The Business Awards Show

Today I am joined by Customer Service Judge Cathy Ayers from Cleveland Scott York and Babs Forman, winner of the Best Customer Service category at the Best Business Women Awards 2019.

Here are the highlights from the episode:

Part 1: Interview with Cathy Ayers

{1:10} What Cleveland Scott York do and the type of clients the business works with.

{2:26} How long Cathy has been working in Intellectual Property and the changes she has seen over the years.

{3:45} Thought process behind getting involved in Female Business Awards.

{5:00} What Cathy looks for as a judge for the Best Customer Service category.

{7:50} Advice for those unsure of entering the awards.

{9:29} Final thoughts from Cathy.

{15:14} Interlude

Part 2: Interview with Babs Forman

{16:00} About Skin Confident

{17: 17} Why Babs got into this business and industry.

{18:20} Where Skin Confident is based.

{19:04} Why Babs entered the awards last year.

{19:50} What Babs feels encapsulates good customer service.

{21:05} The impact of the awards.

{22:23} Advice to anyone thinking of entering the awards.

Connect with Debbie at The Business Awards Show

Connect with Cathy Ayers at Cleveland Scott York

Twitter: @CSY_IP

Facebook: Cleveland-Scott-York-Intellectual-Property

Instagram: @csy_ip

Connect with Babs Forman at Skin Confident

Twitter: @SkinConfidentUk

Facebook: @SkinConfidentUK

Instagram: @babsforman_skinconfident

Today I’m joined by Julie Grimes, the founder of Jaguar White Recruitment as well as a previous award winner of our recruitment category in 2016.

Julie is now one of our judges for the Best Business Women Awards.

Here are the highlights from the episode:

{1:31} Why Julie started Jaguar White Recruitment and her background in recruitment.

{3:13} The challenges she faced when starting a business.

{5:15} Helping clients during lockdown.

{6:50} Awards experience.

{8:07} From Award Winner to Judge.

{9:35} What she looks for in terms of judging our Best Boss category.

{10:25} What she looks for when judging other categories.

{11:40} Impact of winning and sponsoring the awards for Jaguar White Recruitment.

{12:42} Advice for those entering the awards.

{14:21} The future of Jaguar White Recruitment.

Connect with Debbie at The Business Awards Show

Connect with Julie at Jaguar White Recruitment

Twitter: @JagWhiteRecruit

Facebook: @jaguarwhiterecruitment 

Instagram: @jaguarwhiterecruitment

Today I’m joined by Donna O’Toole, the founder of August Recognition and Awards Judge.

In 2021, August Recognition became a part of Dent Global Group who help entrepreneurs and business leaders to stand out. 

Here are the highlights from the episode:

{1:53} Donna’s passion for awards and what drew her to the industry.

{5:26} What Donna looks for in award entries.

{8:32} Common mistakes in entries.

{11:42} The Awards Accelerator.

{14:14} The use of awards agencies.

{17:30} Awards imposters syndrome.

{20:04} The tenacity of women entering awards.

{22: 36} Winning Awards with Donna O’Toole podcast and Winning Business Awards scorecard.

Connect with Debbie at The Business Awards Show

Connect with Donna at August Recognition

Twitter: @donna_awards and @august_awards

Instagram: @august_awards

Facebook: August Awards Consultancy

Awards Accelerator

Get Awards (Event with Dent on 19th and 26th May) 

Win Business Awards Scorecard

Today I'm joined by Jo Bates, the founder of Thumsie Limited. Jo won the Best Consumer and Retail category in 2019 but was also a finalist in 2017 and 2018. We talk about how winning business awards has led to Thumsie receiving industry recognition for her innovative children’s products.

Here are the highlights from this episode:

{1:14} How Thumsie Limited came about

{2:48} The problems that thumb and finger sucking can cause

{6:21} Why Jo started to enter business awards

{10:25} Winning the Best Innovation category in the Dental Awards and getting Oral Health Foundation approved

{12:06} Getting press for winning awards

{14:31} The future for Thumsie

{16:42} Jo's advice on entering business awards

Connect with Debbie at: https://thebusinessawardsshow.co.uk/

Connect with Jo at: https://thumbsie.co.uk/

In this episode, I'm joined by Davina Steel who won our Best New Business category in 2019.

After having cancer Davina developed an intolerance to Gluten which led to her starting her baking business Davina Steel which is now available in Co-op and Waitrose.

Here are the highlights from this episode:

{4:08} Getting products into supermarkets and delis

(5:11} Why Davina decided to enter awards for her business

{6:41} The impact that winning awards has had on Davina's business

{7:37} Trading through a pandemic as a new business

{8:26} How the business will develop over the next few years

{9:46} Davina's advice on entering business awards

{11:04} How including projections in your awards entries can help you to stand out

{12:59} How entering business awards can shine a light on what is and isn't working in your business.

Connect with Debbie at https://thebusinessawardsshow.co.uk/

Connect with Davina at https://www.davinasteel.com/

Today I'm joined by the amazing Taz Thornton who was the winner of our best coach category in 2018, came back again in 2019 and scooped a finalist placing in our most inspiring business woman of which we had way over a hundred entries for.

Taz is going to be telling us a bit about her business, about why she entered the awards and what the impact of the awards has been for her and her coaching business.

Here are the highlights from this episode:

{1:16} Taz's background

{4:37} How vulnerability is a superpower

{7:03} How Taz tailors her coaching to each client

{9:19} Why Taz entered the awards

{12:55} How it feels to be chosen as the best coach in the UK

{14:52) What Taz will be looking for in the entries she gets

{18:02} Taz's plans for the future

{18:41} Taz's TEDx talks

Find Taz on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC76x8h3COupBnEUflsXBcsw

In this episode, I'm joined by Sophie Milliken  from SRS Sophie has not only been a winner but has also been a finalist as well. She was a finalist in 2017, for Best Recruitment as well as a finalist in 2018 for Best Recruitment and Best Business, which is a very difficult category to get shortlisted for and not deterred and full of determination, she came back again and won the Best Recruitment in 2019.

Sophie is also a TEDx speaker with her talk, The truth behind the showreel.

Here are the highlights from this episode:

{2:28} Introduction to Sophie

{5:28} The challenges Sophie has overcome in the last few years as a business owner

{7:22} What made Sophie decide to enter business awards

{9:43} Having tenacity when entering awards

{14:04} The impact winning an award can have on your business

{18:00} Building your network through awards

{20:14} Sophie's advice to you if you're thinking of entering an award

Connect with Debbie:

thebusinessawardsshow.com

Connect with Sophie on Linkedin

We've had a lot of interest in the business awards this year but lots of them are missing evidence in their applications so I invited Denise O'Leary, Author of 'Winner - How to Win Business Awards' along to the podcast to talk to us about the topic of evidence.

Here are the highlights from this episode:

{2:02} The first thing Denise thinks about when entering an award herself

{3:35} What must you include in a business award application

{7:39} How not to over evidence!

{9:41} Recency has value with evidence

{15:35} Knowing your strengths as a business

{20:18} How to include staff opinions in your evidence

{22:30} The evidence you collate and prepare can help you in your business

{23:07} Remember the judges are human beings!

{25:49} Treat every award entry like a bespoke marketing campaign

Connect with Debbie:

thebusinessawardsshow.com

Welcome to the Business Awards Show where we share valuable information and secret nuggets to get your award entry noticed by the judges for all the right reasons.

Our weekly episodes also feature inspirational interviews with winners, judges, and sponsors.

In this first episode, I'm being interviewed by Lovelda Vincenzi who is the founder of the Female Speakers Association, a host, a moderator, presenter, and podcaster.

Here are the highlights for this episode:

{1:54} Why I started this podcast

{2:50} Why people should apply for business awards

{3:54} The opportunities that open up when you enter awards

{5:05} Where to start when applying for awards

{11:11} How the process of applying for awards actually makes you a better business person

{13:08} At what point in your business should you start applying for awards?

{19:14} What's coming up on the podcast

awards-lists.co.uk

businessawardsshow.co.uk