Ignore the CEO influencers — not everybody's cut out to run a business

Metro

22-05-2025

Jacqueline took over her the family business aged 19 (Picture: Supplied)
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From Steven Barlett's Diary of a CEO to Simon Squibb's What's Your Dream?, the UK laps up advice on how to become a business mogul.
And after years of wage stagnation and a cost of living crisis, that's no major surprise. After all, who wouldn't want to ditch the 9-to-5 and make millions doing something they love?
According to Jacqueline O'Donovan OBE however, looking up to influencers can set regular people up to fail.
'There really are leaders and followers,' the 57-year-old tells Metro. 'If you're an entrepreneur, you're born an entrepreneur — there is no making you into one. So starting up a business isn't everybody's cup of tea.'
Her own entry into the world of business came at 19. When her father Joe died aged 51, the family waste management company was left in the hands of Jacqueline and her three older siblings.
She claims entrepreneurs are born, not trained (Picture: Supplied)
A lifelong Londoner and second-generation Irish immigrant, she slept in a cot in the family's one-bedroom flat until she was five, and was picked on because of her weight throughout her childhood.
'I didn't get on very well at school,' Jacqueline recalls. 'It was the era where, if you didn't get something, you got left behind. And I basically ran out of there at 16, sticking my two fingers up and saying, 'I don't need you'.'
Her plans to work in childcare came to an end when she got the call her dad had died of a heart attack. And while her eldest brother was initially expected to take on his business, Jacqueline's knack for problem-solving saw her naturally falling into the role.
She says: 'There was never a conversation, sitting around the table going 'you're gonna do this, you're gonna do that'. We just went into autopilot. We need to make sure mum's okay. And we need to get on with it.'
Success takes hard graft and natural talent
Once she realised where her talents could be best put to use, Jacqueline worked tirelessly on gaining qualifications and certifications that would set the firm apart. She also brought about numerous changes, from upgrading the company's lorries so they were safer for cyclists to ending its use of landfills and fossil fuels.
Within the three decades she was at the helm, O'Donovan Waste went from a small firm worth £175,000 to an empire boasting a £22 million annual turnover.
In 2023, she was made an OBE for services to Recycling, Safety and Industry (Picture: Supplied)
But despite her success, being taken seriously in such a male dominated industry wasn't always plain sailing.
The mum-of-one says: 'I'd walk into rooms with 20 fellas in there, and it's like Moses parting the Red Sea…
'In the early days, they used to insist on talking to a man, so I'd put them through to my brother Brendan – but little did they know I taught him everything.'
Following the birth of her son in 2005, she also dealt with postnatal depression, which took more than three years to overcome, largely due to the support of her loved ones.
While in many ways, Jacqueline believes these struggles have made her a better leader and parent, there's a high level of resilience required to be the boss — and it's not a lifestyle everyone can handle.
Recent data shows that as many as one in seven new businesses fail within the first three years: 20% because they were outcompeted, 14% because of not having the right team, 7% because of disharmony among team or investors and 5% because of burning out or lack of passion (5%).
'There is a massive skill set to being a business owner,' Jacqueline says. 'You've got to be a therapist, you've got to know your numbers, you've got to be able to sell, you've got to be able to buy. There are so many hats — and you can't just go to the shop and buy them, I'm afraid.'
She believes women need to quit apologising and back themselves more (Picture: Supplied)
The cult of personality
In her view, social media stars who pivot into business – such as Mr Beast, whose chocolate brand Feastables generated $251 million in sales in 2024 alone, or KSI, whose Prime energy drink (founded alongside fellow YouTuber Logan Paul) became an instant sell-out and hit $1.2 billion revenue within two years of launching – are wrongly held up as role models for would-be owners.
The latter has been the subject of numerous business profiles, with one article describing him as an 'all-round entrepreneur', while reality stars including Molly Mae Hague, Alex George and Jack Maynard have all been featured on Diary of a CEO to share their advice on making it big.
However, Jacqueline says many of these people 'got lucky' due to their personalities, and that 'doesn't make someone an expert in how to run a business'.
'These influencers are telling everybody that they can be an entrepreneur, and it's ruining youngsters today, because they all want to be like KSI or go on The Apprentice,' she adds.
Signs you're not ready to commit full-time to your business
You're clueless about business basics
From balance sheets to marketing, Serge Santos – who quit his job as a physicist to start his own business – argues 'one of the most important steps on this journey is developing core hard skills.'
If you don't have a grasp of how companies operate day-to-day, you're throwing yourself in at the deep in.
You don't have the funds
Entrepreneur, investor and business mentor Martin Warner writes in Startups Magazine: 'Without at least six months of expenses covered, entrepreneurs in the early cash-strapped stages of their startups make poor decisions that contribute to the failure of the business.'
You don't know your market
Before you leave your job, you should be confident your business has legs – either through extensive research or the fact you've already made it a success on the side.
Martin claims those that fail to do this 'almost always fail, because they are unable fully to define their business or answer the key questions any investors will inevitably ask.'
You don't have a strong enough support system
Alongside family and friends to stand by your side through the inevitable ups and downs, Amy Porterfield, author of Two Weeks Notice: Find the Courage to Quit Your Job, Make More Money, Work Where You Want, and Change the World, says 'you'll need emotional support through a therapist, business coach, co-founder, or all three.'
'The life of entrepreneurship is intertwined personally and professionally,' she explains. 'You can't blame a boss or company for failures. This time it's on you.'
You're in it for the wrong reasons
'Desperation to leave a job shouldn't be your motivation for creating your own business,' Amy adds.
This sentiment is echoed by Matthew Capala, founder of Alphametic, who tells Forbes: 'If you are just wanting to call the shots because you do not like the leadership style of your boss, or the corporate culture is toxic, consider another job… Being an entrepreneur is not about calling the shots. Building a culture is exhausting if you are not 100% invested. Know your 'why'.'
You aren't willing to consistently put the time in
Givelle Lamano, owner of Lamano Law Office, recommends asking yourself whether you 'have the time and dedication to make this work—especially if it's your first business, you have little or no experience or you have a family to support.'
Consider too, whether you can keep this up on a consistent basis, as PageKits.com founder Richard Fong notes: 'Early sales can deliver a huge confidence boost when starting a new venture, but it's crucial to ensure that success can be reproduced month-in and month-out.'
You need stability
According to Skye Robertson, Head of The Escape School, successful entrepreneurs 'accept uncertainty, act on what information they have access to today and trust their ability to create whilst reacting to unfolding events.'
So if you want a stable routine and a regular paycheck, the business world probably isn't for you.
Your people skills aren't up to scratch
'Networking and marketing are key,' says Stephie Althouse of Top-Notch CEO. 'For example, if you are an engineer and you want to open an engineering firm, of course, you need to be great at engineering. However, you need to be or get good at marketing and client acquisition — or hire someone who is. [Otherwise] your business endeavour will not be successful.'
You're afraid to make mistakes
Peter Shallard, the 'Shrink for Entrepreneurs', highlights that bad decisions are a necessary part of business ownership. But if you're too scared of getting it wrong, you won't learn how to get it right.
'The wannabes become real entrepreneurs when they realise the only 'secret' they're missing is the courage to act,' he says.
She recommends people do their research and seek the advice of industry professionals before giving up the day-job. For many though, it's simply a bad idea altogether.
Instead, Jacqueline proposes getting 'hold of the financial reins' in traditional employment by finding what you're good at and making yourself indispensable.
'Know your worth,' she adds. 'Because bosses know their staff's worth. We've had some who just used to clock in and think that they that's why they they should get paid, and it's obvious.'
When asking for a promotion or pay rise, leave what you want at the door and state your case solely on the basis of what you bring to the company.
'What really annoys me is when people say 'I want to eat fillet steak instead of burgers, or I want to eat lobster instead of cod, because that'snothing to do with me,' she adds. 'You get it because you've earned it, because you've gone above and beyond in your role.'
Women in particular are already at a disadvantage here though, with the ONS Human Capital Estimates report finding women are paid an average of £260,000 less than men over the course of their careers.
In Jacqueline's experience, many women 'hide behind the word sorry' and end up being overlooked — often passing up opportunities because they've not got every single skill listed on a description, while 'a man that's got only three of them will go for (and get) the job.'
Don't be afraid to shout about your successes to keep up, but bear in mind that although 'there's no such thing as a quiet leader' there's also 'a fine line between being confident and arrogant.'
Jacqueline says: 'Treat people well on the way up, because you'll meet them on the way back down. I'm a firm believer in that one. And remember, it's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.'
As advice goes, it may not be as rousing as 'if you dream it, you can do it,' but it's probably a more realistic route to success for the majority of us.
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