Angela De Souza
Angela De Souza likes to be called a serial entrepreneur! Her current role is that of a CEO and Founder of a fast-growing business network, Women’s Business Club. She is a wife and mother of four with two gorgeous grandchildren and 6 cats, and she lives in the North Cotswold in England. Her passion is to help women reach their full potential in business and she does this through the Women’s Business Club and as a speaker at large conferences and company events.
Tell us about your life before the venture/ leading up to your venture?
My first business failed so I had no intention of setting up a new business and focused purely on voluntary work whilst supporting my husband in building a church. One thing led to another and before I realised, I had started another business, the rest as they say is history!
Tell us something about your organization. What is it about and how is it helpful for people?
Women’s Business Club is on a mission to empower women to succeed in business across the globe and we want to reach as many women as possible. We support small startups all the way to successful multi-millionaire corporate women. Each stage of the journey has its own sort of loneliness and we want to build a community so that no one feels alone in their business journey.
What has been the response of the consumers towards your venture?
We have been warmly received by women across the world whenever they encounter us and many times we find they say, “I wish I had known about you sooner”, so we’re trying to get out there further and faster so anyone who needs support can access our services when they need them.
What’s a leadership lesson that you’ve learnt that’s unique to being a female leader?
I’ve definitely become a different person over the past 10 years. Leading a company can be extremely stressful and incredibly rewarding. I’m still learning to find a happy place somewhere in between. Being a leader has helped me learn valuable people skills as well as financial management skills, both I believe are essential to any successful business. Then of course, I’ve learned all the little bits that you just can’t learn at business school like work-life balance, being kind even when someone is rude to you and enjoying the journey on good days and bad days.