Cath Lloyd-Williams is a home baker specialising in sourdough bread. She set up her business, The Doorstep Baker as a delivery service in the local areas of Bewdley and Kidderminster and Stourport on Severn just before the pandemic. 

"I wanted to provide something that was nourishing and an alternative to fast food."  

For three years, she focused on food delivery Cath started selling at local markets as well. 

How did your mentor help with refocusing your business

“I wanted a mentor that was going to help me reach a better work life balance and enjoy my business more and my homelife more. I was getting overworked, so I needed to re-think what I was doing. When I met Sue, she got me to draw a picture of what I wanted my life to look like in terms of both my personal and work goals. And in that picture, I had a recipe book that at the time was a bit of a dream.“ 

"She helped me see this as an avenue to explore and helped me to set goals about writing a recipe a week and to hold myself accountable."   

Building confidence and expanding the business

Sue’s guidance not only helped Cath bring her book to life but also gave her the confidence to expand her business in new directions. Cath commented: "The sessions gave me the belief that I could do workshops alongside writing the recipe book."  

Networking and collaborating

Another area where Sue’s mentorship was invaluable was in building Cath’s confidence to collaborate with others and engage in networking. "Working with Sue gave me the confidence to work with other people," Cath says. Through Sue’s encouragement, Cath connected with professionals like a photographer and a proofreader, through the business network Women Who, Worcestershire. This led Cath to start attending networking meetings, something she hadn’t felt brave enough to do previously. 

“Since completing the programme, I have launched my recipe book on Amazon and secured spots in two local bookshops: Wyre Forest Books and Script Haven. Thanks to Sue's mentorship, I have successfully transitioned from a food delivery business to becoming an author and workshop leader.” 

From a mentor’s perspective Sue Marriott of The Essence of Leadership remarked

"Claire Jones created the perfect match when she introduced Cath Lloyd Williams to me.  We had a great feeling of connection right from the start which created a wonderful mentoring journey for both of us."

“Being clear that she wanted to focus on what she loved and what she wished to achieve, as well as what support she wanted from her mentor, not only resulted in creative and productive sessions, but saw Cath achieve all her goals and fulfil her expectations."

“It was inspiring to observe Cath grow in confidence as she worked meticulously over the six-month period toward achieving both her business and personal goals in the face of some unexpected challenges."

“Cath has been an absolute pleasure to mentor and has developed in all the areas she wished to focus on in a relatively short period of time. She has demonstrated resilience, has grown in confidence and projects a lovely sense of calm. She should be extremely proud of herself as she has achieved all she set out to do at the beginning of the mentor programme. She has published her first book and has the knowledge and confidence to further grow her business in the future."  

“I feel privileged to have been selected to mentor Cath whose progress and growth have given (me) a great sense of fulfilment. When the formal mentoring programme ended I was particularly touched to receive a message from Cath, and we have continued to stay in touch."  

Worcestershire County Council provides a variety of business support programmes designed to help start-ups and early-stage businesses grow and succeed. These initiatives include start-up workshops, business coaching, mentorship, and access to grant funding, all aimed at helping you take your business ideas to the next level. 

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