[00:00:00] Intro: Northern Power Women podcast for your career and your life. No matter what business you're in.
[00:00:26] Simone Roche MBE: Hello. Hello! Welcome to the fourth episode of the We PoWEr On season of the Northern Power Women podcast. I'm your host Simone Roche and last month we hosted the Northern Power Women awards, a celebration that is never just for one night, the legacy, the storytelling of these role models last well past the end of the award ceremony.
[00:00:45] And that's why the We PoWEr On season is all about, keeping that conversation going and over the next few episodes we'll be PoWEring On with a legacy of the awards, inspiring you with stories about how we're cracking on and keeping you updated on the latest from the PoWEr Collective. We have our next session next week, which is the 26th of April from 12 to 1:00 PM.
[00:01:08] So please sign up for our power networking session. We'll put the links in the show notes as well. So you don't have to miss out.
[00:01:14] But this week, back to the podcast I'm joined by the incredible Linzi Boyd. I've known her for a hundred years. It feels like a founder of one earth best-selling author global speaker 2022 Northern Power Women Power Lister.
[00:01:28] Linzi is a die hard optimist, a serial entrepreneur and Lindsey's life work is to leave. Businesses and individuals to impact change in the world. And after leaving school at 15 with zero qualifications, Linzi started her first business at 18 and by 24 had co built and sold her second business to the caterpillar group.
[00:01:49] Linzi's fourth business. One earth is a purpose platform committed to kick-starting the global economy, leading with purpose. They connect the local and global trade community to a virtual society, which provides opportunities to learn from each other. So up our streets totally love everything that you've ever done on what you're doing now.
[00:02:08] Welcome Linzi to the Northern Power Women podcast. Thank you so
[00:02:12] Linzi Boyd: Thank you so much for having me on. We have known each other for so long. And I appreciate you bringing me onto your podcast today.
[00:02:19] Simone Roche MBE: Do you know, it's great putting you in the hot seat for a change.
[00:02:22] We met all those years ago when
[00:02:24] you created the Business of Brand it was the right, the start of my journey where I was working out, what I am what I'm doing, you know, and you always talked about how, this is about curating the space, and I've always used that sort of, that, that phrase about, giving people that opportunity, that platform and that voice. So, I'm delighted to have you here today and you are a serial entrepreneur, right.
[00:02:50] And we know that far fewer women than men are entrepreneurs. So why leaving school at 15 setting up your first business at 18? Why, why was entrepreneurial. Pull for you entrepreneurship.
[00:03:00] Linzi Boyd: My family, I came from a family of entrepreneurs, so my grandparents had their own tailoring company. My dad had his own dentistry, my brothers, that entrepreneur, both my brothers are entrepreneurs.
[00:03:12] And, At a very young age. I stood in the kitchen with my mom and I must've been like 11 and said, you know, I think I'm going to leave school. And it wasn't because I wasn't bright. I was in top sets, but I just realized that it wasn't for me. And, my mom kind of looked at me like I had two heads going, what are you going to do with your life?
[00:03:31] And I said, don't worry, mom, I'm going to be as big as Oprah Winfrey. My mom, obviously at that point thought that, I'd lost it. And at 15 I did it. The school. And, and I went on to start my first business at 18, which was in the retail space. I'm from Leeds. And I opened a shop in Leeds in the Victoria quarter, and I was lucky enough to have a very famous footballer's wife worked for me and it gave me my first taste of what brands could do for your business. And our clothes literally walked out of the shop. And when I sold that company, I took all that knowledge of kind of retail and sales and took it into my second business, which was the one that I set up seven distribution channels around the world. And I, was 21 to 24 manufacturing shoes in Korea, and we had the shoes and the design museum next to Evian bottles. And that's what I sold to caterpillar when I was 24.
[00:04:34] Simone Roche MBE: Wow. Wow. I mean, it's amazing how you even know, you know, we've just talked about the challenges around entrepreneurship, but how you even know.
[00:04:42] Where to go or where to get that information. You talked about having this person who was suppose an influencer who worked for you and your mom, and you tell the moment you are going to be as big as Winfrey, but what inspired you, you know, where did that ambition to think? So big come from.
[00:05:00] Linzi Boyd: It was interesting because at the age of 14 and my son is just turning 14.
[00:05:05] So this is quite weird for me. I went into Leeds every single week to a shop that was called best trading. I mean, it was ended up being quite a famous shop. And, I asked him every week for a year to give me a Saturday job. And in the end he only gave me a Saturday job cause I drove him so mad, but it basically said, just give this girl a job.
[00:05:27] And, I went in there. Absolutely was the top sales person he'd ever had. And he actually persuaded my dad to let me leave school and come and work for him in the shop. And I ran the shop for him at 16, and that's what gave me my first taste of going, mmm, I think I'm onto something here. I think I'm going to buy my own shop.
[00:05:49] And so I learned from him about running his shop at 16, and then I went and bought my own shop with the man three doors down, a lovely man called Martin Schneider, who is still there he has Accent and, um, I went into partnership with him at the age of 18.
[00:06:05] Simone Roche MBE: Wow. So, I mean, literally a trailblazer in being an advanced salesperson, being a networker, collaborating, I mean, such a lot to learn early doors, you know, that's education. It's that real vocational learning. Isn't it? Did you just go by your gut as to this was the right thing to do?
[00:06:25] Linzi Boyd: I've always gone by my gut and you know, anyone that works with me today knows that I'm very led by my knowing. I've always taught people that the, the, the strongest driver you've ever got in life is yourself.
[00:06:38] And you will take you and lead you. And when some people say. No you can't, or you're never going to get there, or you're not good enough, or I've always thought get to the back and I'm going to do this anyway. And I've had an inner drive and determination. That's going to get me there. Now, what I will say, Simone is the second company was the most stressful period of my life because I was 21 years of age.
[00:07:05] My friends were going to university and i'm in the factories in Korea, you know, and this was a time when women were not in the factories in Korea and Korea wasn't like it is today manufacturing shoes, and then, you know, setting up distribution, channels that I know I have no idea how to do or what to do.
[00:07:25] And there were no mentors. And we sold 150,000 pairs of shoes in the first season, which equated to a turnover of 5 million. It was crazy. So it was brilliant cause I learned so much on the ground and probably there were no stressful periods of my life.
[00:07:41] Simone Roche MBE: And what would you say, you know, you left school at 15 and look at all this education you picked up distribution, being underestimated. you were often mistaken for the work experience scale and not the owner. There's other people out there, you know, there's people who we've seen over lockdown haven't we, people there's been a massive growth in entrepreneurship. What would you say to those individuals out there who would get overlooked or underestimated and to stow that imposter syndrome, which we talked so often about on this podcast,
[00:08:09] Linzi Boyd: The main thing, and this is what I instill in my kids as well. You do not need to the best or the most talented, people think I'm not good enough. I'm not the best. I'm not the cleverest. It really isn't a you know this. It's about determination. It's about belief that you can, you can learn on the job. You only need to know a little bit more than the person next to you, to be honest.
[00:08:38] And I've always believed that as long as you've got. Your led by your purpose. So, you know, this re remember who you are, why you're on this planet, what are you, what do you really want to do? And, really drive by that vision and determination of what does that look like? And then don't worry about whether or not you are the best store, the biggest store, the greatest or the most talented. It's not about that at all
[00:09:06] Simone Roche MBE: That's amazing. And I think by the time you've now launched your fourth business, what have you been messing around with for the last 20 years? Which is One Earth we've spoken about before, you know, re remembering who you are, is this what led you to, to kind of create the One Earth and this, this purpose led business that you've created?
[00:09:27] Linzi Boyd: Yeah, look, I, I say to people that my first three businesses, I don't remember. I only started one a for my, in my early forties, actually. The first three businesses where my college course and I learned my trade. Now, I know I had very successful companies. My first 3, companies, my third company, I went on to build some of the most famous brands on the high street.
[00:09:53] And really I looked and when, okay. I remember that girl that stood in the kitchen funnily enough with my mom and I, and I saw something in Oprah, which was more purpose led and I really looked and when, okay. I need to build the business. That's going to be my legacy project. I need to do. I want to shift the world into a new era, through the eyes of brands.
[00:10:17] I want to build brands that are going to shift industries and make a positive change in the world. And I'm not doing that in any of these other companies. And I really wanted to transfer my knowledge of helping people. Build businesses, build communities, build movements, basically, you know, move from being a brand, to being a movement.
[00:10:38] And literally. Lead the industries or their society or their causes, or their purposes into a new era of trade and have purposes, the new currency.
[00:10:50] Simone Roche MBE: How have you grown this? You know, how have you sort of, I suppose, challenged and challenging that traditional corporate sector, business model the, how are you convincing?
[00:11:00] You're an easy convincer anyway, let's face it, but you know,
[00:11:08] the greater thing can determination. Isn't it? Well, but how did you convince those leaders to really. Find that need to change their bit of the world
[00:11:18] Linzi Boyd: A few people have asked me that, and there's no convincing needed, believe it or not, we attract agitators of change knowing, and I know we've, you know, we attracted you as well as being a massive agitator of change.
[00:11:31] And we really attract those people that are scratching for something different. They want to lead. They don't necessarily know how that's the difference. So we provide the how, but they are already scratching for it. Now it doesn't mean that they are doing it. We attract very traditional, you know, engineers we attract eco panel companies. We also attract fashion and tech and so forth, but all different industries. And I've got a lady Julie King, 37 years in the travel industry. She came along and she desperately wanted to shift the travel industry, opens up a community, a city on the platform and now has 47, very large industry advocates with, you know, anything from a thousand to a hundred thousand people in their networks. And she is literally shifting the industry of travel tourism.
[00:12:24] Simone Roche MBE: And is that how you collaborated with businesses in other countries and cultures when they're used to doing things in a different way.
[00:12:33] Linzi Boyd: Yeah. The main thing is we talk about moving from competition to collaboration and you sit heavily in this space. I know with your mindset and we talk about how people are no longer looking to if their industry is the competition. What about if you bring people together and you collaborate with them?
[00:12:53] So we've got the dental industry coming together. We've got the oceans industry. I've got 10 global chambers from around the world, building a city all with an Alliance around, the race to net zero. And I spoke at COP for them. We've got, the food industry coming in and shifting their industry. And people are either looking at it from a business leading perspective, an industry, leading perspective, society like oceans, and we've got the Hispanic nation coming and doing something with this or Mauritius.
[00:13:26] Simone Roche MBE: So, so in answer the question, it's just easy. Just got people to collaborate there.
[00:13:33] Linzi Boyd: I tell you what. You know, you know, you have to put a lot of work. I mean, oh my gosh, this doesn't just happen overnight. The level of work and commitment and information. But what I will say is when you hit with your purpose, you know, I'm here to shift the world into a new era. And when everything gets bad, you know, whatever happens and you have good months and bad months, the thing that's going to get you out of bed in the morning is your purpose, why you're in business? Why you're here
[00:14:06] Simone Roche MBE: 100%. I couldn't agree more. I think that's why we've always had these great conversations and we might not talk for a long time. And all of a sudden it's like, oh my goodness, we're setting up another plan. If it were already pre this meeting, we're already going to rendezvous somewhere and goodness knows what we're going to change there.
[00:14:20] But you know, one of the things you've said is that 3% of leaders need to, there's only 3% of leaders need to drive change to make a difference in the world. What constitutes a great leader?.
[00:14:29] Linzi Boyd: Oh, that's a very good question. Look, I come from a trends background in my third business, where I built famous brands. I used to teach people that 3% of leaders lead the trend.
[00:14:41] 15% of influencers then look at the leaders and influence the market. And then 33% then goes into the mainstream and then the rest of them kind of catch up with it and I'm onto the next trend. So the 3% of leaders are disruptors. They don't look at anything else. They only lead from internally. It's not about being influenced necessarily by what's going on, they're using their internal driver and they're the ones that will be the starters. So they're the ones that when people go no way, you're never going to be able to do that, or no, that's impossible, or I can't even understand what you're talking about. That person's going yep, I'm doing it anyway. And that re you know, you, Steve Jobs, Elon Musk's your Richard, Branson's all those guys that, you know, have led in their industries and innovated. They are those 3% leaders. And they're the ones that, that disrupt they're at the front, at the forefront of what's going
[00:15:44] Simone Roche MBE: AND with Linzi Boyd and the rest of you were on our Northern Power Women Power List. What does it mean for you to be on the list this year?
[00:15:51] Oh Simone, I was so honored for you to ask me to be on the list. I am a northerner through and through, you know, I'm from Leeds. And even though, yes, I live in London. My family still lives in Leeds and I had two businesses that started in Leeds.
[00:16:07] Linzi Boyd: You know, my first and second business was in Leeds. And to be on the list and be around and supporting northerners and be able to be around other Northern women is incredible. I have to say, so I am huge. It's I am very honored and delighted and very proud.
[00:16:26] Simone Roche MBE: And, were nominated this isn't a collection period.
[00:16:29] This is something that people nominated, someone took the time to write about you. And I remember, you know, as happens with so many of you. Amazing, amazing, amazing trailblazers like that. You all go, oh, no, not me, not me. And I have to harass you to complete the information, but we love having anyone. And you are, you know, when you say Steve Jobs, Linzi Boyd should be up there. So Lindsey, thank you so much for joining us on the podcast.
[00:16:53] Can
[00:16:53] Linzi Boyd: I offer a gift to your audience. Oh, 100%. We've just launched our, find your formula quiz. And I'd love to offer it because we're going around the country in a bus tour with. And, I'm going and committing to all auditing as many businesses as possible so they can understand where the gaps are in their business, that can lead them into a new era of trade.
[00:17:20] And I would love to offer you and your audience, the quiz if they would like it. And if they want to come and join us on the bus tour, but the quiz to be able to help them to audit themselves.
[00:17:31] Simone Roche MBE: Oh, find your formula. We'll put the details in the show. Notes are absolutely that's so great. Thank you so much for sharing that.
[00:17:37] I know people will be biting their hands off, including me, and we'll tell people what's going to be remember. And that's my takeaway from today. You've got to reremember who you are and where you're going and, put yourself out there. So thanks so much, Linzi, for being here today. Thank you all for tuning in today.
[00:17:53] If you love our episodes, let us know by rating reviewing, subscribing to the podcast, let your friends know, reach out on socials @northpowerwomen on Twitter and Northern Power Women on all our other social media. And don't forget, please sign up to our PoWEr Up networking on the 26th of April. We'll put another link in the show notes, lots of links in this week's show notes, whether you're the star to your career, a senior leader or anything in between, you are all welcome to pay it forward and pass on your knowledge and skills.
[00:18:19] Join us next week when I'll be joined by yet another wonderful human from the Northern Power Women community. I'm Simone Roche, and you've been listening to a Northern Power Women Podcast, a what goes on media production?