She’s a corporate trendsetter and football business heavyweight, but Karren Brady’s settled position in the comfortable top ranks of the reality TV business was earned through much less glamorous graft.

For the thousands of business hopefuls who, each year, apply to take part in BBC1’s The Apprentice, Tom Pellereau is currently living the dream. Shaun Curran spent time with last years winner to find out what happens when the cameras stop rolling.

We talk to Jo-are Bjerke, managing director of seating specialists HÅG, about what motivates and inspires him in business and the advice he would give to someone just starting out.

John Sandom is the founder and chairman of one of the UK’s leading branding companies 1HQ. Since setting up 1HQ in 1993, the agency have gone on to become award winning pioneers in their field working with international brand owners all over the globe.

Julie Meyer the founder of Ariadne Capital, First Tuesday and newest Dragon talks to Jon Card. As one of the foremost operators in the UK’s digital space she tells us about the web, who’s going to beat the recession and why being an entrepreneur is the best choice for the 21st century

When it comes to thinking about careers and jobs, the pressure for students and graduates these days is immense. It is hard to imagine how you can achieve success without further education, and even though there are so many role models on TV of famous celebrities that have made an achievement in life without education, it is difficult to know how they got there and whether they just got lucky!

We talk to Karren Brady, who is set to take over from Margaret Mountford as Lord Sugar’s eyes and ears on The Apprentice. Karren became managing director of Birmingham City football club at the age of 23; the only woman to hold this position in the premiership and the youngest director of a UK plc. Now 38, she is married to retired footballer Paul Peschisolido and lives in Birmingham with her two children – Sophia, 12, and Paolo, nine. Once the takeover is complete of Birmingham City FC it is widely predicted that she will blow full-time on her career as the first lady of football.

Hannah Prevett talks to Apprentice winner Michelle Dewberry about life post-Apprentice and founding lifestyle portal, Chiconomise