As a woman entrepreneur for over 20 years I have steered my business enterprise through both calm and turbulent waters. I have been called crazy for my vision, stupid for taking risks, applauded through high growth, brilliant for receiving Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, brave for standing up to a billion dollar predator, and ignored and shunned in times of difficulty. Through it all I have learned that the greatest support comes from the people you would least expect, and from never losing faith. Faith is not only belief in yourself but in what you cannot quite see from where you may be standing.

To keep momentum everyday I have found inspiration in nature and in the words and wisdom of the theoretical physicist, Albert Einstein. As we venture into 2014 and a new business year I wanted to share with my colleagues and with other women entrepreneurs eight of Albert Einstein’s inspiring quotes which have become a foundation in my business.

1. Start-up – “Imagination is more important than knowledge”

2. Business Design – Be passionately curious. “The important thing is not to stop questioning”

3. Competitive Advantage – “You have to learn the rules of the game and then play better than anyone else”

4. Persevere – “Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the facts”

5. Be a Leader – “Try to become not a person of success but a person of value”.

6. Be Fearless – “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new”.

7. Embrace Failure – “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity”.

8. Stay Balanced – “Look deep into nature and you will understand everything”.

Best wishes for a happy and prosperous 2014!