Endorsements from Business Entrepreneurs

Deirdre Bounds

Deirdre Bounds is the founder of leading volunteer travel and TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) training organization, i-to-i.

After launching the company as a one-person operation run from a Leeds bed-sit in 1994, she has seen it grow into an international organization with offices in the UK, US, Ireland and Australia, and around 130 staff worldwide. i-to-i is now responsible for sending around 4,000 people a year to support 300 worthwhile projects in 24 countries. It also trains a further 10,000 people as TEFL teachers.

Deirdre created i-to-i with themes of escape and recreation at the forefront of her mind. She is a keen believer in personal development and aims to enable people to reinvent themselves through travel. She says: “My philosophy on life has always been to wear life like a loose garment, stay close to my values and enjoy what I do. In the words of Sydney Smith ‘Whatever you are by nature, keep to it: never desert your line of talent. Be what nature intended for you and you will succeed.’" (This is Deirdre's favourite quote from 'That Attitude Book')

Showing that she practices what she preaches and is not afraid of stepping outside her comfort zone, Deirdre is always on the look out for new challenges – as was shown in October 2004 when she took on the role of a mum of nine in Channel 4’s Wife Swap series!

Read more about Deirdre and i-to-i by visiting the website www.i-to-i.com.

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