Naomi – I’ve been a big fan of yours for some time now reading about you through the incredible press you’ve received from your company red balloon days. Can you tell our readers about your company and how it got started?

RedBalloon Days launched about six years ago. As an online gift service, but instead of a physical gift we deliver experience vouchers. These vouchers can be redeemed against one of nearly 2000 experiences from chocolate delights to jet fighter flights.

We love doing what we do – given that in the average life there are about 27610 days I like to think we made some of them more memorable. Whilst we started as a consumer gift business selling online we now deliver hundreds of organizations reward and recognition programs. Corporate gifts have become a very large part of our business.

If you could go back to yourself before you started red balloon days – what 3 pieces of advice would you give yourself?

• Be a geek, even learn to cut code so you can understand what is really required technically.
  
  
• Get an HR person sooner rather than later even if part time.
  
  
• Be straight with people if they are not performing – even if it hurts their feelings, in the long run it is better for everyone.

Did you have a mentor or coach who has helped you achieve?

Everywhere and anywhere – there is gold in anyone. But I have had some special ones over the years.

What 5 pieces of advice would you give to someone wanting to start their own business?

• Know the difference between a hobby and a business
• Love what you do and do what you love
• Systems will set you free
• Understand cashflow
• Have a clear vision

I understand you’ve written a book (which I’ve just ordered)! Tell us a bit about it.

I wrote the book because people somehow believe that running a fast growing business is an overnight activity – there are lots of people that contribute and lots of lessons that are learned. I thought if I shared what I had learned about creating a business others could learn not only from my mistakes (and there have been some big ones) but also from the mentors I have had (It’s about giving it away).

When you were 5 years old what did you think you wanted to be when you grew up?

A clown (some say I achieved that) – and in high school I wanted to be an artist. Ended up studying economics and commercial law – go figure?

Do you enjoy reading business books and if so – what titles would you recommend our readers check out?

I read lots – I just read the Magicians Way by William Whitecloud. The book before that was Peter Sheahan’s new book Flip.

I'm a big believer that successful people fail more times than most the defining characteristic being that they learn from their failures. What have been some of the failures or challenges in your business and how have you learnt from them and would you change anything if you could go back?

I’m a very positive person so regrets are not really in my vocabulary. I wish I had known before hand the wasted money that gets spent or the projects that you start that just don’t work – but there is no answer and part of being an entrepreneur is trying new things. Innovating. If it was easy every one would do it.

What one statement best sums up your philosophy to life?

If it’s meant to be it’s up to me. The future is the one that I imagine, and then set about creating.

What question would you ask yourself if you were interviewing you (and answer it too please!)

What would you like your children to know about you?

Our children see us in such a different light – their whole world has them clearly in the centre of it. I want to teach my children what generosity truly is – and that to give is the best gift of all…