Underwear Wonder Woman: Michelle Mone Talks Arming Yourself For Doing Battle In Business

Despite what people might tell you, being a woman in a business environment is still a battlefield.

Ever since the female secretaries proved quietly to be the brains behind the Mad Men and power-suited business women used their shoulder-pads to forge a space for themselves in the corporate elevator, women have been pushing for recognition in the workplace.

And there have been innumerable success stories.

Sadly, though, women are still drastically underrepresented.

It might surprise you to know that today, there are only three female CEOs in the FTSE top 100.

And approximately 200 out of the top 250 FTSE companies have less than 25 per cent women at board level.

Despite fantastic averages, which attest to the fact that more and more companies are hiring graduates with a 50/50 gender split, many of them are still only 15 per cent women at senior executive level.

The female workforce basically looks like a massive, pointy triangle - with lots of women at entrance level and less and less of us, the further up you climb.

And, to stem the muttering about marriage and babies before it even begins, research shows that this is really only part of the problem.

There are many reasons that women are scarce at board-level and in leadership positions - the pay gap, antiquated attitudes, sexual harrassment and an ingrained lack of self-worth are all contributing factors.

We spoke to underwear mogul and entrepreneur extraordinaire Michelle Mone - currently heading up the Kalixa Pro Spirit of Small Business Awards -  about what we women can do to arm ourselves for success.

Meeting Ms Mone

At first glance, it would be easy to miscalculate Michelle Mone.

Her image doesn't fit well with our pre-conceived notion of "business woman". We've been taught to believe that sharp tailoring, an aggressive stride and volume, lots of volume, are what it takes to make it in the boys' club that is the world of business.

Michelle Mone is decidedly feminine. And she's relatively soft spoken at that. I ask her about the media coverage that she's experienced throughout her career.

In her response, she admits that it's not always easy to handle: "I am a very confident person in business, but not in my private life. I'm quite shy."

To underestimate her, though, would be fabulously foolish.

She’s revolutionised our concept of underwear, arguably knows more about the woman’s body than many of us ever will, has three children... oh and she’s built a multi-million pound empire from scratch…so there’s that.

Possibly most important though, are her efforts to promote a different kind of business environment for women.

The kind that is supportive, productive, non-discriminatory and doesn't require you to act like a man to succeed.

Tips for Wonder Women

Allow Yourself To Be Just That

A woman.

We owe a lot to the scores of women who donned their trouser suits and learned to play ball with the boys, but now that we're further down the line, we can afford to figure out what we can bring to the table without having to imitate someone else.

"I use my femininity to its best," said Michelle.

"I love walking into a room with my hair blow dried, with my killer heels on, my sunglasses and my lipstick. It gives me confidence," she continued.

"I did a one-off lingerie shoot years ago and people kept saying a serious business woman would never pose for an underwear campaign [even one that supported breast cancer]," she continued, "Well, why not? Richard Branson goes out there and shouts about his brand from the rooftops. Why can't I?"

"You go into the army and you dress in combat gear. I go into the meeting room with my lipstick and my blow dry," she concludes.

So, lesson one, find the thing that makes you uniquely you, that gives you confidence and then use that as your calling card.

Pitch Perfect

Back it up.

It's no good challenging people's "business woman" stereotypes if you can't actually hold your own in the board room.

"You have got to deliver the business behind [your image] as well and if you can deliver both, then that's a powerful combination," Michelle explained.

"You can dress to impress and it doesn't mean you're an airhead. People can call me anything they want, but I'll tell you something, if I face them in business, I'll win. That is how confident you need to be," she continued.

"I could chew most guys up [in the boardroom] and spit them out and they wouldn't even know it had happened. Maybe they're too busy looking at how good my bra is!"

Consider A Start-Up

Currently, only 30 per cent of women in developed economies have ever met an entrepreneur.

And yet every scrap of evidence shows that women are crucial to economic growth globally.

"The more encouragement [for people to start their own business] the better," said Michelle. "The economy needs entrepreneurs. Shows like Dragon's Den and The Apprentice have helped make it popular, but you can do it for yourself."

Her advice, though, is to be infinitely and unequivocably passionate about whatever it is you choose to focus on.

Help Other Women

Despite complaining bitterly about the male dominant environments we often find ourselves working in, women aren't always very good at helping to tip the balance.

"Women have to help women more," Michelle asserted.

"Some find other women to be competition. But this isn't how the men do it. Guys have got their golf and their football and their rugby, where they give each other a pat on the back and a leg-up, but women don't really have that sort of culture. So it is important to find other ways to help one another," she continued.

Find A Mentor

As there are so few women in senior positions throughout the UK, it means that female role models, for aspiring juniors, are scarce.

And yet mentorship, as Michelle will tell you, can give you that crucially important foothold in the industry in which you are competing.

Michelle takes mentoring incredibly seriously - as part of the grand prize, for the Kalixa Pro Spirit of Small Business Awards, the overall winner will receive mentorship from Ms Mone herself.

"You HAVE to be able to ask for help," explained Michelle.

"Being an entrepreneur can be very lonely," she continued, "but having a mentor there - someone to cry on the shoulders of, someone who will listen to high moments and low moments and talk you through things and change your mind [is crucially important]."

"Think who would be really good for you - this doesn't always have to be someone high profile," Michelle said, "It might be someone that you know in your community; it might be a family friend; someone who can be there for you the whole time; someone who will respond to your needs."

Your first move might be to identify someone who has a certain level of expertise in a similar, but not identical area, to alleviate the sense of competition.

Then approach them honestly, suggesting you are looking for a mentor, explaining why you have chosen them in particular and stating the amount of contact you'd envisage having with them.

Look For The Resources Available

Setting up a business of your own can be a costly endeavour. While there are many ways to attract investment, there are also plenty of grants and competitions out there, which could set you on your feet.

With a little bit of research, you might find one that suits you perfctly.

[Daily Mail Downing St Catwalk Is A GOOD Thing, Says Michelle Mone]

[Women Need To Be Themselves At Work, Says Top Insider]

The Kalixa Pro Spirit of Small Business Awards is open for entrants until September 4, 2014. Prizes will be awarded for various categories, including best female entrepreneur, best male entrepreneur, best young entrepreneur and best sole trader.

The overall winner will receive £10,000 and a mentoring session with Michelle Mone.