Jemma’s journeys to starting her own business features in new book
A SUCCESSFUL entrepreneur from Derby is among women from across the UK whose inspirational stories form a new book set to raise funds for a national charity.
Inspirational Women, Inspirational Lives, which launched on Monday, celebrates female achievers from across the country, many with tales of overcoming adversity and even tragedy.
Compiled over nine months by
Tracey McAtamney, from Balsall Common, the book features the 58 finalists in the 2020 Ladies First Network Awards which takes place this month in aid of The Katie Piper Foundation. Among those who contributed is Jemma Broadstock, from Derby. It was Jemma’s love of travel that inspired her journey in life and made her determined to start a business allowing her to work from anywhere in the world.
She started her own business at the age of 15, making and selling personalised children’s bunting.
After redundancy she went on to attain a master’s degree in psychology and established her VA business in March last year, just before the pandemic hit. When not studying, she worked with ex-offenders, helping them on the path to a better life.
Jemma also launched Virtually Done, an online platform where she can help others become virtual assistants, too.
Launching a business just before the pandemic hit has not held Jemma back as she has capitalised on the demand for virtual assistants and mentoring in the work from home society
Inspirational Women, Inspirational Lives follows on from the success of Tracey’s first book Hidden Strength in 2019, which tells her own story of resilience, after being widowed at a young age.
Proceeds from this book go back into her charity Surviving Bereavement, which offers practical, financial, legal and emotional support in the form of seminars and new Memory Boxes, launched last year.
The finalists to the third LFN Business Awards were chosen from more than 200 nominations, and the winners will this year, for the first time, receive their engraved glass awards virtually.
Organiser Tracey said: “Compiling this book has been both very humbling and uplifting. I thought it was important to get it out there. At the moment there are more women than ever who need support and inspiration.
“I hope that what people take away from this book is a belief in themselves, that they will see that, no matter how bad things become in your life, you can come out of it the other side.”
Inspirational Women, Inspirational Lives costs £12.99 and is available from Amazon (also on Kindle) or through Tracey at: tracey@ ladiesfirstnetwork.co.uk with all the proceeds benefitting the Katie Piper Foundation.