She has an unstoppable global brand, her name has become a verb synonymous with class and style, sheâs a former Dragon, a renowned presenter and author, and a champion of British enterprise, Kelly Hoppen is without doubt an icon.   Â
However, Kellyâs story isnât one of overnight success. She was relentlessly bullied at school, sheâs dyslexic, she suffered from severely low self-esteem, and her father passed away when she was just 16 years old. At 16 and a half, she convinced her stepfatherâs friend to let her redesign his kitchen. Around this time, her friend was having an affair with a famous racing driver, so she became the interior designer of his house as a front to their affair⊠and the rest, as they say, is history.Â
Over the next four decades, Kelly has done work for some of the most well-known names on the planet, from the Beckhams to P. Diddy, and worked with homes, yachts, jets, hotels, restaurants, and more. Sheâs written over a dozen books and won numerous awards.
We met up with Kelly at her studio in West London to talk about how business has changed, building a global brand, being a Dragon, and much more.Â
Here's what we discussed:
- Do you think you're a competitive person? (01:27)
- Could you give us an overview of your career? (02:20)
- Do you think you'd still have the same level of success if you started your business today? (04:27)
- Networking was a big part of your journey. Did you find that difficult as an introvert? (06:18)
- How did you find developing your leadership style as you grew the business? (08:28)
- Are there any practices from around the world that you wish we did more in the UK? (10:07)
- You haven't taken any external funding. Why is that? (11:23)
- Did you do any investing before you joined Dragons' Den? (13:48)
- Why is mentorship so important to you? (14:58)
- Did you have any mentors growing up? (16:27)
- What would you have done if you didn't go into interior design? (17:13)
- You are dyslexic. Do you feel that people's views of neurodiversity have improved? (17:49)
- How has your business been affected by supply chain struggles caused by Brexit and the war in Ukraine? (20:00)
- How does the current doom and gloom compare to other global crises you've experienced during the history of your business? (21:43)
- Â Are you still actively investing in businesses? (22:56)
- The Good News Postcard: If you went down a different business career, what would you have done? (24:00)
- What makes a great business leader? (25:14)
- What is one fact about you that people can't find online? (27:01)
Thanks to Hayden from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life ânews thatâs good for youâ, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.
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