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?

What does financial confidence actually look like in practice? In this edition of FoundHer FundHers, I speak with Arlyne Chinyanganya, founder of Roots to Froots, about breaking the silence around money, moving beyond survival mode and building lasting financial wellbeing. We discuss wealth, confidence, community, financial education and why understanding money is one of the most powerful tools we can give ourselves and the generations that follow.

Dr Emma Guthrie, CEO of the Hydrogen Energy Association, standing in front of a large “State of the Hydrogen Nation” display while holding a copy of the Hydrogen Energy Association’s report. She is wearing a bright red blazer and smiling at the camera during an industry event focused on the future of hydrogen and the UK’s energy transition.

What does it really take to build a successful creator agency in today’s rapidly changing digital landscape? In this STYLISA FoundHers interview, SoSher Media Founder Shereen Patel shares her journey from spotting inequalities in the influencer industry to building a global agency rooted in purpose, representation and impact. We discuss pay equity, authentic influence, diversity, entrepreneurship and why community is becoming more valuable than reach.

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.

For the latest edition of STYLISA FoundHer FundHers, I spoke with Natasha Kumar, founder of Lexo, about investor readiness, financial confidence and why too many female founders are approaching fundraising without being properly equipped for the process. From sequencing and due diligence to investor relationships and the realities of raising capital, this is a practical and thought-provoking conversation designed to help founders navigate funding with greater clarity.

Scientist, entrepreneur and founder of SökerData, Dr Elsa Zekeng is working to address one of the biggest blind spots in modern healthcare: who is represented in the data. In this STYLISA FoundHers interview, Elsa reflects on her journey into STEM, the realities of building as a Black woman in health tech, and why the future of medicine, AI and personalised treatment depends on creating systems that work for everyone.

This is a conversation about power, systems and responsibility. In this first FoundHers Boardroom interview, Dr Marilyn Comrie OBE, shares what it really means to operate at board level, how global energy dynamics are reshaping economies, and why building the future requires more than strategy alone. From Verciti to South Africa, this is leadership at a level most people don’t see.

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.

From London to Kenya, Joanna Maiden has built more than a fashion factory. She has built a model for what ethical, people-first business can look like in practice. In this interview, she shares how SOKO Kenya has grown from four employees to 150, why she refuses to compromise on values, and what it really means to use fashion as a force for good.

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.

From watching Jean-Paul Gaultier on television as a child to designing handcrafted couture gowns in her Brussels atelier, Valentine Avoh’s journey into bridal fashion began almost by accident. In this conversation, the designer shares what she learned from working at Alexander McQueen, the power of storytelling in fashion, and why creating a wedding dress is about far more than just the garment.

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.

Women live longer but retire with less. In this month’s FoundHer FundHers, Financial Educator Felicia Flinders breaks down the pension gap, explains the triple lock in plain English, and challenges self-employed women to stop leaving money on the table. If you want financial peace, not just income, start here.

From modelling at 17 to styling campaigns, building sets and presenting live on QVC, Emma Lightbown has built a 20-year career rooted in creativity and graft. In this candid STYLISA FoundHers interview, she shares her pivot from “seen and not heard” to finding her voice, the reality of freelance feast and famine, and why fashion should feel like self-care, not pressure.

In a world where inclusion remains conditional, access alone is no longer enough. This article reflects on why building our own structures has become essential, not reactive. Rooted in history and lived experience, it explores the difference between visibility and ownership, and why STYLISA FoundHers exists as a deliberate, enduring act of authorship and power.

In this edition of STYLISA FoundHers, Ngunan Adamu reflects on using media as a tool for empowerment, not exposure. From founding iWoman Academy CIC to shaping national conversations at BBC Radio Merseyside, she shares what it means to lead with integrity, amplify others and build platforms that last.