The Reality Behind Entrepreneurship for Women of Colour in Scotland
A Distant Fairytale
For many women of colour in Scotland, the entrepreneurial narrative often portrayed in the media feels like a distant fairytale. While hashtags, awards, and success stories abound, they mask a reality filled with systemic barriers and quiet exclusions. This dichotomy creates a mental load, where these women find themselves oscillating between being visible and invisible in their entrepreneurial journeys.
A Lived Experience
I speak from experience. As a mother of three, a singer, a broadcaster, and a personal brand strategist, I have dedicated my career to empowering women who often feel overlooked. When I arrived in Scotland nearly two decades ago, I found myself navigating a new cultural and professional landscape without a roadmap or network.
Laying the Foundation
Starting from scratch, I hosted concerts and online broadcasts from my living room while mentoring women who felt trapped in their current circumstances. This led me to launch Heartsong Live in 2017, Scotland’s first black female-led Christian radio station, a platform for music, faith, and authentic conversations.
Uncovering Deeper Struggles
However, I quickly learned that faith was just part of the story. Many women tuning in were struggling not due to a lack of talent or ambition but because they felt stuck, unseen, and disconnected from opportunity. This realization ignited the creation of Adelphe – a social enterprise designed to empower ethnic minority women in Fife, Edinburgh, and West Lothian. Through coaching, mentoring, and visibility support, we provide them with the tools to thrive.
Creating Safe Spaces
We work to create environments that cater to women’s diverse challenges, from entrepreneurship to caregiving. Recognizing that transitions can be daunting – whether due to career changes, motherhood, or broader life shifts – Adelphe offers safe, practical spaces where women can navigate these changes and emerge stronger.
A Vision for Thrive Circles
Earlier this year, we set forth a proposal to the Scottish Government’s Ecosystem Fund for a program called Thrive Circles. This ambitious initiative aimed to support 20 black and ethnic minority women in Scotland who are running small businesses while juggling the demands of family and career transitions.
The Blueprint from Experience
The program was crafted based on direct feedback from women in our community. They expressed the need for safe spaces, peer-led support, and authentic storytelling that reflects their identities. Not merely another round of training sessions—this initiative sought to celebrate their stories and missions through live workshops, podcasts, and a printed magazine spotlighting “Founders You Should Know.”
Facing Rejection
Yet, we faced a setback. Our proposal was met with silence—no funding, no explanation, and no feedback. Initial rejections are familiar terrain for those of us in this space, but this one felt more profound, echoing a larger narrative. The brilliance and needs of black and ethnic minority women often seem relegated to a niche rather than being recognized as essential contributions to Scotland’s entrepreneurial landscape.
The Weight of Rejection
Rejection carries more than a simple “no.” It can threaten not only plans but also one’s sense of belonging. Questions begin to surface: Is there a quota? Is passion and community leadership not enough? Will our lived experiences ever be valued as legitimate expertise?
The Burden of Representation
As women of colour in business, we carry the hopes of our communities, the silent expectations of families, and the immense pressure to succeed—not just for ourselves but for the future generations keenly observing our paths. Despite these challenges, we persist.
Building Against the Odds
We show up at networking events where we are frequently the only representatives of our demographic. We create content, foster community circles, lead workshops, and offer support, chasing our dreams even when funding and support feel out of reach. We navigate the complexities of raising children while pitching entrepreneurial ideas, often modifying offerings to meet our communities’ unique needs because we must.
Defining Entrepreneurship on Our Terms
For us, entrepreneurship transcends vanity metrics; it is about amplifying visibility, voice, and legacy. It means fostering environments where we don’t have to code-switch to be taken seriously. As a coach, I often reassure the women I mentor, “You’re not late. You’re just not seen yet.” I, too, remind myself of this mantra during quiet moments when doubt creeps in.
A Personal Take on Entrepreneurship
Does entrepreneurship resonate with my journey? Absolutely. Yet, it’s not about merely chasing metrics or scaling quickly. For me, it’s about building something reflective of who you are, transcending sales.
The Art of Leading
Entrepreneurship is about leading without a title, working with what you have, where you are, and uplifting others along the way. It’s not just about solving problems but holding space for dreams and possibilities, showing up with both vision and vulnerability.
A Vehicle for Change
For the women I empower, and for myself, entrepreneurship embodies resistance, healing, and legacy. The systems may not have been designed with us in mind, yet we are here. We are steadfast in our pursuits, challenging narratives and fostering change through continuous efforts.
The landscape of entrepreneurship in Scotland is evolving, and the contributions of women of colour must be acknowledged and celebrated. We are not just entering the conversation; we are transforming it.
