Four successful New Zealand women shared their career stories at an open panel event in Whanganui on Wednesday night.
The event called Business with Heart was a La Fiesta special celebrating International Women's Day.
The four guest speakers were - Serena Fiso, CEO of call centre chain Connect Global; Anne-Marie Broughton, kaiwhakahaere (general manager) of iwi development enterprise Te Kaahui O Rauru; Louise Aitken, general manager of social enterprise development foundation Akina; and Melita Farley, creative partner of Whanganui business Double Farley.
Horizons Regional councillor, Nicola Patrick, hosted the event and said the panel was about understanding why business with heart was important to the 21st century.
Each speaker had a different story to tell.
Ms Fiso, born in Patea and raised in Wainuiomata, said low expectations were the norm growing up.
"I had teachers who would say to me - your not going to pass, you should leave now and get a job as a cleaner at Griffin's across the road,
"It was probably the best thing anyone could have told me because it fired me up," Ms Fiso said.
Ms Aitken worked in a top role for Fonterra for 11 years in New Zealand and the US.
"The diary industry was full of men so it was a challenging at times...you are always going to have an inner voice telling you, you can't do things but you've just got to have a louder one telling you you can." Ms Aitken said.
Ms Broughton saw the hardship her parents endured growing up "as money was tight" but she was always encouraged to go big or go home.
She opened a craft shop in Whanganui, a cafe in Auckland and later had a stint working in a hot shot law firm in Auckland.
"I'm good at getting businesses started but I hate the routine,
"Find something you really love and be prepared to stick it out"
Ms Farley, who grew up in the Paraparas and went to school in Upokongaro, "quickly escaped at 16 years old with no idea what [she] wanted to do."
At 25 years of age she started her own business in Wellington and eventually shifted back to her home turf with the company.
Ms Patrick ended the panel with sharing stats tweeted by the New York Times:
*La Fiesta is a three week Whanganui festival celebrating women and community.