Team egg were so pleased to be joined by Ella Mills on Tuesday 31st January at the W hotel in Edinburgh. And *drumroll please*... this was our very first event from our Women on Top series in 2024! Ella is the powerhouse behind multi-million pound business 'Deliciously Ella'. She's on a mission to get the UK eating more plants and cooking simple nutritious meals. From turning over £1 million during the whole of 2017, to £1 million in the first two weeks of 2024, it's safe to say she's a successful business women and role model to many!
It was teas, coffees and (vegan!) croissants aplenty for our attendees whilst Kylie interviewed Ella. We heard all about her journey from discovering her autoimmune condition as a student at the University of St Andrews which kickstarted her food blog, learning how to run a business with her husband and navigating hard moments, to becoming a household brand who have sold £90 million worth of products. Oh, and we got to hear Ella's unfiltered thoughts on air fryers...!
Here are our top takeaways from Ella on growing your business: 1. "I'm sure I'm not the only person who feels like I'm in a tumble dryer" - running a business means juggling a lot of spinning plates, and it can be mad at times. Ella told us how her business can never stand still, even for a day. You want to always be pushing forwards, as if you're not, you're going backwards which is a scary place to be (and she reflected that this had happened to her a handful of times!)
2. "People connect with people" - Ella was really clear on how much social media, her personal touch, and storytelling, have grown her brand. And the good news is that social media is a free tool for all us eggs to use! The opportunity to show your passion, connect with people on a shared mission and purpose, and ultimately drive sales, is huge.
3. "A partnership is incredibly important" - Ella revealed what it's like working together with her husband Matthew, and how they navigate their relationship as Co-CEOs by focusing and managing separate parts of the business to play to their individual skills. It's another important reminder for us eggs to make sure we have the right support networks around you when starting a business. Or, you could consider finding a coach or mentor. to help on your journey. Don't forget our sponsors, RBS, have their own MentorMatch programme available to our eggs.
So take it from us and our egg attendees (check out our Instagram event highlights to hear their key takeaways), that this was a great event we learnt a lot from.
Thank you Ella for joining us and for being such an inspiration to us at egg, we loved having you. And, a massive thanks must go to our sponsors - RBS and the Scottish Government - for supporting us, and to all our partners who made the event possible; Hodder Stoughton, W Hotel Edinburgh, Blackwells, Rachel Hein Photography, Stripe, journalist Ailsa Sheddon, and Woosh Events.
Feeling inspired and want to get involved at the next Women on Top event?
Well, mark your diaries for Thursday 7th March, and keep the morning free! We'll be sharing more event details soon.
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