Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Unbowed by Bullies
Business success Liv launches book she hopes will inspire
A young Lanarkshire woman who was bullied throughout her school years and left at 16 is now the successful owner of her own business with a turnover of £1m.
Now, Liv Conlon is keen to share her amazing journey and the secrets to her success.
The 22-year-old’s debut book, Too Big for Your Boots, went on sale earlier this month and urges the next generation to tap into their entrepreneurial spirit and blaze their own trail.
As much as it focuses on how to get into business, Liv opens up on the challenges and struggles she faced throughout her school life because of being bullied.
Liv explained: “My mission through the book is to connect with one million young people throughout the UK and help them gain back their confidence that they too may have lost because of being bullied.”
The young businesswoman says she was bullied because she was an individual, but reckons the two go hand in hand.
She added: “Being in business allowed me to be an individual and express who I am. If I went on to work for some big firm it would have been a traditional learning environment, but this way I am able to be who I want to be.”
Despite not having an easy school career, Liv can now reflect on that part of her life.
She writes: “It’s easy to look back on the years of being bullied as a blessing now – they shaped me into who I am today and drove me to the success I now enjoy.
“At the time it was extremely difficult. It was a period of my life when I felt hopeless.
“I think there is often a misconception that only quiet and frail people are bullied. There were people I knew who were like that, but I was the opposite. I was outgoing, good at sports and got A grades in all of my subjects. I shone too brightly and certain people took umbrage with that.
“The insight I’m about to give you about my experience at school is a theme that has run throughout my entire life.
“As time passed, I tried to ignore those around me and what was going on in my school life by launching myself into my business.
“As my grades got better, their voices got louder. The tactics to strip me of any confidence got more brutal, painful and insidious.
“I masked what was really going on. No one would have guessed someone like me was being bullied.
“When I left class and no longer had the safety blanket of a teacher present, the bullies would humiliate me on social media or on their group chat.
“It felt like I was in a glass room with no holes for air. You could see me from the outside, I appeared fine, but as I started to lose oxygen I felt I had nowhere to go and developed an inability to breathe.
“With my oxygen tank running on low for so long, I broke. I couldn’t take it any longer. I decided enough, I went home. I internalised the situation for 48 hours and then told my parents what had been happening.
“They were shocked and upset but hugely supportive. Until then I had presented the perfect exterior – I was top of my class, I had won awards at school and I had a couple of close friends.
“From the outside looking in, I was flying. Internally I was drowning and I didn’t know if I could continue.
“With my parents’ support and blessing, I moved to a different school. It was the fresh start I needed, and I distanced myself physically and online from the bullies.”
Too Big For Your Boots provides a detailed insight into Liv’s business journey, as she leverages her experience to issue the ultimate ‘how to’ guide for young Monklands entrepreneurs looking to start a business of their own with no start-up funds and no experience.
Liv is the founder and chief executive of Thepropertystagers, which came to life when her mother Ali struggled to sell an investment property after three months on the market.
That’s when Liz had an epiphany, and the then 17-yearold decided to seek a property staging service. However, she could not find any that offered her a required service at an affordable price.
So, she decided to create the service that she could not find.
After doing so, the property sold above the valuation within three days.
Thepropertystagers was born soon after.
Liv’s business began as a direct result of being unable to sell a property, much like the clientele she now works with.
Having experienced the same issues her clients face, Liv’s passion for her work stems from her understanding of the needs of those she serves.
Liv left school with five Highers but had no intention of
going to university, and was keen to get ahead in business as soon as she could.
She writes: “Starting out in business at 16, I have made a lot of sacrifices to follow my dreams and live my passion.
“People say that I missed out on a lot of the fun of being a regular teenager, which is absolutely true, but I have never regretted following my true purpose. It’s important for those of you starting out on your entrepreneurial journey to truly know the sacrifices required. Are you in?”
Liv says the highlight of her career so far is having Marc Randolph, the co-founder of Netflix, write the foreword for her book.
Marc said: “Liv’s book is that step-by-step guide that I wish I had when I was starting out.”
She explained: “That is the biggest compliment, to have Marc say that about the book it’s just amazing. I knew I didn’t want to go to university and just wanted to get out there, and as Marc says in the foreword, business can’t be learned in the classroom.”
Liv has also interviewed some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs on her podcast and was invited to dinner with the Prime Minister, all before the age of 21.
She said: “I was invited to share Burns Night at Number 10, it was an awesome experience. There was myself and other successful Scottish people, CEOS of companies, footballers, and I was delighted to be invited. It was quite the experience.”
Liv’s book is now available to purchase on Amazon and all good book stores.