Lessons from Dragons Den
I appeared on Dragons Den in 2013, 25 years old and so confident with my pitch idea there was no way I wasn’t walking out of there without the investment.
Until that point, I’d run my magazine with ease, starting it with nothing and becoming Leeds’ most talked about Fashion Magazine within two years – no-one had ever told me ‘no’ before…until I stepped in to the Den!
If you ever need to be brought back down to earth, I recommend doing it on national TV in front of millions of viewers. I’d particularly recommend having Peter Jones annihilate you to the point that you start crying in the lift, which, by the way doesn’t even move.
It was a huge learning curve for me, and here’s the top three things the experience taught me…
1 – Sometimes you need to be told no
If you are running a business and things are going smoothly, everybody says yes and nobody challenges you, you’re probably living inside your comfort zone – and we all know that nothing grows from there.
Having people tell you no will make you try harder, fight more for what you believe in, and ultimately make you raise the bar.
2 – You can make a positive out of any negative situation
No, I didn’t get the investment, but I did get exposed to a mass audience meaning that I not only gained a load of really supportive followers, I also got offered a whole host of opportunities. I’m still dining out on the fact that I appeared on the show and it’s so many years ago! People still recognise me from it (I blame my huge curly blonde afro for that) and opportunities still come in the back of it.
3 – It’s so rewarding to prove people wrong
My company, House of Coco, is living proof that the Dragons didn’t get it right with me. As the third largest seller out of 4000 titles on newsstand.co.uk, stockists that include Harrods and Selfridges and now available on Readly to their nine million subscribers, we’re doing pretty good!
It’s a platform that has allowed me and #TeamCoco to live our best lives in every single country around the world, and gain experiences that I could only have dreamed of back then.
]]>The best bit? I did what people told me I couldn’t.
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MEET SALLY ODDY Online Business Strategist & Soul Aligned Mentor
Sally is a mentor, guide, and catalyst for soul-led coaches ready to build sustainably successful businesses that amplify their purpose, income, and impact - without hustle, hype, or burnout.
With over 20 years' experience in strategic marketing, business development, and soulful leadership, Sally supports purpose-driven women to step fully into their power, claim their voice, and create businesses that work harder than they do.
She is the creator of the Prosperous Coaching Business Model®, a proven system built on Reinforced Foundations, Sticky Systems™, Magnetised Audience, and Optimised Business - designed to simplify and scale online coaching businesses while anchoring in alignment, freedom, and flow.
Sally mentors women around the world through her signature programs, including The Prosperous Coach Collective, Ready Clients Roadmap®, and Simple Client Pathway®. Her work is known for being clear, powerful, practical, and deeply activating.
A Yorkshire lass raised in 80’s South Africa, Sally now lives in Spain and is on a mission to help 500 soulpreneurs create rich, fulfilling lives and businesses that honour who they truly are.
This is business as a vehicle for personal liberation, global impact, and sustainable prosperity - and Sally is here to show you how.
Find out about how to work with Sally privately in her unique Mentorships or in a supportive group setting in The Prosperous Coach Collective
If you're an established online business owner who knows a few tweaks and focus will get you headed in the right direction... [BUT YOU'VE EITHER NEVER WORKED WITH A BUSINESS MENTOR BEFORE SO ARE UNSURE IF IT'S FOR YOU, OR YOU'VE BEEN BURNED WITH A BAD EXPERIENCE AND WANT TO TEST THE WATERS]
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