When you meet people at dinner parties, you'll ask what they do and it might be a woman who'll say: "Oh I used to work but I'm only a housewife now." They'll put down what they've achieved, like raising kids. You want to say to people "well you're just a wonderful human, just because I have my gob on the telly and I've made some money, it doesn't make me successful or any better than you."
Mary PortasI don't want to be Sheryl Sandberg and 'Lean In', I don't want to lean in like a guy. I want to be more. I want to be a woman and proudly a woman.
Mary PortasBecause of the financial crash, we've lost trust in these big businesses that were led by a linear ambition to reach the top by risk - and invariably led by men. And so I think all the stuff that was seen as great "behaviour" will not be in the future, which I'm really pleased about.
Mary PortasI have a responsibility to lots of people in my life. I have three children, I'm a wife, I have 60 staff and lots of charity shops, so therefore I have a responsibility to be well, I think. I have a personal trainer three times a week, I do yoga and I meditate.
Mary PortasWhen I first went on TV, to make you look like a successful woman you had to be ball-breaking. I remember looking at these shows and thinking 'I'm not sure that's me'. It seemed like you had to behave like a man - but I think that's all going to go down completely, that's not the way we're going to live.
Mary Portas