Fiona Surrey
Fiona Surrey tells us that, “This was hard as I absolutely love what I do and switching off was very hard to implement, I now schedule this into my working week I find pockets of time to switch off that can be a 20 mins break to a Sunday Funday which is spent with friends and family, more importantly I do this without guilt as in the beginning and most of my working career I would have a sense of guilt which would consume me and I’d not really switch off or have a break I’d find enjoyable so now from creating that guilt free zone and allowing myself to live life and have fun along this incredible journey.”
When faced with unexpected hurdles in your business, how do you stay strong?
I champion those hurdles. I make them obstacles or challenges of fun and with optimism I try not to believe those as roadblock but more of a chance to show how we can stay strong and have confidence to overcome those no matter how big or small they may be.
How do you determine the success of your business beyond financial metrics, focusing on factors like customer satisfaction and community impact?
I utilise our framework to a show not to tell, creating impact case studies showing our actions through storytelling and communications for the purpose of good, gaining trust and transparency and championing social value makes such an impact that others can relate and embrace which empowers others very much. I also allow others to flourish and stepping back is also important as that allows others to grow and shine.
Can you recount a pivotal moment in your business journey where you saw remarkable growth or witnessed a transformative change, showcasing the impact of your products or services?
May 24th 2021 is the date my life changed and a massive shoutout to Paula Edwards from Salute Her UK, allowing me to represent their charity organisation and standing in Parliament speaking for the voice of many women veterans was a moment in my life that changed forever. I knew my life was for purpose and giving me this opportunity set solid foundations to what I was wanting to implement and achieve. I also have to mention my mother as becoming her carer and having her live with us was a moment when life changed for the importance of family values, when made redundant after fifteen years in our technology and retail sector she was a key decision point to why my journey started in the first place. So I have her to massively thank and appreciate as my foundations and journey changed course. When people say business is not personal and to keep those separate I work around my family and it’s embedded into our core values and purpose. Everyone needs a sense of belonging and I’m proud to be implementing this to so many.
In your view, how crucial is mentorship for the success of small businesses, and how have mentors influenced your own entrepreneurial path?
This is key entrepreneurship or working alone in a business can be isolating and also feel overwhelming especially as we always need to adapt and grow. I have made many mistakes which is important to admit and I’m confident to say I do not know everything so surround yourself with supportive people like mentors as they will be your sounding board, those you can ask for support, but can also encourage or challenge you when needed.
What is your business focused on, and how does it contribute to making a positive difference in the world?
My business is focused on social impact and digital innovation, inspiring and empowering other people, businesses and organisations. We support those wanting to make a difference and think outside the box in a unique and dynamic way, each project can benefit in such a positive way of working, and from the inside out and different perspectives it’s incredible to work on so many different projects that have made a difference across the globe.
What special ability do you wish you had to make your job easier?
I’m currently learning Generative AI tools that can be implemented for the purpose of good, so many are fearful and this is a world of the unknown and once I do create our crew I’ll be able to deliver so much more to not only our region but reaching out to places unknown, for anyone who is told the sky’s the limit, I disagree, as we have not explored many planets and galaxies that our technology have never been there yet, so we can dream even bigger.
If you could invite three fictional characters to help you plan your next project, who would you choose, and why?
Olivia Pope from Scandal she is a gladiator for good value and purpose, Storm Troopers as these will be implemented into a project one day, lastly I would create my own character called Geordie Lass as I like to be different and unique, the reason why is we all have a Superpowers and it’s important to celebrate our own individuality so it would be a fictional character of myself as that would be fun.