Friday, May 27, 2011

How mother built her life up again from ruin to riches

A successful businesswoman who was once a wealthy lawyer but became homeless with three children today revealed her remarkable riches-to-rags-to-riches story that won her an award at a Downing Street ceremony.




Close: Ms Sidhu-Robb's old house and her new one, which is yards away

Geeta Sidhu-Robb, her property developer husband, Johan Robb, and their children once lived in an eight-bedroom Chelsea house in the same street where Jemima Khan now lives.

The couple made millions from London's property boom in the early Nineties, had eight cars - including two Ferraris and two Bentleys - and an eight-seater private jet.

But in 2002 their firm, Anglo Scandinavian Investments Plc, was placed into administration with estimated debts of more than £2 million.

The family was also evicted from their home for missing mortgage payments and Ms Sidhu-Robb left her husband, taking their son and two daughters to shelter at a friend's one-bedroom house, where she slept on a sofa.

From there she started looking for a job while holding up to 18 yoga classes a week for children. She saved every penny and built up the business she now owns delivering organic food. She is also a corporate negotiator for a telecom company.

Yesterday the 40-year-old was named Exceptional Working Mother at the Mothers at Work awards at 11 Downing Street.

Ms Sidhu-Robb said: "We made a phenomenal amount of money but lost it all.

"At my lowest point I was forced to call a friend and say: 'We have nowhere to live.' I lost everything, people I thought were friends. The kids had to share a bed and I was on the sofa. It was very hard. I sold jewellery."

At home with son Annan, 11, and daughters Simi, eight, and Chaan, five, she said: "I have a saying - change is inevitable, suffering is optional. Anything is possible. If you can see it you can do it, if you can dream it you can make it happen."

Her goddaughter Nonnie Wanjiha, who nominated her for the award, said: "I watched her go from up high to down low and then back again. She is an amazing woman."

Source:http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23496594-how-mother-built-her-life-up-again-from-ruin-to-riches.do

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