The 51% Club

🎄 Happy Christmas Eve! 🎄 It’s Day 24 of our Christmas Countdown Spotlight with Just Like Me & MIXD Reality, and we’re wrapping things up with an amazing female founder, Helen Somerfield. Helen is the visionary behind Fox, Hampton Lane, an independent neighborhood restaurant in Catherine-de-Barnes, Solihull. Fox Hampton Lane is all about fresh, seasonal food and creating a space where everyone feels welcome. Whether you're in the mood for a fancy four-course meal, just a glass of wine, or even a quiet coffee, Helen’s restaurant is the kind of place where you can truly unwind. It’s also set to become the first destination of our 2025 51% Club co-working space series! 🎁 Helen’s Christmas Wish:
For the hospitality industry to become a little more supportive of small businesses and to see her own business grow in 2025. 🙌 Founder Shout-Out:
A big shout-out to Ali Swift, the wellness coach, holistic therapist, and author of Your Wellness Toolbox. Ali’s friendship and encouragement gave Helen the courage to follow her dream and take on the restaurant. Here’s to Helen and all the inspiring women we know making bold moves. #FemaleFounders #FemaleEntrepreneur #WestMidlands #RestaurantOwner #Community 

It’s day 23 of our Christmas Countdown Spotlight with Just Like Me & MIXD Reality. Meet Nancy T., the passionate founder of 2Rays Solar who is bringing affordable solar solutions to everyone. Based in the heart of the West Midlands, 2Rays Solar is all about helping homes, businesses, canal boats, and even mobile homes save energy and cut emissions. From creating cosy, sustainable spaces to helping you reduce your carbon footprint, Nancy and her team are making a big impact where it matters most. 🎁 Nancy’s Christmas Wish: Snow-covered rooftops, Home Alone vibes, steaming mugs of hot chocolate, and that perfect balance of frosty weather outside and warm vibes inside. 🙌 Founder Shout-Out: Tara Attfield-Tomes, our visionary founder, for creating an amazing community space where women can connect, grow, and thrive together. #FemaleFounders #FemaleEntrepreneur #WestMidlands #Sustainability #Community #SolarEnergy

Day 22 of our Christmas Countdown Spotlight with Just Like Me & MIXD Reality. Today, we’re celebrating Scarlett Lily Allen-Horton, founder of Harper Fox Partners the multi-award-winning executive search firm making waves by helping senior women and ethnic minorities secure top roles in STEM businesses around the world. Scarlett’s story is nothing short of inspiring. You might recognise her as a former finalist on BBC's The Apprentice, but her journey doesn’t stop there. She’s involved in amazing projects—supporting female-focused charities, judging awards, giving powerful talks, sitting on the Recruitment Founders Club Board, and even expanding her firm’s work into the U.S. She’s on a mission to create a more diverse and inclusive future. 🎁 Scarlett’s Christmas Wish: For more women to step into leadership roles and for amazing female professionals, leaders, founders, and executives to know their worth—don’t be afraid to sell yourself and ask for more when changing jobs. #FemaleFounders #FemaleEntrepreneur #WestMidlands #Community  #TheApprentice #ExecutiveSearch

Day 20 of our Christmas Countdown Spotlight with Just Like Me & MIXD Reality! Today, we’re shining the light on Julie-Anna Needham, a talented podcast producer, presenter, and founder of Decibel Podcasts. Julie-Anna’s passion lies in helping small business owners, coaches, consultants, and creatives bring their podcast dreams to life without needing a big budget. Julie-Anna cut her teeth as a journalist, honing her craft across radio (BBC Radio 4, Radio 1's Newsbeat, BBC CWR), TV (BBC Midlands Today & Sky News), and online business news. Her career highlights are as diverse as they are impressive, interviewing two prime ministers, reporting live from the Old Bailey, and spending a day with the Hell's Angels. Now, she uses her storytelling expertise to empower others, helping businesses like Barclays and countless others connect with their audiences through the power of podcasting. 🎁 Julie-anna’s Christmas Wish: For it to become easier for women to start businesses, with better support for accessing funding, improved childcare options, and more affordable childcare solutions. 📣 Shout-Out: Imriel Morgan, founder and CEO of Content is Queen, and creator of the Brilliant Women’s Podcast Festival. Imriel is a true champion of diversity and fairness in podcasting. #FemaleFounders #FemaleEntrepreneur #WestMidlands #Community #Podcast #PodcastProducer 

Day 19 of our Christmas Countdown Spotlight with Just Like Me & MIXD Reality. Meet Laura Morin Quintal, Founder of Verko Consulting, a recruitment agency that specialises in part-time and flexible roles, helping businesses build inclusive, agile, and successful teams. By connecting organisations with exceptional talent, Verko boosts engagement, champions gender equality, and promotes fair hiring practices free from bias or discrimination. Their mission? To raise awareness of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the UK job market and support companies that strive to make a positive impact locally and globally. Verko also gives back by funding youth training and initiatives against domestic abuse. 🎁 Laura’s Christmas wish: More part-time and flexible opportunities to create inclusive workplaces for women everywhere. 📣 Founder Shout-Out: Laura's shout-out is to female founders around the world—especially her grandmother, a born entrepreneur, and her biggest inspiration. #FemaleFounders #FemaleEntrepreneur #WestMidlands #Community #FlexibleWorking #Recruitment 

Nabila Gardner, Director of Ways for Wellbeing UK CIC, brings us today’s highlight in our Christmas countdown with Just Like Me & MIXD Reality. Nabila leads an incredible team with over 30 years of combined experience in mental health and the health and social care sector. Together, they’re changing lives across the West Midlands by offering personalised, person-led coaching. Nabila and her team have combined their personal insights with professional training to become certified Health and Wellbeing Coaches through the Personalised Care Institute (PCI). They also provide access to meaningful activities that boost wellbeing and promote positive mental health. 🎁 Nabila’s Christmas Wish: To see more female founders receiving investment and for investors to recognise the incredible value and potential female founders bring. She also wishes for more female founders to secure commissions, contracts, and grants. 📣 Founder Shout-Out: A big shout-out to Alice Hargreaves, founder of SIC (Sick in the City), who’s making workplaces better by helping employers understand how to support disabled employees effectively. #FemaleFounders #FemaleEntrepreneur #WestMidlands #Community #WaysForWellbeing 

We're spotlighting Clare Radford on day 17 of our Christmas countdown with Just Like Me & MIXD Reality. Clare is a business psychologist, founder of & Culture Consulting, and passionate about helping people thrive at work by shaping better cultures and growing stronger leaders. With years of experience across HR and leadership roles, Clare has led talent and leadership development for organisations as big as 38,000 people. She’s worked closely with executive teams in businesses of all sizes, driving real change that makes workplaces better for everyone. Clare truly believes the right culture isn’t just good for people—it’s essential for business success. 🎁 Christmas Wish: For women everywhere to know their worth, step up with confidence, and show the world what they’re made of! 📣 Founder Shout-Out: Lauren Currie OBE, founder of UPFRONT, an incredible organisation helping women around the globe build unshakeable confidence. #ChristmasCountdown #FemaleFounders #WestMidlands #Culture #CultureChange

It’s Day 16 of our Christmas countdown with Just Like Me & MIXD Reality, and today we’re celebrating the incredible June Glackin, founder of the immersive and experiential events company Junie Poonie Events. A multi-award-winning stylist, designer, planner, and stationery expert, June works with 'The Style Conscious' worldwide. Known for her extraordinary creativity and attention to detail, she designs luxurious weddings, events, and stationery, collaborating with iconic brands like McDonald's, Harrods, Volvo, Mulberry, and H&M. June’s dedication, generosity, and support for female founders and other independent local businesses make her not just a visionary but also a joy to work with—a trusted partner for creating truly special moments. 🎁 Christmas Wish: For us to stop standing in our own way. Say it louder for the people in the back, June! 📣 Founder Shout-Out:  Samantha Avery is the brilliant mind behind Coffee Architects, who feeds appetites and uplifts souls with the beautiful food she creates, the person she is, and what she stands for. If you're not already following Coffee Architects on socials yet, you're missing out! #ChristmasCountdown #FemaleFounders #WestMidlands #EventsPlanner #EventsStylist

It’s day 15 of our Christmas countdown with Just Like Me & MIXD Reality! Today, we’re spotlighting Charlie Hobbis, founder and the creative mind behind OAC Marketing. Charlie’s mission? Helping celebrities, influencers, and thought leaders make a real impact with their personal brands. From behind-the-scenes content production and social media management to sourcing and managing influencer collaborations, OAC does it all. Charlie's got you covered if it’s about amplifying your voice and presence. 🎁 Christmas Wish: For more founders to step in front of the camera and embrace it. Building a personal brand isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a game-changer. Once you embrace it, the benefits are endless. 📣 Founder Shout-Out: A huge shout-out to client and friend Lindsey Kane, CEO and founder of Jolt. Over the past two years, Lindsey’s been on an inspiring journey. She’s gone from strength to strength, hosting panel events, creating her own experiences, and even launching a podcast. It all started with embracing the power of her personal brand, and she’s absolutely smashing it. #ChristmasCountdown #FemaleFounders #WestMidlands #PersonalBranding #PersonalBrandManagement #Community

It’s day 14 of our Christmas countdown with Just Like Me & MIXD Reality! Meet Alex Nicholson-Evans, founder and director of Living For The Weekend Limited, the visionary company behind some of Birmingham’s most beloved events, including Birmingham Cocktail Weekend and Birmingham Restaurant Festival. As the city curator, Alex is now turning her creativity to an exciting new project: the Birmingham Light Festival, coming to the city from 19–22 February 2025. 🎁 Christmas Wish: Alex would love more people to discover the new, exciting, and free celebration of arts and culture. Follow the festival’s journey on Instagram: @birminghamlightfestival and help spread the word. 📣 Founder Shout-Out: The creative powerhouse, Caroline Davis, MD of Outdoor Places Unusual Spaces. Caroline and her team are the driving force behind producing the Birmingham Light Festival. Their passion for Birmingham and its cultural scene shines through in every project they take on, making the city an even brighter place. #ChristmasCountdown #FemaleFounders #WestMidlands #Birmingham