BUSINESS owners from York have been featured in a unique project celebrating female entrepreneurs.

Lindsay Banks, 39, was one of 12 women from the York area selected from thousands to take part in #SheCan365, which tells the stories of 365 women over 365 consecutive days in exactly 365 words.

The original website has since received a Best Blog nomination from the Single Mums Business Network Awards 2020, as well as being turned into a book.

Lindsay, an intuitive energy healer and author, said she was honoured to have been featured and hopes her story will inspire others.

“Since I founded my spiritual business in 2014 there has been so much to celebrate, including my first book, A Gentle Hug for the Soul, winning a national award and launching my event, The Spiritual Journey back in March.

"I have also learned some big lessons, such as the importance of collaborating with others.”

The #SheCan365 project began when online marketing specialist Helen Pritchard challenged former journalists Michelle and Christian Ewen to publish an inspiring story online daily for a year.Helen built the #SheCan365 website and the project launched on International Women’s Day 2019.

Stories of other women from York include Gemma Stow, a confidence coach; Jennifer Gibbard, a virtual assistant; Maxine Brown, founder of AmaDablam, specialising in handmade cashmere and Fairtrade Nepalese gifts; Angie Doig-Thorne, a stress therapist and weight management specialist at York Hypnotherapist, and Viv Chamberlin-Kidd, a shamanic practitioner.

“From the thousands of female business owners who came forward, we chose an inclusive, diverse range of women at every stage of the business journey from start-ups to seven-figure ventures,” said Michelle.

“Every contributor gave their time freely, discussing how they pursued their passion and purpose whilst managing everything from health and fertility issues to family life, identity crises and financial battles. The universal theme that emerged was one of resilience.”

In response to demand, the #SheCan365 team raised more than £9,500 through crowdfunding to publish the whole collection of stories in a coffee table-style book. They are also supporting CoppaFeel! – a national breast cancer awareness charity.

“The #SheCan365 book is about the nature of women who commit to showing up every single day, 365 days a year – and what can be achieved when success is a decision,” said Helen.  

To read the stories of women from the York area visit www.shecan365.com

Lindsay Banks is day 180

Viv Chamberlinn-Kidd, day 201

Maxine Brown, day 221

Gemma Stow, day 239

Kate Ford, day 257

Grace Abell, day 276

Cathie Rose Heart, day 286

Claire Cutler Casey, day 287

Angie Doig Thorne, day 291 J

Jennifer Gibbard, day 344

Helen Booth, day 348

Andrea Morrison, day 357