Hello lovely people. Hope life is great.

I promised you founder stories were coming in hot, and here's the first one (& my personal fav). Grabbed a cheeky oat flat white with Emily, RECO HQ's founder (also my boss..). We had a real DMC, I asked some juicy questions and got some real gems for you all (thank me later). No fluff, just the honest answers from a solo female founder who isn't about making everything seem like all sunshine & rainbows. STRAP IN…

On not paying herself for two years

Yes, you read that right!!! Over two years, no salary. I think we can all agree there's much easier ways to make money, so I had to know why Emily went down this path. When I asked, her answer was simple: "a deep down desire to build something on my own." Knowing Em personally, it's clear she's built different and has an unwavering drive to make RECO HQ a success. Is this a shared trait in all founders? I'm beginning to think so…

The hardest day

"I put down a £20k deposit after an event organiser sold me on a huge event, projecting £30-40k in expenses. It sold the dream, but didn't make much money, & came with a lot of financial learnings the hard way." As she put it, decisions like that bring real stress & pressure, especially "when I have to make decisions that affect other people," things like hiring & wages. "Hindsight is a great thing & these are mistakes I won't make again." I personally took a lot from this, it all goes back to the idea that successful people don't NOT make mistakes, they just get back up again and use it as a learning.

On fundraising

I was curious how Emily coped with the pressure of raising investment and thought many of you would be too! She was super candid: "this is people's personal money. They have families to provide for." Instead of taking that burden on, she flipped it into fuel, "this just can't fail." There's an obvious pressure around raising from angel investors, but you have to remove the personal emotional side and use it as a motivator to push your business forward. I may be biased, but this is the mindset that I think sets RECO HQ apart and makes Em such a great mentor.

On the pressure of being a female founder

Emily was refreshingly honest about the pressure she puts on herself. Self-described perfectionist, type A, always striving to be the best. "I think the conversations are starting to open up, with female founders like Grace Beverley and Lottie Whyte coming to mind, speaking out about balancing family life, timelines and personal relationships with work." I personally feel a real shift, like we're in an era of seeing so many ambitious, successful women do it all. Emily speaks a lot about lessons she's learnt from her dad, who "has had several court cases going on at work but has ALWAYS shown up for our family & left work at the door when he comes home." That's a real skill to develop and doesn't come overnight, but it's imperative to longevity and mental health.

Her main advice: "it's really important we keep having open conversations & build a reliable team around you to share the load."

Her advice for young women wanting to start a business

"Start somewhere, little by little, every day. Everyone started from nothing, so why can't you. Back yourself." As Nike said, just bloody do it.

Fav song on a bad day

"Give Me Everything by Pitbull. Life is short, in Pitbull's very wise words, you've got to do it today."

Most expensive habit she swears by

One thing's for sure, Em does not prioritise material things, "all my designers are fake." Love that for her. I'm partial to a dupe myself. BUT she never says no to experiences with family, friends, or a holiday. Always a yes to a good trip away, because you genuinely have one life. "No Rolex just yet though… that's for when RECO HQ goes big and we exit."

On giving employees equity

Something she feels strongly about (which works lovely for me). "First employees take a huge risk joining at such an early stage, & the team ends up making genuinely key decisions when things are still forming. Without you guys there would be absolutely no business." Investing in your team properly isn't optional, it's essential.

What a refreshing chat with a true boss woman. I hope you enjoyed a little insight into RECO HQ's founder and her why. My main takeaway: you truly are capable of everything you set your mind to, and no dream is out of reach. If not YOU, then WHO?

More founder stories to come.

Have a blessed day
Zoe xx