Co-Founded Coffee Republic, Bestselling Author of ‘Anyone Can Do It- Building Coffee Republic From Our Kitchen Table’, Created the ‘Ask Sahar’ Column in Director Magazine & Sits on the Entrepreneurs Forum

Sahar Hashemi OBE is one of UK’s most inspirational female entrepreneurs and a powerful speaker on innovation and also entrepreneurial mindset. She shares with her audience, captivating personal stories of building two famous brands. These are Coffee Republic, the UK’s first coffee bar chain, which she and her brother grew to 110 stores and a 30m turnover and exited in 2001. Then there was Skinny Candy, the guilt free confectionery brand which she sold to Glisten Plc in 2007.

Sahar recieved her OBE for services to the UK Economy and charity in the 2012 Birthday Honours list. She was named ‘Pioneer to the life of the nation’ by Her Majesty The Queen and also a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in Davos. Sahar is also a mentor to Change Please. This is a charity that provides pop-up coffee bars run by homeless people, giving them the help and support they need to turn their lives around.
Sahar anyone can do it

Books:
Sahar Hashemi is also a bestselling author – her first book ‘Anyone Can Do It- building Coffee Republic from our kitchen table’ has been translated into 6 languages. She was named in a list of ten ‘Original thinkers whose idea will help shape Britain’s recovery’ in Director magazine. Anyone Can Do became the 2nd highest selling book on entrepreneurship on Amazon after Richard Branson’s book.
Sahar Switched onHer second book ‘Switched On‘ is about developing the entrepreneurial mindset and its resonance for employees in large corporations. The premise of the book is that tools and also behaviours, which were traditionally the preserve of entrepreneurs, are now much needed in the corporate world. Entrepreneurial behaviour, which doesn’t come naturally in a corporate environment, should be learned and actively encouraged.

Sahar Start Up Book2019 saw Sahar publish her latest book Startup Forever. She explains the purpose of the book. “In my work, I’m always asked the same questions:

‘How can we grow big but act small?’
‘How can we encourage innovative thinking and drive growth by finding different and new ways of doing things?’
‘As we face disruptive change, how can we be more agile? More resilient? Less stuck in our ways?’
‘How can I get my people to think outside the box, to experiment, and take the initiative?’
‘How can I get everyone in the company to think more like entrepreneurs?’
The ten shifts in the book are my answers to these questions. The solutions I have picked up on my journey are, in fact, strikingly common sense. They are simple shifts in how to approach everyday work with an entrepreneurial mind-set together with day-to-day actions anyone can take to put this more entrepreneurial mind-set to work”.

Sahar had an ‘Ask Sahar’ column in Director magazine where readers every month asked her questions about innovation, customer service and the entrepreneurial mindset in the workplace. In 2011 Sahar was then nominated by the magazine as one of the Top 10 Original Thinkers.

She also sits on the prestigious Entrepreneurs Forum which provides informal and personal advice to government on business and enterprise policies.

Why Hire Sahar Hashemi OBE?

An internationally recognized speaker, Sahar’s captivating and uplifting speeches are unique as she converges her own enthralling ‘story’ with key themes of change management and employee engagement. By telling her very personal journey, she connects with the audience on an emotional level and brings to life the passion, determination and open mindedness needed to succeed. She makes a strong impact, igniting the audience with a ‘can do’ spirit and the tools and habits to ‘make it happen’.