A: I was fortunate in that my parents passed on the entrepreneurship gene. It wasn’t just a choice; it was the very fiber of my family. I recall my parents asking us to weigh in on decisions as early as grade school. We were encouraged to think critically and voice our opinions on a broad variety of decisions.

This experience was very beneficial, and yet it was hard for me to envision what work would look like as an adult. Fortunately, the Internet came along, and I was able to start my career during an incredible time of invention. I weathered dot com and dot bomb in strategy roles, and in 2003 took the position of Chief Strategy Officer of iCrossing. Again, I was fortunate to jump into the search industry in its early years. In 2005, I left to explore other options, and quickly found I had built a healthy business, which became Luminary Labs in 2009.

A: Humility, compassion and a good gut instinct.

A: Luminary Labs’ principal focus is to help companies grow, transform and evolve. A wise manager will look to innovate when he or she recognizes that tomorrow will not look like today. If you know that your consumer will change, the competition will change, the economy will change or technology will change, it is time to innovate. Innovation is not just cool – it is necessary in times of uncertainty.

A: We have found that true innovation – sustainable innovation – requires embracing the conditions for success within an organization. The right path is the path that employs the firm’s strengths, while allowing it to grow in an organic fashion.

A: Learn how to make money. Even if your big idea requires more capital than you can generate today, every entrepreneur should know how to make money before raising money. Knowing how to make money is the most underrated entrepreneurial skill.

A: Do whatever you need to do to get over it. I also encourage women and men alike to deliver tough love. I am known to stop interviews and frankly tell candidates that if they don’t know what they are worth, how can I know what they are worth? Even though it is not in the entrepreneur’s best interest, it kills me when a woman accepts an offer without negotiating a thing.

A: I agree that we don’t talk enough about the valleys of one’s career. The decision to leave my role as Chief Strategy Officer of iCrossing was really tough. The dynamics of venture-backed companies frequently exacerbate such decisions. Leaving a start-up is often perceived as a vote against the team and company that you have helped build. There are equity situations that also cloud judgment. You are told that a piece of paper will make you rich, and so you start to put happiness and wealth on a balance to see which one wins out.

Interestingly, my departure opened far more doors than I would have expected. I was so focused on what I would be leaving that I didn’t fully realize the value I would create outside of the company.

A: While I don’t formally mentor anyone, I believe in intentional mentoring when the opportunity presents itself. I see this as an obligation. It would be wrong to not embrace a teaching moment that could alter someone’s life. The best part of this approach is that it frequently incites reciprocity.

A: All the time! The majority of people don’t want to see you succeed. Or perhaps it is that they themselves can’t envision success. I was told that I shouldn’t go to business school. That I shouldn’t move to another country. That I shouldn’t quit my job. That I shouldn’t marry my husband. That my business was not scalable. That [name any initiative] would be impossible. They were all wrong. It’s not easy to go against popular opinion. I had to remind myself that great things are not done by adhering to popular opinion.

A: I have sat on the Step Up Women’s Network NY Board of Directors for a number of years. I love the mission of connecting professional women to the women they need, and to the teen girls that need them. You have to pay it forward.

A: 1). Spending money does not make you rich. Saving money does. I was raised to be very resourceful. It is always a shock for me to hear women complain that they are “poor,” and yet they are wearing Manolo Blahniks and spending $100 a night on dinner and drinks. This does not mean that you can’t have fine things. It means that spending decisions should be made carefully based on your situation. I would add that to the extent possible, save money in your 20s. You’ll appreciate it in your 30s and 40s. It is hard to envision yourself buying a home when you are just starting out.

2). Know what your risk tolerance is. This is important for any and all financial decisions, including which jobs you take, what you invest in, and so on.

3). Get educated. There are plenty of new platforms to teach women the ins and outs of investing. Citi’s Women & Company, Learnvest and DailyWorth are all good places to learn more.