Lynne Franks left school at 16, working first as a secretary, and then at Petticoat, the UK’s first weekly young women’s magazine. Whilst there she worked under Eve Pollard and alongside Janet Street-Porter.

Lynne is the host of the Frankly Speaking With Lynne Frank and Friends podcast, aimed for women everywhere – the healers, community leaders, sages, poets, sustainable engineers, teachers, dancers, growers, artists, and lovers. She interviews friends and inspirational women and provides her own honest views on women’s affairs.

LYNNE FRANKS PUBLIC RELATIONS (PR)

When she was 21, she started her own PR agency – Lynne Franks PR – from her kitchen table. It would go on to become one of the most prestigious PR firms in the UK. Her first clients included fashion designer Wendy Dagworthy; she would soon expand this client list to include the likes of Harvey Nichols and Tommy Hilfiger, as well as high-profile individuals such as Ruby Wax, Annie Lennox, Paul Gaultier, and Lenny Henry.

She was involved in events happening at Kensington Palace with Princess Diana, and was one of the organisers for Fashion Aid 1985. Her PR role led to many collaborations with people from Mary Portas to Jennifer Saunders to Joanna Lumley and Alexandra Shulman.

She was one of the driving forces behind London Fashion Week. In 1984 she persuaded the Murjani Corporation to sponsor a large fashion tent outside of the Commonwealth Institute in Kensington, and this then grew the then-fledgling fashion week.

But it wasn’t only high-level fashion brands and people she was involved with, Lynne actually worked with a range of charities as well, including Live Aid, and the world’s largest HIV/Aids fundraiser, Fashion Cares.

It has been rumoured that Lynne was the inspiration behind Jennifer Saunders’ Absolutely Fabulous character Edina Monsoon, however this has never been proven.

She stayed in the company until 1993, when she stepped down as its chairperson. In 1997, she moved to California where she founded Globalfusion, representing many high-profile American businesses.

LYNNE FRANKS WOMEN IN BUSINESS

When she moved back to the UK, she established SEED, a platform for women’s enterprise and leadership, workshops, retreats, and events. She also developed the SEED Women into Enterprise Programme, a blended learning course for self-employed women. She then added the SEED Community Site in 2009, a website to connect women entrepreneurs around the world.

She has also sat on a number of boards – including McDonald’s and Tesco – to help with their women’s leadership development programmes. She became a founding patron of industry sector leaders Women 1st as well as becoming the UK head of 1Billion Rising, a global movement bringing attention to violence against women. She was also responsible for the development of B.Hive, a national network of women’s business hubs. But it’s not just in the UK where she works; she combined with her friend Eve Ensler to bring attention to the women being used as weapons during conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

LYNNE FRANKS COACHING & RETREATS

Lynne provides a range of unique coaching courses to help develop the qualities of the ‘wise woman’, both personally and professionally.

Soil to Soil: a 6-month online programme helping you to grow your business and transform your passions into reality.

Journey of the Wise Woman Intimate Retreat: Join the SEED Tribe at Lynne’s popular Women’s Gathering retreat, where she helps to focus on your wellbeing, grow your creativity, be seen, heard, and transformed.

She also offers one-to-one coaching, taking a holistic approach to business guidance, incorporating her many years of PR, trend, and business knowledge.

LYNNE FRANKS CORPORATE WORK

Using her personal experience and enthusiasm to help others, together with her talent in sporting changes in trends, she was – and still is – a major influencer in the global fashion business. Lynne Franks now uses this experience to help with other corporate businesses.

Corporate Strategy

Lynne now advises businesses from a range of corporate sectors on topics such as consumer trends, engagement with women, and communication. She has spoken at many events and conferences; she was in fact one of the first spokespeople on corporate social responsibility.  She has been involved in diversity campaigns, including for Mac Cosmetics, Amnesty International, and alongside Bob Geldof via Fashion Aid at the Royal Albert Hall.

Activism and Campaigning

Lynne Franks uses her profile to raise awareness for a number of subjects that affect humans and the planet itself. She has campaigned for topics including the Vietnam war, nuclear weapons, sexual violence, abuse, FGM, the destruction of the environment, cruelty, and women’s rights. She has appeared at the UN Conference for Women 1995 in Beijing, campaigned at the House of Commons, protested at the Greenham Common Women’s Protest, and appeared at the ‘A Hundred Years of Sexual Violence Against Women of the DRC’ event at the Royal Albert Hall. Through her campaigning, she has worked alongside the late Sinead O’Connor, singer Chrissie Hynde, actress Thandiwe Newton, and broadcaster Sandi Toksvig.

LYNNE FRANKS KEYNOTE SPEAKING

Lynne Franks combines her natural empathy and intuition with her passion and years of experience in her unique speaking opportunities. Whether starting your own business, growing your own business, becoming a community leader, or reaching your own personal objectives, Lynne takes you on a journey of transformation.

Speaking Topics

– Sustainability

– Women’s Empowerment

– Fashion and Beauty

– Corporate Social Responsibility

– Social Change

– Women’s Role in Business and Society

– Holistic Health and Wellbeing

– Community Living

– Social Enterprise

– Entrepreneurship

– Personal Development

– The PR Industry

Call +44 1753 439 289 or email Great British Speakers now to book Lynne Franks OBE for your next live event.

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