Anita Roddick – an inspiration
I was saddened to hear of Anita Roddick’s death… she was certainly a role model for me as I grew my business.
I pulled out my dog eared copy of “Business as Unusual – the triumph of Anita Roddick” and reminisced over the story of Anita’s journey and of her pioneering philosophy on doing business, and the impact these had on opening my eyes to the bigger picture of entrepreneurship.
Even now, when I’m speaking to businesswomen’s groups I quote Anita, because her philosophy inspired me to start a business that, in turn, encouraged other women in business who also wanted to make a difference to the world. Here is that quote:
“In terms of power and influence, you can forget the church, forget politics. There is no more powerful institution in society than business – I believe it is now more important than ever before for business to assume a moral leadership. The business of business should not be about money, it should be about responsibility. It should be about public good, not private greed.”
She says this because Microsoft could fund the National Health Service, the Royal Navy, the RAF and the Army for a year, all by itself, and still have change to spare. Half of everything spent by British consumers goes into the coffers of just 250 companies.
Even though I was a small business it struck me as hugely inspiring that through my business, I could make a difference. That though my business only employed a handful of people, what I did, impacted on them and the community.
And Anita showed me being small was okay too with this quote: “If you think you’re too small to be effective, you’ve never been in bed with a mosquito!”
Anita was a champion of women entrepreneurs – in large part due to the fact that we innately ‘nurture the human spirit’, a value that aligned with her greatest vision for business leaders.
And this quote is certainly an encouragement for any woman who doubts her capabilities: “If a woman can decide who gets the last toffee, a four year or a six year old, she can negotiate any contract in the world.”
:::: Thank you Anita for your wisdom, your energy and your passion for changing the way we do business.
