Business coach Erika Clegg wrote Junk Values to challenge attitudes and encourage people to thrive on their own terms.

It has been shortlisted for the Business Book Awards and her book now goes head-to-head with finalists including the Financial Times Guide to Ethical Business.

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She and husband Simon Hazelgrove founded Southwold-based brand and marketing agency Spring shortly after their wedding in 2005.

In 2022, she left the business after a management buyout and set up corporate culture consultancy Larkenby.

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Today she coaches organisations and people in values - helping senior leaders in crisis and with business turnarounds.

She also provides leadership training to the next generation of prison governors and offers masterclasses to chief executive groups.

"I was growing increasingly frustrated with the approach many people take to values, and my frustration grew to such a level that I wrote Junk Values," she says.

"It’s been a great asset for my message and since publishing it late last year I’ve been invited to speak at the Fleet Street Awards, at Anthropy (a national gathering of leaders at the Eden Project in Cornwall) and various other events and groups."

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Erika argues that it is important for firms to understand their purpose and principles and express them clearly.

This is "the strongest possible foundation" for people and businesses who want to flourish, she says.

She criticises "performative showboating" which she says has undermined trust, reputation and success for businesses.

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In her book she warns that patterns that creep into the systems can do "real damage".

The author, who was born in Hertfordshire and raised in Lancashire, spent her twenties in London before moving to the Suffolk coast where she has remained since.

She is a Deputy Lieutenant of Suffolk and was a director for the Festival of Suffolk.

The book was "born of frustration about how badly values are used despite the fact that they are so important in a world increasingly short on trust", she says.

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It includes some theory, stories, practical exercises and autobiographical content.

"I’ll admit to having had some trepidation about publishing it. It was risky but essential and of course when you leave a stable role to pursue a new one there are no guard rails or safety measures," she says.

"I don’t pull any punches and - while I ensured the book is entertaining and holds the attention - it deals with some big issues and feels necessary for the world as it is now."

She is currently working on a follow-up focused on survival in turbulent times.

"As always when you go out on a limb it’s a relief to have people join you there," she says.

"So the awards are vindication of my stance and a great resilience builder as I carry on up this path."

© Eastern Daily Press