For anyone unfamiliar with it, Ideas Fest is a two-day festival that brings founders, business leaders and entrepreneurs together to share ideas, experiences and practical advice. This year saw over 6,000 entrepreneurs in the field, bringing founders and business leaders together for two days of talks and conversations, with speakers ranging from Ruby Wax and Ben Shephard to Simon Squibb and Octopus Energy founder Greg Jackson.

In September, I had the pleasure of speaking at Female Founders Unfiltered tent at Ideas Fest, held at Champneys Tring.

And me.

My talk, Ready Is Overrated, began with a confession: when I took on my first bid, I had never written one before. I said I would learn how. I did, and it won. Building a business since then has involved plenty more learning, uncertainty and – often – changes of direction.

That experience shapes the work I do today. I regularly meet small businesses with the skills to deliver brilliant work who assume a larger contract or funding opportunity is out of reach. My message at Ideas Fest was simple: being small does not mean thinking small. You can make a credible case for your value, compete in a bigger game and win.

Sharing my experience, tips and advice at Ideas Fest was a proud moment for me. You just never know where your business will take you.

Thank you to She Starts Smart and Woman Who for inviting me and to everyone who shared their own stories on the day. It was a privilege to be part of such an open conversation.