I met Sam Cooper-Gray last year at an event for the launch of the HSBC Fearless and Thriving report about midlife female entrepreneurs, which was researched by Eleanor Mills from Noon.
Sam was so passionate about raising both the profile of, and access to funding for, female entrepreneurs and the words that she spoke to the assembled room stuck with me for many weeks afterwards.
Shortly after we met, Sam made the transition from 25 years in the banking world and became an entrepreneur, establishing her own business, The Wisdom Studio, which was a big change in her life.
A chance comment about putting a phrase on a T-shirt also led to the establishment of Sam’s Women are Good Business Campaign which is now a rallying cry for women entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and allies who understand that supporting women-led businesses is not about charity — it's about economics.
The statistics that Sam shared with me on the level of equity funding that goes to female entrepreneurs were really quite shocking, and for this reason our conversation most definitely emphasises the need for women to amplify their voices in the business world and the importance of understanding your relationship with money.
This is true, regardless of the size of business you run or the size of your aspiration for your business - getting a better grip on the money side of things will always stand you in good stead.
With also being the host of The Beginner's Guide to Being a Grown-Up, a podcast mixing wit, wisdom, and real-world insight for navigating life's big questions and the Chair of the Gender Index, Sam is one busy lady.
Her work as the Chair of the Gender Index, leading the Conditions to Scale workstream for the UK Government's Invest in Women Taskforce, positions her at the heart of policy-making that will shape the future of female entrepreneurship.
So if you’ve ever wondered about making a big change in your life, or thought that everyone else steps into things and it all happens easily for them, this podcast is a must listen for you.
It’s also a great one to listen to if you want to understand more about how to run a business, both in terms of understanding your finances and for some insight into the types of things a bank might expect to see if you are going in to see them.
Sam also shares insights on navigating business growth, the significance of mentorship, and the personal growth that comes from overcoming adversity.
We’d love to know what you think - please do comment below with questions for Sam or me or let us know what in the interview really made a difference for you.
As always, thank you for listening, we really appreciate it and please do like and share if you feel it’s appropriate to, it really helps us to connect with other readers.
PS : A little glossary for you in case it’s helpful, as we mention these in the programme:
B2B means Business to Business, where one business sells to another business
B2C means Business to Consumer, where the business sells to an individual consumer
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Sam Cooper-Gray
05:51 Career Journey and Transition to Entrepreneurship
12:55 Challenges for Women in Business
20:52 The Importance of Experience and Mentorship
25:45 Embracing Autonomy in Entrepreneurship
27:14 Navigating the Emotional Journey of Entrepreneurship
30:03 Finding Balance: Money and Joy in Business
32:58 The Reality of Passion Projects and Viability
36:12 The Impact of Social Media on Business Perception
38:24 Understanding Financial Needs for Business Growth
45:10 Embracing Your Money Archetype
46:54 Life Lessons: The Importance of Authenticity
50:23 Daily Actions and Their Impact on Success
