Instead of titles, accolades, or personal achievements, true leadership success is a journey that is rooted in the ability of the leader to uplift, empower, and transform the lives of others. A true leader like Diana Richardson, Business Mentor and Founder of Signature D Ltd and Glowgetter Beauty Entrepreneurs, knows that her greatest legacy lies not in what she accomplishes individually but in how she inspires growth, resilience, and excellence in those whom she mentors and coaches.
In her words, it took her 33 years of lessons in entrepreneurship from acquiring, starting, scaling and selling businesses to gain the experience and expertise to share with others. A university-educated entrepreneur and seasoned business owner, Diana’s expertise lies in the beauty, wellbeing and skincare industry.
An Ever-Shining Starlet
Featured in Forbes, Entrepreneurs Herald, Yahoo Finance, New York Weekly, Women’s Herald, New York Journal, Yahoo News, and Beyond! Magazine, Insights Success Magazine, CIO Magazine, Disruptors Magazine, Hampshire Life, Vitality Magazine, The Leaders Globe, World Leaders, Fortunes Business Review, Women’s World, International Business Weekly, Global Publicist 24, The Enterprise World, and Billboard Magazine, Diana’s complete award list includes:
- Top Beauty & Wellbeing Entrepreneur of the Year for 2024 – IAOTP International Association of Top Professionals.
- Global Impact Excellence Awards – Business Strategy 2024.
- Best Business Mentor – Global Women Leadership Awards 2024.
- Beauty Business Strategist of the Year 2024 (UK) – Lux Life Magazine
- PHAB Service Star 2021 – 2024
- LUXlife Excellence Award in Microneedling 2024 – South East England
- Innovation and Excellence Awards (2021 • 2022 • 2023 • 2024) Luxury Beauty Salon of the Year
Being a multiple award winner for her comprehensive knowledge, business acumen, customer service and team management skills, Diana gained international recognition.
As a Founder and CEO of ten successful companies that she has started, scaled and sold, Diana shares her experience and expertise with her Glowgetter Beauty Entrepreneurs Podcast, Coaching, Mentoring and Continued Professional Development (CPD) program.
With an illustrious background as an Alumna of Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, earning a first in their Strategic Innovation Program along with obtaining her teaching qualification from Greenwich University and studying Communications at the University Nevada Las Vegas, Diana empowers entrepreneurs through education.
With her wealth of experience, dedication to excellence, and entrepreneurial spirit, Diana continues to make significant contributions to the beauty and wellbeing industry.
The Origin of Diana’s Success Saga
It lies not in her youth but in her late childhood. Beauty, wellbeing and skincare have been her passions since adolescence. At nine, she had her first job sweeping floors as a Saturday girl in a hair salon. As a pre-teen, Diana started her entrepreneurial endeavours with various makeup and skincare mail-order companies. Then, whilst at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, majoring in communications with business electives, she worked in the prestigious spa.
In 2003, Diana moved to the UK and gained her qualifications in beauty therapy, which has evolved over the years into award-winning international advanced aesthetics and multiple award-winning businesses.
Diana has acquired, started, scaled, and sold several businesses in her thirty-three years as a professional in the beauty and wellbeing industry, which has now transformed into her business coaching and mentoring companies that help elevate entrepreneurs and executives around the globe.
Signature D Ltd initially started to help students start their own businesses, and intrapreneurs were set up as solopreneurs. That mentorship model expanded to helping spas, salons and beauty entrepreneurs during the global pandemic. Diana recalls, “I was asked to help the government write the regulations for our industry and worked with medical personnel, which gave me niche knowledge on how to operate as a ‘COVID-19 secure’ business.”
“Knowledge is Power,”
A quote Diana uses often. She offers continued professional development, and she’s also an avid seeker of further education… to offer the best for her community; she has achieved a first at Oxford University Saïd Business School studying their Strategic Innovation Program and completed Harvard Medical School’s Lifestyle Medicine Coaching course, with distinction. Diana has recently been nominated for an honorary doctorate at Azteca University, and she’s embarking on a program at Harvard Business School.
Diana shares all of these lessons through her business strategy sessions with the Glowgetter Beauty Entrepreneurs Ltd community through its podcast, blog, and further education programs.
According to Diana, qualities like Accountability, Cadence and Time Management distinguish a great business mind from a good one. Furthermore, in today’s fast-changing business landscape, she believes that adaptability, innovation and the KEY to success is to Keep Educating Yourself. These are the most critical skills a leader needs to stay relevant and resilient.
Diana’s mentorship programs have impacted many aspiring entrepreneurs. She has had many memorable mentee success stories. One was a student who was changing careers, and she wanted to specialize in Indian wedding makeup. “This inspired me to partner with the photography department so both courses could build portfolios to use immediately once they had qualified. We chose themes that would support her goals, and along with the skill set, I mentored her in becoming an entrepreneur.” She left the course fully prepared with the knowledge and launched her business startup.
A year later, Diana received a card in the post to her salon – heartfelt gratitude as the mentee student had hit six-figure success in her first year. “This career chapter change was a dream come true – she had designed her destiny and was living her best life,” smiles Diana.
The Pivotal Challenges Turned into Opportunities
However, no successful leadership journey is without challenges. Instead of calling them mere challenges, Diana says that pivotal moments have always come to her through obstacles that have been turned into opportunities.
“The landscape of these lessons is vast – staffing, finances, injury… the list goes on.” Through grit, determination and the ability to take action with the confidence that she’s making the best decision with the knowledge she has at that moment… doesn’t mean every decision was a successful one. However, lessons are learnt, and often, things become clearer on reflection rather than prediction. “If we don’t take the lesson the first time, it will be given again. Setting goals and reviewing them monthly and quarterly supports successful cadence in our Glowgetter community,” she believes.
Diana balances the human side of mentorship with the business side of strategic scaling and growth by 100%, leading with the heart; empathy plays a big part in developing rapport in the know, like trust with mentorship. Leading with the heart and a focus on adding value with this at the forefront, the rest follows.
A Mission to Uplift Countless Spirit
Diana built her business success coaching and mentorship brand by empowering others. She says all her success is because their mission is crystal clear:
- to lead, love and lift others.
- commitment to impact, innovation, and inner growth.
“Inspiring and educating to empower entrepreneurs to maintain innovative strategies and cultivate resilience, positioning themselves in a league of their own,” she adds.
Inspiring leaders to:
- align their values with their vision.
- prioritize what matters most.
- create personal and professional lives they truly love.
Mentorship often involves planting seeds you may never see grow. When asked how she stays inspired and rooted in her mission, even when outcomes aren’t immediate, Diana explains, “Success is the long game, there is no such thing as overnight success. I enjoy the journey and watching the chapters unfold… sometimes this takes years, and sometimes goals come to fruition in months. It’s about the ability to keep moving forward. “
Proud Reflections
Looking back at her career, Diana is grateful for many proud moments, but a recent one was feedback after attending the Inaugural Global Edupreneur and Entrepreneur Festival in India:
“I noticed every moment you brought energy, every movement you made with purpose, and every word of encouragement you shared. Thank you for standing with us and believing in our mission to build E Village as the world’s first Smart Metro Village. Your spirit will remain with us as a source of strength and positivity as we move forward.”
A Horizon Filled with Hope
Finally, when asked what’s next for Diana Richardson? she divulges: “There are lots of exciting things on the horizon – my second book, a couple more co-authored books will also be published this year.”
She has also been asked to be an ambassador for the LOSD London Organisation of Skills Development. Global awards, panel discussions and keynote speeches, magazine features, judging awards and being there to announce the winners of the National Business Women’s Awards are also on the horizon.
Then there is philanthropy via the Mahila Udyami program– “Giving back to help empower rural women through education and developing a skill set to contribute towards their financial gain,” concludes Diana.
