In our family, being powerful means you never, ever apologize for being a woman.

Nine times out of ten you take the first step in creating your own universe by picking up the phone.

Real guts are nothing more than developing your inner voice to the point where it is louder and stronger than the voice of your fear.

Never hesitate to show your own staff that you need help. They need to be reminded how important they are to the process. In life and in business, we rely on each other to be responsible for individual tasks that benefit everyone. People sometimes forget how much interdependence there really is in a successful business. Learn the art of asking for help to empower and motivate others, and you will have learned a very powerful management strategy.

Women are called difficult and tough when (1) we negotiate the best deal, (2) we are perfectionists in doing our job, (3) we are willing to work harder and longer than men are willing to, and (4) when we question anything - anything - that someone else is doing, particularly if that someone is a man.

Success is the process of not accepting failure.

In the end, raising money is basically a matter of going out there and asking. There are no shortcuts.