Jacqueline Gold

"Build your own brand equity by listing all the great things you’ve achieved in your life – the times you’ve been resilient, dynamic and entrepreneurial. Then, when you go into an important meeting or have a wobbly moment, you can read that list and boost your confidence. Women tend to forget how powerful they are and how good they are at what they do."

"You don’t have to be a table-basher to succeed and you don’t have to emulate men to succeed. Stereotypes like the entrepreneurs on Dragon’s Den and The Apprentice make compelling viewing but you don’t have to behave in that way to get results. I used to do the whole power-dressing thing until someone said I reminded them of a politician. At that point I stopped and went back to being just me!"

"If you’re in business you are going to take risks and make mistakes. The key is knowing when to pull the plug and not let it get out of hand."

"My biggest business challenge came when I received a bullet in the post just before opening an Ann Summers store in Dublin. It would have been easier to pull the plug but I hate the idea of being bullied and ploughed on."

"“Women should own their success. If we are to be good role models to the next generations, we have to empower ourselves.”"

"I think it was a sign of the times that when I was a teenager, my father didn’t really talk about his business and what he was doing, and I don’t think he ever imagined me going into business because I was a girl."

"it was boys who followed in their father’s footsteps. But I was always incredibly hard-working, and I was keen to have financial independence – and I was very ambitious and creative."

"I certainly didn't expect to go into the line of business that I did go into; and I think that is the case with many entrepreneurs. We tend to stumble across our opportunities."

"Women are making a lot of decisions themselves, both in business and in life."

"If you can find some positivity in the obstacles life throws at you, you can survive them, and I think this is what resilience is; and you need it in life and in business."

"The younger generation have different challenges than we had. Social media is a big challenge for young people and so is having to keep up with what your peers are doing and how instant everything is. There are positives to social media though, but I think it can impact young people's wellbeing and their outlook on life."

"Successful businesses today are those that have a purpose."

"Whatever business you go into, make sure it has a purpose that is authentic; and you will need to have a clear point of difference that sets you apart from your competition."

"Being able to adjust to your environment and adapt is something that I feel is important too. For female entrepreneurs, it is also about self-belief. If you ever doubt yourself, keep a list of all your achievements and read them back to yourself before you go into an environment that might give you a wobble."