Inspirational Women Q&A: Jaydee Davis, Community & Business Partners CIC

Jaydee Davis is operations director at Community & Business Partners CIC (CBP) delivering business support including mentoring, coaching, and training. As part of Boost’s celebration of International Women’s Day 2023, Jaydee shares the story of her career and advice for other women in leadership.

What does your business do?

CBP has one of the largest mentor banks in the North West. We support all kinds of businesses with mentoring, coaching, and training – both locally and internationally. We do all that with a twist, and that is, as part of our CIC status, we reinvest back into supporting our communities.

We help distribute food to hundreds of family in need and divert waste from landfill to be used for creative needs. “Business support, community impact” is our moto.

Why did you choose to work in business support?

My passion is supporting people that have set up their own business and making sure it is a success.

As a young child in family-run business, seeing the challenges that business owners face, I have a real love for helping others achieve their goals, mitigate any risks and look after their families.

What has been your biggest business breakthrough?

Just being myself! I used to take professionalism to mean that you can’t talk about your personal life, or let business associates into your own life. But that is not true! Some of my good friends, as my career has evolved, I have met through business and guess what?

People always want to do business with people they like and that’s a given when you have friends in business. Surrounding yourself with like-minded people just works.

What has been your proudest achievement in your business?

Being promoted to director in 2020, literally as Covid-19 started having a major impact on the UK. I am also a board trustee for Pendleside Hospice, and that role is a real privilege to support such an amazing charity.

What is the most effective support or guidance you have received?

Surround yourself with people you respect, inspire you and are willing to help you. People actually like being asked for help, it makes them feel good so don’t be shy to ask. Networks are so important in the business world.

What keeps you going when things are tough?

Knowing the difference we are making to people every day. CBP is a very diverse organisation; I can go to a meeting with a large multi million pound company about supporting them with business mentoring and strategy and then on the way back to the office I'll be helping 30 people queuing up for food and in need.

Things like that always help me get through tough days. Someone once said to me “someone else would love your bad day”, as in, it isn’t that bad, and that has really resonated with me.

What are your best three tips for maintaining your wellbeing?

1. Be around people you love. Be social, eat out, catch up over a wine or a coffee and laugh!
2.  Fresh air and exercise.
3. Don’t feel guilty about having a lazy day every once in a while. If you need that lie in or you're staying in your PJs a bit longer than usual, who cares if it makes you feel better?

What advice would you give to a female entrepreneur starting a business?

Don’t let imposter syndrome win, you can do it! Tell people who will support you, set some realistic goals and write them down, be accountable and ask for help. There is so much support out there for setting up a business, don’t do it alone, access a network of people who want to share their knowledge and have already been there and done it. www.cbpartners.org

Boost is helping Lancashire businesses. We have a range of funded support programmes and a team of business advisers you can talk to. To speak to someone from the Growth Hub about business support, contact Boost online or call 0800 488 0057.