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Lorlett Hudson is a multi-award winning Entrepreneur, Inventor, Motivational Teacher, Seminar Leader, and Executive Leadership Coach; with excellent development, innovative, planning, strategic thinking, training and facilitating initiating abilities. Lorlett is passionate about helping people to strategically navigate uncertainties and to build confidence in themselves and others.
She set up One Hand Cant Clap in 2000 as a Highly Focused Learning and Development Enterprise serving leaders; drawing on the rich philosophical significance of culture and Jamaican proverbs in her training. Lorlett is also commonly known as The ‘What Next’’ Coach and the inventor of the critically acclaimed multi-award winning “Things Mama Used To Say”, a 52 card box set of Jamaican proverbs to develop creative people, deliver diversity training, build creative cultures, facilitate culture change and develop high performing teams. Exploiting many creative angles to support the continued development of Britain’s rich cultural heritage and enterprise infused with that of the Caribbean, Lorlett has developed and designed a series of leadership development workshops, seminars, road-shows, Black History events, residential learning retreats, and proverb parties. In delivering to delegates, Lorlett has succeeded in bridging cultures, nurturing ties between different generations, and trained many individuals to generate new businesses and make a difference.
Lorlett gives her clients countless tools in this powerful box of cards to build and sustain superior performance in many areas of life. The Things Mama Used To Say proverbs cards are currently sold in the UK, in Jamaica’s Airport shops and other outlets across the island.
Her pioneering approach has resulted in her winning the Silver Award of the prestigious British Female Inventors & Innovators Awards 2005, Wavemakers National Award 2006, twice runner up in the National Training Awards 2008/2010.She is a Cherie Blair Foundation Business Mentor and also a Member of Courvoisier The Future 500 top talents in the UK. A member of The 100black plus Achievers in the UK, Listed in ‘’Profile of Excellence Book’’ – Strategies for Extraordinary Achievement from 25 years of Interviewing Remarkable People People – Ian Boyne and Glenford Smith, Jamaica 2013.
All of this has been in recognition of her innovative unique story-based coaching and training style of connecting with young people and adults through Jamaican proverbs and storytelling.
Lorlett’s mission is to utilise and share her experiences, knowledge and expertise using a “Knowledge Transfer Partnership” approach to transform, empower and support individuals to fulfil their potential and to strive for excellence within a diverse, competitive and global environment.
Nearly 16 years on, Lorlett has travelled to several cities, locally, nationally and internationally facilitating the learning, transformation and development of over eight thousands participants from diverse backgrounds and organisations. She has had local, national and international media coverage in tow, several schools have raised their attainment levels, more than a million copies of The Things Mama Used To say proverbs cards being sold, and many new businesses have been created. The innovative Lorlett has found a formula that works. For further details please visit www.onehandcantclap.co.uk.
day end?
LH: I don’t have a typical day. My days are quite varied depending on what I am up to. I am an early riser so I tend to wake up around 5am and read until 6am, then go for a swim for an hour. Some days I work from home coaching my clients or working in the business. Some days I am out and about meeting new clients, speaking at conferences, delivering training or networking. I tend to end my day around 10.30 pm.
LH: To preserve my health and wellbeing to run my business I have had to put structures in place to ensure that I have plenty of sleep and swim on a regular basis. I also spend time in my garden reflecting and being with nature. Food is a social thing for me so I tend to spend time with friends and family to enrich my mind, body and spirit. I also read personal development books on a regular basis. I spend lots of time developing myself by reading, attending personal development conferences and seminars.
LH: The world is changing rapidly and some of the major changes that have occurred for me is culture change, keeping abreast with technology, being consistent with my brand and improving my skills and knowledge. My brand is my promise to my customers and so I have had to forever educate myself on new trends and the needs of my customers. I started my business in 1999 and since then the world has changed in many ways. To succeed I have had to constantly develop my knowledge and review who I am as a female entrepreneur on a regular basis. Great business leadership is not a popular contest. Anyone one who has had this experience as a woman entrepreneur knows it’s a tough one.
LH: Changing job markets, increasing revenue, and securing long term contracts are some of my biggest challenges. I started my business working in schools running leadership development breakfasts clubs working with African-Caribbean boys. Then the funding criteria in education changed so I have had to switch my business model to working with African-Caribbean Professionals dealing with redundancy and changing job markets. To remain relevant, I have had to switch my business model to workforce development. Each day I have had to keep making decisions and keep moving forward.
RB: Describe what innovation means in your business and how do you go about it.
LH: There is a saying…. Innovate or die. Wherever innovations come from, however they are done, and in whatever part in our personal or professional lives we need to continuously innovate or risk dying. I spent my formative years growing up in a rural part of Jamaica seeing people living innovative lives in many different forms. That experience has taught me that ‘’if it’s not there – put it there’’ and I have applied that concept in my business. To preserve our rich cultural heritage and position my business on a global scale I decided to captured 52 Jamaican proverbs and put them in a box as learning tools. The older generation are passing away and we need to preserve our culture. We need to tell our story to the next generation. I used these proverbs to teach leadership, history, and storytelling. Since the creation of the ‘’The Things Mama Used to Say’’ flash cards I have won several awards for my inventions and innovative ways of being.
RB: How do you balance being a “big dreamer” vs setting realistic goals for your business?
LH: I have a passion for people’s development and preserving our culture and heritage and my business offers me an opportunity to be a ‘’big dreamer’’ whilst setting realistic goals. Leading my business enables me to live a fulfilling life whilst making an enormous contribution to the world. I am totally motivated by my work.
RB: Who or what motivates you to keep going with your business? And Why?
LH: Part of my mission is that people get to do great work they love, despite obstacles or circumstances. Its great having a business that motives me. My grandmother was an entrepreneur and she inspired me with her tenacity and creativity. I believe that people should do work that they love. Building the company hasn’t been easy but every day I get an opportunity to make a difference in the world.
RB: Has your definition of success changed since you have started your business? If so, how?
LH: I love what I do and that’s my biggest ‘why’ for starting One Hand Cant Clap. Success for me is to wake up every day loving what I do. My definition of success hasn’t changed since I started the business 16 years ago.
RB: What would you say is the most important skill required to run a business?
LH: Self-awareness, responsibility, integrity, accountability, leadership and commitment. All these skills enable me to create effective teams, leadership and teamwork. To lead others, I have to know how to lead myself first.
RB: There are a lot of myths about entrepreneurs. Now that you have started and are successfully running your own business what would you say is the biggest myth? What have you learned most from it.
LH: There is a myth that when running a business money is the answer to all problems. I have learned mostly that cash is king but as an entrepreneur it takes great courage, commitment, and having great relationships to make all the components work.