"This could be an inspiration to women in work everywhere, showing that there are opportunities for a kinder and more equal future."
A story of success of successful entrepreneurship against the odds to inspire fellow business women. ‘Swimming On My Own (The Business Case For Kindness And Equality)’ by Susie Warran-Smith is an insightful read. Exploring the author’s career path through the sexist and misogynistic workplace of 1960s Britain and the limited changes in the modern workplace that spurred her to set up her own accounting business, which was then sold five years later in a multi-million pound deal. A memoir with social commentary and words of wisdom from her own experiences, Warran-Smith details how she became a successful founder of a company that made her a multi-millionaire in her fifties. Filled with humour and honesty, this book is sharp and witty as it points out the discrepancies between male and female treatment in the workplace. Using comments and experiences of other prominent women in business and politics, statistics and research to demonstrate the systematic and structural problems both the workplace and society has with sexism. Through the author’s own experiences it is proved that the “traditional” way is not necessarily the only way to succeed. Written in a tone that is accessible and unpatronising, this book is a celebration of success that offers words of wisdom. This could be an inspiration to women in work everywhere, showing that there are opportunities for a kinder and more equal future.
Charlotte Walker, A LoveReading Ambassador
| Primary Genre | Business and Management |
| Recommendations: |
Born into inner city poverty against a backdrop of racist and misogynistic 1960s Britain, Susie finally ‘made it’ becoming a self-made multi-millionaire at 58 years old. Admittedly slower than some entrepreneurs, but she got there in the end. Sick of working for bullies and misogynists she decided to set up her own company with her best friend’s daughter, Brady Last. They started in her small conservatory on two laptops and with a large stash of Yorkshire tea bags. The kids had left home so she thought she should do something risky for once in her life. She put her entire savings into starting a business even though there were no clients in sight. Susie wanted her own brand, one that had design and her quirky humour at its heart. She wanted to create a company culture based on respect and kindness and managed to convince Brady to join her in this one last hurrah. Competitors laughed at them, banks wouldn’t give them an overdraft (never mind a loan), and rivals tried to put them out of business. Five years later it was sold in a multi-million pound deal to a blue chip multinational. How did she build a buy-out in such a short time and from scratch? Susie has made waves as a woman in business, and here she sets out the things she learnt along the way and with a bit of luck, if she can do it, why can’t you?
Swimming On My Own (The Business Case For Kindness And Equality) features in the following genres: Business and Management, Indie Author Books, Indie Books We Love, Economics, Finance, Business and Management, Recommendations
Swimming On My Own (The Business Case For Kindness And Equality) is available in Paperback
Swimming On My Own (The Business Case For Kindness And Equality) was written by Susie Warran-Smith and published by The FoodTalk Group
