One year in… Cheshire Business School

Founder Rachel Kay reflects on a remarkable year and is looking forward to many more...

I remember the moment. The moment the idea came to me.?

It was during a fantastic course at Sa?d Business School, University of Oxford that the seeds of Cheshire Business School #cheshirebusinessschool were planted.?

Said Business School is a powerhouse at what it does, however is based in the south of England.?

Geography and the levelling up agenda became key drivers. World class speakers and accessing them at an affordable rate also played their part.?

I’d read - still do - lots of books and listen to multiple audio all centred on leadership, management, team performance and the importance of trust, authenticity and the all important trait of listening to those whose lives intertwine with your own.?

While travelling north from Said Business School it became abundantly clear that the north needed a business school that was a bit different and prepared to push the boundaries.?

The line we live by at Cheshire Business School then entered my mind; levelling up access to world class speakers.?

My thoughts were clear and any questions that entered my mind were answered. Why, I thought, should the north not have a business school where businesses of all sizes could access a suite of world class speakers at an affordable rate with bite sized, high impact, thought provoking sessions?

It wasn’t long after arriving home from the Oxford course that my close knit team at Macclesfield College joined me in setting up a new business.?

It was as challenging as it was exciting. Ideas flowed and we began to build a proposition that we knew had a chance to thrive and sustain against the backdrop of the relentless pace and nature of today’s world.?

We sourced a venue to host world class keynote speaker sessions, grew our speaker network and began to introduce key people to our Advisory Board.?

The idea to introduce Mindful Mondays keynotes once a month at De Vere Cranage Estate was cemented and the platform laid.?

Our team was tired, balancing the day job with a new venture, but we were together as one.?

And we came through every hurdle with a smile.?

Dr of Happiness, Dr Andy Cope , was an early adopter and jumped on the concept in the most supportive way an established UK wellbeing practitioner could.?

Others in our immediate geographic community got wind of what we were creating and had nothing but good wishes of encouragement.?

Levelling up access to world class speakers was what people and businesses wanted.?

So we carried on forming strategic partnerships with both the private and public sector.?

All with one eye firmly fixed on that first event.?

A website was created and our first members signed up before the first Mindful Monday was even held.?

Michael Finnigan , the elite sport coach, was the first keynote speaker.?

Members and guests alike piled in to hear his words of wisdom, delivered in a straight forward ‘northern’ way.?

Also in attendance on that pivotal day were eight Macclesfield College students who won their place as Cheshire Business School Ambassadors following a rigorous application and interview process.?

This was levelling up in front of everyone’s eyes. Students getting access for one academic year to great minds, great motivators and great people they would likely have never met at this stage of their young lives.?

Next came a touch of Shakespeare.

Adam Fotheringham of Olivier Mythodrama? beautifully linked a Shakespeare comedy to modern life and swept members and guests up in the story.

A unique keynote to say the least.?

Just five days ago Dr Andy Cope of Art of Brilliance lit up our host venue with a talk on Quantum Thinking.?

Looking back now, this time last year, the concept of Cheshire Business School was embryonic.?

Now as we look forward to 2023, we have a calendar of world class speakers confirmed, kicking off the year with Ivor Cummins, a nutritionist and co-author of Eat Rich Live Long.

This is not one to be missed.

And as the year closes, it's always a key time to reflect on one's performance.

Looking back on the year it never ceases to amaze me what can be achieved with resilience, commitment and the most incredible team behind you.