#TheWomanAlchemist #SmashThatCeiling interview series, #womeninspiringwomen giving an insight in successful female leaders/role models and their mindset continues and this week, perfectly timed for Valentine's week and still in the #fashiontheme #fashionweek month, is the turn of Sophie Thorne is the CEO & Founder of Twisted Lingerie, the home of deliciously provocative lingerie designed to unleash your sensual side, set pulses racing and bring delight to your knickers drawer.

Sophie Thorne started Twisted in 2016 frustrated that women could pick up a new dress from Topshop for £30 but couldn't find well-made and well-priced racy lingerie to wear underneath it. Sophie is the embodiment of the saying - "A Man (or Woman) is what he/she believes"; she started her business - self-funded - without a background in lingerie or fashion, learning quickly and with a lot of hard work – from ordering every "How to run a fashion business" book Amazon to business plan writing and brand development to pattern-making and so on... Twisted mission is to empower women to embrace their desires and make every day that little bit naughtier. With its accessible pricing (the range starts at just £17), Twisted is looking to fill this gap in the market without compromising on the designs or quality of the production. Simply put, it's seductive lingerie made for after-dark frolicking with all the style and attitude of luxury designer brands but none of the price tags. This interview is an extract from the book "STOP IT! It is all in your head" available now.

1. When you were a child, what was your dream job and why? To be honest, I can't remember having a dream job as a child. I remember telling my future secondary school headmistress that I wanted to be a hairdresser in an interview. Still, I also wanted to be a florist, photographer, model, teacher, magazine editor, lawyer, fashion designer…I was very indecisive as a child! 2. Can you tell me when you started to consider yourself successful? Launching my business. The journey to get Twisted Lingerie from my initial idea to launch was scary and, since my background isn't in lingerie (or even in fashion), a steep learning curve and a lot of hard work. However, reaching that point made me feel like I had achieved something I could be proud of – regardless of what the future held! 3. I'm sure you have faced adversity like every business/business person: how do you motivate yourself and force yourself through the worst times? There were so many challenges – a never-ending stream of challenges – when I was launching my business, but I was persistent, dedicated, optimistic, and patient. There were many moments when I could have just given up, but I pushed myself because I believed in what I was building. Starting a business is ridiculously hard and takes a tremendous amount of dedication, late nights, weekends, and many, many compromises. But, I've realised that if you're not passionate about the business, you're building, you'll feel burdened by the work. 4. What are the best things about your job? Running my own business means that the terms are entirely my own, and – frankly – nothing is better than that.

SUCCESS LEAVES CLUES

5. As Tony Robbins says, "Success leaves clues": what are your daily/weekly habits? I read a Vanity Fair article about Barack Obama about five years ago. In it, he explains that he only wears blue or grey suits because he doesn't want to waste time making decisions about what he's wearing when he has so many other choices to make. The concept resonated – having a fixed routine means I'm able to be more productive as I don't get distracted by trivial things; for example, I decide what I'm going to wear and eat the following day before I go to bed, I only socialise (be it for business or pleasure) once in the workweek, and if something comes up that isn't on my to-do, I won't do it (at least not that day). 6. What do you think is the most significant barrier to female leadership? There's no right way to answer this question. I'm very aware (and have unfortunately been on the receiving end) of the enormous amount of bias that exists for women in business, but – in many respects – I think the most significant barrier to female leadership is yourself. As Sheryl Sandberg explains so well in her book Lean In, women (unintentionally) hold themselves back, which prevents them from achieving their full potential, including the leadership positions they are more than capable of having.

7. What women inspire you and why? I'm constantly inspired by and in awe of the many women around me – from the stay-at-home mums trying to do a million things at once and the working mothers who manage to find time for everything to the women who work 60+ hour weeks and the ladies who are somehow able to fit vast amounts of charity work around all their other commitments. I see many daily examples, which inspire me to be a better person in all areas of my life. 8. What advice would you give to your 16year old self? That it's OK to make mistakes; everything you do doesn't have to be perfect (I would probably benefit from telling my 30-year-old self the same thing!). 9. Your instant mindfulness fix… Working out – exercise always clears my head. 10. And finally, something frivolous: the best thing about being a woman… The lingerie.

Top Takeaways from Sophie Thorne

• The most significant barrier to women in leadership is themselves – Don't hold yourself back!!!
• There are constant challenges: push yourself and believe.
• Nothing is better than living on your terms.
• It is OK to make mistakes – everything doesn't need to be perfect.
• Have a fixed routine to be more productive – focus on real decisions rather than the small things.