Eileen Fisher is a very popular women's clothing designer who started her own business and grew it into a multimillion dollar international enterprise. As a child, Fisher was routinely told to ignore her inner intuition. For most of her 20s, Fisher held down odd jobs as a waitress and a part-time graphic designer.

Eventually, she learned to trust her intuition by drawing sketches and diary entries in a journal. This 'interior dialogue' helped Fisher clarify her career goals, and she used the $350 remaining in her bank account to open her design line. Rough estimates suggest that Eileen Fisher's business is currently valued at more than $100 million--quite a turnaround by any standard.

Eileen Fisher is famous for using so-called regular employees as print ad models for her trend-defying classics, which include skirts, dresses, sweaters, cartigans, pants, and tops. Also, since 2002, the design company has been a major corporate contributor to The Global Fund, an international organization dedicated to assisting women. Thanks to Eileen Fisher's efforts, thousands of women in impoverished and unfortunate circumstances have been able to pull themselves out of bad conditions and reassert control over their lives.

According to several industry trade publications, such as Small Business magazine, Winning Workplaces, and Fortune magazine, Eileen Fisher's company is one of the best firms to work for. Eileen Fisher's comfortable clothes, unique contemporary stylings, and assertive politics have made the label one of the most important fashion outlets of the past decade and a half.