My Big Decision: Sahar Hashemi on why giving up Coffee Republic was a ‘great mistake’

Thursday, May 13, 2010 | Posted by: Fiona Cullinan
Categories: My big decision, Women in business | Tags: entrepreneurs, entrepreneur, women in business, CEO, My Big Decision, Sahar Hashemi, founder, Coffee Republic

She’s the woman who plugged the caffeine cravings of a nation when, together with her brother, Bobby, she founded Coffee Republic in 1995. Now in Grant Thornton’s My Big Decision series, Sahar Hashemi talks about the trauma of giving up the high street coffee empire she’d built brick by brick.

In her My Big Decision interview, Sahar Hashemi talks about the exhilaration of the business journey she took, jumping careers from solicitor to coffee shop entrepreneur on the basis of loving the New York City café scene.

And then, in 2001, she made the life-changing decision to give up the business that she loved.

Find out more in Sahar Hashemi’s My Big Decision – and never miss a podcast by subscribing to the series in iTunes.

Now a best-selling author, Sahar speaks as well as writes about entrepreneurial mindset and innovation. Her new book Switched On is all about how to think like an entrepreneur at any level – read her exclusive post for the Elevate blog on How to be an entrepreneur in a large company.

What is Grant Thornton’s My Big Decision series?
My Big Decision offers a set of illustrated short interviews with thought leaders and prominent business individuals about a critical moment that changed their lives forever.

Previous interviewees include:
• Dot-com entrepreneur turned investor, Julie Meyer
• King of the High Street, George Davies
• Freakonomics author Stephen J Dubner• Financial Times economist agony uncle, Tim Harford
• Online theorist Chris Anderson
• Cultural commentator Fons Trompenaars

Browse the My Big Decision index.