People trust I know what I'm doing. I have lots of credibility. I've had years of learning. I know and understand my business.

Ive been making products for so long, I have a gut feel for what is right - what will work and what wont. I can tell instantly if its a hero or a zero.

The big thing for me is, I never think about myself as a female in business. I'm a person in business.

In business it is most often all about getting your foot in the door and once you do, everything opens up and things start to naturally progress into bigger and more opportunities.

I think people don't like when you're not confident about what you're pitching, and they don't want to invest in you or get behind you.

Entrepreneurship is the way we take control of our lives in a tough economy.

In the beginning I was really, really lean. For the longest time I did it all. I played every hat. I was in the factory, doing the graphic design, the photography, the selling - literally everything. I saved money doing what I could myself. It was hard but I learned. I learned that nobody's better than you to get your business off the ground. The experience you get is priceless.