to create a ‘3D’ plan of action. Telling others about your idea is an easy way to get genuine feedback, and benefit from their experiences. They might even become your future customers.
Tina Warner-Keogh – Co-Founder and Co-CEO at Warner’s Distillery
What are you doing to support other women in business?
Cheer women on, tell them when they are epic, tell them when you see them come alive as this will help them pinpoint and follow their passions. Buy from them, recommend them, support them and wherever possible I try to introduce and connect relevant people in my network who I think might be able to help each other. I’m very proud to say that over half of our team at Warner’s are now female and over half of our manager level and above team are also women and this has been a real focus over the past three years as diversity is such an epic force in business! I come from quite a patriarchal family so on top of the typical gender biases I’ve also been on a bit of a self-development journey to understand and build my own worth so I’m a bit of a mindset and behavioural psychology junkie at the moment, I tend to share and recommend books or podcasts in this arena that I have found helpful.
We are also thrilled to be part of the new @BuyWomenBuilt movement to use our enormous power as consumers to support women built brands and change the shape and face of our economy. There are so many women built brands, and the fact that consumers don’t know these amazing brands are women built means we are missing a trick. It’s an incredibly simple idea. Not everyone can invest in or mentor female founders but everyone can buy from them. We don’t have enough women starting businesses in the UK – we are 30% behind other developed countries and a staggering 80% of 11-18 years olds are unable to name a single female entrepreneur. By shining a light on women-built brands this campaign brings choice to consumers who want to empower and support women, while inspiring future female entrepreneurs that they can do it too! So #PlayYourPart and #BuyWomenBuilt #IWD2022!
What are the three things we can all do to prevent inequality in the workplace?
Treat everyone the way you would like to be treated yourself and then truly live by it in your day to day and as a team (which is the hard bit!). Anyone in your team should be comfortable to call out inequality when they see it. In the workplace you have a melting pot of diverse minds, personality styles, backgrounds and also a push and pull of priorities in different functions so it’s so important to create and nurture a culture where equality can thrive.
At Warner’s we are United in Spirit and this is underpinned by three core behaviours – “Be Real”, “Together Everyone Achieves More” and “Act like a Founder”. Equality is the backbone of being united in spirit, we want an environment where our team can be their authentic self and flourish regardless of beliefs, characteristics, background, or preferences. As a team we understand that together means stronger, that what we create is exceptional (epic drinks, in harmony with nature!) and we want to have fun as we go and celebrate everyone’s successes. Our journey is really just beginning and we’re nowhere near perfect and we still have a lot to do but I’m so proud of how far we have come together.
Who are the most inspirational women in business that you can relate to?
Oh my god where to start! I have to put Holly Tucker as number 1 here. What Holly has done for the business community in terms of using her platform to educate and support the small business network but also anyone interested in doing better business, being a better leader and building a brand, she founded NotontheHighStreet.com and has introduced me to so many other epic business minds and founders via her podcast “Conversations of Inspiration” – that’s were I learned more about the epic stories of the likes of Anya Hindmarsh and Josephine Fairley (Green & Blacks) and many, many more – definitely check it out! The episode with Sir Tim Smit founder of the Eden Project is pretty inspiring too. I also recently met Sara Murray, founder of confused.com and Buddi through the E&Y women’s entrepreneur network and what she has achieved is spectacular. Her words of wisdom that struck a chord related to the idea of ambition and that “your business’ ambition is only as big as you allow it to be” with the message being let go of the shackles (in your head or elsewhere) and let it shoot for the stars! Jo Malone’s book was one of the first story’s I read where I really felt like I could relate to her and what she achieved and then you can’t not mention Sara Blakely and her absolute smashing down of every wall with her journey with Spanx and how she focused on the “How” to think not “What” to think, which enabled her belief in herself through a lot of ups and downs.
What advice would you have for any woman looking to start out in a business sector that is dominated by men?
● Back yourself and LOVE yourself (you can’t really help anyone else unless you are loving and helping yourself first – I’m still learning this one!)
● Take action, then learn as you go – adjust the sails once you are in the boat sailing! (My husband Tom has been my teacher here, Warner’s would not be here today without his epic, courageous action)
● You don’t need to be an expert, most people are winging it so
● Build your network and don’t be afraid to reach out to ask for help
● Surround yourself with epic people that you will learn from daily and do your superpower
These apply for starting out anywhere, whether a sector is male-dominated or not – just do you and get after it!
Cara Begley
Cara Begley – co-founder of Scottish Retail Food & Drink Awards
What are you doing to support other women in business?
I come into contact with many female industry colleagues and one of the most effective ways that we support each other is effective communication. I recognise and appreciate the value of sharing like-minded connections with other women in my network.
What are the three things we can all do to prevent inequality in the workplace?
1. Lead by example – speak up if you are unhappy about something you see or experience in your workplace
2. Increase opportunity for flexible working – invaluable to all with responsibilities of care
3. Equal pay for all
Who are the most inspirational women in business that you can relate to?
● My sales director Helen Lyons has energy and drive that inspires me every day
● Debbie Robinson, CEO at Central England Co-op has navigated her way to the top of some huge businesses and she has achieved that without sacrificing any of the things that are important to her.
● Petra Wetzel, Owner of WEST Brewery, Glasgow – a family woman who has achieved great things in a ‘male world’ with an admirable attitude and belief in the self.
What advice would you have for any woman looking to start out in a business sector that is dominated by men?
Do your research and choose your employer carefully. It’s important to work for a business that meets your life values. I am fortunate that I work for a very inclusive company that isn’t dominated by straight, white men. I have more female colleagues than male and more female directors than male.
My advice would be to believe in yourself – focus on just being you and doing the best job that you can do. I work a lot within the convenience retail market, a male-dominated sector, but I try to view myself not as a woman but as an equal – and a good one at that. I have had nothing but respect from my industry colleagues. Don’t be afraid to be yourself; don’t be afraid to speak up when you have something to say; don’t be afraid to make difficult decisions.
Dominique Woolf
Dominique Woolf – Founder of The Woolf’s Kitchen and finalist on Jamie Olivers The Great Cookbook Challange
What are the three things we can all do to prevent inequality in the workplace?
Improve your active and empathetic listening.
Educate ourselves on our unconscious biases – improve our own self-awareness.
Collaborate with each other and share ideas
Who are the most inspirational women in business that you can relate to?
Emma Jones – I’ve seen her speak at events and her confidence and positivity is inspiring. Enterprise Nation, which she created, is a wonderful resource for start-ups.
Sara Blakely – I heard an interview with her and Tony Robbins which really motivated me – all about mindset, focus and sheer hard graft.
Holly Tucker – I love her podcasts and how she champions small businesses
What advice would you have for any woman looking to start out in a business sector that is dominated by men?
Approach it as you would do with any business. Research your sector and your category as much as physically possible and become an expert in your field. Do the market research, learn about your competitors and your consumers. Make sure you have a solid proposition. Have the confidence. Set yourself goals and create a plan.
Network as much as possible and find women in the same industry – connect with them and share ideas. Being part of a community, even a small one, will be extremely valuable.
What are you doing to support other women in business?
I run a local networking group for Crouch End and North London called Creative and Entrepreneurial Women. There are over 600 women on the Facebook group. The aim of the group is to support women on their entrepreneurial journey and offer a place for people to share ideas, network, and collaborate. Pre-COVID we met twice a month. I will be resuming the meetings shortly!
In addition, I have a group of foodpreneur friends and we support each other with regular texts and chats, share ideas and give general encouragement!
If you are looking for more inspiration, here are some links to amazing platforms supporting women to thrive: