Clarks What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received from another woman in business? “Back yourself! It’s so simple, but so many of us doubt ourselves and the imposter syndrome can go into overdrive. It happens all the time! I was told to back myself, trust my gut and remember that I have earned the right to be here. It’s advice that I am constantly repeating to myself. One day it will sink in!” Debra Langley, venture partner, Lyre Ventures Inside Retail: Who are some of your female business heroes and why? “Brene Brown, because of her unique work on courage, vulnerability and leadership. Apple senior vice president Angela Ahrendts, because of her incredible brand, retail and customer instincts. Advertising guru Cindy Gallop, because she takes on really challenging issues, and is also the most pragmatic sounding board, who once advised me, ‘Ask for the highest amount of money you can say without bursting out laughing’.”  Were there any moments during your career when you felt like your gender held you back?    “The sectors I’ve focused on – fashion, retail and media – have a heritage of amazing women leaders and innovators, even though there still aren’t nearly as many at the top as there could be. I’ve always been opportunistic about the roles I’ve sought out, without thinking about gender, and I’ve benefited enormously from connecting with people both male and female whose guidance helped to advance my career.”  Alexandra Waldman, co-founder, Universal Standard What advice do you wish you could tell your younger self? “Always be kind to yourself and to other people because life weaves itself in ways that are unexpected. I believe in what goes around, comes around and I think kindness is very important. “We’ve been raised in a society where your interests are always put above other people’s, so when you talk about business, it’s magnified several fold. The premise from the very beginning is ‘I’m here to make money from you,’ so there’s a healthy suspicion where people ask, ‘Is this really what it seems to be? To whose benefit is this really? What damage does this do so I can benefit from it?’ I think people are beginning to ask themselves those questions more and more. Jodi Bricker, CEO, Quay Australia What’s something about the experience of being a woman leader that you wish people would talk about? “People don’t spend enough time talking about how incredibly hard it is to balance being a mum and a leader. The expectations for parenthood today, along with very low parental support in the workplace, have created the myth that you can have it all. In my experience, you can’t have it all at once. You have to figure out how to integrate your home life and work life — and where to lean in based on what needs your attention at any given time — to be better and happier on all fronts. As a single mum, it took a lot of effort and support to figure out this formula, and I’m passionate about paying it forward to the next generation of female leaders.” Livia Wang, chief brand officer, Access Corporate Group What are some of the challenges that working women face and how can leaders support them? “I think work/life balance is a difficult concept to achieve for many of us, especially anyone working across multiple time zones. Rather than feeling like we are inadequate because we can’t manage everything, I think we need to accept this may never be possible and not be too hard on one another.  “[In our business,] flexibility has certainly been critical since 2020, moving from office to home and back again, and we know it is productivity that matters most, rather than how many hours you spend at your desk. We are fairly flexible at Access — we treat employees as grown-ups, people don’t clock on and off and they are able to arrive and leave at times that suit their work arrangements.”