15 . WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE MANTRA OR QUOTE TO GET YOU THROUGH HARD TIMES OR WHEN THINGS ARE NOT GOING AS PLANNED ? IF I ’ M FEELING MUCH FRICTION , I ’ M NOT GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION . LOOK FOR THE GREEN LIGHTS AND PIVOT .
16 . NAME 5 BOOKS THAT YOU HAVE READ AND THAT HAVE IMPACTED ON YOUR ENTREPRENEURIAL JOURNEY . THE ALCHEMIST BY PAULO CHELHO ATOMIC HABITS BY JAMES CLEAR DRIVE BY DANIEL PINK QUIET BY SUSAN CAIN START WITH WHY BY SIMON SINEK
17 . LIST 5 TOOLS THAT HAVE HELPED YOU IN BUSINESS ? FOR EXAMPLE THE POMODORO TIMER SKETCHING : WHILE NOT A CONVENTIONAL TOOL , SKETCHING HELPS ME VISUALISE AND UNDERSTAND THE CORE OF EVERY MEETING OR TASK , ALLOWING ME TO BUILD UPON IT EFFECTIVELY . I THINK WHEN I DRAW , SO SKETCHING IS THE VERY BEST TOOL I CAN RECOMMEND .
18 . WHEN YOU HAVE FREE TIME HOW DO YOU LIKE TO SPEND IT ? I MAKE SURE I CARVE OUT FREE TIME EVERY DAY . IT ’ S AS IMPORTANT TO PLAN MEETINGS IN YOUR CALENDAR AS IT IS TO PLAN TO HAVE NOTHING IN YOUR CALENDAR . SOLITUDE BUILDS STRENGTH . MY FAVOURITE WAY TO SPEND FREE TIME IS ALONE IN A HOT BATH , WITH A GOOD BOOK , PODCAST , OR SERIES .
19 . WHICH ENTREPRENEUR DO YOU LOOK UP TO IN BUSINESS AND WHY ? SARA BLAKLEY THE FOUNDER OF SPANX . HER AUTHENTICITY AND THE STORY OF HOW SHE STARTED SPANX DEEPLY RESONATE WITH ME AND MY OWN JOURNEY . SHE HAS TAUGHT ME TO EMBRACE MY NAIVETY AND USE IT AS A TOOL FOR GROWTH .
20 . WHAT MADE YOU GO INTO A FIELD THAT WAS PREDOMINANTLY MALE-DOMINATED AND WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU FACE ? WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT , MOST INDUSTRIES ARE MALE-DOMINATED . IT ’ S UNFORTUNATE THAT MANY INDUSTRIES LEAN THAT WAY , BUT THAT ’ S JUST THE CURRENT STATE OF THE WORLD . HOWEVER , I SEE MY BUSINESS IDEA AS GENDERLESS . I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT IF IT WAS DESTINED TO EVOLVE INTO WHAT IT IS TODAY , NO OBSTACLE OR GENDER BIAS COULD HINDER ITS PROGRESS . WHILE COMPETITION EXISTS IN ALL SECTORS , WHAT BELONGS TO YOU WILL ULTIMATELY FIND ITS WAY TO YOU
“ EMBRACE WHAT YOU DON ’ T KNOW , ESPECIALLY IN THE BEGINNING , BECAUSE WHAT YOU DON ’ T KNOW CAN BECOME YOUR GREATEST ASSET . IT ENSURES THAT YOU WILL ABSOLUTELY BE DOING THINGS DIFFERENT FROM EVERYBODY ELSE .”
— SARA BLAKELY