I've always been assertive!

Businesswoman Karren Brady on confidence importance in the workplace and the of taking time for herself

- GEMMA CALVERT

She famously returned to work just three days after giving birth to her first child and today, Baroness Karren Brady, 54, is reflecting on the pressure she felt as one of the UK's most successful working mums.

'You're juggling everything. Every day, you're going board meeting, nativity play, board meeting, sports day, meeting, parents' evening. It's that guilt that weighs you down,' the boardroom star of the BBC's The Apprentice explains.

'Of all [my] titles, working mother is the only title that suits me. I was weighed down by trying to be perfect at work and the perfect mum and, in the end, you realise that you can only do what you can do. It's not about who takes your kids to school in the morning and who picks them up, it's actually about teaching your kids the importance of being independent, having their own opinions, getting their own money and following their dreams."

Karren's method worked. Her two now-adult children with husband, former Canadian footballer Paul Peschisolido, 52, are both glittering success stories. Their daughter Sophia, 27, lives a luxurious life in Dubai after finding success as an influencer, while Paolo, 24, has followed Karren into business, working as a specialist tax consultant.

After leaving school and landing her first job for global advertising firm Saatchi & Saatchi, Karren began selling advertising at radio station LBC. At 19 she was hired at Birmingham City FC before being appointed MD four years later. Now vice-chair of West Ham United FC, she's also a member of the House of Lords and has been a Small Business Advisor for the UK Government.