Success of UK’s female entrepreneurs celebrated at National NatWest Everywoman Awards at the Dorchester. Julianne Ponan is the Owner/CEO of Creative Nature. Today the Surrey based businesswoman is named Youngest winner of the Everywoman Artemis Award – sponsored by Salesforce, for a woman aged up to 25, one of the UK’s most revered prizes honouring British entrepreneurial success.
When supermarket buyers ignored her calls, Julianne Ponan had to find a different way of catching their attention to get her super food products on their radar. Spicing up the product packaging, providing a truly unique product range and creating eye-catching trade show displays paid off. Creative Nature is now the only UK super food brand to secure listings in one of the ‘big four’ supermarket chains with several others showing interest, both in the UK and abroad.
With ambitions to become the number one super food brand of choice in Europe, Creative Nature turned over twice its 2013 turnover before the year end in 2014, with listings in Tesco, Ocado and Giraffe Stop Kings Cross as well as international listings in Sweden, Germany and the UAE. Julianne believes her personal attention in every aspect of the business has ensured its early success – she works in partnership with a designer on packaging and loves nothing more than introducing the product to the public at consumer events. Plans for the future include exciting new product launches that will target new audiences and continue to further Julianne’s dream to make the UK and Europe a far healthier and happier place to live.
Julianne was also invited to speak at the prestigious Business Show in November – alongside the likes of Richard Reed, founder of Innocent Smoothies and Brad Burton, the UK’s number one motivational speaker – to share her story behind how she, with just one other employee, turned Creative Nature into a success by aged 25.
NatWest Everywoman
Now in its 12th year, the NatWest Everywoman Awards has become the defining event for Britain’s female entrepreneurs, celebrating the success of women-owned businesses across the country. The programme reveals the stories of individuals, whose qualities and acumen have driven their success, applauding their achievements and creating inspiring role models. Significant progress has been made to increase the influence of women in business and the UK now leads the way in Europe for entrepreneurship [2015 Global Entrepreneurship Index].
The event was attended by some of Britain’s best known business owners including Awards Patron Dame Mary Perkins (Specsavers), Chrissie Rucker MBE (The White Company), Cath Kidston MBE, Dame Margaret Barbour, Kanya King MBE and Amanda Wakeley OBE.
The combined annual turnover of the businesses owned by women at the NatWest Everywoman Awards was estimated to exceed £3 billion demonstrating the phenomenal ongoing contribution that female-run and –led business makes to the UK economy.
Julianne said ‘I am completely overwhelmed and grateful to have won the Artemis Award, i really am so surprised especially being up against incredible female entrepreneurs. There is no Elevator to achieve success, you just have to take the stairs, thats why i have to keep climbing!’
Maxine Benson MBE, Everywoman co-founder comments on the winners: “It takes a bold and gutsy individual to start a business and today’s winners are all women with vision and determination, qualities that have contributed to their success. Some have businesses that are household names, others will achieve that recognition in the future. All are joined by a common goal to succeed and to inspire. Today we celebrate their achievements and acknowledge the challenges overcome and sacrifices made on the path to their success. They not only fly the flag for British business, but are role models for future generations of entrepreneurs.”
The awards were judged by some of Britain’s most successful entrepreneurs including Cath Kidston MBE, Kanya King (MOBO Group) Wendy Hallett MBE (Hallett Retail), Perween Warsi CBE (S&A Foods), and Sharon Hilditch MBE (Crystal Clear).
