Christina Toimela learns a lesson from a very fit business mentor

I’m interested in everything that can help self-employed to make it work. Therefore I went on a free 2-Day Business Startup Workshop giving a SFEDI Award Level II (Aspects of Enterprise) qualification. It was held by a confident business mentor who hinted that her life had not always been easy. I had to know more about her.

Since childhood Rachel Gedney has always wanted to have her own business despite her family not being entrepreneurial. Whilst both pregnant and competing with her horse, Rachel left her legal secretary job and started her saddlery business in Linconshire. She lost it all in her divorce and moved to Brighton with her son, via the Middle East, to study Sport Science in 1993. In her mid 30’s Rachel was fitter than most of her class of 20-somethings. She was on her own with her son, her number one priority, and she had no social life. However, she had a goal, a bigger picture, and that’s why she was able to keep on going. After finishing her degree she went on a postgraduate Business Course and started her career within a health and fitness consultancy.

Rachel started as a professional business advisor for Inbiz in 2002. After having been made redundant by another company she started working for herself again and set up her own Business Consultancy.

According to Rachel the five key skills for entrepreneurs are: drive, determination, ambition, belief and people skills. The three main reasons for entrepreneurs to fail are: lack of research, finance and confidence.

“I don’t do boxes and I need to see the bigger picture”

The best qualities in a manger are: people skills, letting go of controlling, and giving support when needed. When asked if she would work for someone else again Rachel smiles and says: “I don’t do boxes and I need to see the bigger picture.” According to Rachel, corporate companies can get scared if someone has too many ideas and shows capability to not only do the job they apply for but the interviewer’s jobs as well. “In many interviews I have been told ‘You are very creative, aren’t you?’, To which I have just answered, ‘And your point is?’, thinking ‘you just want to control me’.”

Rachel does not seem fazed by anything we discussed so I had to dig deeper. She explains: “The hardest thing in my life was not having any gas left in the tank. I had to learn to say no and I can’t do it.” Rachel has always been highly active. Therefore, according to doctors, she had been able to carry on with an almost empty tank for two years before hypothyroidism got her. The underactive thyroid left Rachel with no energy and unable to work. It took her a year before she started swimming again and 18 months before she started working.

After the interview, something told me I should add a few moments of rest into my personal “As long as I have energy to do sports three times per week I know that I’m doing is fine” regime.

Further information about business mentoring, workshops, planning and financial education go to www.facebook.com/RLGEntreprises

Do you know any people who have really inspired you in Brighton?
We’re not looking for celebrities. Not ordinary, but extraordinary.
Contact Christina: christina.toimela@gmail.com