Ambitious Women in Essex Mentoring Programme Success
20th July, 2026
Ambitious Essex are proud to dedicate our time supporting businesses who dream of building their idea into a monetisable business. Offering multiple mentoring programmes throughout the year, with all our Business Support Managers and Business Mentors on hand to guide each business through their business idea, goals, plan and actionable next steps all to build understanding, knowledge and a boost in confidence.
Last Autumn we ran our 'Ambitious Women in Essex Mentoring Programme', where we offered 1-2-1 Mentoring Business Support to a handful of chosen women ran Businesses, to help guide them along their business journey, and see what specialised support we could give to build their confidence, helping them see their business from another perspective and understand what they can do throughout their journey to boost customers, and increase sales.
Natasha Clarke, Founder of Natasha Clarke Photography, was one of the incredible women we mentored throughout this programme. As we are coming up to a year since this programme has started, we have gotten back in touch with Natasha to get her insights on the Programme, and see how it has benefitted not only her business, but her as an individual.
"I'm Natasha, founder of Natasha Clarke Photography, based in Colchester, Essex.
I specialise in family and brand photography, focusing on creating natural, authentic images that tell a story. Whether I'm capturing a new baby, the chaos of family life, or helping a business owner show up confidently for their brand, my aim is always the same: to create meaningful photographs that people genuinely connect with.
Before becoming a professional photographer, I spent 15 years working in proposition and strategy development. That experience has given me a unique perspective, particularly when working with businesses, as I combine creativity with a strategic understanding of branding, marketing and customer experience.
I started my photography business alongside my day job three years ago and went full time at the start of 2025. It's been an exciting journey with plenty of steep learning curves, but I haven't looked back once.
As a solo business owner, it can be difficult to step back and see the bigger picture when you're working in the business every day, which is why I applied for the Ambitious Women in Essex Mentoring Programme. I was keen to have an experienced sounding board to challenge my thinking, build my confidence in decision-making, and encourage me to think bigger about my business's future.
The mentoring programme has been incredibly valuable. Having dedicated time to focus on my goals, discuss challenges openly and gain fresh perspectives has helped me refine my strategy and think more intentionally about the future. I was fortunate to be paired with another photographer, which has been especially helpful as they understand the unique opportunities and challenges that come with running a photography business.
The programme has given me greater confidence in my direction and reminded me of the importance of investing in both personal and professional development.
One of my biggest takeaways has been recognising that growth isn't always about working harder. Sometimes it's about creating the right foundations, building confidence in your decisions, and surrounding yourself with people who encourage you to think bigger.
I'm incredibly grateful to Ambitious Essex for creating opportunities like this and for supporting women who are building and growing businesses across the county."
If you want to have an experience like Natasha did, and feel more comfortable and confident in your business journey, then check our page, or get in touch with one of our Business Support Mentors, who can talk you through all the current opportunities we have available to help aid your Business Growth, from mentoring programmes, start up courses, workshops, networking events to grants and funding opportunities, there is always something for your business idea.