However , I managed to develop and earn the respect of my male colleagues . I demonstrated that I am willing to ‘ get my hands dirty ’ and do whatever it takes . I don ’ t always have the answer immediately , but I will do the necessary research . I am always willing to learn .
What I have come to realise over time , and with experience , is that not having an engineering degree and being a woman is an advantage . Diversity inside and outside the boardroom brings differing perspectives , opinions and insights , resulting in better decisions . The effect of great decisions is a high-performing organisation .
7 . Do you have habits / things that you do that set you up for success ? I plan my week either on a Friday afternoon or over the weekend . I then plan my day the night before , so I have time to let my subconscious process it and prepare for the day ahead . I like time blocking to ensure I get essential tasks done daily ( an app like Pomodoro can help with this ).
I don ’ t believe in work-life balance but rather in work-life integration . So , I take time every week to refill my cup .
8 . How do you face a challenge ?
• I make sure to get to the root cause of the problem by asking why five times .
• Depending on the challenge , I involve my people in coming up with a solution .
• I view every challenge as a learning opportunity – fail often , fail hard , and fail forward .
• A bit of creativity on the side also often helps .
9 . What was the most courageous thing you have done as an entrepreneur ? I hired someone who reports to me and who I believe is better than me . At the time , I was petrified . Who wouldn ’ t be ? They could end up being your boss ! But , looking back on it now , it was the best decision I ’ ve ever made . She has eased my workload significantly , which has allowed me to spend time on different , more critical things to the business as a whole . It ’ s also been a breath of fresh air to have someone in my field of expertise to bounce ideas off .
10 . What was the best advice you have ever been given ? Refrain from overcomplicating anything . Make sure that you keep everything as simple as possible . It means that less can go wrong , there is less to maintain , and it is less likely to ‘ break ’. Keeping things simple reduces costs and leads to fewer mistakes and improved reliability .
11 . What does your typical day look like ? As much as I would like every day to look similar , every day tends to look different .
I usually get up around 5.45 am and help prepare the kids for school . Our working hours are from 7 am to 4 pm , Monday to Thursday and 7 am to 1.30 pm on Friday . To lead by example , I do my absolute best to stick to these hours , so I am at work by 7 am and then aim to leave shortly after everyone else . However , I do occasionally work in the evenings or early mornings , depending on my workload and if there are any urgent tasks .