Handling large budgets and dealing with rock stars such as the Rolling Stones and Kings of Leon was all in a day's work for Amy Hogarth.
But when the Covid pandemic struck, she took the opportunity to reassess her life, give up her corporate career and find a path that made her happy.
She turned to the Help to Grow: Management course at the University of Leeds to aid the development of her fragrance and wellbeing products, which are now stocked in high-end retail centres from the Orkney Islands to Cornwall.
Amy is among the latest of 250 small and medium-sized enterprises that have been helped on their journey by the Government-funded course at the University over the past two-and-a-half years.
Help to Grow: Management has also played a key role in the development of a company that helps save lives by making defibrillator machines more accessible and affordable.
The University of Leeds graduate gravitated back to the city after completing a degree in Human Geography in 2009.
Following university, she travelled around Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya helping to build primary schools, and later got a job at The Savoy Hotel in London due to her customer service skills.
These were honed from her younger days being around the family business – a furniture firm in Whitby that ran for over 200 years, and also working every summer in seaside hospitality.
She said: “My job with the Savoy was amazing. It was the hardest job I have ever done. It was a challenge dealing with the public and managing their expectations, but also very enjoyable.”
She was part of the re-opening team following a £260 million, three-year refurbishment and recalls asking The Rolling Stones to take their trainers off.
She said: “They were actually very polite and changed their trainers.”
She also got stuck in an antique lift for half-an-hour with the rock band Kings of Leon as she was taking them to their room. “The job certainly taught me how to deal with people,” she said.
When the Covid pandemic hit, she found herself furloughed.
Amy started making candles and thoughts turned to making her passion into a business. This was the start of her brand CAHM, which has products including candles, diffusers, hand and body washes and lotions. The name CAHM incorporates her initials.
Amy said: “I developed severe anxiety in 2020 and I needed to do something for myself. This business is all about sharing a positive mental health message through beautiful design-led gifts. We try to bring a moment of calm into people’s lives and all our products have a CAHM life mantra.”
She was encouraged to sign up for the Help to Grow management course by someone she met at a networking event.
“We are there to help business leaders grow in confidence and feel capable of dealing with the many challenges that may come their way.
“When I first looked at the course, I felt I wasn’t a big enough business, but I was persuaded to still sign up and it is the best thing I have ever done for the brand.
“It has given me focus and a renewed motivation for what we are doing. It has made me realise that having the right mindset is crucial to success. It is 95% of everything. There are lots of things you think you can’t do – but actually you can.”
Professor Julia Bennell, Executive Dean of Leeds University Business School, said: “Help to Grow is a hugely successful programme and it is wonderful to work with so many small businesses on their journey to growth and success.
“Leeds University Business School plays an important role in supporting the local economy and helping businesses thrive.”
Susanne Marchant, Head of Enterprise Programmes, said: “We are there to help business leaders grow in confidence and feel capable of dealing with the many challenges that may come their way.
“The mentors have a lot of valuable experience and are happy to pass that on and help businesses reach the next level.”
Amy appreciates the support of the University and created a personalised fragrance for the University-owned Cloth Hall Court. Chelsea Rolfe-Hayes, Business Development Manager, said: “Amy’s passion for sustainability is a real joy and this collaboration on her incredible product has been a huge success.”
Further information
For more information about the Help to Grow management course, email helptogrow@leeds.ac.uk.
Read a case study of how Help to Grow helped Defib Machines to grow its business.
For media enquiries contact contact Jane Lewis in the University of Leeds press office.