Rachel Elnaugh

Rachel Elnaugh (born 12 December 1964), now known as Rachel Elnaugh-LOVE, is a British entrepreneur, businesswoman, author, public speaker, and television personality who is best known as the founder of Red Letter Days, one of the first UK companies to sell experiential gifts, and for her role as a Dragon on the first two series of the BBC television programme Dragons' Den in 2005. Her entrepreneurial journey—from founding a groundbreaking business at age 24 with just £7,000 from friends and family, building it into an £18 million turnover company, experiencing its dramatic collapse into administration, and rebuilding herself as an author, speaker, and conscious entrepreneur—represents one of the most compelling narratives in British business.

Elnaugh's story encompasses both extraordinary success and devastating failure. She pioneered the experience gift industry in the United Kingdom, creating a market category that barely existed when she founded Red Letter Days in 1989. At its peak, the company generated over £100 million in cumulative turnover and made Elnaugh a finalist for both the Veuve Clicquot Businesswoman of the Year and Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards. However, the company's collapse in 2005—just days after she gave birth to her fourth child—led to her departure from Dragons' Den and a profound personal and professional crisis.

Since rebuilding from this crisis, Elnaugh has reinvented herself as an author of books on entrepreneurship and personal development, a professional speaker with over 300 speaking engagements including Harvard University and TEDx, and the co-founder of SourceTV, a digital publishing platform. More recently, she has become involved in political activism and has stood for election under the LOVE Party banner she co-founded.

Early life and education

Childhood in Chelmsford

Rachel Elnaugh was born on 12 December 1964 in Chelmsford, the county town of Essex in southeastern England. She grew up above an electrical shop owned by her father, an environment that exposed her from an early age to the realities of running a small business. Watching her father manage his electrical retail business gave Elnaugh an early appreciation for entrepreneurship and the challenges of self-employment.

Chelmsford in the 1960s and 1970s was a prosperous market town experiencing growth as part of the broader development of the Essex economy. The town's location northeast of London made it accessible to the capital while maintaining its own distinct character. Growing up in this environment, Elnaugh developed the practical sensibility and ambition that would later drive her entrepreneurial ventures.

The experience of living above the family shop meant that Elnaugh was immersed in business from childhood. She observed the daily rhythms of retail—dealing with customers, managing inventory, handling finances—and absorbed lessons about business that would prove valuable when she later founded her own company. Her father's example demonstrated that ordinary people could build their own businesses through hard work and determination.

Education

Elnaugh attended Chelmsford High School for Girls, an all-girls grammar school with a strong academic tradition. The school provided a rigorous educational environment that helped develop her intellectual capabilities and confidence. Attending a single-sex school during her formative years may have contributed to her willingness to pursue ambitious goals in business environments that were often male-dominated.

Her education at Chelmsford High School for Girls gave Elnaugh a solid academic foundation, although she did not pursue university education in the traditional manner. Like many successful entrepreneurs, she was eager to enter the business world and begin building her career rather than extending her formal education. This practical orientation reflected her upbringing in a family business environment.

The all-girls school environment may also have influenced Elnaugh's later role as a female pioneer in business. She became accustomed to environments where women could excel and lead without being overshadowed by male peers. This experience may have made her more confident in pursuing business success in fields where women were underrepresented.

Career

Founding of Red Letter Days

In 1989, at the age of 24, Rachel Elnaugh founded Red Letter Days, creating what would become one of the pioneering companies in the experiential gifts industry. The concept was innovative for its time: rather than giving physical objects as gifts, customers could give experiences—days out motor racing, hot air balloon rides, spa treatments, driving experiences, and other memorable activities.

Unable to secure a bank loan for her startup, Elnaugh raised £7,000 from friends and family to launch the business. This modest initial investment would eventually grow into a company worth millions. The financing challenge she faced demonstrated both the difficulties young entrepreneurs encounter in accessing capital and the importance of personal networks in overcoming these barriers.

The experiential gifts concept addressed a genuine consumer need. Many gift-givers struggled to find meaningful presents for people who seemed to have everything or who were difficult to buy for. Experiences offered an alternative that created memories rather than adding to material possessions. Elnaugh's insight into this market opportunity was genuinely innovative.

From its founding, Red Letter Days grew steadily as consumers embraced the experience gift concept. The company developed relationships with experience providers across the United Kingdom, curating a range of activities that could be packaged as gifts. Elnaugh's marketing skills and business acumen drove the company's expansion from its modest beginnings.

Growth and success

Under Elnaugh's leadership, Red Letter Days grew dramatically over the following sixteen years. The company's annual turnover eventually reached £18 million, and over its lifetime, the company generated over £100 million in cumulative revenue. This growth transformed Elnaugh from a young entrepreneur running a small startup into a prominent British businesswoman.

The success of Red Letter Days brought Elnaugh significant recognition. She became a finalist in the Veuve Clicquot Businesswoman of the Year award for 2001/2002, one of the most prestigious awards for female entrepreneurs in the United Kingdom. She was also a finalist in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year competition, reflecting her standing among the UK's leading business builders.

Red Letter Days' growth was driven by both consumer demand and effective marketing. The company successfully positioned experience gifts as an alternative to traditional presents, particularly for special occasions and corporate gifting. Elnaugh's ability to communicate the appeal of experiences helped drive adoption of what had been an unfamiliar concept.

The company's success also benefited from broader trends toward experiential consumption. As consumers in developed economies increasingly valued experiences over possessions, the market for experiential gifts expanded. Red Letter Days was well-positioned to capture this growth, having established itself as a market leader in the category.

Over-expansion and difficulties

Despite its success, Red Letter Days faced significant challenges as it expanded. In 2002, the company pursued aggressive expansion into the retail sector, a strategic move that would later prove damaging. This expansion stretched the company's resources and capabilities beyond what they could sustain.

Around the same time, Elnaugh appointed Simon Vincent as CEO, stepping back into a non-executive role herself. This delegation of operational control was intended to allow the company to benefit from professional management while freeing Elnaugh to focus on strategy. However, decisions made during Vincent's tenure would later be cited as contributing to the company's problems.

The retail expansion proved particularly problematic. Opening physical retail locations required substantial capital investment and ongoing operational expenses, fundamentally changing the business model from Red Letter Days' origins as a more capital-light catalogue and online business. The expansion also coincided with challenging conditions in the retail sector.

Financial difficulties mounted as the company struggled to manage its growing complexity. Accounts filed in 2003 showed that Red Letter Days had made a £4.8 million loss. The company's finance team reportedly lost track of voucher liabilities and debts to suppliers—critical oversights that would contribute to the eventual crisis.

Administration and collapse

On 28 July 2005, Red Letter Days entered administration, bringing the company Elnaugh had built over sixteen years to a dramatic end. The timing was particularly cruel: Elnaugh had just given birth to her fourth child when the news became public that the company was in trouble.

The immediate trigger for the administration was action by the company's bank, Barclays. Despite the company having approximately £3.3 million in the bank at the time, Barclays moved to protect its position, concerned about the company's liability for outstanding unpaid vouchers. The bank's decision to force administration rather than continue supporting the company was controversial.

An ITV Tonight investigation later criticised Red Letter Days' business model, particularly the failure to escrow or earmark supplier payment equity, instead using these funds as working capital. This practice created vulnerability when the company's financial position weakened, as suppliers could be left unpaid and experience vouchers unredeemed.

Elnaugh blamed the administration on multiple factors: the actions of the previous CEO, the decisions of Barclays, and broader challenges facing the retail sector. She maintained that the company could have survived if the bank had provided continued support, and that the administration was intended to minimise job losses rather than being inevitable.

The remaining assets of Red Letter Days were purchased out of administration by fellow Dragons' Den investors Theo Paphitis and Peter Jones, who relaunched the company. This acquisition by her fellow Dragons added an ironic dimension to the collapse, as the show's investors picked up the pieces of a fellow Dragon's failed business.

Dragons' Den

Appointment to the show

In 2005, Elnaugh was selected as one of the five original Dragons for the British version of Dragons' Den, the business reality television programme in which entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to a panel of wealthy investors. She appeared in Series 1 and 2, which aired in 2005.

Elnaugh's appointment reflected her status as a successful British entrepreneur who had built Red Letter Days into a substantial business. The show's producers sought a diverse panel of investors with different backgrounds and expertise, and Elnaugh brought her experience in consumer marketing, experiential products, and building a business from scratch.

Notably, Elnaugh was the only female Dragon during her tenure on the show. This distinction made her a trailblazer for subsequent female Dragons including Deborah Meaden and others who would join the panel in later series. Her presence demonstrated that women could participate as investors and business experts at the highest levels.

Investment activity

During her two series on Dragons' Den, Elnaugh made five agreed investment offers in businesses that pitched on the show. These investments included:

Grails Ltd - A business that pitched to the Dragons with a consumer product concept.

Le Beanock - An innovative baby hammock product that Elnaugh invested in, seeing potential in the parenting products market.

Snowbone - A winter sports equipment business that attracted Elnaugh's investment.

Elizabeth Galton - A fashion or accessories business that received backing from Elnaugh.

Bedlam Puzzles - A puzzle company that Elnaugh invested in, recognising the appeal of innovative games and puzzles.

Of these five agreed investments, only two proceeded to completion after the show's cameras stopped rolling—a common outcome on Dragons' Den, where due diligence and negotiation often lead to deals being restructured or abandoned. The investments reflected Elnaugh's interest in consumer products and her eye for businesses with distinctive propositions.

Departure from Dragons' Den

Elnaugh's departure from Dragons' Den came after the second series, following the collapse of Red Letter Days into administration. According to Elnaugh, her "position became untenable" after the failure of her own business made it difficult to continue presenting herself as a successful investor evaluating other entrepreneurs' ventures.

The timing was particularly challenging. Red Letter Days entered administration after the filming of Series 2 but before the series had aired, creating an awkward situation where Elnaugh appeared on television as a successful businesswoman while her company was failing in reality. This disconnect undermined her credibility as a Dragon.

Elnaugh and fellow departing Dragon Doug Richard were replaced in Series 3 by Richard Farleigh and Deborah Meaden. The transition brought fresh perspectives to the panel while moving past the complications created by the Red Letter Days collapse.

Despite her short tenure, Elnaugh's contribution to Dragons' Den was significant as one of the original Dragons who established the show's format and tone. Her participation in the first two series helped make the programme the success it would become, even though she did not continue as the show grew in popularity.

Personal challenges

Mental health and alcoholism

Behind the public success of Red Letter Days, Elnaugh faced significant personal challenges. After the birth of her first child in 1994, when she was 30 years old, she experienced post-natal depression. Functioning as a single mother at this time, she rarely left the house and turned to alcohol as a means of escape.

The period following her first child's birth was extremely difficult. Post-natal depression is a serious condition that affects many new mothers, and Elnaugh's experience was compounded by the pressures of managing a growing business while dealing with a new baby and without adequate support. Alcohol became a coping mechanism that would develop into a problematic pattern.

Elnaugh met her second husband, Chris Little, in 2002, during a period when her alcohol use had become significant. Chris supported her through a personal breakdown in 2003, at one point driving her to a clinic for treatment. The marriage provided stability during a turbulent period, although it would later end in divorce.

Recovery and sobriety

In early 2012, Elnaugh made the decision to quit alcohol after reading Jason Vale's book "Kick the Drink." This decision marked a turning point in her personal life, ending years of problematic drinking and beginning a process of recovery and personal transformation.

The decision to stop drinking was followed by other significant life changes. Elnaugh became increasingly interested in personal development, spirituality, and what she has termed "conscious entrepreneurship." These interests have shaped her subsequent career as a speaker and author, leading her away from conventional business toward more holistic approaches.

By 2015, Elnaugh was going through a divorce from Chris Little. She has spoken about this period as involving moving on from a broken relationship and rebuilding trust in love. The divorce, combined with her recovery from alcoholism and her spiritual journey, marked a comprehensive reinvention of her life.

Rebuilding after Red Letter Days

The collapse of Red Letter Days in 2005 was devastating for Elnaugh. Having built the company over sixteen years, seeing it enter administration just days after giving birth to her fourth child represented both a professional and personal catastrophe. She has spoken about feeling that her life was over in the immediate aftermath.

However, Elnaugh gradually rebuilt her career and life. She was invited to speak at enterprise events about her experiences, sharing both the lessons from building Red Letter Days and insights from its failure. These speaking engagements led to a substantial career as a professional speaker, with over 300 appearances at venues including Harvard University, TEDx, The Scottish Parliament, The Oxford Union, and The British Library.

Her 2008 book Business Nightmares: When Entrepreneurs Hit Crisis Point drew directly on her experience with Red Letter Days, providing an honest account of what went wrong and lessons for other entrepreneurs. The book demonstrated that failure, while painful, could be transformed into valuable knowledge that helped others avoid similar mistakes.

Post-Dragons' Den career

Public speaking

Following her departure from Dragons' Den and the rebuilding process after Red Letter Days' collapse, Elnaugh developed a successful career as a professional speaker. Her unique combination of success and failure experience made her a compelling speaker for business audiences interested in both achieving success and navigating crisis.

Her speaking engagements have included prestigious venues such as Harvard University, where she addressed audiences about entrepreneurship and resilience. She has given TEDx talks, appeared at The Scottish Parliament, addressed The Oxford Union debating society, and spoken at The British Library and The National Library Singapore.

Corporate and entrepreneurship events have featured Elnaugh as a keynote speaker, where she shares insights from building and losing Red Letter Days. She has spoken at the opening of Global Entrepreneurship Week in the Netherlands alongside Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, and has addressed the Conservative Party Conference.

Her speaking themes have evolved over time, moving from conventional business advice toward more spiritual and holistic perspectives on entrepreneurship. She now describes herself as helping entrepreneurs move beyond "the old capitalist business paradigm" toward more conscious approaches to business and life.

Author

Elnaugh has authored three books that reflect different stages of her post-Dragons' Den journey.

Business Nightmares: When Entrepreneurs Hit Crisis Point (2008) was her first book, directly addressing the Red Letter Days collapse and providing insights for entrepreneurs facing crisis. The book was notable for its honesty about failure in an environment where business books typically focus on success.

Prosperity was published on 23 April 2016, during a period when Elnaugh was living at a £1.75 million Grade II listed mansion in Bakewell, Derbyshire. The book reflected her evolving philosophy about success and wealth, moving beyond purely financial measures toward a more holistic understanding of prosperity.

Liberation is her third book, continuing the spiritual and personal development themes that have increasingly characterised her work. The book reflects her journey from conventional entrepreneur to conscious business advocate and spiritual seeker.

SourceTV

In 2013, Elnaugh co-created SourceTV with Hollywood-based television marketing expert Kevin Stein. The venture emerged from a significant event held on 12 December 2012 (12.12.12) and aimed to create a digital publishing and marketing platform for thought leaders and teachers.

SourceTV was designed to help experts and educators reach wider audiences with their teachings. The platform combined Elnaugh's marketing skills and business experience with Stein's television production expertise to create a resource for people seeking to share knowledge and build audiences.

The venture represented Elnaugh's continuing evolution as an entrepreneur, applying her skills to the digital media landscape. It also reflected her interest in education, personal development, and helping others succeed—themes that had become increasingly central to her work.

Business Alchemy

In 2012, Elnaugh created Business Alchemy, an affordable video mentoring programme for aspiring entrepreneurs. The programme drew on her extensive business experience, marketing skills, and understanding of both financial success and struggle.

Business Alchemy also reflected Elnaugh's growing interest in metaphysics and spiritual approaches to business. The "alchemy" terminology suggested transformation and the integration of material and spiritual dimensions of entrepreneurship. This programme represented part of her evolution toward what she calls conscious entrepreneurship.

The video format made Elnaugh's mentorship accessible to entrepreneurs who might not be able to afford traditional consulting or who were located far from major business centres. This democratisation of entrepreneurial knowledge aligned with her goal of helping aspiring business owners succeed.

Cressbrook Dale community

In June 2022, Elnaugh co-created a conscious community that crowdfunded the acquisition of 53 acres of land at Cressbrook Dale in the Peak District. This initiative represented her most dramatic departure from conventional business into community building and spiritual practice.

The Cressbrook Dale project reflected Elnaugh's belief in the importance of community, connection to nature, and alternative approaches to living and working. The crowdfunding model for acquiring the land demonstrated her continuing ability to mobilise resources and attract supporters to her vision.

The community venture also reflected broader trends toward intentional communities and alternative lifestyles, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. Elnaugh's involvement positioned her as a leader in this movement, bringing her entrepreneurial skills to community building.

Political career

LOVE Party

In 2023, Elnaugh co-founded a political party called the LOVE Party, representing her entry into formal political activity. The party reflected her evolving philosophy and her desire to translate her ideas about conscious living and alternative economics into political action.

The LOVE Party was not registered with the Electoral Commission at the time of Elnaugh's first election campaign, meaning that she had to appear on ballots as an independent rather than as a party candidate. This technical limitation affected the visibility and recognition of her party affiliation during campaigns.

The party's platform reflected Elnaugh's beliefs about community, sustainability, and opposition to what she sees as the excesses of corporate capitalism and globalisation. Her political involvement represented a natural extension of her journey from conventional entrepreneur to conscious business advocate to political activist.

Electoral campaigns

In May 2023, Elnaugh stood for election to Derbyshire Dales District Council under the LOVE Party banner, appearing on the ballot as an independent. She finished in sixth place with 175 votes, an outcome that demonstrated the challenges facing candidates from unregistered parties with limited resources.

She stood again in the 2024 general election for the Derbyshire Dales constituency, this time under the name "Rachel Elnaugh-Love." Her campaign focused locally on promoting farming, tourism, affordable housing, and reopening railways, while nationally opposing "big corporations" and "involvement with overseas wars."

In the 2024 general election, Elnaugh finished sixth with 369 votes. While not successful in terms of winning office, the campaigns allowed her to articulate her political views and connect with voters who shared her concerns about mainstream politics and the direction of society.

Her electoral participation represented the culmination of her journey from business success through crisis to reinvention as a conscious entrepreneur and political activist. Whether or not she achieves electoral success, her involvement has demonstrated her willingness to engage directly with the political process.

Personal life

Family

Rachel Elnaugh has five sons: Mark, Paul, Eddie, Michael, and Jack. Her first child, Mark, was born in 1994 when she was 30 years old, during a period that proved challenging due to post-natal depression. Her fourth child was born in July 2005, just days before Red Letter Days entered administration, making for an extraordinarily difficult personal moment coinciding with professional disaster.

Elnaugh has been married twice. Her second husband, Chris Little, whom she met in 2002 and subsequently married, supported her through difficult periods including a personal breakdown in 2003. The marriage ended in divorce around 2015, a process Elnaugh has described as involving moving on and rebuilding trust in love.

Raising five sons as her career evolved from corporate businesswoman to television personality to public speaker and conscious entrepreneur has required balancing demanding professional commitments with family responsibilities. Elnaugh has spoken about these challenges in her public appearances and writing.

Residence and lifestyle

Elnaugh currently lives in Bakewell, a market town in the Derbyshire Dales district of Derbyshire in the East Midlands of England. The Peak District location reflects her interest in nature, community, and life outside major urban centres.

At one point, Elnaugh lived in a £1.75 million Grade II listed mansion in Bakewell, where she hosted retreats and workshops. This property provided a venue for the personal development and business education activities that became central to her post-Dragons' Den career. She later put this property on the market as part of efforts to make a business comeback.

Her lifestyle has evolved significantly over the years, moving from conventional business success toward more holistic and spiritual approaches to life and work. The change in her public identity from "Rachel Elnaugh" to "Rachel Elnaugh-LOVE" reflects this evolution.

Spiritual journey

Following her recovery from alcoholism and her divorce, Elnaugh increasingly embraced spiritual and metaphysical perspectives. She has spoken about moving beyond "the old capitalist business paradigm" toward more conscious approaches to business and life.

Her spiritual journey has influenced her business activities, leading to concepts like "Business Alchemy" that integrate metaphysical ideas with practical business knowledge. This evolution reflects a broader trend among some entrepreneurs toward incorporating spiritual and holistic perspectives into their work.

The conscious community project at Cressbrook Dale represents perhaps the fullest expression of her spiritual evolution, creating a space for like-minded individuals to live and work in accordance with alternative values. This venture moves beyond business into community building and lifestyle design.

Books

Business Nightmares (2008)

Business Nightmares: When Entrepreneurs Hit Crisis Point was published in 2008 by Crimson Publishing. The book drew directly on Elnaugh's experience of building and losing Red Letter Days, providing an honest account of entrepreneurial crisis that was unusual in a business literature dominated by success stories.

The book addressed what went wrong at Red Letter Days, including the retail over-expansion, the problems with voucher liabilities, and the bank's decision to force administration. Elnaugh's willingness to discuss these failures publicly helped other entrepreneurs understand the risks they faced and how crisis can develop even in apparently successful businesses.

Beyond her own story, Business Nightmares explored the experiences of other entrepreneurs who had faced crisis, providing a broader perspective on how businesses can go wrong and how founders can respond. The book became a resource for entrepreneurs and business students interested in understanding the darker side of business building.

Prosperity (2016)

Prosperity was published on 23 April 2016 and reflected Elnaugh's evolving philosophy about success and wealth. The book moved beyond conventional business advice toward a more holistic understanding of what it means to prosper.

Written during a period when Elnaugh was living in a Grade II listed mansion and hosting retreats, the book drew on both her business experience and her personal development journey. The timing suggested that she had achieved a new form of prosperity quite different from her Red Letter Days success.

The book reflected the broader movement toward redefining success beyond purely financial measures. Elnaugh's own journey—from material wealth to crisis to rebuilding—gave her authority to speak about what prosperity means beyond bank balances.

Liberation

Liberation is Elnaugh's third book, continuing her exploration of personal development and conscious living themes. The book is available through SourceTV, the digital publishing platform she co-founded.

The book represents the current state of Elnaugh's philosophy, synthesising her business experience, recovery from addiction, spiritual seeking, and political awakening. The title suggests freedom from constraints, whether financial, psychological, or spiritual.

The publication of Liberation through SourceTV rather than a traditional publisher demonstrated Elnaugh's integration of her various ventures and her willingness to use alternative channels to reach her audience.

Legacy and influence

Pioneer of experiential gifts

Elnaugh's most significant business contribution was pioneering the experiential gifts industry in the United Kingdom. When she founded Red Letter Days in 1989, the concept of giving experiences as gifts was novel. By the time the company collapsed in 2005, experiential gifts had become an established category with multiple competitors.

The industry Elnaugh helped create continues to thrive. Companies offering experience vouchers for everything from spa days to adventure activities to gourmet dining have proliferated, and experiential gifts are now a mainstream option for consumers seeking alternatives to physical presents.

Red Letter Days itself continues to exist, having been rebuilt after the 2005 administration by Theo Paphitis and Peter Jones. The brand Elnaugh created remains one of the most recognised in the experience gift category, a legacy of her original vision and marketing skills.

Television pioneer

As one of the original Dragons on Dragons' Den and the first female Dragon, Elnaugh contributed to establishing one of British television's most successful business programmes. The format she helped pioneer has now run for over fifteen series and has inspired versions in dozens of countries.

Her willingness to appear on the show as its first female investor helped establish that women belonged in the Dragons' chairs. Subsequent female Dragons including Deborah Meaden, Kelly Hoppen, and Sara Davies have continued this representation, building on the precedent Elnaugh set.

The drama of her departure—appearing on screen as a successful businesswoman while her company was failing off-screen—also became part of Dragons' Den lore, demonstrating the risks that even successful entrepreneurs face and the reality that business success is never guaranteed.

Voice on entrepreneurial failure

Through Business Nightmares and her speaking about the Red Letter Days collapse, Elnaugh became an important voice on the reality of entrepreneurial failure. In an environment where business culture often emphasises only success, her willingness to discuss what went wrong provided valuable perspective.

Her frank acknowledgment that successful entrepreneurs can still fail, and that failure can happen for complex reasons not entirely within founders' control, has helped other entrepreneurs understand and prepare for crisis. The lessons she shared have influenced how entrepreneurs think about risk, financial management, and relationships with banks and investors.

The combination of success and failure in her story makes Elnaugh a particularly credible voice on entrepreneurship. She understands both the excitement of building something successful and the devastation of seeing it collapse, giving her insights that purely successful entrepreneurs cannot offer.

Awards and recognition

Throughout her career, Elnaugh has received various forms of recognition for her entrepreneurial achievements. These honours came primarily during the successful phase of Red Letter Days, before the company's collapse.

She was a finalist in the Veuve Clicquot Businesswoman of the Year award for 2001/2002, one of the most prestigious honours for female entrepreneurs in the United Kingdom. This recognition acknowledged her success in building Red Letter Days into a market-leading company.

Elnaugh was also a finalist in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year competition, reflecting her standing among the UK's leading business builders. The Ernst & Young award is one of the most respected entrepreneurship honours globally.

Her selection as an original Dragon on Dragons' Den represented a form of recognition in itself, as the show's producers chose her as one of five investors deemed successful and credible enough to evaluate other entrepreneurs' pitches.

External links

• Official website
• SourceTV
• BBC Dragons' Den