'The best learning experiences come when you're at your lowest': Camilla Hassan

The number one item on your wish list.
A Tesla model X. I love the environmental aspect (I'd never run out of petrol!), and the fact that they have many cool features.
If you could move to any place in the world, what place would that be and why?
Barcelona. I lived there for a year while I was studying, and had the best time of my life. The architecture, culture, food, art scene, beaches - I love it all. It's the home of Antoni Gaudí, Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, Salvador Dali, and some of the best tapas in the world. I'd go back in a heartbeat.
The biggest learning point or experience in your life.
The best learning experiences, in my opinion, come from when you're at your lowest and experiencing hardship. Success is never won easily, and building a business from scratch has taught me to value every single success - big or small - and never take anything for granted. It has taken a lot to reach this point, and while those times were difficult, they've shaped how we run things today. Launching Five Little Ducks has been such a journey, but I couldn't be prouder of where we are today.
If you won a million bucks tomorrow, what would you do with the money?
Bank half and buy a house! Then take my family on a holiday - time spent with kids is so precious as a working mother, so I'd want to go somewhere interesting to show them the world. I love traveling as it's so enriching and educational. I'd love to take my children on a safari in Kenya; I travelled there last year and it was a mind-blowing experience.
What advice would you give your younger self, if you could?
Be patient. I have a tendency to want everything right now, but I've learned so much over the past 10 years - and everything has led to this point. I'd also increase my limits with people a lot more - to be more savvy, more discerning of people and trust my gut. If something feels wrong, it probably is.
The most interesting app you've come across.
Netflix - boring but true. My family and I use it every day to watch movies and documentaries, and there's plenty to keep the kids entertained, too.
If you could trade lives with one person - dead or alive - for an entire day, who would it be and why?
Sir Edmund Hillary. I'd love to know what went through his mind as he scaled Mount Everest for the first time and reached the summit. I am obsessed with mountaineering movies and books - such a test of character and physical and mental strength.
Favourite fictional character of all time - and why.
Don Quixote de la Mancha from the book Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes. I spent an entire semester studying this book from cover to cover. Don Quixote is a dreamer - he's brave, noble and a rebellious. He is such an engaging character .
The best thing you've ever bought yourself and why?
My ticket to Dubai. It's been an amazing journey over the last 10 years, and I've had some incredible experiences I would never have had if I'd stayed in London. I've changed careers, met my husband and had my children here, and had several "only in Dubai" moments. I believe Dubai presents tremendous opportunities and an amazing life. I am so happy to be raising my children in a city I love.
If you could have your pick of superpowers, what would you choose?
Time travel. I'd love to go back and spend more time with my mum before she passed away a few years ago. I'd also love to see what the future holds and see my children when they're older - I don't want to wish the years away, but I'm curious and impatient! I know they will grow into amazing, smart and beautiful women, though.
- Staff Reporter