Q1. How did you become an entrepreneur? Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I became an entrepreneur through the doing.I had my first business at the age of 18, before I had any concept of what the word entrepreneur meant.I don’t think I actually even ever heard that word until I’d been running my company for a few years. Back when I started (over 20 years ago now) entrepreneurs were people like Alan Bond and Christopher Skase, which wasn’t aspirational for young women at all. These days we have so many amazing female entrepreneurs leading the way as role models. It’s been exciting to have lived through that change. Since that first company I’ve had a few businesses, some with amazing success, and others that have flopped – that’s the life of an entrepreneur!

Q3. What would you say are the key elements for starting and running a successful business?

If you’ve got a dream or a goal, just take one small step at a time. What’s that quote about not needing to see the whole staircase? It’s true – it’s all about taking one step at a time. It’s also about getting your mindset right first though. This saying is also true: “If you believe you can, or can’t, you’re right.” I see a lot of women drown in self-doubt and a lack of self-confidence. I believe in faking it until you make it and just having a go. Being successful is just about mindset and the quicker we can understand that, and work on improving our mindset and changing the negative self-talk that grips so many of us, the more fulfilled life becomes.

My other big rule for running a successful business is that you need to figure out how your business makes money and focus on that. It sounds simple, but I see a lot of business owners working hard but focusing on the wrong things. Maybe they’re running a plumbing company and spending too much time on what they should post on Instagram. Or they’re an accountant who is wondering what their podcast should be. At the end of the day, you have to be making more than you spend. Get that right, build a solid customer base and then you can spend some time on the ‘fun’ stuff.

Q5. Do you have a ‘go to’ look/outfit that inspires confidence and makes you feel amazing?

I love experimenting with fashion and oscillate between working hard at pulling together a great outfit (if I’m doing an appearance let’s say) and then putting in zero effort at all at other times. I’m comfy in both situations! One of the nicest things about getting older is how comfortable I’ve become in my own skin and although I’ve always believed that confidence comes from within, clean hair, killer heels, and something you feel great in never goes astray either!

Q7. What would you say are the top three skills needed to become a successful entrepreneur?

You’re either going to be comfortable with a lot of risk – you’ll be willing to put your house on the line for a new business, perhaps take a leap of faith and do something that no one else has done – or you’re going to find it hard to bridge the gap between security and the unknown. You need to be willing to back yourself and make tough calls. As an entrepreneur, even if you have all the confidence and self-assuredness in the world, there’ll be plenty of times that you’ll doubt yourself; those times usually come when the challenges arise. I’ve never gotten to the point of completely wanting to throw in the towel. There have been many tough times like when we’ve had to restructure the business or let someone go because they’re not performing; these are some of the hardest things a leader will have to do, but if you’re a true leader you’ll make these calls because your role is to ensure the health of a business and protect its culture. And you also have to work non-stop on your network – helping others, promoting others, doing favours, being generous. Successful people know that networking and influencing others is a key skill for getting what you want in your life and in your career. They use their relationships to help others, and continuously work to build their networks and ask for what they need too.

9. How do you generate new ideas?

I’m a big believer that we create our own opportunities and that we can’t sit around and wait for them to happen. I think it’s impossible to generate new ideas without exposing yourself to new situations, so I guess you could say that I’m constantly throwing myself into the unknown and the uncomfortable because it stretches my thinking on what’s possible. Starting my sentences with a ‘What if …?’ often helps when generating ideas. If you feel energy back from people, you’ll know you’re on to an idea worth exploring a little more.