About Lara
Entrepreneur, Investor, Mentor, and Motivational Speaker
Started her first business at just 23 years old, in 1991
Founder of Scentered, a unique and innovative range of portable, high performance, and 100% natural aroma products designed to support lifestyle balance, enhance mood, and help you regain control.
An expert in business/networking/sales and a no-nonsense go getter
Some ‘a-ha’ moments from this podcast
You need to have a desire for continuous learning. Knowledge is everywhere, look for it, consume it, and move on!
“I was so clueless I didn’t have a business plan for years…but I did afford myself a ridiculous system where I would go to a bookshop and buy a book that educated me…Mentorship and education is not to be undervalued”
Know your numbers well, they will teach you things about your business
“If you are good with your numbers in the business, you can use datasets to make good decisions for your business”
Pivots are good - you’ll likely end up in a direction much better than the one you started off in
“I do live by the profit-priority rule. Profit comes in many forms - with Scentered, the strategy has been horrendous but we have come out a very different business. We have a pocket size balm today…but we didn’t think about it that way to begin with. It started off as a spa business. It is a completely different business strategically from what it started off as, and it was a choice to help me achieve my bigger vision”
Give shares to those who deserve it - you and YOUR team
“Mine was not an uncharted path, I boot-srapped the business, my husband and I scarified lots including holidays with the kids. But now I choose what I do, where I live, how I live”
“If people have delivered the growth, you need to give them some equity for it…equity is a lever. You shouldn’t sell it, and you never give it away. If there isn’t an absolute need, then you want to hang on to your shares”
Building a team requires you to invest in them
“I always gave Rachel (first employee) the first hour of my day to educate and conduct, so that she could see a path to a successful day”
Lara’s advice to women who want to build businesses on their own terms
“I am fed up of hearing women talk about what they are not getting. It is an uneven landscape but we have only just arrived in business…You have to relentless about the frogs you kiss, and the playgrounds you play in…You need to be brave to take Nos. Stop talking to each other, and just get on with it! Get out there and SELL.”
Lara Morgan, built a £20mil business and onto the next!