A New Substack Newsletter for Purpose-led Female Founders
Over recent weeks, I’ve been thinking long and hard about how I can bring you both inspirational and practical support in 2023. I’m very excited to introduce my new Substack newsletter for purpose-led female founders, a private space to gather with other like-minded women in business away from social media.
I’m thrilled to announce the launch of my new Substack newsletter, and I hope that you’ll be as excited about it as I am. A private space for purpose-led female founders to gather with other like-minded women away from social media, this Substack newsletter is where I’ll share a personal essay from me followed by a list of books, articles, podcasts, beautiful things or anything else that’s been adding value to my life lately.
The inspiration for my Substack newsletter
It was a B-I-G step when I started my business consultancy. For the 25 years prior, I’d forged a successful career, moving steadily up the corporate ladder to become a Chief Executive.
As a CEO, I’d had a nice, albeit stressful life. A nice London home, lovely holidays, and an active social life. I was putting this all on the line to go self-employed and build a business consultancy.
I will never forget my first morning as a fledgling entrepreneur. I commuted the 13 stairs to the back bedroom – and home to my new business empire. With the house silent, save for the sparrows chirping outside my window, the thought struck me: ‘What have I done?’
I quickly pushed such thoughts aside because I was fired with determination to succeed - and blissfully ignorant of the work it would take to replace my salary. Starting a business could not be as hard as leading a failing company through the 2008 economic recession and turning it around to deliver winning results. Could it?
The truth is getting any business off the ground requires day after day, night after night, of experimentation, trying and failing, and then trying something else until you find the lead generation and growth strategy which works best for your business.
And then just when you think you’ve got it figured out, something happens – Brexit, the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and now a recession. Nothing stays the same and it’s time to start experimenting all over again.
But for female founders, starting, growing and scaling a business can be especially difficult. Yes, there’s never been a better time for women to start, grow and scale a business; we’re living during a time when the barriers to starting a business have never been easier to overcome. Yet despite women being every bit as ambitious as men, female founders face barriers at every stage of the entrepreneurial journey.
There are a number of reasons for these barriers:
The primary reason is the struggle women have when seeking funding compared to their male counterparts. Women start their businesses on average with 53% capital than men. While less than 1% of start-up funding goes to businesses founded by an all-women team.
The second reason is ‘family care’ because women are usually the primary carer for children and ageing relatives. Women are twice as likely as men to cite family care as a reason for not starting a business.
The third reason holding budding female entrepreneurs back is their perceived lack of confidence and fear of failure. A little self-doubt is normal - and can be an asset – but if it sets in, the consequence is we can talk ourselves out of reaching for our goals.
The cumulative effect of these and other barriers identified in the 2019 Alison Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship is that women-led businesses are on average 44% the size of their male counterparts, and men in the UK are five times more likely than women to build a business of £1 million+ turnover. (Incidentally it’s no different in the rest of the world).
While the Rose Review highlights the importance of female role models, it doesn’t discuss how running your own business can be a lonely road that’s hard to navigate without appropriate support. Especially if we’re working from home. When we’re busy trying to get a business off the ground, it’s easy to become so absorbed in our work and to-do lists that we become shut off from the world around us and loneliness starts to set in.
This is borne out by research which has shown that a sense of connectedness is essential for mental wellbeing. But for many entrepreneurs, no matter how much networking you do, this sense of connectedness can be hard to find, and you can find yourself being enveloped by loneliness.
As a CEO, there were times when I felt lonely and isolated because I had the sole responsibility of making decisions that affect others’ lives and livelihood. But I also had reliable support system and cultivated a group of trusted advisors from day one. They provided a safe outlet for me to express my concerns, while also reliably providing me with honest, unvarnished feedback.
My years as a CEO were a great preparation for being a business owner. But ever since the arrival of COVID-19, I’ve spent more time than ever working from home at my computer. Even with a team, most of my days are just me. This got me thinking that there must be other female founders working from home, looking to connect with other like-minded people?
Over the past few months, I’ve come up with all sorts of ingenious ideas to bring like-minded female founders together. In September, I started a newsletter on LinkedIn with the aim of creating a place to find out what's worth knowing when it comes to female entrepreneurship, especially if purpose and values are a strategic driving force in your business.
There are lots of things I appreciate about LinkedIn, but I’d never describe it as a cosy space to gather! So, my plan for 2023 is to continue with my LinkedIn newsletter while writing a Substack newsletter for purpose-led female founders to create something altogether chattier and more creative.
My Substack newsletter for purpose-led female founders is where I’ll share a personal essay from me followed by a list of books, articles, podcasts, beautiful things or anything else that’s been adding value to my life lately. I’ll also use them as a way to let you know about recent blog posts, articles I’ve written, upcoming eBooks or events I think you’d like to know about.
The final thing to say is my Substack newsletter will have a ‘people, planet, purpose’ focus. Partly because that’s what matters to me; you too, I hope. And partly because as we navigate our way through the months and years ahead, I see purpose-led businesses playing more and more of a role in addressing the pressing social issues of our time.
So how is this Substack newsletter going to work?
I’m glad you asked. Basically, there are three main types of membership. Become a free subscriber, become a paid subscriber for £5.99/ month or become a founding member for £150/ year.
What do I get as a free Substack subscriber?
At least one newsletter in your inbox every week. You’ll be the first to know about any new workshops I’m running, the podcast I keep saying I’m going to release and the book I’m determined to write. You’ll receive something useful like an essay, a book recommendation, or a reflection on something I do in my business which I think you’ll find useful. You’ll also get to comment and talk to members of this community.
So why would I bother paying?
Great question! There are a few reasons. First, it’s a quick and easy way to support me and my work. But if my gratitude is not enough, here’s what else you’ll get!
A monthly ‘Brunch and Learn’ on a business-related topic which will help you to work more efficiently, focus on what matters and stay motivated.
A monthly goal setting workshop to plan out your next month.
Access to a monthly Ask Me Anything. This is a place where you can ask me anything about business, female entrepreneurship or, well... anything really! I’ll post this every month and you can simply write back to me with your questions.
There will be other things too. Audio, perhaps some fun stuff like a cocktail hour and exclusive access to my weekly ‘Chat’. This is a bit like Whatsapp where you can talk to me and my community. It’s a lot of fun and is a completely private space for us to talk freely without the noise of social media. You will need the Substack app to take part, which you can find by clicking here.
Okay, I’m happy to pay - how much is it?
£5.99/month or £55/year.
Finally, there are a limited number of Founding Memberships
This is for those who want to engage on more of a personal level. You’ll get all the benefits of a paid membership as well as a one-hour Zoom call with me. On the call, we’ll discuss a business-related topic of your choice!
Once I subscribe (free or paid!), how will I get your Substack newsletter?
Every new edition of the newsletter goes directly to your inbox. You won’t have to worry about missing anything.
About The Author
I’m Denyse Whillier, and I was a Chief Executive for 8 years, I spent 25 years in senior management and leadership roles and trained at Cranfield School of Management. I made the leap from corporate to founding my boutique business consultancy and have worked with a wide range of small and medium sized businesses, many of which are purpose-led. My mission is to close the gender gap in business and make it easier for women to start, grow and scale a successful business without compromising their values.
Whatever circumstances you find your business in, know that you’re not alone – and that I’m here to support you. An experienced and empathetic business advisor can make a massive difference to your business – as well as to your own sanity – so do consider getting in touch to book a friendly (and free) chat at any time. I’m always happy to talk you through how I could help. For examples of my work, check out my portfolio of case studies.