If you would like to recieve our monthly newsletter then please feel free to subscribe by entering your details below
Lead the Way in the SUN
Kate, 24, has turned her back on the catwalk where she could have carved out a successful career. Instead, the beauty with brains has set herself up as a financial adviser.
She is determined to make her mark a million miles away from the world of fashion, advising customers on their finances with her internet business called Lead The Way.
It is geared towards putting people with poor credit records in touch with finance companies so they can sort out mortgages, loans and pensions. Working from her office in Newcastle upon Tyne, she will also advise on debt management and how to handle problems with credit cards.
Three years ago she was talent-spotted and whisked to London for glamorous photo shoots. But after gaining a degree in business studies at Northumbria University, Kate is now embarking on a career that will interest her far more than the life of a model.
She says: “I only did the modelling to see what it was like. My real ambition was to have my own company and use my skills in business.
“I did photo sessions for glossy magazines and I did a lot of work for the hair industry. I was spotted having a meal in Newcastle city centre with my boyfriend by a woman in the fashion industry. But all the time I really wanted to get behind a desk and start a financial firm.
“I suppose a lot of women would rather be a model than in business but I find what I am doing far more exciting than posing in front of a camera.”
Kate spent a couple of years in marketing sales to get the experience needed to start her business.
She adds “I want to help people searching for finance to find the right product or service for their needs. I feel I can help, no matter what the financial situation someone is in. They could have county court judgments or debts but I have the contacts to be able to help.
“I started the company because I want to be my own boss and I know there is a gap in the market.
“The financial services industry needs ‘leads’ because they are no longer able to contact people at home because of FSA regulations.
“So they can outsource the service to me. I can be the contact point between people with problems needing finance and the companies that can provide that help. I am not in this to make a million before I am 30. I am in this because I genuinely like helping people.”
Before she launched her business, Kate needed a trading certificate to allow her to conduct her work over the web. Now she is ready to bring a splash of glamour to the normally grey world of finance.
She said: “Modelling was interesting but this is what really motivates me. Mortgage advice and loans may not be everyone’s cup of tea but they are mine.
“You can keep the catwalk. I prefer the challenge of solving someone’s debt mountain problem.”
For more details visit lead-the-way.co.uk.
for the full story visit the Sun website or follow this link
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2005300000-2007070352,00.html