Women in Business Week | Pure West Radio

What inspired you to start your business, and what problem were you most passionate about solving?

During my long career within Wales, I've owned my own businesses, been self employed and also employed. My business Helicharter Wales was the first commercial helicopter company to work out of Haverfordwest Airport inspired by my former husband who had undertaken his private pilots license. We both saw the opportunity as a gap in the tourism and commercial flight market and so off we flew! My second business has been my consultancy "Outsource Me" providing marketing and business development support to SME's in Wales and of course my fabulous post now as Commercial Director of Pure West Radio.

The biggest problem starting an aviation business was the lack of knowledge of that specific industry - how to solve that ... learn - fast!

What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a woman in business, and how did you overcome it?

My children who are now 26 and 29 are probably some of the first generation of babies where parents started to pay for private childcare - socially now that is the norm but 30 years ago childminders, nurseries and so forth were are the beginning of the evolution. School holidays and illness are always hugely challenging for families and thankfully employment law is now super family friendly. The overcoming of it was really in leaving full time employment and starting my business go give me the flexibility to work around school holidays and so forth.

What’s one milestone or moment that made you proudest of your journey so far?

I think that the most proud moment has to be winning the Award for Best Business Supplier in the Pembrokeshire Tourism Awards with my business Outsource Me. One year into the business to be awarded such a prestigious recognition of hard work, dedication and effort, by both me and my team was without doubt a proud moment.

Who has been a role model or mentor in your business journey, and what impact did they have on you?

My greatest mentor has been Nick Wheeler, former CEO of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority. I’m very grateful to Nick for his support and for giving me the opportunity to complete both a degree and a master’s in my twenties while employed. His encouragement and trust had a significant influence on the career I’ve been able to build. I worked for 17 years for the Authority leaving at age 34 to follow my wider career pathway and set up my business.

What advice would you give to other women thinking about launching their own business?

Just do it ... what have you got to lose. If it's your passion, it certainly won't seem like work! But - do your research around product, pricing and potential market growth before diving in!

We sat down with Lara-Jayne to ask her some questions...

1. What inspired you to pursue a leadership role at OLS Solicitors, and what areas of family law are you most passionate about?

I’ve always been passionate about helping people through the most difficult moments of their lives, particularly in family law. Joining OLS gave me the opportunity to lead a team that shares those values — putting clients first and making high-quality legal support accessible. What drives me is seeing the positive difference we make, especially for clients who come to us feeling lost or overwhelmed.

2. What has been the biggest challenge you've faced as a woman in law, and how have you navigated it?

Family law is one of the more balanced areas in terms of gender, but leadership roles are still often dominated by men. Earlier in my career, I sometimes felt that I had to prove myself twice over — to be both competent and “likeable.” Over time, I’ve learned that confidence and authenticity are key. I think when you lead and work with empathy and integrity, people respond to that.

3. What’s been the proudest moment in your career so far at OLS Solicitors?

Becoming a director and head of legal at OLS is definitely a highlight. I’m proud of how far the firm has come — particularly the way we’ve embraced technology to improve client experience. Seeing my team grow in confidence and expertise is incredibly rewarding.

4. Who has influenced or supported you most in your professional journey, and what did you learn from them?

I’ve been fortunate to work with mentors who encouraged me to develop both as a solicitor and as a leader. Mark Keenan, our CEO, has played a key role in shaping how I think about legal services — he’s always encouraged us to think differently and innovatively about how we deliver legal support.

5. What advice would you give to other women aspiring to leadership positions in law?

Believe that your perspective matters. Women bring empathy, structure, and resilience to leadership — qualities that are invaluable in law. Don’t wait for permission to lead; take the initiative, ask questions, and never underestimate your value.

Meet Directors Sam Morgan and Donna James. Join them both on the Breakfast Show with Tom on 5^th November - we are looking forward to catching up with them. We asked Sam a few questions...

1. What inspired you to start your business, and what problem were you most passionate about solving?

I actually didn’t start Signspeed, it’s been going for over 40 years. I took over through an employee buyout. I’d been part of the business some time and really believed in what we were doing. I loved the creativity, the problem-solving, and the way a good sign or design can completely transform how a business presents itself.

But I also saw there was so much more potential, and I had all these ideas about how we could grow and modernise. So when the opportunity came up to take over, I jumped at it. It was scary, I won’t lie, but I knew I could build on the strong foundations that were already here.

For me, it’s about solving that problem of turning someone’s idea into something real, a sign, a design, a bit of branding they’re proud to show off. Helping small businesses look professional and get noticed.

2. What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a woman in business, and how did you overcome it?

The biggest challenge I’ve faced as a woman in business is simply being taken seriously. The signage and print world can be quite male-dominated, and there were moments early on where I felt like I had to prove myself, like I needed to justify why I was the one running things.

I focused on building strong relationships, doing work I was genuinely proud of and over time, that shifted everything. People stopped seeing me as ‘a woman in business’ and started seeing me as someone who knows her stuff and delivers results.

3. What’s one milestone or moment that made you proudest of your journey so far?

This month marks five years since we took over Signspeed. I remember how daunting it felt back then, stepping into such a big responsibility and wondering if I was really capable of running the business.

Five years on, I couldn’t be prouder of how far we’ve come. We’ve grown as a team, expanded what we offer, and built some brilliant relationships with clients along the way. Seeing the business thrive and knowing I’ve played a part in shaping its future is such a rewarding feeling.

But it’s not just about the business, I’ve grown too. My confidence, my knowledge, and my belief in myself have all skyrocketed over these five years. Looking back, I’m so proud of everything we’ve achieved and genuinely excited to see where the next five years will take us.

4. Who has been a role model or mentor in your business journey, and what impact did they have on you?

Without a doubt, the person who’s had the biggest impact on my business journey is Donna, our other director. I honestly wouldn’t, and couldn’t, have done any of this without her. She’s been by my side through every challenge and every win, always believing in me even when I doubted myself.

What makes our business partnership so special is how well we balance each other. Our personalities and strengths are so different, but they complement each other, and that’s a huge reason Signspeed is what it is today. Where one of us might see a challenge, the other sees a solution, and that teamwork makes us stronger

Having someone like Donna by my side has made this journey not just possible, but enjoyable and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together.

5. What advice would you give to other women thinking about launching their own business?

My biggest bit of advice would be believe in yourself, even when it feels scary. I know that sounds simple, but confidence is half the battle. When I took over Signspeed, I had all the usual doubts ‘Can I really do this? What if I fail?’ but pushing past that and backing myself was the best decision I ever made.

I’d also say, don’t feel like you have to do it all alone. Surround yourself with people who lift you up, support you, and challenge you whether that’s friends, mentors, or a business partner like Donna. Having the right people in your corner makes all the difference.

And finally, just go for it. There’s never a ‘perfect’ time and you’ll never have all the answers, but you’ll learn so much along the way. It’s an incredible journey, and you’re far more capable than you probably realise.

1. What inspired you to start your business, and what problem were you most passionate about solving?

We didn’t start the business as it started in 1983, I’m actually only two months older than the business! When the previous owners wanted to retire, Sam and I came together to do an employee buyout. The chance to continue this established brand and to put our own mark on it was too good an opportunity to pass by.

I found the industry exciting and fascinating and loved working within the business. No two days or enquires are the same, one minute you could be looking at business cards and the next kitted out in high vis and steel toe caps looking at site signage.

2. What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a woman in business, and how did you overcome it?

We are quite unique with in the industry as a female led company as it’s mainly a male led industry. When looking at machinery and components I have faced a few outdated assumptions of ‘can you ask your boss what he thinks’.

I have learnt to be confident in my own decisions, abilities and become more comfortable with speaking up asking the questions I need answers to.

3. What’s one milestone or moment that made you proudest of your journey so far?

I think our most recent milestone, of 5 years since taking over. Being able to continue the Signspeed Legacy to 42 years of business. Managing to navigate 5 years from covid in very challenging times and being able to provide local services with locally employed people.

4. Who has been a role model or mentor in your business journey, and what impact did they have on you?

I have a few key people who have had an impact on my business journey. I will start with Sam, who supports me every single day, we are very different people and our skills and outlooks complement each other well. I couldn’t have done this all without her by my side!

Also having input and advise from Graham Morgan (Business Pathfinders). He helped to navigate us through the purchase and become the Businesswomen we are today. Then latterly Colin Sinclair-McDermott (The Online Print Coach) who understands our industry and has introduced us to so many similar businesses, creating a real support network.

5. What advice would you give to other women thinking about launching their own business?

Nothing ventured is nothing gained. It’s a rollercoaster so it is important to surround yourself with people and businesses you can learn from and speak openly with.

What inspired you to start your business, and what problem were you most passionate about solving?

Farmers Food At Home began when I began foraging the hedgerows whilst walking my puppy. At the time I was running a busy village pub with my parents, There are only so many blackberry and apple crumbles you can offer the customers, so I turned to preserving. The Jars were available on the bar for the customers to buy, They flew out and I began to broaden the range. Unfortunately , due to the ill health of my dad ,we made the tough decision to sell the pub. Unsure of which direction I was going to go, I decided to become self employed and start selling my preserves at local markets. The demand for them grew, I was approached my shops and cafes to supply them and I soon realised that I needed a custom built kitchen. We converted a farm shed on our small holding, resurrected the 2 poly tunnels that we had to grow our own produce

What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a woman in business, and how did you overcome it?

The biggest challenge I have overcome is the Covid 19 pandemic. I had just invested and built my manufacturing unit and was in my first year of producing at scale. I had spent the winter months selling my products to as many outlets as possible and had built stock levels ready for the Easter boost in tourism in Pembrokeshire. Overnight everything changed, orders were cancelled, no-one was open and I had £1000’s of pounds worth of stock on my shelves and polytunnels full of tomato, courgette, chilli, pepper and beans ready for the seasons production. We put a sign at the gate offering jam, chutney and marmalade with an honesty box. When fruit and veg became available, these then were offered. People were asking for more and more and we soon started buying in fruit and veg from our local wholesaler, meat from our friends long horn cattle, milk from a local dairy and eggs from local hens. We were soon doing 60 veg boxes a week where people could safely come and collect. Any left over produce was put in a small converted garden shed with an honesty box. This work well, but I felt it was the time to move the business forward in a slightly different direction. In the December, just in time for Christmas, we opened The Paddock Farm Shop. This was a lifeline for the local community who felt the could shop safely in a rural setting. It was a challenge that we overcame buy diversifying according to the needs of the local community.

What’s one milestone or moment that made you proudest of your journey so far?

Winning The Food Entrepreneur of the year award at The Welsh Women’s Awards. And also all the great taste awards I’ve won.

Who has been a role model or mentor in your business journey, and what impact did they have on you? When I was growing up my parents ran their own business and my mum was also teaching part time to subsidise their income. My dad was a horticultural expert and grew 9,000,000 brassica plants a year and my mum was a home economics teacher. It’s lovely to think that my current business incorporates both their skills. My mum is still very much involved in my business and labels all the jars !!

What advice would you give to other women thinking about launching their own business?

Most definitely to do it. I was a single mum of two young boys when we sold the family pub. Starting Farmers Food At Home, gave me the flexibility I needed to bring up the boys, whilst giving me something to work at for myself and to get my teeth into. Don’t be scared, take help when its offered and just put yourself out there.