Multi award-winning entrepreneur, Director, NED, chartered FCIPD HR professional, author, speaker and investor, Sophie Milliken started her career in the John Lewis Partnership, joining their graduate programme. She worked her way up to become the company’s head of graduate recruitment, and her team moved from 74th to 9th place in the coveted Times Top 100 Graduate Employer ranking. She earned her MSc in HR Management, CMI Level 7 qualification in Leadership Coaching and Mentoring, and became a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD while in this position.
Sophie leveraged her expertise to start her own company, SRS Recruitment and Employability Experts, in order to reach and help a larger range of businesses and individuals. She helped SRS grow into the UK’s largest provider of assessment centre simulations. She states, “We worked with the country’s top graduate employers, universities, and over 35,000 university students to improve graduate employability. I exited SRS at the start of 2022 to found Moja.“
Sophie is a dedicated advocate of women and the North East England region in addition to her professional career. She has been the Chair of the charity Smart Works Newcastle since 2020, helping to double the number of unemployed women in the North East supported with interview dress and coaching, as well as securing Sara Davies MBE as the organisation’s ambassador.
Sophie is the author of two best-selling books: “From Learner to Earner” (a recruitment insider’s guide for students seeking graduate job success) and “The Ambition Accelerator” (a working woman’s guide to accelerating professional achievement). She asserts, “I’m grateful to have been recognised on multiple occasions with awards—one of my favourites was being awarded ‘North East Entrepreneur of the Year’ at the Great British Entrepreneur Awards in 2020.”
Below are highlights of the interview:
Tell us more about the company.
At Moja, we work with entrepreneurs and senior executives to raise their profiles. We know that your professional profile isn’t just about who you are at work. A true business leader is someone who creates an impact throughout their industry and beyond. Our services work to raise your profile, support your professional development, and help you find the opportunities that’ll benefit you the most.
We start by evaluating where our clients’ professional profiles are currently performing, then crafting a bespoke plan to improve the areas where they have room to grow. This will include getting them known in their industry by winning awards, media and press features, speaking gigs, and board positions.
Ultimately, increasing your profile makes it easier for people to do business with you, as people feel they know you before you even meet them in real life. As well as more sales, there is also an increase in interesting opportunities that come your way.
We also hold regular free webinars to bring together interesting people and share our secrets on various aspects of building your profile. Another exciting Moja service we’ve just launched is our podcast studio. We’ve got expert facilities at our office in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, and can also provide support with remote recording.
If you’re ready to get known, start by taking our free profile quiz: https://profile-scorecard.thisismoja.com/ Or come and visit us at www.thisismoja.com.
What has been your biggest learning since becoming an entrepreneur or business leader?
One of the biggest things I’ve learned is the value of reframing challenges as opportunities to develop. It can be hard to see this when it arises, but looking back on my career, I recognise that some of my most transformational experiences have happened at challenging times.
For example, in the early stages of my first business, my founding partner left when I was also going through a divorce and becoming a single mum. After an initial panic, I adapted my mindset to realize what an amazing opportunity it was. By investing heavily in self-development, I concentrated on making new connections and building my skills. In the end, I achieved significant business growth and two record financial years following this initial challenge. This was a valuable lesson for me, and I’ve carried a commitment to personal development through the rest of my business journey.
How do you motivate people to go the extra mile?
I believe one of the key qualities of leadership is hiring a great team and then empowering and trusting them to do great work. I’m also a big believer in having an open culture where I’m honest with my team, and hence I’m willing to give them the space to do the same. This breeds creativity and new ideas. When people have autonomy and the freedom to share their voice, they feel motivated because they know they can make a difference.
I’ve also always been big on delivering excellent customer service and taking time to nurture relationships. This is a value I instil in my team, too, so we’re authentic in our approach to delighting our clients.
What gets you up in the morning? What motivates you?
To stay motivated, I ensure I do meaningful work that aligns with my values, meaning I genuinely care about what I do. I set goals for myself and track my achievements. I’m a real go-getter, so I know what I want and I’m proactive and bold to get there!
I’m also motivated by my daughter, Jess, who has an infectious enthusiasm and excitement for life.
Kindly describe how you will specifically know what success looks like for you.
For me, success means having time to spend on people and things that matter to me and having enough money to not have to worry. Of course, all of this needs to be underpinned by doing work I love with people I rate.
I’m really interested in the question of what success means to different people. I’ll be exploring this question further when I start my PhD later this year, which will focus on “decoding the female entrepreneur.” I’ll be interviewing incredible female entrepreneurs to find out how they define success and the corresponding pathways that enable it.
What is some of the advice you give to aspiring women leaders?
My advice to aspiring businesswomen is to keep going! The journey as a businesswoman is tough a lot of the time, but the highs you get from it are unrivalled.
Another key thing is that when you make big decisions, trust your gut. It’s very rarely wrong.
What are your future plans to sustain the company’s success?
I want to grow Moja’s reputation so we’re known as the UK market leader in raising the professional profile of industry leaders. I want to build a list of empowered business leaders and entrepreneurs who we work with to shout about their stories, get known, and grow their businesses.
As a businesswoman, I’m very entrepreneurial and always looking for opportunities and my next challenge. I’m currently writing my third book, and have also recently been appointed as a non-executive director and member of the investment committee at a new public company, Funding Focus Investment Trust Plc. This is a new kind of investment fund, targeted at female and under-represented entrepreneurs who face a very uneven playing field when it comes to raising capital to grow their businesses.
Website: www.moja.com
