Going back to her roots

"I've done that. I was a businesswoman in the communications industry and now I am returning to my first love: being an entrepreneur and living out my passion ... helping others."

She briefly touches on her leaving Saatchi & Saatchi, saying leaders should know when to leave. "It was time for me to leave Saatchi & Saatchi - and necessary for me to do so before retirement age. I am confident in the team's ability to move Saatchi & Saatchi forward."

She moves swiftly along to what is currently driving her, her new business: Gail Curtis Leaders.

Not a new field

Mentoring is not a new field for her. She has been mentoring for 20 years in some form or another and is a founder and trustee of the Youth Education and Training Initiative (YETI) for the Imagination labs in KwaMashu and Alexandra, enabling skills transfer through learnerships within agencies. Now, she says, it is time for her to return to her entrepreneurial roots and to drive her passion to mentor women leaders.

There is no doubt she is well qualified and recently this was acknowledged when she was awarded the media category for SA and the SADC region in Africa's Most Influential Women in Business and Government Awards.

"I strongly felt that the next chapter for me was about being an entrepreneur and mentor.

There are not enough women leaders, but there are also not enough women leaders mentoring other women she says, and she is pleased to see more corporates launching and running women's initiatives and mentoring programmes for women.

Who are the "girls'" guides?

Her question is: "Who is guiding the women in leadership positions? Who is helping women to stay the distance? "My success was built over a 30-year sustainable career. I am in the position to do what I do now because of that and because I have remained true to whom I am over that period of time, and did my job to the best of my ability."

"My business is selective and aimed at the top-level woman who feels lonely in her position. I believe I am in a space where I can help. I have been a shareholder. I have started and run my own company. I have been involved in the design and structure of a company. I would pass on what I have learnt over the past 30 years or so and what has enabled me to succeed.

It's not about a rah-rah on stage, but a quiet conversation and one on one inspiration. "It is about really working alongside women and sharing adversities, the culture and purpose of the organisation."

You must be passionate about what you do and do it well. "I like to win, and the feeling of being a winner. Lessons are learnt through failure, but we are not sharing that. There is nothing wrong with failing as long as you fail fast and fix fast," she says.

She says she will not be focusing on the advertising industry, but on women in business.