Proud to Sponsor the Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the Business Awards Nottinghamshire 2024

On Friday 1 November, I had the privilege of sponsoring the Entrepreneur of the Year category at the East Midlands Chamber of Commerce's Business Awards Nottinghamshire 2024, held at the Belfry Marriott Hotel. It was one of those rare moments in business where everything feels both surreal and deeply grounding at the same time — the kind of moment you want to sit with before you rush to share it.

I didn’t post about it straight away. After a hectic few months of client work, I wanted to take a breath and really absorb what it meant.

A milestone I needed time to appreciate

Sophie Wragg and her business mentor David Smith at the Business Awards Nottinghamshire 2024.

Be Your Best Version was the smallest and youngest business to sponsor these prestigious awards. I’d been trading for just 11 months, and yet there I was, standing alongside sponsors such as DHL, the University of Nottingham, Nottingham Trent University, Nottinghamshire County Council, and Geldards — a business with more than a century of history.

As a sole trader, sponsoring the Entrepreneur of the Year category felt especially meaningful. Entrepreneurship is tough, unpredictable, and often lonely. My own journey has been a long time in the making, full of twists, turns, and moments where I had to choose belief over certainty. Less than a year ago, someone told me to throw in the towel — and I imagine many would have agreed with him. But I didn’t. I couldn’t. I was determined to make this work.

So standing there, as a sponsor, felt like a quiet but powerful affirmation of everything I’ve poured into this business.

A night full of connection and meaning

One of the most unexpected highlights was bumping into my A level Business Studies teacher — someone I hadn’t seen in over 20 years. It added a layer of nostalgia and pride I wasn’t prepared for. It reminded me how far I’ve come, and how long this path has been unfolding beneath my feet.

The finalists — Cat Mitchell (True Talent), Joe Burns (Reformed IT), and Ben Slater (Stephen Eve Financial Planning) — had achieved so much already. It was an honour to celebrate their work. And handing the award to Shivani Soni Namballa (Step Up Rehab Physiotherapy Clinic), another former NHS professional who has built something remarkable of her own, felt incredibly special.

A moment I’ll always cherish

I don’t for a second believe I have everything figured out. Nothing in business is guaranteed, and I’m under no illusion that success is linear or secure. But I’m working my hardest to build something meaningful, something that supports others, something that lasts.

This night was a reminder of why I keep going.

I’m grateful to my guests for being there with me, calming my nerves before I had to go on stage and read out the winner, and sharing the moment.

And I’m grateful to myself, too, for pausing long enough to appreciate it.

This is a milestone I’ll really cherish.