We are thrilled to announce Hannah Feldman, Co-Founder of Kidadl is featured in our Inspirational Women in Business blog this week. Kidadl is an online marketplace for family leisure which has raised £1m of investment already. Hannah left the world of banking and corporate finance to pursue the business with her Co-Founder, Sophie Orman, in 2016.
1. Best piece of advice you’ve been given?
That building a start-up is a marathon not a sprint and that you need to keep yourself in check and healthy to reach your end goal. Until I embarked upon this journey and saw first-hand how much of yourself you put into a new venture, I never realised how true this was.
2. Worst piece of advice you’ve been given?
To stay “safe” in a 9-5 job and put my entrepreneurial dreams to one side. I did this for years, until I realised that only I held the power to change this narrative and follow the path I felt drawn to. Nobody was going to give me permission – I had to own it. That took 37 long years to achieve!
3. What would you tell your younger self?
That the joy is in the journey. Of course, it’s fantastic to set goals and plan for the big moments, but if the road to them is not filling your heart, and your mind, with positivity and passion then change course. Life is short and there are no guarantees whatever path you take so make sure you enjoy the ride.
4. What excites you most about the future of your industry?
The incredible cohort of female founders that I am meeting and engaging with daily. Seeing their brilliant businesses develop and grow, knowing that they won’t just make a huge mark on the entrepreneurial landscape, but also in the minds and ambitions of our next (hopefully even larger) generation of female leaders.
5. Who or what is your biggest inspiration?
It would have to be Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx. Both for her incredible focus and drive to deliver an industry-changing product, but also because of her attitude. She radiates positivity, honesty and most-importantly a sense of staying true to herself, and her innate quirks and idiosyncrasies, through the journey.
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