Beth O'Malley : Winner of the 2024 Great Companies International women Entrepreneur Award

Name: Beth O'Malley

Business Name: Astral Digital

Location: Birmingham , United Kingdom ( UK)

Establishment (Year): 2023

Category: Advertising & Marketing

Profession/ Specialty: Marketing Strategist

Website: astral-digital.co.uk

Social Media : Linkedin

Company Detail:

Astral Digital was created because for over 10 years, the founder has seen how many businesses, brands, and marketers get this wrong:

They spray their customers, leads, subscribers, and users with emails they don't care about.

They aren't clear on their ideal customer profile & it shows.

They don't embrace technology, automation, and don't know how to embrace the use of CRM systems.

Astral Digital goes into businesses (B2B or B2C) and provides an in-depth audit of their full marketing & business strategy as well as processes.

Through this, they identify exactly where they are losing money, falling apart, have opportunities for growth and create a roadmap for how they will achieve success.

This is through 2 main things:

-Strategies

-Systems

They create a solid marketing strategy that brings sales, operations, and service to create a cohesive approach.

Then they use data and systems to build this, meaning they send the right message, at the right time to the right people.

Marketers then feel more accomplished as their marketing starts working.

The sales team converts more leads through automated lead nurture & follow-up strategies.

Operations are no longer overwhelmed and have automated processes.

Business owners make more money, see growth, and finally feel less stressed.

Proof is in the pudding, Astral Digital has helped businesses generate an extra £5 million in revenue just in 8 months.

Unique Selling Proposition or Competitive Advantage:

There are definitely two points to this:

-There's THEM. They've always been told they're too much, they question too much, why can't they just be normal. Turns out they had severe ADHD, but it really was a gift. They see patterns in things most people don't, they solve problems quicker than most people do and see things differently. This plus their unique value proposition of being marketers with a data, strategic, and process-driven brain means that why wouldn't you work with them?

It's a mix of FUN, passion, energy and there's not another business or agency that does directly what they do.

Challenges Faced During the Journey

From a very young age, the founder always knew they were different. Growing up without much money, their childhood was not cushioned by material comforts, but it was rich in challenges that shaped their resilience.

In school, this sense of being the odd one out followed them. They never quite fitted in, always feeling like the black sheep among their peers. This feeling of alienation wasn't just a phase that ebbed with adolescence; it grew alongside them into adulthood, a constant reminder that they were not like everyone else.

Despite this, they excelled in every job they held. Their unique perspective and approach to tasks often set them apart, for better or worse. However, their journey through the workforce was anything but smooth. Being employed felt like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole; it just didn't suit the way their brain worked.

This struggle was compounded by an undiagnosed condition that made these environments even more challenging to navigate: ADHD. Without a diagnosis or support, they found themselves leaving job after job, searching for a place where they could truly belong.

They thought they had found that place when they joined a marketing agency. They initially embraced their differences, making them feel valued for the first time in their professional life. But this sense of belonging was short-lived. The agency's culture was toxic, riddled with blame and bullying. It was a devastating blow, and eventually, they walked out. They left not just the job but the entire toxic environment behind, penniless, scared, and with their confidence shattered to its core.

Their last job before striking out on their own was the worst; they discriminated against them because of their disability, bullied them relentlessly, and told them they weren't good enough. That experience broke them, but it also became the catalyst for their transformation.

Despite these adversities, they acknowledge the privilege of the opportunities that came their way. They didn't come from much, but the little they had was a foundation strong enough to build their dreams upon. So, with a mix of naivety and determination, they started their own business. It was a leap into the unknown, driven by the desire to create something that reflected their values and accommodated their unique way of seeing the world.

The path of entrepreneurship has been fraught with challenges. Rejection became a frequent visitor, and just when they thought they had faced enough, life threw its hardest curveball yet: their mum became terminally ill. Balancing the demands of a fledgling business with the emotional and physical toll of caring for her has been the most difficult journey they've embarked on.

Yet, through it all, they've learned invaluable lessons. Each setback, each rejection, and every moment they've been beaten down have taught them resilience, empathy, and the importance of forging one's path. Their story is not just about the struggles of being different or the hardships of entrepreneurship; it's about finding strength in vulnerability, embracing one's unique journey, and the relentless pursuit of a place in the world where being different is the key to success.

Advice for Women Entrepreneurs:

For them it's mindset, that's going to be your greatest driver and your greatest weakness - so work on it.

You have to believe in yourself otherwise NO ONE else will.

Meet as many people as you can, say yes to everything!

Embrace failure as a learning opportunity - Failure is not the opposite of success; it's a part of the success journey. Each setback is a lesson in disguise and a chance to grow stronger and smarter. Don't fear failure—embrace it, learn from it, and use it to propel you forward.