Member Spotlight 

I help people to save money on their household utility bills, and help people to earn an extra income – I’ve been a UW Partner for nearly 17 years. 

 

My promotion to Team Leader has been a major achievement and very rewarding as it’s enabled me to support new team members and help them achieve their goals. 

 

I’m the very proud mother of three wonderful sons and grandmother of 2 beautiful granddaughters. 

 

I learn from everyone so I have a long list. My sons for their commitment and determination to succeed in their sporting dreams, my Mum and Dad, especially during their suffering towards the end of their lives. I felt very privileged to be able to be there with them during their time of need, they always had hope, never stopped giving and remained determined to face everything with a smile right until the end. 

 

My Mum who died young at 67. She was always in the present and going forward, so I feel I’d like to reminisce with her about her childhood and experiences when she was growing up. 

 

The Sound of Music. 

 

Be consistent, patient and enjoy the journey. 

 

Promotion to Senior Team Leader by helping more team members to achieve their goals. 

 

I’m a yoga teacher and wellness consultant, running community classes and bespoke retreats. I’ve been teaching yoga for over 10 years and building my wellness businesses since returning to the UK in 2022. 

 

My name is Leomi and I live in Leicester. “Leomi” can be a bit of a mouthful, so people often call me “Leo”. It felt natural to use that for my yoga business. The only funny thing is, people sometimes assume I’m a man from the name! 

 

Seeing people leave my classes and retreats lighter, calmer, and re-energised. Creating real impact in people’s wellbeing feels like the greatest achievement. 

 

I lived in Sri Lanka for 7 years, where I set up and ran a yoga and surf guesthouse and taught at an international school. I can speak some/enough Sinhala. 

 

My daughter Lily. She teaches me every day about resilience, joy, and the importance of being present. 

 

Jesus Christ, who else? To sit at the table with Him, to ask questions, and to simply be in His presence would be the greatest honour. 

 

Moulin Rouge “The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.” 

 

Believe you can, and work towards that and you will achieve it all. 

 

I’m launching luxury corporate retreats in Sri Lanka later this year under FloState Retreats, expanding The Unwind Lab for workplaces, and continuing to grow my local yoga community in Leicester. 

We offer a wide range of beauty and complementary therapies, helping our clients look and feel better, physically and emotionally, improving skin and nails, removing unwanted hair, easing tight muscles and providing stress relief, so that clients feel more confident and relaxed. The business has been going for 19 years and won numerous local and national awards. 

 

We asked our clients in 2008 what benefit they received from their visits and for name suggestions as we wanted to change from the original name – our clients told us we were essential to them for their mental and physical wellbeing.. 

 

Still being in business now and building a great reputation with knowledgeable staff, providing 5* service (as witnessed by the awards we’ve won and the fact we’re the only salon locally rated 5* by the good beauty guide). 

 

Essentials is a lot bigger inside than it looks from the outside and people don’t necessarily know the range of services that we offer, or that our entire product range is incredibly effective, but natural, and our skincare doesn’t contain any synthetic or harmful ingredients, as many products do (which few people realise). 

 

Me, personally, that I’ve had a varied career before starting in the complementary therapy industry nearly 30 years ago. That I’m stronger than I look when doing deep tissue massage 😊 

 

In my early life, my dad, who taught me to try things and keep going, not give up easily, but since then, so many people who have taught me about natural health and mindset. 

 

One of my parents or late husband, just because it would be lovely to see them again and catch up – and to find out more about ‘life after death’ which I find interesting, or perhaps Joy Adamson because as a child it was my dream to be a a pioneering conservationist like her. (For those not old enough to know the name, she wrote the book Born Free, which then became a film of the same name, which told the true story of her and her husband George's experience rescuing Elsa, the lion cub, after her mother was killed, then raising her and eventually releasing her into the wilderness. Joy Adamson's work and advocacy for wildlife continued until her death.) 

 

Difficult question as I have many I think are brilliant films, and don’t really have an ‘all time favourite’ - from Patch Adams, to The Green Mile, The Pursuit of Happyness and My Sister’s Keeper. 

 

Work on yourself as much as your business. Don’t be afraid to change direction. Don’t let the pursuit of money negatively affect your health. 

 

Building up the team, continuing to provide 5* treatments, and to continue to look for improved / different ways to help our clients in whichever way we can. Launching an online course about natural health. 

 

I am the owner and founder of Creature Comforts Upholstery we started in April 2024. 

 

Creature as we call it was named 1, because of my love of animals 2, because of love to be cozy, Autumn is my favourite season and I felt it embodies 3, we loved the play on creature comforts. 

 

I am so proud of how ‘creature’ has grown. We started from working out of my old bedroom in my parents house to 1 shop/work shop to 2 premises now. 

 

I am a secret golfer and Taylor Swift fan. 

 

One person who has profoundly shaped my life is my incredible mum. She has been my greatest teacher, imparting wisdom that ranges from the practical, like how to thread a needle, to the intricate art of reconstructing the most complex chairs. Her lessons resonate deeply, reminding me to approach life with both care and enthusiasm. 

 

While having dinner with my mum would be an obvious and cherished choice; what I wouldn’t give for just an extra ten seconds with her, however I would love the opportunity to dine with Margaret Thatcher. Ever since I was a young girl, I have been captivated by her complex legacy. To me, she embodies both heroism and controversy; she was a trailblazer for women in leadership. I would relish the chance to delve into her experiences and perspectives, especially regarding the adversities she overcame and the glass ceilings she shattered. Moreover, I’d be eager to understand her rationale behind some of her more contentious decisions, as I believe there is much to learn from her unique journey. 

 

Too many to choose, however the one I always put on to make me laugh is Zoolander. 

 

Surround yourself with fellow entrepreneurs. Don’t be afraid to openly share your challenges; many of them have experienced similar struggles and can offer valuable insights from their own journeys. Building a network of support not only provides practical advice but also fosters a sense of community that can be incredibly beneficial as you navigate the ups and downs of your business venture. 

 

My aim is to grow the business to cover more areas of the Midlands and hopefully employe a full time upholsterer and curtain maker.