Every week I interview inspirational women in tech to learn more about themselves, their work and their journey to success (interviews here). And I always ask them what advice they would offer their younger selves. Here is some of what they had to say:
1. Jacqueline de Rojas, President TechUK, NED Rightmove 
Find your ‘why’. What gets you up in the morning? What do you really care about? The moment I realised that it shouldn’t be this hard to get this far in the tech industry, I started looking around to see why it was so hard. I found a voice and a reason to make the changes I have made in my own life and found the reason for my choice of executive role and board positions. Read full interview with Jacqueline here.
2. Nicki Sprinz, Co-Founder Ada's List, Commercial Director ustwo

1. Perfectionism is overrated – sometimes just good enough is all you need.
2. Learn to negotiate better – if you don’t know how to value yourself, how will others?
3. Be kinder to yourself, we’re all our own worst critics.
4. Enjoy the journey, and be good to those you meet on the way. Read full interview with Nicki here.

3. Monica Mwanje, Founder and MD of MM Creative Solutions It’s OK to do things your way and to trust your instincts. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Forge ahead, give it 100% and learn from it good or bad. Ultimately progress comes from doing and you won’t achieve much standing still. So go and get on with it. Read full interview with Monica here.

 4. Suw Charman-Anderson, Founder of Ada Lovelace Day, social technologist, and journalist 
Sometimes, when you are that nerdy girl sitting in physics class, wondering why there aren’t more girls there, it’s easy to believe that you’re so weird that you must be alone. But there are people like you out there, and they can give you help, guidance and support when you inevitably need it. Be brave. Seek them out. You’ll like them, and they’ll like you.
Read full interview with Suw here.

5. Victoria Peppiatt, Co-Founder and COO of Phrasee  Jump at opportunities that come your way and don't be afraid to try new things... when it comes to work and business, I'm a bit of a believer that everything happens for a reason, so if something doesn't work out then focus on what you've learnt and move on. Don't dwell - it's all a learning curve and you're never going to get everything spot on first time! Read full interview with Victoria here.
6. Tamara Lohan, Co-Founder and CTO, Mr & Mrs Smith
I’d say, "Remember who you are and what you love." Work can be all-encompassing, so I’d remind her to take a step back, look around and enjoy the journey. Read full interview with Tamara here.
7. Iona Inglesby, Founder Dotone, Arctic Husky Trainer 
I always felt like I was a bit weird when I was at school and didn’t quite fit in. I had a different accent (born in London but living in Sunderland). I didn’t know anything about the TV shows and music other children were into; they watched MTV - I built skeletons... I longed to be one of the cool girls, and probably repressed my personality to blend in more and therefore became very quiet. So, if I could go back, I would tell myself that it was good to be different, and to totally embrace being a bit weird because for me, now, there is nothing scarier than blending into society. Read full interview with Iona here.
8. Robyn Exton, Founder of HER
Challenge yourself more. I spent a bit too long doing things I knew I could do. With the amount of information that is accessible today, you can figure out a way to tackle just about anything. You just have to start with the first step.
Read full interview with Robyn here.
9. Nikki Cochrane, Co-Founder Digital Mums
If I could go back in time I’d tell myself believe in yourself and that you can achieve absolutely anything you put your mind to. Anything is possible if you are passionate about what you want to do and prepared to put some serious hard work in - I’m doing this in my forties and loving every minute of it. I really couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
Read full interview with Nikki here.

10. Jude Ower, Founder PlayMob Have more confidence and believe in yourself. Years ago I would look at other people running business and think they were super human. As you get into it, it is all about hard work and perseverance but the more you do, the more confidence you build around listening to your gut instincts and making decisions. For me, this all came with experience, from failing, learning and carrying on - all of which are absolutely key to pushing forward to realizing your dreams and potential.  Read full interview with Jude here.