Crazy like an entrepreneur - Telegraph series

Senior international business figures have agreed to share their experience in a series of filmed interviews with Fifty Lessons. This week: Anita Roddick, founder of Body Shop International

An entrepreneur has more in common with a crazy person. That's what I've learnt. When I could articulate entrepreneurship not as a growing business but as a sort of obsession it all made sense to me.

Entrepreneurship is obsessive and it does have certain core components: it's got to have a work ethic - that's why immigrants make terrific entrepreneurs, and why middle-aged, middle-class, wealthy people don't.

You've got to have an obsession with freedom; you're almost unemployable and you therefore set up your own skill base to cover that. You cannot stand hierarchy - especially female entrepreneurs, who'll try to break it down at any given point.

Read the full story in the Telegraph.