"I actually don't want to grow": The 800% surge that nearly broke Nadine Merabi's brand

Nadine Merabi used to play hockey professionally for England. Today, her global fashion brand, Nadine Merabi, has sales of over $50m (£37.8m) a year. Her designs have been worn on red carpets at Cannes, the BAFTAs and the National Television Awards. She explains to Sir Richard Harpin in the latest Business Leader podcast episode about the resilience needed to build a business from scratch.

Merabi’s business career was set in motion when, at age 29, she bought a £250 sewing machine from Argos. With no formal training, she turned to an online tutorial for advice. She sold her first clothing collection to Selfridges and from there she stitched together a £40m luxury fashion business.

The only thing standing in entrepreneurs’ way is themselves, she believes. That means at times challenging herself. She’s had to learn to grow with the business and over time her approach to leadership as a founder has changed. Her personal mantra has shifted from "pressure makes diamonds", she explains, to "planning makes profit".

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why growing at 800 per cent one year was her biggest mistake
• The impact on a founder when you hire a CEO
• Her mission to give women confidence