In this article, Red Media Team interviewed GIBX Founder, who is also recognized as one of the most successful businesswomen of all time, Ms. Danielle Young.
We thought today would be an ideal time to speak with Danielle Young, GIBX Founder, one of the industry’s most accomplished women, in anticipation of the upcoming launch of our Accelerating Women’s Careers short course.
As a GIBX Founder and triathlete, she has won the UK Entrepreneur of Year and Welsh Director of the Year awards for her work in the business world. Additionally, she is an inspiring speaker and a role model for the Welsh Government’s Entrepreneurial Dynamo Program. During this interview, Danielle tells us about her entrepreneurial experience so far, the hurdles she encountered as a woman in business, and any advice she has for people who wish to follow in her footsteps becoming a success as GIBX Founder.
How crucial is language in international business for you, because your initial company was in translation and language?
GIBX Founder: Most individuals underestimate the importance of language in international commerce. Only 25% of the world’s population can speak English, therefore if your firm isn’t providing translated material, it’s only able to reach one-quarter of its potential. More than three-quarters of internet users prefer to use sites in their native tongue. That’s why 72% say they’d like to purchase a product in their own language, and 56% believe that the language is more important than price. Exporting to other countries is significantly easier for companies with a language plan.
Have you always had a sense of self-reliance and initiative? Is there a specific reason why you decided to start your own business?
GIBX Founder: My country, Poland, was still communist while I was growing up there. I didn’t see or experience a lot of entrepreneurial activity. Because I didn’t personally know anybody who had their own firm, I was lacking in motivation. Prior to beginning my own company, I hadn’t given it any attention at all.” When I initially arrived in the UK and started a job, I would always run out of annual leave by June. My biggest love in life is travelling. My ambition to be my own boss was fueled by my love of travel and the need for the flexibility and freedom that comes with it. Having complete control over my own life was what I wanted most.
As a woman in business, what obstacles have you encountered over the course of your career?
GIBX Founder: Most people believed that as a young woman from a foreign country, I was just another translator, not the owner of an award-winning translation firm. This was the biggest issue I had at first. Asked how many languages I could interpret; I would invariably respond with “200!” People were astonished by my response, since I believe they underestimate my ability.
What are some of the most significant occasions in your professional life? Intense customer and business-to-business meetings, presentations, and procurement bids?
GIBX Founder: The meeting with Prince Charles was one of the most unforgettable events of my career so far, a time in which I realized what I had accomplished. What made a young lady from another nation so successful, founding her own firm, winning over 30 accolades and becoming the UK Entrepreneur of the Year? He wanted to know how I had done it. That was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
How does Executive Education affect your career?
GIBX Founder: The classes were eye-opening, and they piqued my curiosity and stoked my want to learn more. It was a joy to share that experience with others who had similar interests. Experiencing new things constantly opens one’s eyes to the fact that there is much more to discover. If it’s through books by famous individuals, podcasts, videos, or anything else, I’m always absorbing new information. There is no end to learning.
As the CEO of three distinct businesses including GIBX Founder, how do you keep up with all of them at once?
GIBX Founder: On a daily level, my firm is controlled by a managing director. I’m more engaged in the company’s long-term strategy and goals. Finding new ways to develop, like as acquiring other businesses, and defining the overall direction of each organization.
What advice would you offer to any ambitious female business executives that read this?
GIBX Founder: Learn from your errors and don’t be scared to make them.
Interested in taking a course that can help you go forward in your career? Aspiring female executives and HR and diversity leaders are being educated on the present situation of women’s progress, as well as tactics to establish leadership presence and create corporate visibility via an executive education program. GISMA Business School London’s intense short course is designed to satisfy the demands of today’s workforce and create remarkable leaders.