Having started her working life as an office junior, at the age of 24 she created the market leading experiences brand Red Letter Days on a shoestring budget from the front room of her home. Red Letter Days went on to generate over £100 million in turnover in the 16 years that she ran it, and in doing so pioneered the UK's £250 million experiences sector. This earned her an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2002, as well as being short listed for the 2001 Veuve Clicquot Businesswoman of the Year award and the Growing Business Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2002.
Then, in early 2005, Rachel shot to fame as one of the original Dragons in BBCTV's BAFTA nominated cult business show Dragons' Den.
After the well-publicised crash of Red Letter Days in 2005, which followed the ill-advised expansion of the business three years earlier, Rachel stepped away from business life but is now involved in a number of new business projects.
Rachel is a prolific business speaker, having entertained audiences throughout the UK and beyond including Harvard Business School, the London Innovation Forum, and the Scottish Parliament's Festival of Politics.
Amongst her many assignments over the past year, she appeared as keynote speaker at the National Franchise Exhibition at the NEC, chaired the recent Marketing Week two day Innovation Conference, hosted the StrategicRISK European Risk Management Awards 2007 and also appeared on stage with Anne Widdecombe and Oliver Letwin in a Dragons' Den style policy review panel at last year's Conservative Party Conference.
She was a member of the judging panel of the Grazia Businesswoman of the Year Awards 2006 as well as the Accountancy Age Awards 2006.
Rachel acts as mentor and consultant to a number of small businesses and launched her own unique Entrepreneurial Profiling system at the Business Start Up Show at London's Excel in April this year.
She was commissioned to write a book on entrepreneurship which was released earlier this year called 'Business Nightmares: When Entrepreneurs Hit Crisis Point', released by Crimson Publishing.
Rachel is also a non-executive director of the Aberdeen based Enterprise North East Trust which handles the Business Gateway contract for Scottish Enterprise.
Rachel lives in Derbyshire with her husband Chris and four sons. She is expecting her fifth baby in October this year.
Then, in early 2005, Rachel shot to fame as one of the original Dragons in BBCTV's BAFTA nominated cult business show Dragons' Den.
After the well-publicised crash of Red Letter Days in 2005, which followed the ill-advised expansion of the business three years earlier, Rachel stepped away from business life but is now involved in a number of new business projects.
Rachel is a prolific business speaker, having entertained audiences throughout the UK and beyond including Harvard Business School, the London Innovation Forum, and the Scottish Parliament's Festival of Politics.
Amongst her many assignments over the past year, she appeared as keynote speaker at the National Franchise Exhibition at the NEC, chaired the recent Marketing Week two day Innovation Conference, hosted the StrategicRISK European Risk Management Awards 2007 and also appeared on stage with Anne Widdecombe and Oliver Letwin in a Dragons' Den style policy review panel at last year's Conservative Party Conference.
She was a member of the judging panel of the Grazia Businesswoman of the Year Awards 2006 as well as the Accountancy Age Awards 2006.
Rachel acts as mentor and consultant to a number of small businesses and launched her own unique Entrepreneurial Profiling system at the Business Start Up Show at London's Excel in April this year.
She was commissioned to write a book on entrepreneurship which was released earlier this year called 'Business Nightmares: When Entrepreneurs Hit Crisis Point', released by Crimson Publishing.
Rachel is also a non-executive director of the Aberdeen based Enterprise North East Trust which handles the Business Gateway contract for Scottish Enterprise.
Rachel lives in Derbyshire with her husband Chris and four sons. She is expecting her fifth baby in October this year.
Rachel Elnaugh is one of the country's most well known female entrepreneurs. As founder of the UK 'gift experiences' market she created an industry worth in excess of £200 million annually. Her exit from the company and her involvement as panellist on BBC2's hit business show Dragons' Den have made Rachel one of the most sought-after business speakers. Recently she launched a new company, specifically to help budding entrepreneurs realise their dreams. The Life Changers released its first CD, Escape The Rat Race, in June this year, in which Rachel shares some of her own, unique secrets to business success.
Feedback from events Rachel has attended:-
"I wanted to send you a quick email to say thank you for investing your time and effort in Chairing the [Marketing Week Innovation Summit 2007] conference last week. I thought you chaired the two days in a manner that was informative, charismatic and extremely open and honest, and as such you were very well-received by both delegates and speakers. And thank you for managing the conference timing so well, and keeping us on track throughout the two days."
Holly Sims, Conference Producer, Centaur Conferences (March 2007)
"Very enthusiastic and summarised each speaker well"
"Structured the day and held it together"
"A great choice of Chair"
Overall rating from all delegates: "Excellent"
Delegate Feedback - Marketing Week Innovation Summit (March 2007)
"Many thanks for kindly coming to Dunkeld. Your talk was excellent and I got a lot of positive feedback thereafter. The way you came across and your straightforward approach is exactly what I wanted for the conference. You are as I have already stated a very real person who says it as they see it and that to me is a great credit to you bearing in mind some of the things you have been through.
Good luck Rachel, and once again many thanks for attending our conference."
Patrick Machray, Chief Executive, Johnston Carmichael (February 2007)
"Just a brief note to thank you ever so much for your assistance at the Conference.
I am extremely grateful to you for the part that you played in making the Conference this year such a success.
Once again, thank you for agreeing to appear and for doing such a fantastic job!"
The Rt Hon Francis Maude MP
Chairman of the Conservative Party (October 2006)
"Yesterday was truly wonderful! I am seldom so caught up. Usually one looks at the sheaf of papers held in the presenter's hands and calculates, often with slight weariness, how long it is going to take to deliver. With you it was the complete reverse - I would have been delighted if you'd produced another sheaf with a grand flourish!!
Everyone, without exception, felt the same. Each person felt your charm and honesty, and those who have attended many business presentations said how excellent and special was yours.
Jo James, Head of Development, University of Derby (March 2007)
"When Rachel Elnaugh agreed to speak at our Women's' Network event we were delighted. A true professional, Rachel honoured her commitment to us despite the sad failure of her Red Letter Days business venture. She was open and honest in her address, offering a wealth of sound business advice based on experience. A truly inspirational speaker eliciting rave revues from all the delegates. We would heartily recommend her as a speaker."
Mary Pearson - Membership and Events Manager,
Derbyshire Chamber and Business Link (September 2005)
"Rachel's presentation covered all the bases, not only talking about the highs and lows of Red Letter Days, but also giving an insight into business leadership and a very honest account of her personal experiences and philosophy. We knew it would be good, and it was very, very good."
Rebecca Fay - Regional Marketing Director, UKI for Factiva®,
a Dow Jones and Reuters Company (Summer 2006)
"Rachel made a fantastic contribution to our conference. Her business experience combined with her openness really captured the attention of our delegates. We all learnt so much from Rachel that day."
Derek Williams - Chief Executive, SOCAP in Europe (September 2005)
"I wanted to send you a quick email to say thank you for investing your time and effort in Chairing the [Marketing Week Innovation Summit 2007] conference last week. I thought you chaired the two days in a manner that was informative, charismatic and extremely open and honest, and as such you were very well-received by both delegates and speakers. And thank you for managing the conference timing so well, and keeping us on track throughout the two days."
Holly Sims, Conference Producer, Centaur Conferences (March 2007)
"Very enthusiastic and summarised each speaker well"
"Structured the day and held it together"
"A great choice of Chair"
Overall rating from all delegates: "Excellent"
Delegate Feedback - Marketing Week Innovation Summit (March 2007)
"Many thanks for kindly coming to Dunkeld. Your talk was excellent and I got a lot of positive feedback thereafter. The way you came across and your straightforward approach is exactly what I wanted for the conference. You are as I have already stated a very real person who says it as they see it and that to me is a great credit to you bearing in mind some of the things you have been through.
Good luck Rachel, and once again many thanks for attending our conference."
Patrick Machray, Chief Executive, Johnston Carmichael (February 2007)
"Just a brief note to thank you ever so much for your assistance at the Conference.
I am extremely grateful to you for the part that you played in making the Conference this year such a success.
Once again, thank you for agreeing to appear and for doing such a fantastic job!"
The Rt Hon Francis Maude MP
Chairman of the Conservative Party (October 2006)
"Yesterday was truly wonderful! I am seldom so caught up. Usually one looks at the sheaf of papers held in the presenter's hands and calculates, often with slight weariness, how long it is going to take to deliver. With you it was the complete reverse - I would have been delighted if you'd produced another sheaf with a grand flourish!!
Everyone, without exception, felt the same. Each person felt your charm and honesty, and those who have attended many business presentations said how excellent and special was yours.
Jo James, Head of Development, University of Derby (March 2007)
"When Rachel Elnaugh agreed to speak at our Women's' Network event we were delighted. A true professional, Rachel honoured her commitment to us despite the sad failure of her Red Letter Days business venture. She was open and honest in her address, offering a wealth of sound business advice based on experience. A truly inspirational speaker eliciting rave revues from all the delegates. We would heartily recommend her as a speaker."
Mary Pearson - Membership and Events Manager,
Derbyshire Chamber and Business Link (September 2005)
"Rachel's presentation covered all the bases, not only talking about the highs and lows of Red Letter Days, but also giving an insight into business leadership and a very honest account of her personal experiences and philosophy. We knew it would be good, and it was very, very good."
Rebecca Fay - Regional Marketing Director, UKI for Factiva®,
a Dow Jones and Reuters Company (Summer 2006)
"Rachel made a fantastic contribution to our conference. Her business experience combined with her openness really captured the attention of our delegates. We all learnt so much from Rachel that day."
Derek Williams - Chief Executive, SOCAP in Europe (September 2005)
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