My career journey began in extraordinary circumstances at GCHQ, where I learned precision, discretion, and the importance of seeing patterns others might miss, skills that proved invaluable in the corporate world.

Moving into retail management, I discovered my talent for turning around challenging situations. Whether it was a struggling team, a failing project, or a complex organisational restructure, I approached each challenge with what I now call my ‘flashpoint transformation’ methodology. The key? Never shy away from difficult conversations or uncomfortable truths.

At 50, when many assume career trajectories are set in stone, I made what others called a risky decision, I left corporate security to found Prime Objectives. Seven months of uncertainty followed before referrals began flowing from satisfied clients. That leap taught me to trust intuition over conventional wisdom.

Then, at 84, life offered another twist: two five-year modelling contracts. While my peers settled into quiet retirement, I stepped onto photoshoots and into a world I’d never imagined. The experience was featured in The Telegraph and continues to challenge everything society believes about age and beauty.

Looking back on this journey, from military daughter to GCHQ operative, from corporate executive to entrepreneur, from facilitator to author to model, several key insights emerge:

Grab new opportunities, even when they scare you. The most rewarding paths often begin with butterflies in your stomach.

Reframe setbacks as learning opportunities. Every ‘failure’ in my life has led to something better, teaching me skills I didn’t know I needed.

Love what you do. Give it everything. Passion is the fuel that sustains you through challenges.

Maintain excellence in everything. Standards don’t decline with age, experience should improve them.

Keep up good connections. The endorsements I receive span decades and continents, testament to relationships built on trust and respect.

Embrace new challenges. Whether navigating Moscow to Siberia with three words of Russian (as I once did) or stepping in front of cameras at 84, growth happens at the edge of your comfort zone.