With 26 years in the fashion industry, Susan worked with some of the biggest high-street brands, shaping trends and leading creative design. After experiencing burnout in 2018, caused by imposter syndrome and self-doubt, she made the difficult decision to step away from the industry.

Determined to help others facing similar challenges, she co-founded The Creative Space Coaching in 2020, coaching  highly creative professionals working at top design agencies, studios, and fashion houses—including LVMH and YSL—who struggle with the pressures of self-doubt, perfectionism, and creative confidence.

In April 2025 she co-founded Trust Your Creative, a training and development company that moves people and companies forward with creative excellence that thrives beyond imposter syndrome.

Listen to find out how Susan has found success in different aspects of her life, and what she would put in the guide...

Jill Pay, Chairman – The Gender Index

Jill is Co-founder and Chairman of The Gender Index, a not-for-profit organization that is quantifying the impact of women-led companies to achieve positive and disruptive change.  She is also Non-executive Director of mnAi, an AI-driven technology company that gives real-time research and analysis on UK companies.  Her career has zigzagged across public and private sectors and the enormous impact is that she is now a relentless champion of the need to establish metrics to standardize economic progression led by women.

Previously Jill was Serjeant at Arms in the House of Commons and the first woman to hold this position in 600 years. Her appointment was unusual in that her predecessors all came from a military background, whereas her roots are firmly established in business. 

Jill holds a number of senior roles for organisations including the children’s literacy charity Coram Beanstalk, the global women’s business hub Savvitas Global and the Women and Enterprise All Party Parliamentary Group. She is a major driving force behind the acceleration and empowerment of female entrepreneurship internationally.

Listen to find out how Jill has found success in different aspects of her life, and what she would put in the guide...

Lydia Amoah, the dynamic CEO of BACKLIGHT and visionary Founder of the Black Pound Report, is a beacon of inspiration in her commitment to diversity and inclusion. Her personal journey, marked by resilience and determination, is a testament to the transformative power 

of diversity. Renowned for her pioneering work, Lydia is a leading figure in consultancy, data, and communications insights. She is also a highly respected business coach and mentor, guiding professionals and organisations towards success. 

BACKLIGHT: Empowering Authentic Connections 

Under Lydia’s exceptional leadership, BACKLIGHT is revolutionising how brands, ad agencies, and businesses communicate authentically with diverse audiences. Our innovative media planning tool, a testament to Lydia's vision and expertise, has proven to be a game-changer, empowering companies to connect genuinely with diverse demographics. It ensures their messages and marketing/communication strategies resonate meaningfully, instilling confidence in their effectiveness. 

The Black Pound Report: Illuminating Consumer Insights 

The Black Pound Report, a groundbreaking initiative spearheaded by Lydia, is pivotal research that illuminates the spending habits of Black and Multi-Ethnic consumer audiences in the UK and provides actionable insights on how businesses can successfully cater to these vibrant communities. This invaluable resource, showcasing Lydia's commitment to diversity, has helped companies like News UK and Channel 4 to foster more inclusive and effective marketing strategies. 

Recognised Excellence 

Lydia’s exceptional contributions have earned her a place among the Top 25 Black Entrepreneurs to Watch by the UK Black Business Show, sponsored by HSBC. Her recognition on the Diversity Power List 2023 and the Market Research Society - Liz Nelson Award for Social Impact underscore her influence and impact in promoting business diversity, further acknowledging her credibility and expertise. 

Expertise and Services 

Beyond data analysis, BACKLIGHT offers consultancy and bespoke training, helping companies create products, services, and campaigns that resonate with a diverse consumer audience. Lydia’s invaluable insights into Black, Asian, and Multi-Ethnic audiences and her successful C-suite business coaching have yielded tangible results for organisations. With her expertise as a business coach and mentor, Lydia empowers professionals and leaders to unlock their full potential, guiding them towards success in their endeavours.

Listen to find out how Lydia has found success in different aspects of her life, and what she would put in the guide...

Fiona Lambert, is renowned as one of the UK’s leading businesswomen, having held board roles at Next, George at Asda, Dunelm, River Island and most recently Managing Director of Jaeger at M&S, where she led its celebrated reinvention.

She is now President of The Twenty Club, a long-standing exclusive members dining  club with a 137 year history. 

At 60, she made a pivot, setting herself the goal of getting into the best shape of her life, determined to break stereo-types of aging and wrote Invincible not Invisible, sharing her sustainable approach to mindset change, exercise and nutrition. 

Link to Invincible not Invisible here.

With a rapidly growing social media profile creating content on @fionalambertofficlal, Fiona has become a role model and advocate for ‘It’s never too late, and you’re never too old.'

Her second book launches on July 8th. 

Listen to find out how Fiona has found success in different aspects of her life, and what she would put in the guide...

Sara Whatley is a 43-year-old ovarian cancer survivor and the inspiring founder of Ailsa’s Aim, a charity that supports cancer patients and families with babies in neonatal care. 

Motivated by her own journey, Sara created Ailsa’s Aim to provide comfort, essential care items, and heartfelt support to those navigating incredibly difficult times. 

Her strength, compassion, and determination are at the heart of everything the charity does, turning her personal experience into a powerful force for good.

 Through Ailsa’s Aim, Sara is dedicated to raising awareness, spreading hope, and making a meaningful difference—one bag, one family, one life at a time.

Listen to find out how Sara has found success in different aspects of her life, and what she would put in the guide...

A leader in the realm of women's boxing and the visionary tech founder of Pillow, a transformative Al integrated platform dedicated to powering survivors to thrive after domestic abuse. As founder of Fight Forward, a social impact business, she has a mission to support women to reclaim their strength and voice after experiencing abuse.

A trailblazer in the sport, Lesley became the first British woman to win gold at the EU Championships in 2008 on first entry, proudly representing England and Great Britain on numerous international stages.

Motivated by her own personal journey out of abuse, Lesley launched the pioneering initiative The Fight Back, which gained prominent coverage on Channel 4, SKY Sports and the BBC.

Her ambitious goal to help 100,000 women "fight forward" out of abuse is rapidly gaining momentum.

"My work with Fight Forward is particularly disruptive because it challenges preconceptions about boxing. We are using what is typically considered a violent sport to heal women who have experienced violence. The program helps women reclaim consent over their own bodies and voices, connect with their bodies in a healing way, find community and connection and process trauma through physical movement".

Lesley's influence extends beyond the ring. She co-produced an independent documentary with BBC Sport that highlights the challenges faced by female boxers in Ghana, broadening the narrative around women in sports globally. Additionally, her expertise has been showcased as a guest trainer on Channel 4's "How To Get Fit Fast" and as an athlete on BBC 3's "Last Woman Standing."

An engaging speaker, Lesley has delivered impactful presentations to diverse audiences, including leading FTSE 100 companies such as Barclays, Standard Chartered, and Facebook. Her talks center on empowerment, resilience, and transformative change, drawing inspiration from her own experiences overcoming adversity in both her personal life and sporting career.

Listen to find out how Lesley has found success in different aspects of her life, and what she would put in the guide...

Kim Palmer founded Clementine after navigating anxiety during pregnancy — what began as personal survival became a mission to support women’s mental health in a more honest, human way. 

Clementine is now an award-winning femtech app with over 160,000 downloads (achieved with minimal marketing), more than £1M raised in investment, and 40,000+ glowing reviews. It’s been named App of the Day twice, featured in Google’s ‘Best Of’ list, and recognised globally with strategic partnerships in the UK, Sweden, Colombia, and Mexico. 

In May 2024, Clementine won the Fem Tech World Award for Best Mental Health Business.

Listen to find out how Kim  has found success in different aspects of her life, and what she would put in the guide...

Aishah N. Ahmad is a central banker, board leader, and global financial expert with over 28 years of experience across public policy, financial services, and governance.

A trailblazer in her field, she made history as the first female Deputy Governor for Financial System Stability at the Central Bank of Nigeria, where she played a pivotal role in shaping financial policy, preserving stability—particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic—and driving record growth in real sector credit. Her leadership helped deliver key financial reforms, including the landmark Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA 2020), whilst improving financial inclusion by a record 11% and pioneering Nigeria’s first International Financial Inclusion Conference.

With a career spanning wealth management, banking, and regulatory leadership, Aishah has a proven track record of driving innovation, aligning diverse stakeholders, shaping policy and transforming ecosystems. She has been instrumental in cementing Nigeria’s position as a global hub for payments innovation, introducing policies that significantly expanded electronic transactions and digital financial services.

Aishah holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) and INSEAD’s International Director’s Programme (IDP-C) designations, bringing a deep expertise in financial markets and governance. She currently serves as a board member at SOS Children’s Villages International and the Financial Alliance for Women and is a trustee of Women in Management, Business & Public Service (WIMBIZ). Previously, she chaired the Nigeria Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS), the country’s primary payments market infrastructure.

Beyond finance, Aishah is a passionate advocate for gender equity, mentoring thousands of women through initiatives like the 100 Women Breakfast and WIMBIZ’s Big Sister Programme, which has impacted over 8,000 teenage girls in public secondary schools in Nigeria. During her tenure at the CBN, she institutionalized female empowerment as a strategic priority, contributing to female CEO representation in Nigeria’s banking sector reaching an all-time high of 25%.

A regular speaker at global forums, including the World Bank/IMF, Harvard Kennedy School, and Saïd Business School, Oxford University, Aishah is widely recognized for her contributions to finance and gender advocacy. In 2023, she was honored with the national award of Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) for her impact on Nigeria’s financial sector.

She holds an MSc in Finance & Management from Cranfield School of Management, an MBA in Finance from the University of Lagos, and a Bachelor’s in Accounting from the University of Abuja.

Aishah Ahmad is committed to championing financial stability, inclusive growth, and the next generation of leaders.

Listen to find out how Aishah has found success in different aspects of her life, and what she would put in the guide...

Edwina Dunn OBE is one of the most successful leaders in the data industry, with a  career of delivering transformational business change  

Dunnhumby revolutionised the world of retail and consumer goods when they  pioneered Tesco Clubcard and other global loyalty programmes.  

Founder & Chair - The Female Lead, an educational foundation celebrating the  achievements and diversity of women who shape our world ; using data to  understand the challenges women face, working with business and government to  help create new models and policies for the workplace, all driven by a social  platform with over 8 million followers. 

In 2019 Edwina received an OBE for her services to data and business in the UK. 

Edwina is former Chair at Starcount where she helped forge a new era of consumer  insight and technology and former Chair at the CDEI (Centre for Data Ethics & Innovation) and a former Board member of the Geospatial Commission. 

Listen to find out how  Edwina has found success in different aspects of her life, and what she would put in the guide...

Amber is a Dutch/British entrepreneur, who founded several healthtech companies. As the founder of Pregnancy+, the world's leading pregnancy app with over 150 million users globally, Amber has revolutionised health tech.

Bootstrapped and later acquired by Philips NV, Pregnancy+ stands as a testament to her relentless focus on customer-centricity and scalable impact. Powered by ML and deep analytics, it became the world’s leading pregnancy app globally. 

Amber is now spearheading 28X, a transformative FemTech initiative addressing systemic inequities in women’s health. By leveraging on-device AI, 28X provides inclusive, privacy-first education and health insights, ensuring accessibility for underserved communities.

 Her commitment to ethical technology and sustainability underscores her belief in a more equitable future. Beyond her entrepreneurial ventures, Amber is a NED for a diagnostics PLC and and is a sought-after public speaker on topics like AI ethics, women’s health, and innovation. 

Outside work, she is a dedicated mother and enjoys playing tennis.

Listen to find out how Amber has found success in different aspects of her life, and what she would put in the guide...