Kelly Hoppen: Bullied schoolgirl to global icon

She has an unstoppable global brand, her name has become a verb synonymous with class and style, she’s a former Dragon, a renowned presenter and author, and a champion of British enterprise, Kelly Hoppen is without doubt an icon.    

However, Kelly’s story isn’t one of overnight success. She was relentlessly bullied at school, she’s 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 stepfather’s 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. 

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. She’s 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. 

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)
•  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 “news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

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