In November I attended the Small Business Awards – Peterborough and was thrilled to have been announced as Inspirational Business Owner, in fact the winner of the Small Inspirational Business Owner of the Year – Peterborough award.
But it has had me thinking a lot since then. What does the title of ‘Inspirational Business Owner’ actually mean?
I have won awards as an Unsung Hero with DevelopHER in the past. While again I would not class myself as an inspirational person, this one makes more sense to me. I do a lot for the local community and for charities. These are things that I volunteer for and donate my time to. Perhaps some people would see this as inspiring, but it is just the way I chose to spend my time.
I was then asked to speak at two different Women’s Development Groups in Peterborough – as an inspirational person. I stuck with the above; I spoke about the charities I work with, the community projects I donate my time to and why I do it.
Then I won Inspirational Business Owner of the Year.
Now it feels like it is not about what I do in the community, but perhaps what I do as a business owner. While I feel this is nothing terribly special and just something that I am good at and have a natural talent for – it seems that some people in the business community, who nominated me, voted for me and then the judges, who chose me as the winner, felt that I was an Inspirational Business Owner.
What I am trying to say, and perhaps not terribly well, is that you sometimes don’t realise that what you are doing is inspiring others. You may not see yourself as inspirational, but others do.
I would like to tell everyone that is reading this, that you are inspirational. You may not know you are inspirational, you may not know who you are inspiring, but you are inspiring someone – so keep up the great work!
And if you are wondering about the giggling in the picture – that is a whole story in itself, one of which I am happy to share.
