International Women's Day: Caroline Gardner

Q&A with founder of Caroline Gardner.

Do you have any tips on how to run a successful business?

Running a business is about respectful partnerships – with customers, with suppliers and most importantly, with the people with whom you work with. You can’t do everything on your own, you need people and good people. We are very lucky to have a fabulous team, and we value every member of it.


Based on your own experience, what advice would you have for women wanting to get into your industry, or start a business of their own?

Try to be genuine in everything you do, and don’t expect it to happen immediately. It takes time to win people’s respect and it takes work to keep it!


Which women have inspired you most throughout your life?

There are a lot of women who have inspired me to do things over the years, it’s not a particularly exclusive club and members come and go. A recent entrant is Yvette Cooper who I admire greatly for her perseverance to make change for the better – and I wish her every luck in the world!