Features / If I Knew Then
If I Knew Then: Heather Frankham
Heather Frankham is the founder of Origin Workspace, a 42,000 sq ft co-working space with community, collaboration and wellbeing at its core. Her career began as a PE teacher working in some of the city’s most deprived schools.
She went on to found Lifetime Training, one of the UK’s largest apprenticeship providers, which she sold in 2016, before launching a number of other successful ventures.
Frankham was the winner of the inaugural Bristol Legends Awards in the business leaders category.
Frankham was the winner of the inaugural Bristol Legends Awards in the business leaders category – photo: ShotAway
What was your first job and what did it teach you?
My career began as a PE teacher. That experience grounded me in why I wanted to work with young people in the first place – seeing, very directly, the difference you can make to young people’s lives. It’s a thread that has run through everything since, from building an apprenticeship and skills training business to establishing Origin Foundation – foundation that funds charities giving children and young people the best possible start.
What is the best piece of advice you were ever given?
I have always remembered the advice of my first accountant, who really taught me the financial tools and terms I needed to grow a business. Growth is great but it has to be sustainable –forward looking cashflow planning helps avoid surprises that put pressure on the business and those you employ.
What is the worst piece of advice you were given?
I don’t know that there has been bad advice – just different advice. Every conversation tells you something – about you, about the other person and about a different way of thinking.
What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made in your career, and what did you learn from it?
My biggest mistake was not trusting my gut instincts. The business was doing significantly better than our budget – instead of getting curious and exploring this further, I accepted the numbers. We were able to rectify the error quickly once we realised, but it taught me to trust my gut, trust my curiosity, and always double check the details.
Heather Frankham wears many hats, including being the founder of Origin Workspace, chair of board of trustees at 224 Youth Zone and a member on the WECA business board – photo: Origin Workspace
What would you tell your younger self starting out now?
I would love my younger self to have doubted themselves less and to have had the confidence and conviction to be a little braver. The voice of self-doubt was also what spurred me on – to explore all the options, manage the risk and prove to myself and others that I could do something. At At times it felt like a weakness, but it was also a kind of superpower.
Have you had a mentor – formal or informal – who made a big impact on your career?
I have been lucky enough to have many amazing mentors, colleagues and friends who have supported at different times in my business journey. The challenges that you face when starting a business are so different than those you face as a business scales. Whether it’s advice in a structured way or just chatting over a coffee – if you engage and listen, you will often find the answers to your challenges become clearer.
What has been your biggest challenge as a leader or founder?
My biggest challenge was working out how to balance the demands of a high growth business with being a single Mum. Both were exhausting and I am still not quite sure how I got through that period. It made me focused – I only had a defined time to achieve my career goals as I wanted to make sure that I gave my daughter all the connection and love she needed.
What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?
A recent career highlight for me is the launch of Origin Foundation. Not all young people have the same opportunities; the Origin Foundation funds research to understand where support is most needed, connect likeminded organisations to increase collective impact, and provide grants so local charities can do more on the ground.
To date, we’ve donated over £2m in grants, with an ambition to invest £500k–£1m per year in charities focused on children and young people.
Heather Frankham climbing to the top – photo: 224 Youth Zone
What do you think people misunderstand about your job or industry?
I work across many industries now, but focussing on the Apprenticeship Training Businesses – I think people find it difficult to understand the numerous stakeholders who have different demands. From government through funding agencies and Ofsted to Employers who want programmes that are tailored to their needs, to the individual students that receive training to advance their careers.
What’s the best investment you’ve made in yourself professionally?
My education. I completed a Senior Leadership Programme at Cranfield University and studied for an MBA with the Open University. These programmes enabled me to go from being in the day to day nitty gritty of the business, to understanding strategic leadership and how to build a business plan that drives the business forward.
What’s one thing you wish more people knew about building or running a business?
Building a business is not for everyone. It can be incredibly rewarding – but there are many points on the journey when you will be lost, wondering what an earth you are doing or facing challenges that at first seem impossible. There are sacrifices you will make along the way – it’s difficult to get away from the challenges and this can impact the time you have to invest in friendships and family.
In the early stages – I had to remortgage my house three times to keep things going. What kept me going was my passion for the purpose of the business – training people and often changing lives – giving people an opportunity to achieve something they had previously thought was not possible.
Heather Frankham is the chair of trustees at 224 Youth Zone – photo: Milan Perera
What’s next for you and your organisation?
I have many hats but the two new roles that I have taken on bring a new challenge and are driven by my conviction that when people and organisations work collaboratively – the impact is far greater than the sum of the parts.
As chair of 224 Youth Zone (previously Youth Moves) we have just taken the keys to a brand-new building – a space where thousands of young people can participate in activities that help them develop their confidence and skills and get support from specialist youth workers that can help them unlock their potential.
This aspirational building provides space for 224 and partner youth organisations to make a real difference to young people across South Bristol.
A key recent milestone for me was my appointment to the WECA Business Board. We had our first meeting recently, and around the table there was a strong, shared ambition to bring together all the good things that are happening across our combined authority. It’s an honour to be working closely with Helen Godwin, and other Board members to make a real difference for our region.
This article originally appeared in the Bristol24/7 May/June magazine
Main photo: Origin Workspace
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