Instead Sam McGregor’s focus in life is helping others succeed with their own business ventures. Ms McGregor’s route to launching her own business took her through offices where “highly opinionated” men dominated, she says. The 39-year-old, who now coaches other entrepreneurs, believes she worked harder than her peers but often felt overlooked by the boardroom “boys’ club” because of her quiet demeanour.
She forged a successful career in digital marketing before starting her own eCommerce Email business in 2019.
Ms McGregor’s main focus is now on helping other women from similar backgrounds succeed in an industry where the “odds are stacked against them”.
She said: “I have zero interest in making money. For me it’s all about helping others reach their potential.
“I want to inspire and empower other women of colour to step up and be the boss of their business.
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“Once you’ve gone through a huge transformation, and found the support of someone who understands and has been through it too, you really want to pay it forward and I’m passionate about working with people who share that desire for positive change in the world.”
She says that, despite things improving in recent years, a lot of stigma still exists in the business world.
Ms McGregor, who has made more than £10m for her clients over the past 12 months,s found this when she began work in digital marketing in Toronto, Canada, in 2006.
She explained: “I think the biggest challenge for me was being the first and only female executive at the table in my first job at a startup.
“I wasn’t especially vocal in meetings, which wasn’t viewed in a very positive light in a room full of highly opinionated men.
“I’m naturally a person who needs to take time to digest things, and am thoughtful and considered in my suggestions and proposals.
“So being in a situation where spontaneity and often, loud voices, were rewarded, was definitely difficult.
“And truthfully, it was a bit of a boys’ club at times.”