I started The Body Shop in 1976 simply to create a livelihood for myself and my two daughters, while my husband, Gordon, was trekking across the Americas. I had no training or experience and my only business acumen was Gordon's advice to take sales of £300 a week. Nobody talks of entrepreneurship as survival, but that's exactly what it is and what nurtures creative thinking.

Tap the energy of the anarchist and he will be the one to push your company ahead.

Cynicism is what passes for insight when courage is lacking

Irritation is a great source of energy and creativity.

How can you ennoble the spirit when you are selling something as inconsequential as a face cream?

With fewer and fewer corporations controlling more and more of the world's trade, there is an ever greater need to know more about the practices of these large faceless organizations.

I traveled enormously during the 1960's, when you measured everything by where you traveled and what you did as travelers.