What is more important, talent or drive?
Drive. Although talent is vital if I didn't have the drive to execute talent it would not work so in many ways the two are inextricably linked.

On a scale of one to ten, how significant a role does luck play when it comes to success?
Luck can be significant and helped in the beginning with Sodashi's success overseas as I was in the right place at the right time when a large hotel group was looking for a chemical free skin care line for their group of spas. But it seems the more passionate I am the luckier I get!

Which is more critical, the idea or the execution?
For me as Founder of Sodashi, the idea is more critical. Especially since I have an incredible team to take care of the execution of my ideas and create the structure. It's important to realise where your strengths lie - if you're a big ideas person - then ensure that you do have the right team and infrastructure to bring your ideas to reality. If your strength lies in execution, make sure to have the right creative brains around you.

Is it better to be passionate or objective?
Passion wins over every time for me! At Sodashi, if we were objective rather than passionate we would probably cut corners with our products and not be producing product with such high quality and expensive ingredients. When I founded Sodashi 10 years ago, I was PASSIONATE about creating a luxury spa line of skin and body care products that were entirely chemical free and made from only the finest natural ingredients. At the time - people thought I was crazy. Had I remained super objective about the situation, indeed I might have concluded that the market wasn't ready, or educated enough to embrace the concept of chemical free beauty. But my passion won over and here we are ten years later!

What is most and least important? Please rank your priorities

1. Drive
   Talent
   Relationship skills
   Confidence
   Organisational skills.

What one trait has helped you most in business?
My mother instilled in me that I could do anything I put my mind to and when faced with adversity not to give up. There have been many times in the 10 years of Sodashi that I have been appreciative of this advice. Business can bring many challenges and often this means digging really deep within you at the hardest times.

What is the one trait that has hindered you most in business?
Being overly trusting and overly loyal. This used to get me into trouble as I was inclined to believe everything everyone said too easily. Then I realised that everyone works from different perspectives and values so it is best to take it slowly, get to know and understand associates really well and then decide if their values and commitments are a match to yours. If they are not, then it won't work in the long run.

What is the hardest lesson you've learned and how did you learn it?
Taking responsibility for all that I am attracting into my life and into the business and having the courage to change things that no longer serve the business or me. It is very easy to blame external factors for what is happening in your business - the economy, competitors, even staff and colleagues. This is disempowering in the extreme since you can't do much about any of them. Once you learn the lesson - and at first it is a hard lesson - that what you get is what you attract, it is very empowering and liberating because you then realise you are in control of your own destiny and whatever happens is your own doing.

What is the one piece of advice you would offer other women in business?
Don't be afraid to stay true to who you are and what you believe in. Your business will reflect your values and principles and those who work with you can learn a lot from this. There can be great pressure to sacrifice your principles for dollars. For example, in my situation, I have had pressure in the past to use cheaper, lower quality ingredients and raw materials in our products. But this would be completely against Sodashi's ethos and principles. I started Sodashi with a passion to create a world-class skin care range that was totally chemical free and that really worked, created especially for spas, spa therapists and spa clients. I remain true to this and have not wavered in 10 years nor will I in the future!

What are the biggest mistakes you see women making in business?
I think some women think they need to become like men in business, but I believe we should rely on the qualities that make us special as individuals. Whether it's our compassion, our emotional intelligence or our flexibility, we should stay in tune with our natural attributes rather than trying to emulate male qualities.