Dame Anya Hindmarch started her global fashion business on a gap year trip to Italy aged just 18. Four decades on, she is the founder of one of Britain's most recognisable brands – worn by the Princess of Wales and a new holder of a royal warrant from Queen Camilla. Anya joins Andy for a candid conversation about courage, control and how treating fear and excitement as the same emotion has proved to be her superpower.

This is a masterclass in resilience from a founder who has dealt with the ‘daily stomach punches’ of being an entrepreneur

POWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEY:

I know what it is to have the right legal support around you when facing crisis. Kingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters and build real resilience when the pressure is on. This episode is powered by @kingsleynapley – visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details.

FOUR BUSINESS LESSONS:

Doubt is your friend. Don't try to silence it. The moment you stop being scared is the moment things will go wrong.
Cling on to your equity. Getting investment isn't winning a prize. When you do it the hard way, you stay in control.
Be honest about the journey. Admitting what you've got it wrong buys you more credit than pretending you've got it right.
Sometimes you have to crack a few eggs to make an omelette. You will get things wrong. Get them wrong, correct, and learn.

CHAPTERS:

03:09 – Learning to accept that in life you’ll never be fully satisfied

06:47 – How Thatcher's Britain created a generation of founders

08:19 – Dyslexia and the entrepreneur's brain

15:55 – Starting at 18 with no network, no internet, no clue

18:09 – "Stupid determination" – the trait every founder shares

20:09 – The lonely years of building a business

21:17 – Anxiety vs stress

24:07 – Why imposter syndrome is healthy

24:58 – I'm Not A Plastic Bag: changing national behaviour with a £5 product

27:35 – Honesty as a brand strategy

30:10 – Building a blended family without dropping the business