A woman who describes herself as, “creative, adventurous, free spirited” has to be interesting to meet! Add to this the intrigue when asked why she describes herself in this way she adds, “Because that’s what I’m thinking today, tomorrow may be different” and you know that you are in for an interview treat!

And spending time with Ann McCreath IS a fascinating experience, as this lady is a dynamic combination of creative energy and passion laced with a humility that is underpinned by her strong belief towards making a difference.

Ann is a fashion designer whose brand, KikoRomero, is favoured by all who want to make a bold fashion statement. Her clothes are vibrant and easy to wear and her inspiration artistically originally came from Vivienne Westwood, but she says she gets inspired by many different people.

She is a mother who is “currently single” and sees the entrepreneurial world as “interesting”. Work is as much a hobby as it is an entrepreneurial enterprise but she also enjoys art, music, dance, parties and socializing with friends that make her happy as does the excitement of meeting new people.

She is a true entrepreneur as she thrives on there always being something new to deal with, but also understands the challenges that arrive when your income, and those of the people that surround you, depend on your talent, creative energy and business acumen. Learning from this, she has brought people into the company who support her with their different individual abilities and has learnt how beneficial this can be.

She lives in a world of creative gorgeous items and defines “beauty” as something that varies according to people’s culture & perception, so for Ann making a person look their very best is at the heart of her designs.

Her typical day begins with taking her daughter to school and then she will focus on a project for the day for example patterns, or a specific design job. Then there are emails, lunch & random things that come in from others, a visit to the KikoRomeo shop to attend to “on the ground” items and then it’s home for dinner & maybe go out, or stay in & do things online ….. and so the wheel turns.

She sees her creativity and persistence and maths ability for pattern cutting as key qualities for her success and defines “success” in her world as, “Fame – through doing something and being someone different – not scared to go against the trends…”.

And she is never afraid to try doing things differently, even though there could be a cost involved. She loves the feeling of achievement when something “works”! Being an easily recognizable face in Kenya, coupled with a known and loved “brand” she comments that it ‘s her character, her enjoyment of the limelight, her social skills coupled with creativity that make her famous.

She says there are sacrifices when you are a single Mom and running a business that needs you to be creative all the time, but she is glad that her business allows her to be who she is.  She says she is passionate about her work – loves it & doesn’t see it as work. She says that it’s her daughter who has had to become used to a mother who always wants to work and often has to work in excess of 12 hours a day.

Within her business, Ann loves an informal, spontaneous approach that cuts across class & other prejudices, because she believes that’s how we should be and so she encourages this culture throughout her workforce at all levels. She views her employees as a key component of business success and so she nurtures these relationships.

So, how did a vivacious Scottish lady end up running one of the most successful fashion brands in Kenya?  It happened by accident – she went to Kenya for 3 moths aid work, which became 3 years, which in turn prompted her to set up her business there. This was funded initially from a family inheritance, then through selling shares to clients & friends and then overdrafts from bank & venture capital and says that the people within the business and supporting find her.

For the future Ann would like to see a KikoRomeo Chain Store across Africa and eventually seeing the brand become global. This is inspired by a love for travel, which she would like to be able to enjoy more often.

Her tips for key elements for success are going to be defined depending on which business or industry you are in. For Ann in her world, they are creativity, persistence, staff, location, money…in no particular order.

If she could choose to meet an historical person her choice would be some obscure wiseman/woman – probably rural as she finds nature and contact with nature is a key thing in wisdom.

She has no favourite quote as she says she sees many all the time and feels that the best at one time will be different at another.

Ann McCreath, is a creative, imaginative woman whose understanding of the individual along with the human form allows her to provide for her clients that unique “something” that allows them to feel special.

And why UnitedSucces? “Just because it brings together a supporting circle of like-minded women.”