Diane is co founder of The Drum.
She describes herself as an avid consumer of business education, having stupidly not bothered in her early career.
She also engages in mastermind coaching and business training and loves reading business books (currently on the go is The Win Without Pitching Manifesto by Blair Enns).
This appetite for learning has helped her make fundamental changes to the business in the last four years, resulting in a more focus and better results.
On Diane's Twitter biog she describes herself as marketing-mad, business-obsessed, and unhealthily competitive. She also loves eating peas from the pod - so is looking forward to this time of year - pea pod season.
She joined The Drum in 1996, but couldn't have imagined then she would be living in London with offices in Mumbai, Singapore, and New York.
She's proud of the communities The Drum has created, by supporting marketers solve their problems, helping them navigate their way through the industry.
One of the books she read that was life changing - Think and Grow Rich and the Language of Leaders - helped them express their goals better, and consider questions like why couldn't we open an office in London.
She is inspired by Andy Murray, as tennis fan, but also watching his journey as a wee laddie from a little town in central Scotland go on to achieve the success that he has.
When recruiting people she looks for people who are curious about their business and about the world. She also likes people who smile, someone she can imagine spending time with, people who enjoy their lives. An important aspect of high performing teams.
There are still lots of un-dones on Diane's list, including to do virtual awards by making it like a full blown TV production. The Drum is undergoing a rapid digital transformation, which is being accelerated by the lockdown. The USA is also a big target, with the aim of it being a much bigger part of its business.
The downside is there have been times when they weren't sure they'd make it through to next month, with the business hinged on loans against their house, worried she may need to let her team go. So it's not all been rosey.
There's failure in her past but she chooses for it not to define her.
Her advice is to surround yourself with good people, who will support you and wipe your tears for you.
Through her competitive nature, she refused to fail. You have to work hard, nothing worth having is easily won.
If you enjoy listening to this podcast why not check out some of the others in season 1 & 2. Or perhaps you fancy taking part yourself? If so why not get in touch. You can find me via LinkedIn or Twitter