Catch Her if You Can

Book Description

Catch Her if You Can, the remarkable story of influencer, self-styled girlboss and unrelenting businesswoman, Mariam Mola.

In this candid no-nonsense memoir, Mola reflects on the good, the bad and the unpredictable that almost turned her life upside down, but most importantly how she managed to flip the game with her business acumen; later building some of the most notable women-led businesses in the UK.

A PR maverick, Mola shares the reality of doing time in prison across Europe and how she reinvented herself into a household name, entrepreneur and mentor to hundreds of women. Liked or loathed, her journey inspires you to never give up as you read about her being stopped at gunpoint by the Spanish authorities, having a baby in prison and losing her businesses, yet having the strength to start all over again.

Catch Her if You Can gives you the inside glimpse of the fraud underworld from Mayfair to Malaga, but also teaches business principles for startups coming from nothing to something.

The book provides real solutions for go-getters trying to turn their lives around and aims to empower women to achieve their full potential. Mola also displays the human, vulnerable element of the journey of a 14-year-old girl.

About the Author

Arriving in the UK as a 4-year-old refugee, Mariam's story had already begun with the odds seemingly stacked up against her. Growing up in a new country with non-English speaking parents, Mariam quickly developed the drive to win and create a better life for herself. She found a way to work two jobs as soon as she turned 16. Landing her first job; a 9-5 in financial services as a PA to three company directors, she was later promoted to international mortgage administrator, leading a team of six at just 17. On the weekends, she worked for a telesales company selling mobile phone contracts, which is where Mariam claims to have sharpened her ability to sell and found her businesses acumen.

Being made redundant during the collapse of Lehman Brothers, Mariam's life took a left-turn. She stumbled into a life of crime which led to multiple stints in prison across the UK and abroad. After 6 months in prison in Marbella Spain, Mariam then aged 24-years-old, came home to launch Europe's first designer shoe hire boutique at Stratford Westfield. The luxury store stocked brands such as Jimmy Choo, Christian Louboutin and Giuseppe Zanotti to name a few, ahead of the now booming clothing rental industry.

Mariam was well on her way to living a better life until it was all snatched away when she was sent to prison, as a pregnant woman. After giving birth in prison, Mariam once again had to work to change her story and it was here - at rock bottom, that the idea of Mentor MatchHER came.

Displaying Europe's largest line-up of female entrepreneurs, Mentor MatcHER is Europe's largest female mentoring initiative that helps to transform and empower the lives of women through mentorship, connecting them not only to other women but to brands across the world. Women including Vogue's publisher Vanessa Kingori MBE, British Chef Lorraine Pascale, Amanda Wakeley OBE, Alex Box former Creative Director of Illamasqua and Cassandra Stavrou of Propercorn, to name a few.

5 years on, Mariam has gone to launch multiple businesses, including a large short-let property portfolio valued at millions. She also directly mentors over 150 women who also run businesses, attend some of the world's leading universities and also lead some of the country's most exciting companies.

Mariam is also a Pastor at Europe's fastest-growing youth movement NXTION Family; formerly SPAC Nation.