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The 9% Event interviews Dame Mary Perkins, founder of Specsavers, celebrated philanthropist and first female self-made billionaire in the UK. In a brand new interview series, Georgina Burrows, founder of the 9% Event, chats to successful women about how they found their route to the top. In this episode, Dame Mary Perkins talks about her career, pitfalls, successes, how women can succeed in business, imposter syndrome and how, despite Specsavers' colossal success, Perkins sometimes still feels like she's faking it.

Recorded live at the 9% Event in Brighton, three inspirational female speakers at the top of their game discuss their career paths and tips for success. Named after the current UK gender pay gap, the 9% Event gives a platform for inspiring women who have achieved success in any industry to discuss the highs, lows, pitfalls and tips for the top in an engaging, entertaining and informal way. Fal Blake - Founder & Co-Director, Gresham Blake Fal, and her husband Gresham, launched the Gresham Blake brand in Brighton at the height of ‘cool Britannia’ in 2000. Since then, their eye-catching creations for high profile clients including Ray Winstone, Steve Coogan, Jimmy Page, Plan B and Norman Cook (aka FatBoy Slim) have brought him fashion industry recognition and an ever-growing army of customers attracted by their signature combination of quality garments with a quirky twist. With shops in Brighton and Shoreditch, Gresham Blake is an absolute icon of the North Laines and a wonderful representation of Brighton at its quirky best. Fal, a tailor with over 20 years experience, will take us through her career to date and tell us what it's like to be a female tailor making men's clothes, and who really wears the trousers... Rachael Adams - Commercial Editor, Business & Finance, the Telegraph Rachael is a hugely well-respected journalist, rising steadily through the ranks of Readers Digest, Which? and Money Marketing to her current position at the Telegraph, heading up the Business and Finance section of the paper as Commercial Editor. She will be coming down to talk about her experiences as a female journalist in a male-dominated broadsheet newspaper world, and how she has navigated her way through the world of journalism to reach her current position. A fascinating insight into the fast-paced exciting national newspaper industry. Emma Smith - Talent Manager, Creative Assembly Creative Assembly is a Sega-owned gaming studio that has won multiple awards, including BAFTAs and Ivor Novellos for its groundbreaking, world-class games including Total War and Halo. Emma has been with the multi-award winning studio for 8 years, seeing them grow to over 500 people strong, and as lead of CA’s Legacy Project, Emma and her team drive forward the studios long-term commitment to education, community and charity. She will be coming to the 9% Event to discuss being a woman in the typically male-dominated gaming world, what day-to-day life is like in a games development company and how her team are working to equal gender equality in this industry.

This is a podcast recorded live at the 9% Event in Brighton. The speakers are Chrissy Totty, of the Big Thinks, talking all things innovation, Pamela McKellar of the Gingerman restaurant group, talking about setting up an award-winning group of Brighton restaurants and Kathy Caton, founder of Brighton Gin.