A TEESSIDE entrepreneur who left school at 16 has grown two successful businesses – creating almost 40 jobs in the process.

On the day of her first GCSE exam, Michelle Sheekey’s world was turned upside down when her beloved grandad died.

That heartache meant Michelle left school “with a couple of daft O Levels” and little ambition.

However, fast-forward over 40 years, and she’s since become a leading life coach while also running the North East’s largest independent nursery.

“A lot of people will leave school thinking all hope is lost, but I’m proof your story is never finished,” said Michelle.

And that story includes the staggering growth for her pre-school –  The Montessori People Nursery School, in Thornaby – with the business enjoying a bumper 12 months.

Sales are up 90 per cent, with 2026 on track to be the site’s most successful to date, following an expansion of the Tedder Avenue site, which has also seen new jobs created.

“Our team has grown by almost 20 per cent, while we’ve got a waiting list running until September 2027, and I think a key factor behind that is word-of-mouth; Parents are really happy, and that starts with our staff, because they really love what they do and they love the kids.”

For Michelle, it could have been far different.

“My only ambition as a teenager was to go be a hairdresser or work on a cruise ship because, like many Teessiders growing up in the 1980s, I just wanted to escape,” she said.

Ultimately, she did – borrowing money from her dad, who drove to Peterborough to get her first passport.

Then she flew to America, where she worked in Beverley Hills as a nanny to a rich American family.

“The only qualification you needed then was a British accent, because they wanted their own Mary Poppins,” laughed Michelle.

However, after eventually returning to the UK, gardening-mad Michelle’s career blossomed.

She achieved other qualifications, including HR, and worked for Sky TV before returning home and obtaining a life coaching qualification from Newcastle University.

She’s since launched Michelle Sheekey Elite Coaching, a high-end coaching business for successful people.

“I basically coach people like myself, who have achieved their life goals but still want more,” she added.

“My initial goals were never much, and I really didn’t think it would ever be like this. I didn’t even have my own business until my mid-40s, but it shows that if you the will, you can succeed.”