From Profound Loss to the BEM: Zoe Bennett on Building the MBCC Awards Through Grief, Why 'Things Happen For Us' Not To Us, and Coaching Resilience Without Burning Out
Zoe Bennett, BEM, didn't set out to become known as "The Motivational Queen." In 2011, her father Errol was brutally murdered in Jamaica, leaving her traumatized and fighting a three-and-a-half-year battle for justice. She had to identify his mutilated body. She received death threats. And in the aftermath, she made a choice—to channel unbearable grief into purposeful action.
In 2015, she founded the Multicultural Business and Community Champion (MBCC) Awards, a platform that now attracts 800+ attendees annually and has honored icons including Sir Lenny Henry, Annie Lennox, Alison Hammond, and Levi Roots. Through her Birmingham-based consultancy Training Personified, she's worked with everyone from Serco and Deloitte to Job Centre Plus clients—homeless individuals, ex-offenders, and people with mental health challenges—coaching them on mindset resilience and employability. In 2023, she received the British Empire Medal for services to the community.
But Zoe's resilience isn't a slogan. It's something she lives every day, built through small decisions rather than sudden miracles. In this conversation, she breaks down how she transformed pain into a "for the people, by the people" event that's become one of the largest diverse black-tie ceremonies in the Midlands, why she walked away from corporate partnerships that didn't align with community values (no matter how big the name), and her practical framework for maintaining your own mental strength while supporting others—including knowing when to breathe, when to speak, and when to rise again. If you've ever wondered how to turn lived experience into expertise without being defined solely by trauma, this is the blueprint.
From Personal Tragedy to Purpose – Building the MBCC Awards
You founded the Multicultural Business and Community Champion Awards in 2015 after the brutal murder of your father Errol in 2011, channeling profound grief into a platform that now attracts 800+ attendees annually and has honored icons like Sir Lenny Henry, Annie Lennox, and Alison Hammond. For female entrepreneurs who have experienced trauma or adversity, how did you transform your pain into purposeful action? What advice would you give women who want to build businesses or initiatives from personal experience, and how do you balance honoring your father's legacy while creating something that stands on its own merits?
When I founded the Multicultural Business and Community Champion Awards, I was still carrying the weight of losing my father in such a devastating way. I needed somewhere to place that pain, but I also needed a way to say thank you to my unsung heroes. The people who hold communities together, who show kindness without recognition, and who reminded me that even in grief there is goodness.
Turning pain into purpose was not a straight path. It was small steps, one moment at a time, choosing to create something positive when it would have been easier to stay silent. For any woman who has faced trauma or adversity and wants to build something from her experiences, my advice is this: start with your truth. Let your story guide you but not limit you. You do not need to have everything figured out. You only need the courage to take the first step and the belief that your voice matters.
Balancing my father’s legacy with creating something that stands on its own has been a journey of love and learning. The awards honour him, but they have grown into something much bigger. They celebrate unity, courage and community spirit. They belong to everyone who continues to inspire and uplift others. In that way, his legacy lives on while the awards shine in their own light.
Scaling a Mission-Driven Event – From Vision to 800-Person Ceremonies
In less than a decade, you've grown the MBCC Awards from concept to one of the largest diverse black-tie events in the Midlands, with major sponsors like Amazon, Deloitte, and Serco. For female founders building mission-driven businesses or events, what were the critical decisions that enabled you to scale while maintaining the "for the people, by the people" ethos? How do you approach corporate partnerships and sponsorships in ways that align with your values, and what practical advice would you give women entrepreneurs about building credibility and attracting high-profile supporters?
When I started the MBCC Awards, I never imagined it would grow to an event with hundreds of guests and major sponsors. The heart of the Awards has always been simple. I wanted to say thank you to the unsung heroes who often go unnoticed, and I wanted every nominee and every winner to feel seen. Holding onto that purpose guided every decision as we scaled.
One of the most important choices I made was to stay grounded in community. I listened to people, I stayed present with their stories, and I made sure the Awards never became about glamour alone or any one person. If anything, the growth made me even more protective of the soul of the event. I made it clear to every partner and sponsor that the community came first. If a partnership did not feel right, no matter how big the name was, I could not continue with them. Protecting the integrity of the Awards mattered more than anything.
When approaching corporate partners, I focused on alignment rather than size. I looked for organisations that valued people, that understood what recognition can do for a community, and that wanted to make a genuine difference rather than simply attach their logo to a moment. That is how partnerships with Amazon, Deloitte and Serco became natural rather than forced. They understood the mission and were willing to support it with respect.
Building Resilience as "The Motivational Queen" – Coaching Others Through Your Own Experience
Through Training Personified, you've worked with clients including Serco, Deloitte, and the FA, coaching everyone from corporate teams to homeless individuals and ex-offenders on mindset resilience and employability. You've spoken about how "things do not happen to us but for us to learn from." For female entrepreneurs facing their own adversity while trying to build businesses, how do you practice the resilience you teach? What's your framework for maintaining your own mental strength while supporting others, and how should founders think about turning their lived experience into expertise without burning out or being defined solely by their trauma?
Resilience for me is not a slogan. It is something I live every day. I learned early on that things do not happen to us but happen for us, offering lessons that shape who we become. When I coach others, whether it is corporate teams, disadvantaged individuals or those deemed hard to reach, I remind them that resilience is built through small daily decisions, not sudden miracles.
To stay grounded, I have a simple framework. I pause and reflect before I react. I ask what this moment is teaching me. I remind myself of my purpose, which is to lift others, and I protect my wellbeing by setting boundaries, resting when needed and surrounding myself with people who nurture rather than drain me. Supporting others requires a full cup and I take responsibility for keeping mine topped up.
For female entrepreneurs, your lived experience can be your greatest strength, but it does not need to become your whole identity. Use your story as a bridge, not as a cage. Share what feels right, keep what feels sacred and allow yourself to grow beyond what hurts you.
Through Training Personified, I help people see their own potential even when life has knocked them down. Each year we create our winners book which celebrates the inspirational stories of MBCC Award winners. It gives people hope and reminds readers that resilience comes in many forms. These stories continue to inspire me as much as they inspire others.
My advice for women building a business through adversity is this. Honour your journey, but do not live only in it. Lead with purpose, rest with intention and remember that your strength is not proven by how much you carry but by knowing when to breathe, when to speak and when to rise again.
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