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We Can All Make It
A SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER!
From student halls to Dragons Den (and now Strictly Come Dancing!), this is Sara Davies MBE's story of building her multi-million-pound business from scratch and why we can all make it big.
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Sara Davies is the queen of crafts. Whilst working as an intern in a small company, Sara noticed a gap in the industry and decided to pursue it. By the time she left university, she was running a business with a half million-pound turnover from her student bedroom. When she became the youngest of BBC 1's iconic Dragons, that turnover was £25 million. Today, she is one of Britain's biggest business names.
In her first book - as full of warmth, wit and wisdom as she is - Sara shares what it took to get from manning factories overnight with her mam and dad to hitting the trade shows of Las Vegas alone, armed with little more than ambition and passion.
We Can All Make It chronicles everything from what she looks for in a business investment to how she manages to find time to enjoy family life while running an empire. From the buzz of witnessing your latest product sell out, dancing the cha cha as you broadcast live to 96 million American homes, thriving after lockdown to being at the head of the biggest tables, Sara's unique storytelling answers all the questions for women in business today.
From student halls to Dragons Den (and now Strictly Come Dancing!), this is Sara Davies MBE's story of building her multi-million-pound business from scratch and why we can all make it big.
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Sara Davies is the queen of crafts. Whilst working as an intern in a small company, Sara noticed a gap in the industry and decided to pursue it. By the time she left university, she was running a business with a half million-pound turnover from her student bedroom. When she became the youngest of BBC 1's iconic Dragons, that turnover was £25 million. Today, she is one of Britain's biggest business names.
In her first book - as full of warmth, wit and wisdom as she is - Sara shares what it took to get from manning factories overnight with her mam and dad to hitting the trade shows of Las Vegas alone, armed with little more than ambition and passion.
We Can All Make It chronicles everything from what she looks for in a business investment to how she manages to find time to enjoy family life while running an empire. From the buzz of witnessing your latest product sell out, dancing the cha cha as you broadcast live to 96 million American homes, thriving after lockdown to being at the head of the biggest tables, Sara's unique storytelling answers all the questions for women in business today.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published April 28, 2022
31 people are currently reading
173 people want to read
About the author
Sara Davies
17 books3 followersLibrarian Note: This profile contains multiple authors.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
February 25, 2023
Such a quick, easy read. Very interesting but not so in depth that it would bore you.
Read it in a day!
Read it in a day!
August 7, 2025
An easy read. Interesting to see Sara's background. Although the book doesn't go into too much detail about anything, it covers enough of each of her topics. It is mostly business focused but by showing some of her low points and mistakes and then explaining them, you can take away valuable life and business lessons.
January 9, 2024
This book would be 3.5/5 stars if Goodreads actually did half stars.
I liked how much personality came through the book, the writing style and the honesty of Sara’s evolution of her career and personal life. I think it had an overall wholesome and inspiring theme throughout, but I was disappointed by the lack of detail at times and the book brushed over details I would have been more interested in on the business front and tackling challenges. Maybe as a Dragon, she didn’t want to give her secrets away too much?? Still, I was hoping for more guidance on the business world and more of a breakdown of key challenges/take aways. Because it had more of an inspiring theme, it took over the ‘boring’ aspects of the book Sara didn’t want to dwell about for too much. There were times where Sara would be off on a tangent and my short attention span didn’t like this aspect. Gave it 3.5 as I’m trying to be more selective with books now.
Overall, a quick and interesting read, and it’s great to see how a powerful woman came to be! All for a bargain price of 50p as well - shout out to The Works🫶🏻
I liked how much personality came through the book, the writing style and the honesty of Sara’s evolution of her career and personal life. I think it had an overall wholesome and inspiring theme throughout, but I was disappointed by the lack of detail at times and the book brushed over details I would have been more interested in on the business front and tackling challenges. Maybe as a Dragon, she didn’t want to give her secrets away too much?? Still, I was hoping for more guidance on the business world and more of a breakdown of key challenges/take aways. Because it had more of an inspiring theme, it took over the ‘boring’ aspects of the book Sara didn’t want to dwell about for too much. There were times where Sara would be off on a tangent and my short attention span didn’t like this aspect. Gave it 3.5 as I’m trying to be more selective with books now.
Overall, a quick and interesting read, and it’s great to see how a powerful woman came to be! All for a bargain price of 50p as well - shout out to The Works🫶🏻
February 14, 2023
Good read, easy to follow, personable and funny. Although it went on a tangent toward the end, much more interested in the cogs of being a business owner.
May 13, 2022
We Can All Make It
by Sara Davies
Not being a crafter or a tv shopper I didn’t know who Sara was until I saw her on Dragon’s Den .
I don’t usually read biographies of living people as I feel they still have so much life left to live … but I saw this and was interested to find out more about her .
I find it incredible that she became a multi millionaire from selling a gadget she’d designed for crafting people to home make envelopes ( hence the photo !) . She’s a very determined and intelligent lady. Coming from humble beginnings, she has some words of wisdom which essentially translate to “ be yourself, love what you do , share your passion and don’t be afraid of failure or looking stupid, keep your eye on your ducks and jump at opportunity “ . I won’t give away her secrets , you can read them yourself.
It’s an interesting read and I could hear her voice in my head as I read it ( she has a very distinct regional accent) I could also almost feel her enthusiasm emanating from the pages .
My only niggle is that with regard to the title , I don’t agree with her entirely. If we could all make it we would ! (Though I appreciate its word play on “ make it “ as in crafting 😉)
She willingly acknowledges that she has a very supportive family and very understanding, supportive husband and a loyal , dedicated team around her . Not everyone does . And without that supportive network, I personally think it’s so very much harder , no matter how dedicated you are or how brilliant your idea .
However, as a parent a spouse, a friend or sibling , the message was for me , that if you are supportive and prepared to go the extra mile for the people in your inner circle, imagine what they could achieve, even if you’ve been unable to achieve that for yourself?
There were a few laugh out loud moments and a few moments of feeling “ been there & done that “ in solidarity with her . I’m sure for a lot of young business people she will be an inspiration. Her optimism and can do attitude are enviable but it does help to have a good idea / invention to start with . Some of us just aren’t cut out for selling, or promotional work .
For anyone who wants a career in business and needs a mentor, I’d definitely recommend reading Sara’s story .
by Sara Davies
Not being a crafter or a tv shopper I didn’t know who Sara was until I saw her on Dragon’s Den .
I don’t usually read biographies of living people as I feel they still have so much life left to live … but I saw this and was interested to find out more about her .
I find it incredible that she became a multi millionaire from selling a gadget she’d designed for crafting people to home make envelopes ( hence the photo !) . She’s a very determined and intelligent lady. Coming from humble beginnings, she has some words of wisdom which essentially translate to “ be yourself, love what you do , share your passion and don’t be afraid of failure or looking stupid, keep your eye on your ducks and jump at opportunity “ . I won’t give away her secrets , you can read them yourself.
It’s an interesting read and I could hear her voice in my head as I read it ( she has a very distinct regional accent) I could also almost feel her enthusiasm emanating from the pages .
My only niggle is that with regard to the title , I don’t agree with her entirely. If we could all make it we would ! (Though I appreciate its word play on “ make it “ as in crafting 😉)
She willingly acknowledges that she has a very supportive family and very understanding, supportive husband and a loyal , dedicated team around her . Not everyone does . And without that supportive network, I personally think it’s so very much harder , no matter how dedicated you are or how brilliant your idea .
However, as a parent a spouse, a friend or sibling , the message was for me , that if you are supportive and prepared to go the extra mile for the people in your inner circle, imagine what they could achieve, even if you’ve been unable to achieve that for yourself?
There were a few laugh out loud moments and a few moments of feeling “ been there & done that “ in solidarity with her . I’m sure for a lot of young business people she will be an inspiration. Her optimism and can do attitude are enviable but it does help to have a good idea / invention to start with . Some of us just aren’t cut out for selling, or promotional work .
For anyone who wants a career in business and needs a mentor, I’d definitely recommend reading Sara’s story .
June 26, 2022
I have mixed feelings about this book. I absolutely loved hearing about Sara’s journey, from the early days at university to her appearances on Dragons Den. The thing I love about Sara is her personality and I could hear her voice within the pages. However, I felt that sometimes the chapters jumped around a bit and sometimes the writing felt a bit basic. Overall though I did enjoy and felt inspired by a strong woman in the business world.
June 2, 2022
An interesting read, since I'm a business woman myself. I love Sara Davies and it is interesting seeing a little more into her real life. But I felt the book wasn't as inspiring as I'd hoped. 'Wing it and hope for the best' is what I take away from this book.
February 8, 2023
Sara Davies is best known as one of the current panel on the BBC's popular show "Dragons' Den" where would-be entrepreneurs vie for investment from some of the UK's leading business brains.
With her no-nonsense approach, Sara has never lost touch with her roots in the north-east of England, still preferring to live in the area where she grew up. She began her multi-million pound crafting business from her student bedroom, the idea for its initial product springing from a work placement when she spotted a gap in the market.
Reading Sara's story, you are aware of her energy and drive, not to mention single-mindedness in getting to the top. At no point does she gloss over her mistakes, instead using them as learning opportunities.
I love "Dragons' Den" and found Sara to be just as bubbly and straightforward in print as she comes across on-screen. For anyone starting out in business, there is some great advice, not least about applying for patents and separating your personal emotions from running a business.
More recently, Sara took part in another iconic British TV show, "Strictly Come Dancing". This definitely took her outside her comfort zone but she gained a lot from the experience.
As the title of Sara's book says, everyone can achieve if they have the self-belief and determination to follow their dreams. Of course, nothing is given and Sara has had to work incredibly hard, but you definitely get the feeling there is a lot more to come from this self-titled "canny lass".
A great read and definitely recommended for anyone looking for down-to-earth business advice.
With her no-nonsense approach, Sara has never lost touch with her roots in the north-east of England, still preferring to live in the area where she grew up. She began her multi-million pound crafting business from her student bedroom, the idea for its initial product springing from a work placement when she spotted a gap in the market.
Reading Sara's story, you are aware of her energy and drive, not to mention single-mindedness in getting to the top. At no point does she gloss over her mistakes, instead using them as learning opportunities.
I love "Dragons' Den" and found Sara to be just as bubbly and straightforward in print as she comes across on-screen. For anyone starting out in business, there is some great advice, not least about applying for patents and separating your personal emotions from running a business.
More recently, Sara took part in another iconic British TV show, "Strictly Come Dancing". This definitely took her outside her comfort zone but she gained a lot from the experience.
As the title of Sara's book says, everyone can achieve if they have the self-belief and determination to follow their dreams. Of course, nothing is given and Sara has had to work incredibly hard, but you definitely get the feeling there is a lot more to come from this self-titled "canny lass".
A great read and definitely recommended for anyone looking for down-to-earth business advice.
October 1, 2022
I really really loved this book. The thing that stood out for me is how authentic the book seemed and how normal Sara herself seemed. Too often you see editors and publishers changing words and phrases in books for one reason or another but if you've ever heard Sara Davies speak you know she uses words like "pet" and "mam" and I love that these words and phrases were left in the book.
There didnt seem to be a subject that Sara shied away from and at times it almost felt like you were sat having a conversation with her and being spoken to about these subjects.
It also cleared up for me why most of the Crafter's Companion website seems to be directed more towards papercraft and card making rather than crafts in general. As a crocheter and cross stitcher, I have sometimes found it frustrating I couldn't buy yarn and a few other things from Crafter's Companion but now I get that Sara Davies started out with papercrafts and that seems to be where her passion lies although I love that during lockdown she tried crocheting.
If you want an inspiring and authentic autobiography about business and life in general then this is definitely worth a read.
There didnt seem to be a subject that Sara shied away from and at times it almost felt like you were sat having a conversation with her and being spoken to about these subjects.
It also cleared up for me why most of the Crafter's Companion website seems to be directed more towards papercraft and card making rather than crafts in general. As a crocheter and cross stitcher, I have sometimes found it frustrating I couldn't buy yarn and a few other things from Crafter's Companion but now I get that Sara Davies started out with papercrafts and that seems to be where her passion lies although I love that during lockdown she tried crocheting.
If you want an inspiring and authentic autobiography about business and life in general then this is definitely worth a read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2024
I really liked how Sara comes across, but I’m not sure about the reality of us all being able to make it as she has, with our own circumstances. I don’t have entrepreneurial parents who have shared the ins and outs of self employment with me as I grew up. I don’t have a family-owned space to start my business. I didn’t have 4 hands-on grandparents to help with my childcare or a husband with business acumen to run the business end of things for me. And I don’t really want to work myself as hard as she does. Starting a business from a completely different background and completely on my own in my 40s has felt very different to Sara’s experience. I do believe we can all make it, but that we all need to find our own way to do this. Sara is a generous and kind woman and I love her insight into how she treats her team and her business, but I would have liked some more detail about what the key activities that drive her success have been as this isn’t covered in depth beyond ‘work really hard’ and invent something that solves a specific problem. Enjoyable, easy read that lacks real business insight but entertains.
September 15, 2022
This is a very human and open hearted re-telling of Sara Davies’ story and how she has become so successful. Sara is very down to earth and engaging in her style and her story, including her recounting of mistakes and what she has learned from them, is really interesting- there are many elements of it that I could buy into- the best and most successful ideas are those that are very simple and address a problem that no one else has addressed, hard work and determination will get you a long way towards being successful, when you have your sights set on something create your own path to get there. It was really interesting to hear how Sara balances family life and professional life- working all the way home on the red eye US flight so she doesn’t have to catch up on work in family time is not something I’m sure I could do!
August 18, 2023
A but disappointed with this book as I had such high hopes for it. The positives are Sara is a true grafter, a normal down to earth person whose family are at the heart of everything she does. And a real reminder that we create our own luck. But the book felt like it was a bit of a brain dump of thoughts and not everyone in business has a product to sell. As a business owner myself, patents aren’t something I need as I sell a service and I had hoped there’d be something more in there, not sure what but I felt it lacked something.
None of this takes away from the fact that she’s a real inspiration though.
None of this takes away from the fact that she’s a real inspiration though.
June 6, 2022
Inspirational Northern Lass!
This is a down-to-earth, honest and inspiring autobiography which gives an interesting insight into the success of Sara Davies. I had the pleasure of meeting Sara at her Newton Aycliffe store when it opened, and she is a great role model for aspiring entrepreneurs. She is also a wonderful ambassador for the North East of England, and for women aspiring to go into business. A real canny lass who is proud of her roots, and her lovely family!
This is a down-to-earth, honest and inspiring autobiography which gives an interesting insight into the success of Sara Davies. I had the pleasure of meeting Sara at her Newton Aycliffe store when it opened, and she is a great role model for aspiring entrepreneurs. She is also a wonderful ambassador for the North East of England, and for women aspiring to go into business. A real canny lass who is proud of her roots, and her lovely family!
November 29, 2022
A great inspirational read from this entrepreneur
I loved this inspirational read of a book as I happen to be a massive fan of the tv show Dragons Den or Shark Tank in the USA.
The book is well written and full of great coaching mentoring advice for any bubbly entrepreneurs, especially the chapter on patent and copyright issues with competitive stealing your ideas.
Overall a great read of a book and recommended.
Best wishes Sean
I loved this inspirational read of a book as I happen to be a massive fan of the tv show Dragons Den or Shark Tank in the USA.
The book is well written and full of great coaching mentoring advice for any bubbly entrepreneurs, especially the chapter on patent and copyright issues with competitive stealing your ideas.
Overall a great read of a book and recommended.
Best wishes Sean
January 26, 2023
Wow! What an incredible story!
This was so fascinating for me to read Sara's story of how she came to be where she is now. How she managed to create her first business from nothing, literally working all hours of the day and night, breaking many health and safety laws whilst doing it. The story is nothing short of remarkable! Absolutely amazing and it was such a lovely read to find out about all the struggles and the gains she made during her start in her career.
The book was really well written and completely inspirational. Absolutely brilliant read.
This was so fascinating for me to read Sara's story of how she came to be where she is now. How she managed to create her first business from nothing, literally working all hours of the day and night, breaking many health and safety laws whilst doing it. The story is nothing short of remarkable! Absolutely amazing and it was such a lovely read to find out about all the struggles and the gains she made during her start in her career.
The book was really well written and completely inspirational. Absolutely brilliant read.
May 18, 2022
Impressive and credible life and business story of entrepreneur Sara Davies, who wins through via guts, hard work, and 'constructive vulnerability'.
I particularly liked the passage describing Sara's debut on a US shopping channel whereby real-time feedback validated Sara's courage to expand into North America. Brava Sara!
I particularly liked the passage describing Sara's debut on a US shopping channel whereby real-time feedback validated Sara's courage to expand into North America. Brava Sara!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 22, 2022
Such a great book by such and inspiring woman. My dad got it signed for me and I got it for my 19th birthday, a really amazing present. You could tell it was all her own words, passion and emotion flowing off the page. Some really great advice for life and business, may you be a wonderful mentor to me Sara! x
February 27, 2023
Very enjoyable read. I like crafting and am not too much older than Sara, so was interested to read about how she built up a business whilst studying at university in the 2000s. This life story is written in an engaging manner, and scattered with snippets of advice and life lessons. An easy book to while away the hours.
September 6, 2023
inspiring read
Enjoyable read outlining how she started with a relatively simple idea that hadn’t been made before and it snowballed into a huge business. Also giving some insight to joining the Dragons Den and landing her dream chance to perform on Strictly. And that having good ideas and putting in the work can be the magic ingredients for amazing levels of success.
Enjoyable read outlining how she started with a relatively simple idea that hadn’t been made before and it snowballed into a huge business. Also giving some insight to joining the Dragons Den and landing her dream chance to perform on Strictly. And that having good ideas and putting in the work can be the magic ingredients for amazing levels of success.
October 19, 2023
Such an honest insight into the life of the author and the drive and determination they had to make it. Filled with positivity and emotion, but most importantly the authors true self. Such an interesting and inspiring read. Not just for those in the business world, but for any woman and anyone to feel empowered to be who and what they want to be.
September 26, 2024
A really enjoyable read! It has some great advice about business including where Sara made mistakes in her early career. It also covers her personal life, including Dragon’s Den and Strictly. Her motivation for business is really evident and it’s clear she really has a desire to help future entrepreneurs. I really enjoyed learning more about her life and how she built her successful business.
May 15, 2022
Fabulous read. I highly recommend! One point though - and I hope when it comes out as a paperback it is updated,. The end petered out. It appeared to be rushed to meet a deadline. The last chapter could have had "my top tips", a "what's next" or even a "motivational statement". There was a 'Oh, is that it! ' moment at the end.
May 15, 2022
I am always intrigued and fascinated by strong women who do so much with their lives. This book did not disappoint, Sara is open and honest and was a very insightful read. She is a fab lady really enjoyed this.
May 19, 2022
A very good read. The book drew me in from the beginning and held my interest throughout. It did help tremendously that I know who Sara is and have purchased many, many Crafter's Companion products through the years.
May 29, 2022
This was just okay. Having loved Sara on Strictly Come Dancing I went into this excited to read about her life and career pre-strictly but whilst I enjoyed her story at points it came over as slightly preachy and arrogant. I did like it though just didn't love it as much as I thought I would.
June 5, 2022
Inspiring, heart warming and empowering. Sara Davies is an inspiration to not only entrepreneurs but everyone. Ever since Sara joined Dragon’s Den, I’ve been waiting for a book to read about her life. She makes me proud to be from the North East and I can’t wait to see what she does in the future.
August 13, 2022
Big fan of Sara’s authentic and calm nature on dragons den and her respectful Comms style. Loved learning the time line of her business, the challenges and how she solved them. Her sense of drive, self belief and ambition is incredible.
September 11, 2022
It was alright. I found it a bit boring at times and that's why it took me ages to read. It didn't hold my interest as much I thought it would. It also sounded at bit school teachery in places. Which I found a bit patronising.
January 22, 2023
A inspiring read if you are looking for role models in business. Sara seems lovely and with an incredible work ethic but also doing business in the right way, she rises by lifting others and mucking in fully along the way
Also talks about being a dragon and strictly 😊
Also talks about being a dragon and strictly 😊
June 19, 2023
Inspiring, motivating and the mentor I didn’t know I needed! It’s great to read that even the best went through challenges! A great read if you’re trying to get into business, improve your work life balance or achieve a goal! Highly recommend!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews