Abigail Horne is the hugely successful founder of Authors & Co, a partnership publishing company specialising in helping people tell their story so they can leave behind a legacy – www.authorsandco.pub
Your Story Starts Here
1) At the heart of everything for me, has always been a passion for books and the stories they reveal. I also learnt the hard way about the importance of leaving behind a legacy through the power of words. The questions to ask yourself are, what do you want to be remembered for? What have you achieved and experienced in your life? Do you want all of this to disappear when you are no longer alive? When my grandad was ill with cancer, I begged him to write down his thoughts and feelings in a special book I’d bought for him. He never did. And to this day, those blank pages still haunt me.
2) I launched Authors & Co because I know that everyone has a story within. Words that describe a life well-lived and people loved. We think we have to wait though, to be given permission to tell others about that life. Sharing our greatest moments, deepest thoughts and wisest teachings is not reserved for celebrities, it is for all of us.
3) I am a family girl through and through with a big heart and a passion for people and publishing. My background spans ten years in the corporate matrix where I was brainwashed into believing the 40 year “dream” to retirement. You know, the one that hangs a great big glass ceiling over your head that you never even notice. The last seven years (after running a mile from what felt more like a nightmare), I have been a successfully self-employed online business owner.
4) I have been incredibly lucky to have a mum who always made the time to read me a bedtime story. As a result, all the Enid Blyton books remain a firm favourite, as does Mathilda by Roald Dahl. There’s something magical about books that transport you to a different place. I honestly believe that an introduction to books at an early age is so important for all children as it provides a foundation for everything that follows.
5) Being the mum, I always dreamt I could be, matters to me. I have carved out a life and way of being, that allows me to complete the school runs but still run a hugely successful business. This fierce desire to have the balance between still being me and a mum, has been the driving force behind everything I do.
6) I left school with just my GCSE’s but went on to become the youngest ever Department Manager in the utilities industry when I was just 18. By the time I left that male-dominated environment a decade later, I was in a senior management position. I was told I could either be successful in my career, or be a mum, but not both. I decided to prove them wrong and went on to launch my own energy company. We attracted thousands of customers and topped U Switch for six months. I wanted to prove it was possible to have it all, and I did.
7) I’m really honoured to have been recognised as a leader in my field – so much so that Sir Richard Branson has invited me to join him and 40 other global leaders on Necker Island this year.
Abigail Horne is the Founder of Authors & Co and her book Your Story Starts Here is out now