{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"","title":"Deborah Meaden on Making Millions, Choosing Not to Have Children & Why Women Belong in the Boardroom","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/6a074ee3a8fad4c1be30740e/1793651019145-21e355dc-a1fb-4b46-9280-6206fe5b51b2.jpeg?height=200","description":"

Deborah Meaden is one of Britain’s most formidable businesswomen - a hugely successful entrepreneur, investor and the longest-serving female Dragon on Dragons’ Den. From starting her first business at just 19 to building and selling a multimillion-pound company, Deborah has spent decades breaking glass ceilings and taking up space in boardrooms.

But the road to millions was anything but straightforward. In this episode, Deborah talks candidly about the businesses that failed, losing all her money and starting again, buying the family business from her own parents, and what really changed when she became a millionaire. She opens up about resisting the pressure to “act rich”, the judgement she’s faced for choosing not to have children, and why she believes more women need to be in the rooms where the biggest decisions are made.

Deborah also discusses her long-standing fight for a different kind of business - one that values people and planet - and why tackling the climate crisis remains one of the causes she refuses to stop making noise about.

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Deborah - @deborahmeaden

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And if you've got thoughts, questions and comments, you can email us at: hello@sistersofdefiance.com


00:00:00 Coming up

00:00:51 Introduction

00:02:50 Welcome & deep breath

00:06:31 Early childhood

00:09:18 Courage from family

00:12:08 Struggling with school

00:15:48 Butlin’s & the boardroom

00:20:13 Importance of confidence

00:23:12 First business failures

00:32:18 Buying out the family business

00:37:45 Taking risks and selling her business

00:40:02 How wealth changed her life

00:44:35 Ancient & Brave ad

00:46:50 Ancient & Brave Weekly Ritual

00:50:31 The myth of ‘having it all’

00:52:09 Marriage and not having children

01:00:40 Dragon’s Den

01:05:18 The climate crisis & business

01:08:00 Data centres & AI

01:11:41 Library of Wisdom

01:12:55 Dance playlist

01:13:29 Through the portal

01:16:49 Quickfire questions

01:21:54 Outro

","author_name":"Anita Rani"}