Celebrating One of our Own This International Women's Day!
International Women’s Day takes place this Sunday - 8th March - and celebrates the remarkable achievements of women across our communities.
One woman we are very proud to call one of our own is Steph Essex, the Managing Director and Owner of Flyhawk, the No.1 teamwear brand for women's sport.
Steph attended Charters between 1999 and 2006, and as her company celebrated its fifth birthday, she kindly took some time away from her office to bring us up to speed on her journey since leaving Charters Sixth Form.
Watch Flyhawk's inspiring video, which champions women to participate in sport, and read Steph's interview below.
This International Women's Day, let's be proud of who we are.
What is your background – what did you study at university and were you always interested in sport?
My background is mainly in elite netball, having played at both Super League level and for England Under-21. However, I have always enjoyed a wide range of sports. While studying at Charters School I played football, cricket, tennis, hockey and rounders, alongside my main sport, netball.
In addition to sport, I have always had a strong interest in design. For my A-Level Graphic Design project, I chose to rebrand the Netball Super Cup, combining my passion for sport with my interest in graphic design.
I later attended the University of Bath where I studied Civil and Architectural Engineering. One of the key reasons I chose Bath was because it had the best high-performance netball programme in the country at the time. While there, I trained and played alongside some of the most successful netball players in the UK, including Serena Guthrie MBE, Stacey Francis-Bayman, Pamela Cookey, Tamsin Greenway and Eboni Usoro-Brown.
How did you start your career?
After graduating from university, I began my career working for a new event called the Bournemouth 7s Festival, which has since grown to become the world’s largest sport and music festival. The event combined elements of a traditional music festival with competitive sport taking place throughout the day.
Working in this entrepreneurial environment gave me valuable experience, and during my time there we created a small sportswear brand. This was where I first learned how to design sports clothing. In 2019, after ten years working with Bournemouth 7s and following the sale of our sportswear brand, I decided to step away and take some time to travel.
However, during my time off, the COVID-19 pandemic began and I returned home. With a lot of free time during lockdown, I developed the idea for Flyhawk, a female-focused sportswear brand. Flyhawk was officially launched in January 2021 in collaboration with some of the biggest names in international netball.
What challenges have you faced?
One of the biggest challenges when launching Flyhawk was dealing with the impact of Brexit, particularly the new rules surrounding importing and exporting goods. We had to spend a significant amount of time understanding and adapting to these regulations to ensure the business could operate effectively.
Another major challenge has been managing rapid business growth. Last summer the company expanded very quickly, which sounds positive but can also create difficulties. Rapid growth means managing increased workloads, hiring new staff and ensuring customer expectations are still met. Often, businesses must invest in systems and infrastructure before they are truly needed in order to cope with future demand, which can also be a financial risk.
What is your greatest achievement?
My greatest achievement is launching my own business and reaching the five-year milestone. Statistics show that only around 40% of businesses survive beyond five years, so this is something I am very proud of.
I am also extremely proud that the brand is making a positive contribution to women’s sport by supporting female athletes and helping to grow visibility and opportunities within the sport.
