Adrienne Stewart, founder of luxury travel and gifting platform Hotel & Spa Resorts, is this month's occupant of the Executive Chair

What was your earliest ambition?

To be a pilot. I spent hours upon hours on a flight simulator as a child, much to the annoyance of anyone trying to use the dial-up internet.

I wasn’t fantastic at landing, so for the sake of public safety I thought it best to pursue a different career.

Were you a good student?

As an avid ‘list lover’, I was excellent at creating study notes as a ploy to avoid actual studying.

I was a good student overall, though, and was head girl at Loreto Secondary School Bray.

What’s your motto for life?

One life, live it. And bucking the ‘hustle’ trend, I also firmly believe in working to live, not living to work.

What was the best piece of business advice you ever received?

Better out than perfect. If you wait for a perfect product, you’ll never launch.

What’s the most difficult thing about running a business?

I think it’s important to be frank about the challenges, not just the wins.

For me, it’s the isolation of being the final decision-maker and motivator.

And you can’t exactly grab a coffee and complain about the boss.

Which business people inspired you?

I grew up in an entrepreneurial family, so I learned a lot through osmosis.

My parents’ focus was on the nuts and bolts of business, and a phrase I often heard was: “Turnover is vanity, profit is sanity.”

What is your favourite piece of clothing?

A new floor-length winter coat for the sidelines of my sons’ rugby and soccer matches, so I don’t freeze to death.

What was the last holiday you took?

Connemara — the best place on earth.

Which five famous guests would you love to have at your dinner party?

Grace O’Malley, Elon Musk, Marcus Aurelius, Graham Norton and Cleopatra.

What are your best and worst business habits?

Best: Getting excited about a new business idea and pursuing it.

Worst: Getting excited about too many business ideas and pursuing them all.

Regrets, we’ve all had a few — can you tell me one of yours?

Not having the privilege of maternity leave as a self employed person.

What car do you drive?

A Mercedes CLA.

What Irish business do you wish you had invested in ten years ago?

Stripe.

Your home is burning down — what item would you rescue before fleeing?

Besides my children, and hoping the goldfish wouldn’t boil — a piece of art I recently purchased.

What’s your party piece?

I once had my grandfather complain after I played the piano at a party. So, gun to my head, I’d sing The Galway Shawl.

What do you wish you’d known at an earlier point in your career?

Protect your connections because, as the old saying goes: ‘Your network is your net worth’.

What’s your favourite day of the week and why?

To be terribly predictable, Friday. That sweet spot in the day when your phone stops pinging and the weekend stretches ahead.

If you could be taoiseach for a month, what legislative change would you make happen?

I’d enforce a Work-Life Balance Act: Self-led working on a three- to four-day week, following the French model, to promote rest and, in turn, boost productivity.

Photo: Adrienne Stewart, founder of Hotel & Spa Resorts