Deidre Bounds

summary

Deirdre Bounds is a naturally talented speaker with a down to earth quality that is just different. She talks about subjects such as Enterprise, Entrepreneurship, Women in Business, Motivation, Leadership, Growth and Change, Ethical Business as well as being a talented Host and humorous After Dinner Speaker.

It precisely because Deirdre has ‘done it’ - that is, built her own global company from scratch and then sold it for an 8 figure sum to a FTSE 100 company that makes her story truly remarkable. Her personal experience is valuable to all who listen to her – whether it’s in business or improving personal lives.

As an ex-comedienne her style is informal and witty, as a business person her knowledge authentic and practical and as a bestselling Author of a Personal Development book her messages are direct and inspirational.

biography

Described by the Daily Telegraph as ‘Having Northern grit and determination and the perfect role model for business, Deirdre Bounds said that people laughed when she said that she wanted to start an ethical travel company and take it global with no experience… until a FTSE100 company bought it for an eight figure sum!
Today, she encourage and give confidence to many to push for what they want to achieve and to really dig deep in terms of how to make this a reality. 
Simply put, very few other speakers offer so much potential to drastically change people’s lives for the better than she can. Imagine the feeling of confidence your delegates will have knowing that anything is possible, both in their professional and personal life.
So what makes Deirdre so special then?
Well, how many women do you know who:
· have done it: Built a company from an idea in a bedsit and, with no family history of business, have taken it global to 35 countries - then sold to a FTSE 100 company. All in ten years.
· have recovered from it: Faced huge adversity and have recovered from ruinous addictions, and then found a code for living that has given her the opportunity to do all of this.
· are managing it: By practicing that code, she has that ‘life balance’ that she never thought possible in her personal life, her career, her health, her wealth and her general wellbeing.
· are passing it on: through volunteer work, mentoring and speaking engagements.
Smart
I suppose what makes her story truly remarkable is that she’s an entrepreneur in the purest sense: no commercial experience, no family history of enterprise and no money…just a great idea, a pile of passion, masses of mistakes and a sense of humour!

When she created her ethical travel company, she used her own experiences as a stand up comedienne, a drop out and a wayward backpacker. At every turn, she challenged traditional ideas in the travel industry and dared to be different. She’s had spectacular failures and impressive victories but, there is no magic formula and the truth is, anyone can do it, if they really want to.
Real
People say that it’s a refreshing change to hear someone who is genuine and who just tells it as it is. Not only that, they say that apart from taking effective business strategies into the workplace – they also take valuable personal lessons into their whole life after hearing Deirdre speak.
Ethical
Deirdre has learned that in order to keep it, she’s got to give it away. She believes that she gave the ‘responsible travel’ movement a boost by helping change people’s perceptions of it. And the company she founded (and the thousands of people who went with it) have assisted in changing the lives and habitats of hundreds of thousands of people, animals and forests. She’s the Ambassador for Enterprise for Young People in Yorkshire, a regular speaker for the international aid charity World Vision and has just set up another ethical business http://www.partiesaroundtheworld.co.uk.
Deirdre lives in Leeds with her husband Bryan, two young children and a nameless goldfish.

Topics:
Enterprise and Entrepreneurship
Women in Business
Ethical Business
Young People : raising aspirations
Masterclass
Leadership for SME’s - ‘Tales from the Business Battlefield’
7 Step Workshop looking at the most powerful life change programme in existence today.

Media:
Deirdre is a regular commentator on BBC Radio 5 Live and is a well known voice on BBC radio Leeds.  Her varied TV appearances have taken her to BBC 2 Working Lunch and Channel 4’s remarkable programme about enterprise in Uganda where she travelled to and lived with 7 entrepreneurs– she’s even appeared on Wife Swap – an experience she insists was worthwhile but never to be repeated!
Books:
Fulfilled: A Personal Revolution in Seven Steps.
Publisher: Pearson, Prentice Hall Life
“Deirdre Bounds has written a book that has substance, integrity and real insight. Read it and you may just think it is one of the best investments you ever made in yourself.”
Tim Smit, Founder of the Eden Project

“A thought provoking and parctical guide that may just change your life”
The Sunday Times

“Great stuff, am totally immersed” – Mary Portas, TV presenter and Branding Expert

This book outlines the most powerful life change programme in existence today, and it’s helped recreate the lives of millions across the world. Through seven practical steps you’ll discover a brand-new code for living and a revolutionary blueprint for change that is more powerful, more complete and more rewarding than anything found in any other book.

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Testimonials

“It was a master class in every sense of the word! The feedback from the delegates was incredibly positive. I had an Action Learning Set in the evening and all we talked about were the points you raised.
Tom Gorman, Runshaw Business School
“An Edinburgh business audience can sometimes be a challenging one but the level of engagement and participation that you enjoyed was testament to the quality of your delivery and the content level itself. I think that everybody is intrigued by entrepreneurs who have started with nothing more than an idea and taken that business concept to global proportions…………….your story was a fascinating one made all the more interesting by your humour and authentic delivery”
Robin Carson, RBS
“ Deirdre’s talk to our MBA students provided an inspirational insight into the mind of an entrepreneur.  Her ideas and presentation of them were first rate.  Our students gain great benefit from listening to creative thinkers like Deirdre.  Such experiences are crucial to the education of the next generation of business leaders.”
Professor Peter Moizer,DeanLeeds University Business School
“Deirdre speaks with an honesty and clarity that is both compelling and insightful”.
Steve Munby, Chief Executive, National College for School Leadership
“Deirdre is a very amusing and energetic speaker. She has a great story to tell and is an inspiring and knowledgeable entrepreneur”
Michelle Storer, Ernst & Young
“A naturally inspiring speaker, Deirdre “tells it like it is” in language which strikes a real chord with her audience. Her enthusiasm for business and for life in general is highly infectious! “
Simon Hill, Yorkshire Forward
“In my experience, it is very rare to find a speaker that captivates and maintains the attention of the whole room and Deidre did just this. Her animated and dynamic approach was refreshing and exciting. Her frank and honest account of her rise to success and the trails, tribulations and challenges on that journey was professional, and truly inspirational. The audience were poised for the next chapter and each account was punctuated with humour and passion”.
Jenny Snell: Event Manager Trinity Mirror Group Business Awards