You wear many hats; give me an idea of the work you do.I’m a founder, speaker, strategist, author, creative consultant and professional overthinker. But at the centre of everything I do is people, leadership and building things that matter.I built and later sold a successful all-female advertising agency after nearly two decades in the industry, and now my work focuses on leadership, strategy, speaking, and writing through platforms like The Good Businesswoman.A large part of my work now is creative consulting for movements, nonprofits and purpose-led organisations through D2C — a design-for-change initiative that connects creative thinking with people doing meaningful work in the world.I also spend a lot of time speaking and writing about ethical leadership, workplace culture, sustainable ambition and building high-performing teams.What was behind building an all-female agency?It started very organically, to be honest. I was freelancing, slowly growing into a small business, trying to survive more than anything else.But very early on, I became acutely aware of how differently I was being perceived as a young woman in business. I shared office space with my husband’s company, and every supplier or client who walked through the door would assume the men were in charge.When I was freelancing, I was told that I was “too young” and “too female” to handle certain projects or clients.I realised I had two choices: quietly accommodate that narrative or actively challenge it.That’s when I started intentionally building an all-female agency. Not because I was anti-men, but because I wanted to create visible proof that women could lead high-performing creative teams, manage major clients, think strategically and build commercially successful businesses.What do you look for when recruiting for your team?Aptitude and attitude.Aptitude is important because people naturally lean towards certain strengths. You can usually tell when someone has the instinct, curiosity or way of thinking suited to a particular role.But skill can be taught. If someone has the right aptitude and the right attitude, then the rest can be developed over time.I also pay close attention to emotional intelligence and how people make others feel.What advice do you have for women in leadership roles?I think many of the differences between male and female leaders are less about capability and more about conditioning.Women have historically been taught to soften themselves to be liked, while men are often taught to harden themselves to be respected. Neither extreme is particularly healthy.Many women naturally bring emotional intelligence, adaptability, intuition, collaboration and relational leadership into business. The problem is that those traits were historically treated as “soft” rather than strategic.My advice to women is this: don’t confuse hardness with strength. You do not need to become colder, louder or more performative to lead well. You can be decisive and empathetic. Strategic and deeply human. Ambitious and kind.Business Times