Our Enterprising Women’s journeys
Every woman on our Enterprising Women course brings her own business idea and a journey that is unique to her.
We spoke to some of the graduates of our latest Enterprising Women’s course: Aimee, Alex, and Bridget, about their ideas, and what it has been like to bring them to life, both personally and through the course.
Alex – HotSteppa Sauce
Alex Kilbane-Howes joined Enterprising Women to grow her business, HotSteppa Sauce.
What business idea do you grow on Edventure’s Enterprising Women’s course?
HotSteppa Sauce. We believe in symphonic recipes that tell a story – one rooted in the land, the seasons, and the wild places that inspire us.
Our mission is simple: celebrate Gaia, support local ecosystems, and ignite every meal with unparalleled flavour.
Every sauce we craft begins in nature, focused on wild ingredients and UK-grown chillies that bring zest, resonance, and fire to every drop.
How has your entrepreneurial journey been so far?
Since 2018, my partner and I have embarked on many adventures and explored boundless flavours, cultures, and landscapes. Our shared passions for travel, food, foraging, and all things sweet and spicy led us to begin our small-scale kitchen experiment, ‘HotSteppa Sauce’.
Stars aligned as we arrived back in Frome, and I secured a space on the Enterprising Women Course at Edventure. Blessed with a network of supportive female leaders, I found community, accountability and encouragement to establish myself as an entrepreneur. Whilst there is still a long way to go, the course gave me the momentum I needed to get my ideas into fruition.
What did you enjoy most from joining Enterprising Women?
The meditations, check ins and creative exercises. The holistic nature of the course helped me integrate my ideas and values into my everyday life.
How can I find out more and follow you?
Find us on Instagram at @hotsteppasauce
Bridget and Van-ity
Bridget joined Enterprising Women to grow her new business and invention – the Van-ity.
What business idea do you grow on Edventure’s Enterprising Women’s course?
Van-ity – a lightweight, shatterproof, foldable full-length mirror that hangs anywhere: in a van, tent, awning, or any small space where you need a proper full-length view. It instantly turns a cramped space into a ‘pop up dressing room’ …aimed at the vanlife community and campers. We now have a website for people to sign up for notifications of product launch and have booked our first camper van show as a trader…very exciting.
How has your journey gone so far?
Van-ity was born out of a real personal need, after getting frustrated at not being able to see myself properly in a tiny mirror whilst trying to get ready at a camper van festival I decided to make my own.
For over ten years, my husband and I ran a small business that we’d fallen into almost accidentally, amazingly it grew into something really successful after all our hard work leading to all sorts of proud moments.
That experience taught me so much – especially how much I loved being the captain of my ship but this time I wanted to build a business from the ground up which is why I joined Enterprising Women. I arrived on the course with an idea and a prototype which received amazing feedback and support from people at the hub including my group, this gave me a huge confidence boost to carry on.
I found the sprints challenging as I really struggle working under pressure, but actually this was the massive push that I needed & helped tremendously and spurred me on to be consistent and get important parts to building the business in order. The only person I would be letting down would be myself, so I felt accountable.
What did you enjoy most from joining Enterprising Women?
During menopause women can really suffer with confidence and drive due to mental health & physical symptoms which can be very debilitating and knock you off your path, you can end up feeling a little broken.
This course with the fantastic support not only from the whole team and in particular the facilitators and guest speakers and of course the women on similar journeys with me, has given me a fresh outlook on life and really lifted my spirits and has made me realise that you are never too old to start again, and your ideas are just as valued as anyone else, all you need is passion and drive and a spark of an idea – Enterprising women gives you all the support and encouragement to help you thrive
It’s never too late to follow your dreams!
How can I find out more and follow you?
www.van-ity.co.uk
instagram.com/van_ityuk
Aimee Cox
“There’s the community of women who have your back, the accountability of weekly check‑ins, and the structure. The guest speakers were great too. It felt like a weekly, nurturing women’s circle.”
Aimee joined Edventure’s Enterprising Women course while developing her own Empowered Feminine Leadership Programme, which combines mindset coaching with somatic practices to help women move beyond old beliefs and take courageous action towards the lives they want.
Aimee had been successfully running her courses through online video calls and joined Enterprising Women to take the next step, creating an evergreen online programme that women everywhere can access. Her four-pillar programme supports women who know they are made for more, guiding them to clear past obstacles, connect with their true selves, envision what they want to create, and find the courage to make it happen.
Through Edventure’s course, Aimee gained the support, accountability, and encouragement she needed to turn her idea into reality and grow a programme rooted in her lived experience and passion for women’s empowerment.
Alice Florrie
Alice joined Enterprising Women looking for support in her first year of having her own business as a Creative Producer.
What business idea do you grow on Edventure’s Enterprising Women’s course?
I came into the course already as a freelancer but was looking for some support in my first year of having my own business. I work as a creative producer who basically bridges the gap of turning creative ideas into reality, this can be anything from film, stills, advertising or social media.
How was your journey on the course?
I came into the course unsure whether it was the right fit for me but I am so glad I stayed! I hosted a workshop for visual storytelling for instagram to connect with a value-led part of my business and focused in on what it was I wanted to achieve from my business. I’ve added in a few sliding scale spots for smaller businesses or charities.
Also during the course, I teamed up with Heather who asked me to be a director of her CIC initiative which has been lovely to be a part of.
What did you enjoy most from joining Enterprising Women?
For me the most important thing has always been community. These women are people who I hope to see regularly and miss seeing every week.
