What it Takes to be an Entrepreneur

The ‘What It Takes’ series is targeted at current students and recent graduates, and features a range of exciting and innovative alumni speakers sharing their experience on an array of topics. The event also focuses on employability, personal and professional development. 

On 17 February, ‘What It Takes’ featured a speaker who shared their insights into entrepreneurship based on their own experience of founding and developing a business.

Alumnus Sophie Metcalfe, a 2009 Journalism BA graduate at Westminster, is director of Your Marketing Doctor, a company which guides business owners, marketing managers or teams through a planning process so they can start marketing more effectively and efficiently. She previously worked as a broadcast journalist in radio at Stray FM in Yorkshire, before leaving to pursue her own business.

The talk included Sophie explaining how she took the decision to change her business model, and the risks this posed. She also revealed the three biggest lessons she had learned so far: it is good to make mistakes, being honest gets you further, and the importance of saying no.

In 2016, she left her career in radio to start up a marketing agency specialising in small and micro enterprises, which became a six-figure business in its first year. When covid hit, Sophie had to re-evaluate and reposition her business, having learned that the small business sector can be volatile. As a result, she launched Your Marketing Doctor.

Approximately 90 students and graduates attended the event. One attendee commented: “Very insightful discussion! Looking forward to joining other interesting future events.” 

The next What It Takes event will be ‘What it Takes to be an LGBTI+ Ally’ on 24 February.

Find out more about our Alumni services.