The Short Cut:
A quick fire chat about working life withElizabeth Solaru
The Short Cut is designed to bring you a snapshot of our members’ working lives. Today we’re speaking to Elizabeth Solaru, Business leader, coach, and author of The LUXpreneur.
At the heart of the Nurture Network is the power of sharing experiences.
From breakthrough career moments, to best ever advice, how to deal with stress and the women that inspire them.
Tell us about your breakthrough career moment
I’ve got a couple…one breakthrough moment was when I lost my job in 2008 when the market dipped, so I set up my cake business as you do, which was the worst time to set up a business! And then I realised I had a problem. I had no clients. So I took to the Yellow Pages, and I was cold calling – I got a majority of rejections from about 120 businesses. But, one particular day I called a number that turned out to be the office of Lady Elizabeth Anson, who happened to be the late Queen Elizabeth’s cousin. And this woman was the first party planner ever in the UK. They asked for samples, and three days later, I dropped some cupcake samples at the address. Because I was so fearful of being identified, you know, as a black woman in this business, I just dropped the case and literally ran out! But before I got home, I got a call saying, ‘Lady Elizabeth would like to see you.’ When I went back, she said, “These cakes are amazing – Best I’ve ever tasted.” And she booked me on the spot. And I got my first-ever private bank check.
And what made it even better was this woman generously wrote me this incredible letter of recommendation and said you can use these words in all your marketing. This is why when people talk about allyship, this is still one of the best forms of allyship.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever had?
That’s a tricky one. But looking back, the best piece of advice was when I was very unhappy in my job as a microbiologist because of systemic XYZ, it was really awful. I remember complaining to a colleague, and she said: “leave.”
That word did something to my brain. It just gave it a shift. The saying is, “Go where you’re appreciated,” but if you’re not where you’re appreciated, leave.
Have you ever felt held back as a women? How do you respond?
When I was a headhunter, I knew for sure that my gender, skin, whatever, did hold me back. I had one job title, but I was doing three jobs – and I didn’t realise I was doing three jobs. I was doing a normal headhunting role, I was head of interims doing all the interim placements, and I was also doing the job-hunting workshops.
And then, when I grew the interim to a turnover of about 5 million a year, they decided to bring in somebody else – and I remember a guy asked me how I reacted to that; I just said something about being a team player. And he said, “ I would have made a fuss – I would have marched in there.” But it still did not click until I got a request from the Cabinet Office for a secondment. And when I took a step back, I realised, “Oh, my God, this company has not been treating me well.”
So internally and externally, yes, things have held me back.
How do you protect your mental health in moments of pressure?
I have a day where I do nothing – as in literally. I block out the time in the diary, and I’m in bed. I love my bed. People think, oh my gosh, she’s so hard working 24/7, which I am. But there’s a part of me that, ideally, if I could work from my bed, I would. I love my sleep. So that’s what I do.
To craft thoughts or help people, I need that space. I need to almost empty my mind, wash the container of my brain – I have my process. So for me, that’s how I protect my mental health. And if something doesn’t serve me or is taking too much from me, I have mastered the art of walking away.
The woman who empowers me the most is…
…Dolly Parton. I don’t even think people realise how amazing she is, and she’s so modest with it! She’s written over 3,000 songs and was the only songwriter to say no to Elvis Presley, which was huge during that time. She gives millions and millions back to her community. Her literacy program has done more for kids in the world than any other person. She gives cash to every child who graduates high school in her hometown, and she built Dollywood in her hometown to give them work. I just love her, and I love that she has this persona of blondeness and artificiality, but inside, she is a very savvy businesswoman. I love it.
I feel empowered when…
… I’m talking on stage.
The world would be a better place when…
… when we learn to just be kind. And I’m not talking nice. I’m talking about kindness. I’m not even talking about, oh, treat people the way you want to be treated. No, treat them the way they want to be treated. With respect, with just kindness.
Do you have any hobbies to keep you busy in your spare time?
Oh, I don’t know if it’s a hobby, but I do love afternoon tea. My go-to place is The Dorchester; I do like trying the different teas! I love going all over London to do afternoon tea.
Where is your favourite place in the world?
One of my favourite places is Il Borro in Italy. It’s in Tuscany. It’s like a massive estate, and you can do everything there, from winemaking to horse riding. It’s just an amazing, incredible place. And the food is to die for.
And my second favourite place is The Four Seasons in the Bahamas. They’ve got a private beach, so you can literally be the only person on the beach.
For more information about the Nurture Network contact us here.
Elizabeth’s book, The LUXpreneur, is available here—go check it out.
