Traci Lewis

My journey as a woman just trying to save the world.  

I was 43 and my worst fears had been realised.

I was divorced, homeless, no savings, in debt and a single parent.

It seemed that every strategy I’d ever employed to avoid each of those things, let alone altogether, had eventually just only taken me to this point.  

To add to the mix, I’d just been told by an oak tree to change my career in sustainable food to help and empower girls and women instead. 

I had such a huge vision and optimism for my life and what it should be.  However I suddenly felt stupid and disillusioned. I’d been working hard on personal development; visualising a soulmate and dream home and projecting confidence about what I was going to achieve.

Yet here I was. Over £30K in debt. I couldn’t get credit to start my new business as I wasn’t a homeowner. The 2 houses I’d once ‘owned’ with my ex-husband now seemed like a distant dream.

The idea of now being able to own my own home again, on my modest charity manager salary, would take a miracle.  Also I’d recently decided to work for myself, as it felt like it was now or never.

However I literally had no assets or savings and was at the start of a long road to build the track record and capital I needed to own my home again.

In addition I’d just been given this life-changing message from an oak tree.

It was my birthday and as a present I’d been to see a shamanic healer. After a wonderful healing, with lots of support and insights for my life journey, the shaman gave me a final spirit message to go and ask an oak tree how I can also help others. To find out what I should be giving back to the world.

This obviously sounds completely bizarre, I get it, and I don’t normally talk to trees, or it wasn’t a regular activity at that point in my life.

So what got me here and what on earth was I doing exactly?

So what did I have going for me? 

• I have a beautiful daughter and we have a great relationship.
• I have a great friends who are fun, fabulous and loyal.
• A loving, supportive family.
• I’m healthy, well and strong.
• I’ve had a successful purpose-led career with lots of transferable skills.
• Great work colleagues and networks I’ve built over the years.

Who am I?

My name is Traci Lewis. I live in Bristol in the UK with my teenage daughter. I am 49 years old.

I am a social entrepreneur.  I run a social enterprise called Catalyse Change CIC which inspires, empowers and skills girls and young women as sustainability leaders and change makers.

I also now help other women who want to set-up and lead their own purpose-led businesses. My purpose is to empower women to take control of their destiny and live their best possible life.

What led me to this point?

One of the first women I truly admired, past pop stars like Debbie Harry and Madonna, was Anita Roddick. In the 1980’s she was a rock star to me. 

She was a business woman, activist and campaigner.  She founded the Body Shop – a chain of beauty shops which pioneered ethical consumerism – changing the face of bodycare and retailing.

As a teenager we used to take the train from Stratford-on-Avon to Birmingham, spending hours trying out their hair and body oils and creams, perfumes and make-up, all with exotic beautiful ingredients we’d never heard of before.

What was different about it were the stories about the products and people who made them and the shocking campaigns against animal testing and social justice. Massive posters of the women and children who made the products and their ingredients. This was a business with purpose. I wasn’t just buying a pot of jojoba body butter. I was empowering women to create their own livelihoods, to be in control of their own destiny.

It was the first time I’d even realised it was something I should be worried about. People around the world living in poverty while making the clothes and products we buy in UK High Streets. This was the first social enterprise I had ever heard of and I loved it, it fired up my passion for social justice and creating a better world for our people and planet.

This was a powerful realisation in the middle of my teenage years, as a passionate young woman growing up in the middle of the UK, doing my own mini rock star turn with sex, drugs, vintage clothes & Body Shop lipstick. I was vegetarian, I was pretty angry about ‘issues’ such as animal cruelty and corporate pollution, informed by Greenpeace campaigns and going to Glastonbury festival. However I was more concerned about my friends, parties and unsuitable boys who – in my head – all looked like my latest favourite rock star, think John Taylor, Bono and Ian McCulloch.

As soon as A-Levels were done, I worked until I bought a round the world ticket, I was off to explore and have the adventures I craved.

It was in Australia that I started to become more environmentally aware. I learnt about the mass deforestation of virgin rainforest and witnessed it first hand. 

I lived in the desert and on tropical islands, which both had no drinking water, it had to be shipped in or sucked up from ancient reserves which weren’t being replenished any time soon.

In Asia I saw rivers clogged with plastic, which was used to sell everything, replacing the banana leaves used only years before. I saw whole mountains dug away in order to build new highrises and the resulting topsoil runoff clogging up and polluting the rivers.  

I experienced air pollution so thick that you couldn’t see in front of you, they were wearing masks in Asia long before the coronavirus pandemic.

Discovering Permaculture

I studied Permaculture design in Australia with its founder and guru Bill Mollison to try and make sense of the environmental destruction and to try and find solutions for reversing it. Permaculture is a philosophy and design system which mimics nature to find the most sustainable ways of living. Organic gardening and farming are core activities, but it goes much further than that, into how communities are designed too.

I lived and worked on organic and biodynamic farms to learn more. Also to get a free bed and board in order to continue my travelling odyssey a bit longer. It all made me realise that the university place waiting for me at Swansea to study History wasn’t going to light my fire, in fact at that time in my life it would have been a bad thing. I would have mainly spent my time raving in the early 90’s. Much better to be exploring new parts of the world experiencing a totally new way of living and looking at the world.

Also I found my purpose, as it made me realise that I wanted to work in organic food and farming. As I realised that it provides hugely positive solutions to the massive problems facing our people and planet.

So when I returned to the UK and happily discovered my beloved Bristol. I asked the Soil Association – who are based here – for a job. It was 1997 and I started working for their social business – after 5 years travelling and working in Australia, NZ and Asia – which was a great fit for me as I knew that organic and sustainable food and farming was one of the best solutions around to help save the world.  We helped farmers and food businesses to get the organic stamp of approval, growing quickly in size and impact the start of the new century, when all the supermarkets were clamouring to bring in organic product lines.  

I always knew I would like to work for myself one day and it was interesting watching and helping so many different amazing new organic businesses. I remember dealing with the initial enquiry and application for Pukka Herbs which initially ran out of their founders home in Bristol, now a global brand owned by Unilever.  

Also I worked with lots of farms and food businesses who also did great work but who didn’t manage to survive. 

All of this time I was wondering how I could start my own social business but although I had many excellent skills and contacts I didn’t any capital and wasn’t totally sure of what I wanted to do.  I was by then living in beautiful Totnes in Devon but had been given a strong intuitive steer to go back to Bristol, which I was currently debating…

Message from an Oak Tree

Then out of the blue I find myself talking to an oak tree.  Who told me I needed to help and empower girls and women.  I didn’t have a clue how but it came from a deep inner knowing and wasn’t something I could ignore.

From there I started to inform myself on the issues and gave money to women’s rights charities. However I had never been involved in this work before. Until now I’d been working with organic food producers, communities and the local Council etc. to grow sustainable food systems.

Empowering Girls & Young Women

So when I moved back to Bristol, I became a Trustee of youth-led charity Integrate UK, who campaign on gender rights issues. I also became a voluntary business advisor for a youth organisation.

However my interest and networks were all around sustainability and I remember one day thinking about Catalyse Change – for which I’d alredy registered the domain name and set up as a limited company – and realised that it needed to focus on empowering girls and young women as change agents for sustainable development.

I had already been talking to other women in my circles about this and I was delighted when three of these brilliant women; Jenna, Julie and Rhian, straight away said yes to helping me make the dream a reality. 

We changed Catalyse Change to a CIC status and the four of us started to develop a vision and plan for what we were going to create.  Today, five years later, we’ve now worked with over 500 young women and 100 mentors who are all excited about what we do and we are only just beginning, the possibilities for the impact we can have is limitless, I’m excited and full of hope for what we can achieve.

So I know it’s easy to laugh at things we don’t understand – it’s a natural reaction – but don’t underestimate the power of trusting your intuition.

And if you pass an oak one day, why not just sit down and have a chat? Who knows where it might lead 🙂

Traci Lewis, [email protected]

Which model to choose when working for yourself.

Job security is no longer guaranteed, and a result, many more people are opting to take control of their future and start their own businesses. Additionally, technology has made it so much easier to do this, with just a quick online search you now have access to unlimited resources, funding, software, market research, and networking opportunities from around the world.

Being one’s own boss can be both exhilarating and rewarding but it isn’t for everyone. 

Statistically speaking most new ventures fail, only around half survive the first 5 years.

Yet despite its challenges working for yourself offers a wonderful and unique opportunity to live life on your own terms, to make money doing what you love and to choose where and how you want to live and work. 

In fact, never before in the history of the world has there been such an opportunity – as there is right now – for you to make an impact while working for yourself. 

Yet it can be confusing with so many different ways of doing it. Which one do you choose?

My Journey as a Social Entrepreneur

During my career journey I have tried many different ways of working, often without realising the model at the time, and also supported hundreds of the other businesses to succeed in theirs. e.g.

• While working as a charity manager my role was often that of an intraprenuer i.e. a manager within a company who promotes innovative product development and marketing.
• As a project manager I have both helped develop & advise many social & community businesses.
• I am now a Director of my own Ltd company, working as a freelancer and consultant.
• I am also co-founder of a social enterprise which has a Board of Directors, Advisory Board and volunteers – it is set up as a CIC with it’s social purpose written into its governing documents.
• I could also now be classed as a solopreneur, as I move away from freelancing, to develop and deliver my own online programmes & courses.

So what are the different models of working for yourself and which might you want to use yourself?

Ethical freelancer:

A freelancer offers services, often working on several jobs for multiple clients at one time. It refers to the type of work being carried, it isn’t a legal status such as a sole trader or limited company (a freelancer can have either). Freelancers usually earn money on a per-job basis, charging hourly or daily rates for their work and the work is usually short-term.  To be an ethical freelancer you must ensure that how you run your business and those you work with embed the triple bottom line ‘people, planet, profit.’.

Social entrepreneur:

A social entrepreneur works to solve a social or environmental problem through a business, normally using money (preferably someone else’s) to build a business bigger than themselves. Entrepreneurs focus on growth and on scaling the systems that they build. If you want to take risks, change the world, and have a diverse skill-set, entrepreneurship might be the better option for you. However it is hard work, especially during the early years, and requires a lot of self-promotion and networking, so to succeed it is really something you need to feel deeply driven to do.

Is there another way? The rise of the online solopreneur

A solopreneur sets up and runs a business on their own. This could be seen as a middle way between being a freelancer and social entrepreneur. It is increasingly attractive to those of us who want to work for ourselves from home, with a good quality of life and without the stresses which come with pursuing business growth and managing a team. You might choose to work with other freelancers or contractors, yet you have the full responsibility for the running of the business. The work can be delivered in a range of ways eg. freelancing, consulting or e-commerce. The main route to scaling it is through delivering digital products online.

In reality, at least at the beginning, your work may be a mix of the above e.g. I am currently transitioning my freelancing to working as a solopreneur through delivering online courses, while I am also a social entrepreneur working as part of a team.  

If you are a woman working for yourself, or are just starting out, you might want to join our Women In Sustainability (WINS) meetings for freelancers and entrepreneurs.

To explore hot topics with other women in sustainability, who are already working for themselves, or seriously thinking about it. So come ready to explore your challenges, hopes and fears around how to successfully work for yourself. There are no stupid questions, so come armed with yours! 

For more information and if you would like to receive a free copy of my ‘50 Top Tips for Female Social Entrepreneurs’ then please do get in touch [email protected]  Traci Lewis  @TraciLewis79 Linkedin;  Co-founder & Director, Catalyse Change CIC Women In Sustainability Bristol hub.

To help Freelancers & Social Entrepreneurs stay in business.

Working for yourself right now is challenging. The coronavirus pandemic has become a global crisis, with freelancers and small businesses particularly feeling the strain of government regulations forcing all but a handful to close their doors during the nationwide lockdowns. The lockdown has inevitably led to declining sales, cancelled bookings and possible job losses, leaving many small business owners anxious about what the future holds. Here I explore 10 social entrepreneurship ideas for helping you keep your social enterprise afloat until we’ve managed to weather the worst of this storm?

I am a sole director of a limited company, Sustain-Live Consulting Ltd and also one of three directors of social enterprise, Catalyse Change CIC, which is also legally classed as a private limited company. In many ways we are in a good position, as we are agile and don’t have large overheads, however our normal income streams and activities have all been hit by COVID-19.

So we have been exploring all the options open to us, which I’m going to share with you here.

Are you eligible for Government Support?

Firstly – before we look at social entrepreneurship ideas – have you checked what government support could be available? My accountants TaxAssist are providing useful advice, Other clear, current sources of information are: Enterprise Nation and Martin Lewis.

However if this won’t help you – or not quickly enough – and if you don’t have savings or generous wealthy friends or family ready to help. What are your next steps?

Here are my 10 top social entrepreneurship ideas to try now:

1. Contact Your Customers

Get in touch with all of your current customers, this includes sponsors and funders. As if they have furloughed and/or lost income – which is more than likely – then it’s probably going to affect existing contracts and jobs. So contact them now to discuss options and negotiate any changes to project timelines and payments. Clearly you want to maintain good relationships with them, so be kind and empathise with their situation, remember that everyone is in the same boat right now. Try and negotiate a new arrangement if current work can’t go ahead e.g. a payment plan or a new timeframe. Communicate any new agreements clearly in writing.

2. Get Your Products Online!

Okay, so this is the obvious next move, how can you now deliver your key products and services online? What sort of digital offering can you now create. My sister, who is a yoga teacher for studios and corporates, lost all her income overnight. So she set up a Facebook group for her clients and has now started delivering her classes via zoom.

At Catalyse Change we have created an online programme to replace our summer sustainability camp. This is also a new business opportunity which will provide us with a new product for a much a wider audience. You might be thinking ‘that’s all very well but it wouldn’t work for me’ however you might be surprised at what’s possible. I recommend joining Janet Murray’s ‘Build your online audience’ membership club. Janet runs clear, engaging masterclasses on how to create passive income in your business e.g. online courses, memberships, Ebooks etc.

3. Innovate & Pivot!

As a social enterprise you exist to help solve specific social and environmental problems. So in a time of crisis how can you best serve your community? How can you help them whilst also keeping your business afloat? “Pivot” is a popular term in the start-up world whereby if an initial idea doesn’t work as planned, entrepreneurs pursue a Plan B.

A social enterprise in Milan has opened up a residence for children whose parents have been hospitalised. What problem can now you turn your skills and resources to solving? Many restaurants and cafes are pivoting into food takeaways & deliveries. A great social entrepreneurship idea is the Food Union where chefs collaborate to feed NHS staff.

4. Grant funding?

There may be grants available to help your business deliver charitable services, especially if you are serving those most affected by COVID-19. Unfortunately a lot of normal grant funds have now been closed to new applicants. However there are new emergency funds available, especially if you are working with certain vulnerable groups, such as children, elderly or homeless people. There are also regional and local funds becoming available, so do sign up to funding bulletins. Check out Grants online and Funding Central.

5. Crowdfunding

Have you considered a crowdfunder to help you? It’s a great way to build your community and market your business, as well as to raise money for a new project or product. It could be an effective way to help you pivot and do something more community-minded. Check out the crowdfunding websites to find out how to do it and get ideas. We used Crowdfunder to launch Catalyse Change CIC, other good ones are Fundsurfer and GoFundMe who don’t charge a platform fee.

Also we use Local Giving as an effective way for a social enterprise to fundraise, as you benefit from gift aid. Another idea for independent businesses are ‘pay it forward’ vouchers, so your customers provide cashflow now, to use it when you open for business again eg. Wiggle  PayitForward.

6. Have you heard of Patreon?

It’s a website for creatives and entrepreneurs with a subscription-style payment model. Fans pay their favorite creators a monthly amount of their choice, starting from $1, in exchange for exclusive access or extra content. I just heard about this from Bex Band, The Ordinary Adventurer, as it is helping her to stay afloat now she’s just lost her main income from live events. Have a look around the site and see what people are offering. It could even become a core part of your business going forward. I also recommend Bex’s webinar if you are looking to grow your own brand and business.

7. Skill swap

Get creative. You don’t actually need money to get what you want. As many people now have more time on their hands, even if they have less money. So it’s an opportunity think about what you have to offer and what you need. Why not contact people in your network to find out how they are and explore the opportunity to skill swap e.g. web design, bookkeeping, how to run online events or develop a communication strategy. It’s an ideal time to put your house in order and look at some creative ways of doing it. You could also try established skills exchanges like Timebanks LETS or TimebankUK

8. Partnerships & Collaboration

Now’s a good time to have a think about your Big Hairy Audacious Goals and how to achieve them. Who would your dream partners or clients be? Who are those great people you would love to get to know better? Well now is the time to reach out and strike up a conversation. Have you got an idea you’d love their opinion on? Have you got an new project or event you’d love to collaborate on?

So while now is not the time to ask for money, it’s a time to lay the groundwork and grow relationships. There are currently lot of people sitting at home who would normally be difficult to get a meeting with. So why not use this as an opportunity to connect with them through Linkedin (do send a message with your invite if you aren’t already connected) and see what happens!

9. Newsletter & email list

Do you have a quality email list, of your customers and wider network, with whom you regularly communicate? Well if not, then now is the time to create one. Or if you do have one, now is a good time to use it and grow it. As an email list is an asset which you own. It’s not like your social media community where you don’t have any control over the algorithms or platform. We use Mailchimp for our monthly newsletter, as it’s easy to use whether for simple emails or to different target audiences.

I get a daily email from my marketing guru Seth Godin. His daily blog is always insightful and interesting. As a result, I’ve bought a number of courses and books from him. Don’t try a daily one for now though! But do make sure that whatever you do is consistent, even if it’s only monthly or every 6-8 weeks.

10. Put your house in order

Use this time to reflect, to dream, strategise and plan. Use it to put those admin, finance and project management systems in place. Perhaps finally sort out your website SEO and Google Analytics?  And don’t just do it but also use them to think about how to work smarter.

How about your newsletter sign-up system, can you think of ways to improve that? Perhaps add a new email footer, write an ebook or set up an automated email sequence for new subscribers. So, when this pandemic ends you’re ready to launch that new product or event and hit the ground running. As you’ve done all the research, the preparation and other backroom jobs which we usually push to the bottom of our to-do list. Also do consider doing an online learning course – many are currently free or reduced – as a way to increase your knowledge and to help you develop your business.

Also how about using this enforced PAUSE to stop and reflect for a bit?

To dream about the ANSWERS to the BIG PROBLEMS which you want to help solve?

As a social entrepreneur you should be always thinking about what problem needs solving for the community you are here to serve. There are a lot of problems right now and so it’s a good time to think about how we can help solve them.

Our economic system is at a crossroads. We’re not only dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, the single most impactful event of a generation, but also the increasing impacts of climate change and social inequality, and they’re not going away, are they? We’ve now got to think a lot harder and work a lot smarter.

We’ve got to dream, to create and to collaborate in order to deliver social entrepreneurship ideas and solutions to help fix society’s biggest problems. So let’s leave the master of innovation Albert Einstein to have the last word here.

“We can’t solve problems using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”

– Albert Einstein

Do you have more ideas to add which have worked for you?

Good luck with it all, do let me know how you get on. I’d love to hear from you.

Traci Lewis, director, catalyst & consultant, Catalyse Change CIC & Sustain-Live Consulting Ltd, [email protected] @TraciLewis79