By Jane Clark, founder of Country Practice at Brogdale
Caroline Anderson from Scott Anderson at Brogdale
Sara Smile from Brogdale Collections
Like many businesses in these difficult times, Jane Clark’s business – Country Practice based at Brogdale Farm – is currently closed to customers. However, Jane has used this time to reflect on her life and work and to look ahead to the future.
She has written a very moving and honest article for Brogdale Farm on why she set up her business, what motivates her and how other women can learn from her experiences.
Country Practice offers a wide range of holistic treatments which support and improve your mental and physical well-being. They also run a training school working with young adults.
Two other remarkable Brogdale-based women – Caroline Anderson from Scott Anderson Caterers and Sara Smile who manages the charity Brogdale Collections – also share their thoughts and experiences.
She saw the results of the industrial revolution and suffragette movement and was one of the first women allowed to attend university, where she was labelled a ‘blue stocking’ and because of that not expected to find a husband. She was formidable, had a husband who was before his time in thinking; he was a doctor and she a scientist, both shunned by the societal ‘class’ into which they had been born.
Throughout the ages, women have struggled to express themselves and hoped not to be branded or stereotyped for their efforts.
In modern times women have an expectation to be able to do whatever they decide to, often rising to dizzy heights in their chosen field.
However, that expectation can bring with it some difficult decisions and sometimes heartbreak as we discover that we cannot actually have everything, that for every wall we climb it is invariably to find another in many and varied forms.
That incredible essence that makes us women has given us strength, resilience, courage, and the ability to duck and dive, focused on the goal we wish to achieve.
Some of us are lucky enough to know from the outset what our career path will be and carry that through to whatever level we seek.
Others amongst us, change paths to a completely new career, retraining, developing, and nurturing a dream into a successful business.
I started Country Practice 22 years ago after the death of my daughter. My intention was to create a place that gave comfort and time to those who sought it with holistically based treatments that helped engender a sense of peace. My vision was clear, there was to be no pressure on time, and those who worked with me would be able to provide superb treatments, delivered with thought and care.
Because my emotions were raw, I knew that I had to be disciplined in my approach and so adopted the MTSD brainstorming process – money, time, skill, discipline. This helped me to chunk down with facts what I was dreaming about creating.
Pushing things forward I worked with my enthusiasm and passion to develop not only a centre where superb treatments are provided, but also a training school where not so young people who are changing career can train and attain nationally recognizable qualifications. More recently, passion has created a second training school, where youngsters, 16-18, who simply do not fit in anywhere else can come and train or start an apprenticeship, leading to a career they may not achieve by a more conventional route.
My grandmother was right. Women can do anything they want to. What she didn’t say was that wanting it was not quite enough! Hard work, focus, discipline, disappointment, loss, some failures, all go towards the end result.
Women are amazing. We can employ all of those things, also accept those things that bring us down because in the heart of every woman is the knowledge that she can and will find a way to achieve what it is that she wants; just like the Phoenix, give us flame and we will ride it and fly high………….”
Jane Clark from Country Practice
In addition to these inspiring and wonderful words from Jane, there are other remarkable businesswomen working for organisations based at Brogdale Farm. It makes you realise how much female business talent and experience we have on our doorstep.
Sara is Operations Manager at Brogdale Collections and deserves a special mention when looking at Faversham women in business. When Covid struck, Brogdale found itself in serious trouble without being to hold essential fundraising events. However, Sara drew on her experience in the hospitality trade and her steely inner reserve (along with a big splash of creative thinking) to help keep the Charity’s head above water.
Devising a series of social distanced events and walks at the orchards and building up a busy fruit sales business from scratch has helped Brogdale through dark times. Sara’s team building skills helped her marshal the help of an army of volunteers and skeleton staff to do what we needed to be done.
Sara has a background in food hospitality management and has worked for national brands that include Trust House Forte and Pizza Express. As Commercial Manager at Pizza Express she supported the rapid business growth of the brand for 8 years before she led a team to open and operate new sites along the east coast of North America. On returning to the UK she joined The Restaurant Group plc, the largest restaurant group in the UK. For eight years she worked as an Area Manager across a number of brands, managing multiple sites successfully delivering KPIs and financial targets.
Sara Smile, Head of Operations at Brogdale Collections
Another Brogdale business with a strong woman at the helm is Scott Anderson Caterers, specialist event caterers operating throughout the South East. They specialise in creating canapés, lunches, dinners, and buffets as well as designing and organising beautiful weddings, corporate events and private parties.
Caroline has a background in catering services, working in London at the head office of a large contract catering company which provided innovative solutions to many businesses across the UK.
Caroline has a real passion for both the wedding and events industry and was inspired by the vision of raising the level of catering that was being provided throughout many venues across Kent.
She launched Scott Anderson in 2008 – specialising in offering restaurant quality food that pushed the boundaries of the norm and used the highest quality ingredients. Caroline has also insisted that the business prioritises taking great care of their clients, ensuring they receive a professional and seamless service on their day and also a high level of communication in the planning process beforehand.
Caroline says: “I really enjoy working with so many creative individuals that make up the event industry – from venues to wedding suppliers. I love that each day is different and that there are always challenges to overcome which makes it so diverse. Over the years I have seen my members develop, achieve so much and make so many event holders and couples incredibly happy. This has always filled me with such a huge amount of joy and pride.
“For any other women looking to start their own business, they must set out work and personal goals from the outset, to understand why they are setting up a business, be able adapt to the ever changing needs of both clients, customers and the team. It is also of vital importance to understand that not every day will be easy. Having grit, determination and an appreciation that it takes time and patience to build the foundations of a lasting business is key.”
Scott Anderson Caterers
Faversham is bursting with experienced and talented women in business. To read about other local female business heroes – take a look at this blog on InFaversham.
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