Finn Prevett is the co-founder of The Positive Planner.
Head to the site for more information about the brand’s award-winning journals and to read about Finn’s journey.
Tell us a bit about yourself, background and your current role
Hi, I am Finn. I am co-owner of The Positive Planner. I am a Mother, author, mental health campaigner and speaker, and am also currently training to become a life coach and NLP practitioner. I have a particular interest in trauma related mental health illness, and how psychotherapy alongside the practices writing, creativity and mindfulness can allow individuals to thrive.
I am also a qualified hairdresser, and Prior to starting The Positive Planner in 2017 I owned a hairdressing and beauty therapy salon in Cambridge for nearly 10 years.
I currently live on the Indian Ocean in a coastal town of Kenya. My husband and I are both business owners, he has a Resturant in Cambridge and We moved to Kenya in September 2019 to fulfil my husbands life long dream of of owning a beach bar.
Did you ever sit down and plan your career?
No. I did not enjoy school at all and spent a lot of time either unable to attend due to anxiety and depression, or unable to focus when I was there. So planning a career never felt important. I have always worked incredible hard outside of a school environment though, and that drive to have a better life than I did as a child has allowed me be really successful in whatever I have put my mind to.
Have you faced any challenges along the way?
Yes, so many. I came from a family with no financial security, so in the early days of self employment I had no safety net. That was really challenging at times, because sometimes I would have to live off £5 a week after paying rent and bills. It also meant that when my businesses where struggling financially there was no easy way out. I found the challenge of navigating finances a real struggle, but ultimately it has now meant I have a great grasp on the financial aspects of running a business.
What has been your biggest achievement to date?
There have been two. The first was opening my salon in central Cambridge at the age of 25. I was really proud of this, I left home at 16 and worked really hard to make a success of myself, so this was a very special moment knowing all the stuggles lead to being a business owner.
The second has to be when sales of our books hit over 25,000 in the first 24 months. We have now gone on to grow our sales by 300 per cent in the first five months of 2020, so hopefully that totally will be near 100,000 by 2021.
What one thing do you believe has been a major factor in you achieving success?
A drive to lead a happy and fulfilling life, and to create the security I did not have in my childhood for my son.
How do you feel about mentoring? Have you mentored anyone or are you someone’s mentee?
I think mentoring is an essential part of being a successful business woman. I have had some incredibly inspiring mentors that have been fundamental to my success. Mentoring helps bolster self belief and allows knowledge and wisdom to be passed on to those who will thrive from it. I have myself been a mentor and I experience a vast amount of fulfilment from it. I am now training to be a coach because of this love for encouraging and supporting others.
If you could change one thing to accelerate the pace of change for Gender Equality, what would it be?
That men stop using the emotional intelligence of women as a way of shaming them and undermining their experience, capabilities and successes. Phrases such as “don’t be so emotional” “I don’t like your tone” and “do you need to take a moment” are subtle ways of manipulating women to believe their opinions are not valid.
If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self what would it be?
This is just one chapter of your life, the rest are going to be filled with love, security, adventure and joy.
What is your next challenge and what are you hoping to achieve in the future?
Our business is going though a phase of rapid growth, which we are so grateful for and excited about. This is also a challenge though, because we are having to quickly evaluate and develop the way we do things and find way to streamline the business so it can continue to grow steadily.
Our next phase is to grow the international side of our business, I am really excited about this. We have had a really great response from our books being stoked in Urban Outfitter North America, so knowing there is a demand makes this next phase of growth an exciting one.
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