The launch of a series of “business masterclass” events has been declared an outstanding success with 70 people attending the inaugural session in Shrewsbury.

The Evolving Business Masterclass series is part of Shrewsbury BID’s Work in Shrewsbury (WISH) campaign to inspire and upskill businesses, bringing industry-leading speakers to the town to share their knowledge and experiences.

The first event took place on Thursday, September 12, on the theme of evolving business culture.

Media entrepreneur, podcaster, writer and performer, Cally Beaton, former TV Executive at MTV and Carlton TV, and Shrewsbury-based entrepreneur Vivek Bhatia, of Dough & Oil, bar Oil and Bobby’s gave fascinating talks about their career journeys to a packed audience at Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery.

Seb Slater, Executive Director of Shrewsbury BID, said he was delighted with the response from businesses in Shrewsbury.

“It was wonderful to see the room buzzing with so many people from all sorts of businesses and industries in attendance,” he said.

“The evening started with a busy networking and mingling session, with a really positive atmosphere as people enjoyed the free pizza and looked forward to hearing from our two special guests.

“Cally Beaton gave an inspiring and humorous talk about her career, which has included entertaining audiences on QI and Live at the Apollo and becoming the youngest and only female member of the ITV board.

“A more local perspective was provided by Vivek Bhatia as he reflected on the Dough & Oil success story, which has been an integral part of the regeneration of Castle Street into an increasingly vibrant area of the town.”

In her heartfelt talk, Beaton shared her experience of being an outsider in the primarily male network boardrooms of the 90s, and how imposter syndrome has followed her throughout her career – and how the power in learning to embrace her difference has helped her to drive business success both in her TV career and later branching out into a new field as a standup comic (following life-changing advice from the legendary Joan Rivers!).

To an audience comprised primarily of small business owners, self-employed freelancers and entrepreneurs at the beginning of their business journeys, Beaton advised:

“Most of us feel like imposters. When you feel like that, what if instead of turning the volume down on who you are, you turn it up and become a disruptor?”

Vivek emphasised the importance of connection, cautioning entrepreneurs to value “connection over transaction... What you make has to be good, but so does the connection and the experience you create for your customers.”

That has certainly paid off for the Dough & Oil team – when new Mexican-inspired venture Bobby’s threw its doors open in the Parade, the tacos sold out within three hours. 

The audience then had the opportunity to put questions to the speakers, which prompted interesting discussions on having resilience in a challenging business world, how to work through imposter syndrome and how to know when the time’s right for a change. 

On keeping strength, resilience and energy when times were tough, Cally Beaton advised the audience to ask themselves, “As well as hitting your bottom lines, what are your top lines? What are the things that really give you energy? On a day when you’re finding it hard, focus on those.”

The evening also included a welcome to members of the Work in Shrewsbury Evolving Business Cohort - a group of business owners undertaking a package of training and mentorship to grow and evolve their business - as well as the launch of the UKSPF-funded Future Shrewsbury Grants, allowing town centre businesses to apply for between £1,000 and £5,000 to help them adapt and evolve, with a total funding pot of £30,000 available. 

The next two events in the Evolving Business Series will be held on October 9 and November 12 at Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery.

For more information about the Work in Shrewsbury programme and masterclass bookings, visit workinshrewsbury.co.uk