As a woman, this is one of these areas where you have to walk a fine line: the classic, 'Are you soft and squishy, and you hug everybody, and you're a cheerleader?' versus, 'Are you the hard-nosed you-know-what female dog?'

I consciously make an effort to get to know some of the women who may be in the middle of the organization - they're not at senior management levels - and try to figure out whether there's a new opportunity they can take on that enables them to shine and succeed in a way they may not have in the past.

I don't believe in management by fear. I also won't sacrifice the future of a company for a quarter.

If you look at my career, I've taken on a lot of risky roles.

The lowest point in my non-league career came when I was a teenage substitute for Workington Reds in a game at Blyth Spartans, and some kids started throwing eggs at me and the other subs when we were warming up.

I had been asked to start going out for roles here and there throughout my career, but I know that acting is a hard thing; it takes a lot of work, and I was traveling. I didn't have the time to really focus on it, so I really waited for the right project to come along.

I approached my career like a rapper. I would go to every open mic, every studio session, bringing my beats. I would almost do exactly what a rapper would do to get on.

I stand here as the mother of three children, who knows firsthand how difficult it can be to combine family and a career.