8 . How do you face a challenge ? I usually consult widely to hear different perspectives to figure out what the challenge really is .
9 . What was the most courageous thing you have done as an entrepreneur ? We fired one of our top clients in terms of revenue because they were repeatedly treating members of our team badly .
10 . What was the best piece of advice you have ever been given ? You can ’ t please all the people all the time . Do your best . Have integrity .
11 . What does your typical day look like ? No day is the same , but I work from home , so do sit at my desk ( in a small , closed-off passage !) usually for a few hours a day . I take my dogs for a walk early , then meet with my team . During the day , I will have online meetings with team members , clients and potential clients in several different countries – South Africa , the USA and Europe mostly . I try to get work done in between . I work a long day – I ’ d say 10 to 12 hours on average . But I travel a lot , too , which I love .
12 . When things get tough who do you rely on for help or support ? My sister , Tiffany Turkington-Palmer , who is Flow ’ s managing director . She is always a voice of reason .
13 . What was the biggest lesson you learnt as an entrepreneur and why ? That there ’ s no easy route to success . And if success was easy , everyone would be successful . You have to work hard to build something special .
14 . If you could go back in time to when you started , what would you tell yourself ? To network more . Now I belong to some excellent organisations that support women entrepreneurs , like the Women Presidents Organization . I wish I ’ d joined long before I did ( about eight years ago ).
15 . What is your favourite mantra or quote to get you through hard times or when things are not going as planned ? “ Just keep swimming . Just keep swimming .” – Dory the fish , in Finding Nemo
16 . Name 5 books that you have read and that have impacted on your entrepreneurial journey . I love Jim Collins ’ books : so Good to Great , Built to Last and I think my favourite , Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0 . Gino Wickman ’ s Traction : How To Get a Grip on Your Business was a game-changer for me . And I enjoy Simon Sinek ’ s books , such as Start with Why : How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action .
17 . List 5 tools that have helped you in business ? For example the Pomadero timer The Google Suite . We built a time-logging and business intelligence system for Flow , called TimeSponge , which has been a remarkable tool . Zoom has helped us do business all over the world . My phone , Apple laptop , WhatsApp and email , as obvious as those all are .