The People Playbook: Terine Lott-Cupido's Journey from Corporate HR to Entrepreneurial Impact

What does it take to leave a corporate career and build a business that transforms others? In this episode of Born to Build, we sit down with Terine Lott-Cupido, founder of EmpowerLink Services, an award-winning HR consultancy shaking up the SME space in South Africa. Terine shares the leap of faith that led her from multinational boardrooms to empowering entrepreneurs with the people, processes, and systems to scale. From navigating cultural shifts to winning accolades, surviving near-failure moments, and building a legacy - this is an unmissable deep dive into what it really takes to build a business that thrives on people-first principles.Whether you're an SME owner, HR professional, or aspiring founder, Terine's insights on growth, mindset shifts, and purpose-driven leadership will leave you inspired, and equipped.Chapters(00:00) Welcome to Born to Build - meet Terine Lott-Cupido(01:30) The moment HR became a calling for SMEs(03:30) Taking the leap: the birth of EmpowerLink in 2017(08:20) Client success story: how HR turned a business around(11:32) People power: a defining moment that fuels Terine's passion(15:40) Pitching your business(19:53) From corporate to founder: the cultural mindset shift(24:38) Milestone moments: awards, mentorship & team growth(29:06) The dream under threat: a personal story of resilience(32:25) The most counterintuitive SME lesson every founder should know(34:39) Lessons from entrepreneurship training that still shape today(38:00) The 5-year vision: building a legacy for family & community(40:55) Advice to my 2016 self(42:47) Rapid firehttps://www.empowerlinkservices.co.zaAbout Born to Build:Born to Build is a podcast featuring conversations with the builders, founders, and pioneers driving change from the ground up. Each episode highlights the real stories of SME owners - how they started, what they’ve overcome, and what keeps them building their business. It’s honest, practical business insight from those shaping their industries one bold move at a time.