This week's solo episode is a little different. It is the story of a project that pretty much took over my life in 2018 and 2019. A project I have been thinking about sharing ever since a recent visit stirred up a lot of mixed feelings.
It is the story of the D-Day 75 Garden, a commemorative show garden at RHS Chelsea in 2019, conceived to celebrate the Normandy veterans of the Second World War on home soil during what would be the final milestone anniversary with any significant number of veterans still here to tell their story. It is the story of how "we" (I go into who we is in the episode) with no fundraising experience, no budget and a very big idea found the right people, asked for what they needed and somehow made it happen. And I hope it is a story that gives you permission to pursue the mad idea that will not leave you alone.
In this episode, I reflect on:
✨ The backstory of D-Day Revisited, the charity my dad and I co-founded, and why the 75th anniversary felt like the moment to do something extraordinary on home soil to celebrate the veterans who had given so much
✨ How the idea for a commemorative show garden at RHS Chelsea came to me during the 74th anniversary trip to France in 2018 and why I almost talked myself out of pursuing it
✨ The moment I discovered the entry deadline was just weeks away and sent that email to the RHS anyway, which set everything in motion
✨ How garden designer John Everiss and fundraiser Peter Deaman came into the project and why neither of them should have said yes to two people with no money and no experience, but did
✨ The 75 Reasons campaign - one of the ideas I am most proud of - and the moment in conversation when it all clicked into place in a way that still gives me the chills
✨ What it actually felt like to be in front of a camera for the first time with no training or experience, because the promotional video had to be made and someone had to do it
✨ The relentless reality of fundraising - seeking 75 sponsors at five thousand pounds each with no guarantee and no one big cheque to save the day and what that process taught me about courage and asking
✨ The story of Bill Pendell and Joe Cattini, the two veterans at the heart of the garden, and why losing Bill in December 2018 only made us more determined to see it through
✨ The moment during the Chelsea Flower Show when I looked around and realised we had actually done it and what that felt like after nine months of not knowing if we ever would
✨ How the garden was moved to Arromanches in Normandy overlooking Gold Beach and what it was like to visit it seven years on, still there, still sparking conversations
✨ Why the greatest lesson from this whole experience is simply this: the trick is to ask
Takeaway for Mums in Business:
You can have mad ideas that nobody expects to come to fruition and you can make them happen. You can look at what seems to be an impossible sum of money and you can find it. You can be brave and ask for what you need to make your dream a reality.
About The Host:
I’m Victoria Phipps – a Mum of two, analogue family photographer, personal brand photographer, educator, charity co-founder, marketer and now podcaster! 🎙️
I was raised by a nurturing Mother and an entrepreneurial Father and have inherited traits from both, so the tension between ambition and motherhood is one I grapple with on a daily basis!
I’m fascinated to hear the stories of other women on a similar path, who are striving to build thriving businesses whilst being present for their children. It's a tough juggle, but I hope the conversations shared on this podcast help Mums in business feel less alone and inspired to keep going in pursuit of their dreams.
Head to the Mum Means Business Podcast website for full show notes.
I would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed in this conversation, so please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @victoriaphippsmbe or @mummeansbusinesspodcast.
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