This March 8th, there's no better time to mark the moment by honouring the most inspirational women you know. From friends to collegues, family to mentors – there's plenty to learn from the incredible female forces in your life.
We sat down with some of our favourite brand friends, trendsetters, tastemakers, and industry leaders to talk women, work, and words to live by – plus the flowers that set the tone for their success.
Whitney Bromberg Hawkings
FOUNDER & CEO OF FLOWERBX
FAVOURITE FLOWER: Peonies, Always
WORDS TO LIVE BY: Feel the fear and do it anyway
WOMEN ARE: EVERYTHING
INSPIRED BY: Working mothers everywhere who juggle it ALL, all of the time.
Carmen Busquets
ENTREPRENEUR, STRATEGIC INVESTOR AND PHILANTHROPIST
FAVOURITE FLOWER: Orchid
WORDS TO LIVE BY: A wise woman wishes to be no one’s enemy; a wise woman refuses to be anyone’s victim.” – Maya Angelou
WOMEN ARE: Strong, resilient and optimistic warrior goddesses who refuse to be defined by failure.
INSPIRED BY: Vulnerability
Victoria Prew
FOUNDER & CEO OF HURR
FAVOURITE FLOWER: Blue hydrangeas
WORDS TO LIVE BY: The only way to know if it works is to do it.
WOMEN ARE: Unstoppable when they back themselves.
INSPIRED BY: Women who challenge, create, and lead.
Gucci Westman
FOUNDER OF WESTMAN ATELIER
FAVOURITE FLOWER: Jasmine for scent, Dahlia for beauty
WORDS TO LIVE BY: "Strive for excellence, not perfection" - Nicole Kidman
WOMEN ARE: Powerful + Empowering
INSPIRED BY: My extraordinary peers and colleagues
Sarah Hoover
AUTHOR OF THE MOTHER LOAD
FAVOURITE FLOWER: Ranunculus of course
WORDS TO LIVE BY: Don’t attribute to malice what is better explained by stupidity
WOMEN ARE: Capable of incredible emotional complexity nearing an alien-level type of genius; they should lead more
INSPIRED BY: Little kids refusing to do things that don’t sound fun
Daisy Knatchbull
FOUNDER & CEO OF KNATCHBULL SAVILE ROW
FAVOURITE FLOWER: Hyacinth - I want to bottle the smell.
WORDS TO LIVE BY: Be yourself as everyone else is taken
WOMEN ARE: Unstoppable
INSPIRED BY: Female entrepreneurs who break barriers
Rosemin Opgenhaffen
FOUNDER OF RR&CO LUXURY MANAGEMENT
FAVOURITE FLOWER: Peonies
WORDS TO LIVE BY: Don't look back. You're not going that way.
WOMEN ARE: Resilient
INSPIRED BY: Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN)
Michelle Kennedy
FOUNDER & CEO OF PEANUT
FAVOURITE FLOWER: Anemones for me
WORDS TO LIVE BY: If you do what you always did, you get what you’ve always gotten
WOMEN ARE: The inspiration for my life’s work
INSPIRED BY: My fearless founder friends
Lara Mead
CO-FOUNDER & CCO OF VARLEY
FAVOURITE FLOWER: Tulips
WORDS TO LIVE BY: Comparison is the death of happiness.
WOMEN ARE: Inspiring and empowering. We lift each other up, inspire each other, and empower each other to seek out our own paths.
INSPIRED BY: I’m inspired by all the women at Varley. They do all the jobs I’m not good at. We all come together with our own talents and visions, we complement each other, to make this brand what it is. Women are everything.
Anna Scott Carter
CO-FOUNDER OF ELECTRAGRAM
FAVOURITE FLOWER: Peonies in summer and Ranunculus in winter (always pink!)
WORDS TO LIVE BY: I keep Maya Angelou’s quote on my desk “people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
WOMEN ARE: As Coco Chanel said, “women have always been the strong ones of the world”
INSPIRED BY: My fellow female founders, most especially the fearless Whitney Hawkings!
Venetia Archer
CEO & FOUNDER OF RUUBY
FAVOURITE FLOWER: Sweet Pea
WORDS TO LIVE BY: Never give up
WOMEN ARE: Energising!
INSPIRED BY: Travel
Laura Jackson
CO-FOUNDER & CCO OF GLASSETTE
FAVOURITE FLOWER: Daffodils in spring - proof that there is always a way to rise
WORDS TO LIVE BY: Enjoy the ride. The journey is never easy so lean into the rollercoaster.
WOMEN ARE: An incredible force, with heart, soul and exceptional EQ. We have incredible resilience, thoughtfulness and courage. We are better together.
INSPIRED BY: My family and friends, living proof that no matter what life throws at us, connection and love is what lifts us up.
