Dragons’ Den entrepreneur and Strictly Come Dancing contestant Sara Davies is set to reveal all the secrets of launching and running a business in an autobiography – but admits she hasn’t finished it yet.
The Crafter’s Companion founder and creative director made the announcement on social media, telling her Facebook, Instagram and Twitter followers of the planned release of We Can All Make It: My Story.
Ms Davies, who is currently juggling her day job at Crafter’s Companion with training with dance partner Aljaž Škorjanec for the popular BBC show Strictly Come Dancing, posted an image of the cover, and told how she was contacted by publishers keen for her to tell her story.
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She said: “This summer, I was unbelievably honoured to be approached by Penguin Random House to write an autobiography to tell my story and I’m so thrilled so show you the result - We Can All Make It: My Story.
“This is a very real account of my life including how I started my business and how I’ve learnt to juggle a young family, managing a company, an investment portfolio and now, training for Strictly - and between all that trying to write a chapter of the book a week when I’m the busiest I’ve ever been - but I feel like I’m achieving the most in my life!
“I really hope that this book will give inspiration to anyone who’s looking to have a career and a family.
“If my experiences help even one person, then I’ll be made for life. I haven’t actually finished writing the book yet, I’m about 80% there and I’ve got until Christmas, and then it will be available Spring 2022.
“It’s already been such a labour of love and I’m so excited to see it come to life!”
Ms Davies launched the Newton Aycliffe business in 2005, when she was studying for a business degree at York University. While on her university course placement she teamed up with a small crafting business, and spotted a gap in the market for a tool which crafters could use to create their own envelopes.
Her father made the prototype for The Enveloper, and after promoting it on a TV shopping channel, sales soared and Crafter’s Companion was born.
Now, the firm has more than 200 employees in the Ƶ and US, turns over more than £34m, sells into more than 40 countries worldwide through a strong online business, has its own TV studios, and a number of bricks-and-mortar Hobby Haven shops.
While taking part in Strictly, she said she has been carrying out all her ‘day job’ duties at night and revealed her gruelling schedule.
She said: “I am exhausted but it is just the most fun in the world. I’m doing my day job, but as a night job.
“Everyone’s got to find a way to make it work for them. We get up at 5am every morning – poor Aljaz, I’ve turned him into a morning person. He thought the morning started at 10.30am – we meet at the training room at 6am. This morning we trained until 10am and then I either go into work or pick the kids up from school.
“I’ve moved all my board meetings to evenings and have been doing my US TV shows through the night.
“Just this week I had a show until 1am, got home for 2am, back up again at 4.30am and training at 6am. . . you’ve just got to make it work.”
