What if the way we work isn’t driven by habits, but by principles? In this FoundHers Notes piece, I explore the ideas that shape how I make decisions, from health and freedom to systems, organisation and agency. They’re the same principles that have shaped the evolution of STYLISA FoundHers and my belief that entrepreneurship, leadership, wealth and influence are all ultimately about creating greater choice and opportunity.

A stronger North needs more than investment. It needs more people with the opportunity to build businesses, create jobs and shape the future of our region. Inspired by today’s conversation about devolution and a No. 10 presence in Manchester, this FoundHers Notes explores a question I believe deserves far more attention: How do we ensure more women are creating, scaling and leading businesses in the North?

Visibility. Access. Influence. Power. Capital. These are words that can make people uncomfortable, particularly when women say them out loud. I’ve been reflecting on ambition recently and questioning why we’re often expected to soften it or explain it away. Perhaps the real conversation isn’t about whether we should want these things at all, but what we choose to do with them once we have them.

Building a business and accessing capital are only part of the story. There is another layer that is far less visible, where decisions are made, influence is exercised, and direction is set. In this FoundHers Notes piece, I explore the gap between visibility and power, and why understanding what happens inside these rooms matters more than we often acknowledge.

There’s a phase in building something meaningful where it feels like nothing is happening. You’re doing the work, but the response hasn’t caught up yet. I’ve been sitting with that recently, and I think we’ve misunderstood it. This isn’t a waiting room. It’s a proving ground. The question is whether you recognise it before you walk away.

One year ago, I published the first STYLISA FoundHers interview. No big announcement, just a decision to start. A year later, it has become something far more layered than I imagined. Not just a series, but an ecosystem. In this piece, I reflect on what building this platform has actually taught me about visibility, structure, and the quiet work that sits behind something real.

Over the past year, I’ve had the privilege of speaking with twelve remarkable women through the STYLISA FoundHers platform. Different industries, different journeys, different ambitions. Yet when you sit with these conversations long enough, patterns begin to emerge. In this FoundHers Notes reflection, I step back from the interviews themselves to share twelve observations about purpose, reinvention, courage and the realities of building something meaningful.

Five interviews. Five patterns. FoundHer FundHers was created to open up honest conversations about money. What I didn’t expect was how clearly those conversations would reveal the deeper truths about confidence, protection, identity and financial literacy. This is what five women have taught me so far, and why this platform is only just getting started.

AI has changed how we work, but not why we do it. In The Age of AI: Why Your Voice Matters More Than Ever, Lisa Maynard-Atem explores why personal branding, clarity, and human connection are still the most powerful differentiators in a world of machine-made content — and why visibility without strategy is just noise.

Founders don’t fail from a lack of ideas. They fail from too many. In my latest article, I introduce Progress or Park™, a decision-making philosophy that cuts through overwhelm by putting every idea in one of two places: progress it, or park it. No maybes. No wasted energy. Discover how this simple shift creates clarity, momentum, and focus for purpose-driven entrepreneurs.

Discover the funding challenges women face & practical tips for building your own path in entrepreneurship. Empower your journey!