top of page

Founders & Small Businesses

 

For startups and scale-ups

​

My love for small businesses truly took hold when I was Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer at notonthehighstreet. In that role, I was responsible for supporting over 5,000 of the UK’s most creative small businesses.

​

They ranged from founders turning over a few thousand pounds a year to businesses generating £20m+ in revenue. Most hadn’t taken investment. What they shared was ambition  and a desire to grow while staying true to what they loved and why they started.

​

After successfully selling notonthehighstreet to a US Private Equity firm my work shifted to supporting founders and leadership teams in more established, investment-backed businesses such as Hush, Sneak, Frugi, Ribble, and The Cotswold Company. These businesses were navigating their next phase, scaling teams, professionalising operations and delivering growth alongside investor expectations.

 

After working so closely with founders for many years, I took the leap myself and co-founded a social commerce AI startup called I Love It.

 

What followed was an intense, humbling, and deeply formative two-year rollercoaster: building a product from scratch, raising investment, growing a team, and living with the constant uncertainty that comes with founder life. When funding was suddenly pulled and we had to close the business, it was tough, but it was also one of the greatest learning experiences of my career.

​

That chapter gave me something invaluable: a first-hand understanding of just how hard it is to be a founder.

​

Ella d'Amato Coaching

How I support founders today

All of this experience means I’m able to support founders at different stages of growth, from early-stage startups to scaling, investment-backed businesses.
I offer founder coaching and advisory support that blends leadership coaching with practical, real-world guidance on the challenges and opportunities founders face every day. My role is part coach, part advisor, part sounding board, always grounded in empathy, honesty and momentum.

Alongside coaching, I also use my extensive network to help founders make meaningful connections; whether that’s talent, partners, or growth opportunities.
 
Common areas of focus include:

  • Assembling the right team and driving high performance

  • Testing, learning, and developing at speed

  • Brand development and positioning

  • Go-to-market strategy and planning

  • Growth strategy

  • Social commerce and e-commerce

  • Embedding AI throughout the business in a human, values-led way

  • Investment strategy and fundraising preparation

  • Navigating change and uncertainty

  • Building confidence by leveraging your unique strengths

  • Values-based leadership

     

A founder-first approach

Founding and scaling a business can be exhilarating and incredibly lonely. My work is about helping founders feel more supported, more confident and better equipped to make the decisions that matter most.

If you’re building something or scaling what you’ve built and would value honest, empathetic and practical support from someone who’s been there, I’d love to talk.

bottom of page