Alison Edgar MBE

Alison Edgar MBE is a Scottish entrepreneur, author, and keynote speaker. She is best known for her TEDx talk, The Art of Getting What You Want, and her internationally bestselling books Secrets of Successful Sales and SMASH IT!® The Art of Getting What YOU Want. Edgar is the founder of SMASH IT!® Training, where she runs coaching programs facilitating workplace management solutions.
Edgar has been dubbed "The Entrepreneur’s Godmother®" by a slew of successful entrepreneurs, including Dragon's Den and The Apprentice winners, and has been awarded an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List 2020. Edgar has worked with large corporations such as The European Commission, The National Lottery, SimpliSafe, Sky, Discovery Channel, Würth, Cambridge Weight Plan 1:1 Diet, and Yell to train their employees how to think with an entrepreneurial mindset throughout her career.
Edgar is a frequent keynote speaker and can be found sharing her knowledge at industry gatherings. She is also a contributor to BBC TV and Radio and has recently become a business mentor on a new Amazon Prime UK & US TV show launching in Summer 2022. 
==Early life and education==
Edgar was born in Clydebank to Alistair Edgar and Jessie McColl. She grew up with a sister, Norma in an underprivileged background and completed her high school education at Clydebank High. She also suffered from undiagnosed dyslexia throughout her childhood.
==Career==
Edgar began her international hospitality career in 1984, working in Scotland, The Channel Islands, South Africa, and Australia for 10 years.
In 1994, Edgar entered the sales industry and joined BT Global Services where she worked for two years. She then became an account manager for Douwe Egberts.
In 1998, Edgar joined Yell, where she worked for thirteen years, advising SMEs on their sales and marketing strategies. In 2011, Edgar became the Managing Director of Sales Coaching Solutions Ltd which offers bespoke sales & customer service and leadership training. In 2014, Edgar became a governance panel member of Swindon & Wiltshire Growth Hub, where she volunteered for over seven years supporting local businesses.
In 2015, Edgar worked as a sponsorship mentor for TedX Bristol. Simultaneously, she was appointed as a regional champion for Enterprise Nation, where she worked to promote entrepreneurship across the country for over four years. In the same year, she also became a mentor at The Aspire Foundation, helping to promote entrepreneurship amidst women.
In 2016, Edgar became a volunteer mentor for StartUp Britain, a national campaign by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. A year later she also began providing mentoring to organisations both product and service based on the opportunities presented by export for delivering company growth. With this experience, Edgar was invited to embark on two global export missions to China and the USA. In the same year, she also became an event sponsor and judge at Young Enterprise UK, where she is currently working to empower the country’s youth.
In 2018, Edgar became a judge at Great British Entrepreneur’s Awards, and a TEDx speaker of The Art of Getting What Getting What You Want. In the same year, she also released her book, Secrets of Successful Sales. The book was regarded by The Independent as one of the 10 best business books written by a woman.
In 2019, Edgar became a motivational speaker, addressing conferences and events across the country. Since 2014, Edgar has also been a voice for Small Business Saturday, encouraging and supporting small businesses in the UK. She has also been a regular contributor on the BBC. In 2020, Edgar released SMASH IT!® The Art of Getting What YOU Want, a personal development book helping people to achieve their goals.
==Awards==
* 2020: Edgar was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in Queen Elizabeth II's birthday honour list for services to Entrepreneurship and Small Business
* 2016: Edgar was listed by UK-based company Richtopia at number 59 in the list of 100 Most Influential British Entrepreneurs. 
* Listed as one of the Top 10 Business Advisors by Enterprise Nation
* Recipient of the West Woman of the Year Award
* Recognised by GBEA for Outstanding Merit in Customer Service
==Personal life==
Edgar married Neil Edgar in 1997 and the couple has two sons named Kieran and Connor Edgar. 
==In the media==
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==References==
==External links==
* Personal website
* Company website
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Category:Scottish businesspeople
Category:Scottish authors
Category:Living people
Category:Entrepreneurs
Category:Keynote Speakers