Ashley Mady, president of Brandberry, is a brand builder with a proven track record in design, marketing, licensing and merchandising. Ashley is a creative hybrid who blends innovation and business. Follow her at @kickashmady.

Who is your hero?

Jane Goodall.

What’s the single best piece of business advice that helped shape who you are as an entrepreneur today, and why?

Goals are dreams with deadlines. Set them and stick to them.

What’s the biggest mistake you ever made in your business, and what did you learn from it that others can learn from too?

Not hiring employees sooner. For a while I tried to keep the overhead low and do everything myself. It only lead to not being able to grow, bandwidth issues and exhaustion. If you’re in a position to pass off the work, I’d start sooner rather than later.

What do you do during the first hour of your business day and why?

Organize my to-do list and then work on one project or task that inspires me. The first helps to ensure the urgent tasks are completed, the second keeps me motivated.

What’s your best financial or cash-flow related tip for entrepreneurs just getting started?

Create a budget and then plan for the unexpected. You always need more than you think!

Quick: What’s ONE thing you recommend ALL aspiring or current entrepreneurs do right now to take their biz to the next level?

Look for loopholes! Set your goals, lay out the path and then look for loopholes. There’s always a way to accomplish something more quickly; you just have to be creative.

What’s your definition of success? How will you know when you’ve finally “succeeded” in your business?

Success is something you always work towards. I’m not sure you ever fully achieve it, the bar just keeps getting set higher. 

For me, it’s more about the journey than the destination. I guess I’ll always feel successful as long as I feel inspired to continue.