?? Reflecting on a Journey of Resilience and Innovation ??

Ten years ago, after succesfully pitching to The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity , with just ￡22,500 and a dream, my fiancé and I turned our entrepreneurial spark into a reality. Welcome to the story of Bossa Café Bar, our beloved spot in Leicester's heart.

?? Our Beginning: November 2013 saw us open the doors to our café bar.? Countless late nights fueled by pizza, and the invaluable help of family and friends, saw us through the daunting task. Each piece of furniture, whether a gift or a Sue Ryder charity shop treasure, was a piece of our sustainable dream.

?? Setting the Trend: Tight budgets? No problem. Mum’s old Kilner Jam Jars became our quirky cocktail glasses, accidentally kicking off the 2014/2015 Jam Jar Cocktail craze. Who knew?

?? Crafting a Brand:?Our partnerships with Chase Distillery , Burleighs London Dry Gin , WEST Brewery and Brooklyn Brewery reflected our taste for the unique and quality. Our ace in the hole?? St Martins Coffee Roasters ' beans, making us the go-to place in Leicester for great coffee, all the way till midnight.

?? Community at Heart:?We believed in giving back. I became a speaker and we began hosting youth work placements from Leicester College Peter Jones Business Academy and I took pride mentoring young entrepreneurs.

I also enjoyed sharing my insights and business planning knowledge with people from The King's Trust . We then opened our doors to a Trust-backed business, nurturing a space where dreams could grow.

?? A Home for Art and Diversity: Our café wasn't just a café; it was a canvas for local artists, a stage for diverse talent, and a safe space for everyone, reflecting our LGBTQ+ pride.

?? From Dropout to Inspiration: My journey took me from leaving De Montfort University to returning as a speaker, sharing tales of resilience. At the University of Leicester Services for Business ?I even played a Dragon in their Dragons Den Business Advice Panel.

?? DMU Collaboration: We teamed up with DMU students for fresh business ideas, guided by the remarkable? Edwina Goodwin . Their suggestions? So brilliant, we just had to bring them to life.

? Beyond the Bar: Our consultancy work, like our project with CHUTNEY IVY RESTAURANT & BAR , was about sharing our secret sauce of success with others.

?? Turning the Page: 2016 was the year of hard choices. Amid personal and business challenges, I decided to pass on the Bossa torch.

This isn't just a business story. It's a tale of community, embracing diversity, and the belief that passion and hard work can turn dreams into reality.

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