Deirdre Bounds
Deirdre Bounds is a fiercely passionate entrepreneur, starting out with no money or experience, she grew her multi-million-pound enterprise from a bedsit. Deirdre shares her story of how she rose from rags to riches, her innovative ideas and ethical branding, educating and enlightening the corporate circuit.
A self-made millionaire; a recovering alcoholic; a best-selling author and a TV presenter, Deirdre Bounds’s talents are as diverse and impressive as her list of achievements.
Starting her business from a tiny bedsit, Deirdre grew her company into a globally successful GAP year company – turning over an eight-figure sum annually. She sold her business to a FTSE 100 company, proving that grit, determination and hard-work pays off.
Her years of success as an ethical entrepreneur have equipped Deirdre with the insights and practical knowledge to impart to businesses of every size in her keynote speeches. Deirdre dares to be different, and offers evidence that regardless of gender, background or social obstacles can be overcome.
i-to-i.com is an ethical travel company, set up to challenge the traditional strategies of the travel industry. By changing people's perceptions of the 'responsible travel' movement, Deirdre has become an icon of business, and of achieving the seemingly impossible.
She is a patron of Marie Curie Cancer Care in West Yorkshire, and supports the international aid charity World Vision, as well as charities for suffering alcoholics.
Deirdre’s experiences in business and in life have made her a popular choice as a guest on TV and radio shows, including Sky News, Radio Four, Radio 5 and GMTV, as well as having a regular live Saturday morning slot as a co-presenter on BBC Radio Leeds.
She was chosen by Channel 4 as part of a group of entrepreneurs who spent a month in Uganda bringing enterprise ideas to a deprived village, and even took part in the reality TV show Wife Swap!
Sharing her own story on the speaking circuit, Deirdre candidly reveals how she grew up on an estate, fell into alcoholism and finally after battling life’s hardships did she achieve her goal of being a self-made millionaire. She also imparts business lessons, teaching companies the importance of individuality, creativity and ethical consumerism.
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Deirdre Bounds created her own travel company called i-to-i.com, using her own experiences as a drop-out, a stand up comedienne and a wayward backpacker. Her aim was to challenge traditional ideas in the travel industry and dare to be different. She is an entrepreneur in the purest sense, having had no commercial experience, no family history of enterprise, no money, just a great idea.
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