It was at Birmingham that Brady first entered the public sphere. When she became Managing Director in 1993 the business was in administration and the club's ground was literally falling apart.
"The main problem for Birmingham was that it had run out of cash; there was no money to do anything," she says. "It had a number of debts and we were never really sure how much they were because the company was in administration and there wasn't a lot of financial information. Every day bailiffs were turning up and people were demanding money."
Despite receiving opposition from the male dominated industry Brady turned around the club - in her first year at the club Birmingham posted a trading profit for the first time in its modern history. So how did she turn around the club's fortunes? "The most important thing in any organisation is changing the culture and actually it's one of the hardest things to do," she recalls.
"Birmingham City was run down both from the inside and outside in terms of the people that worked there; they didn't feel inspired, they didn't feel good about the job that they did and they didn't feel great about working for the company," says Brady.
As well as changing the culture Brady had to inject enthusiasm into the staff and let them know they all needed to have ambition - no easy task for a club that had been in the doldrums for so long.
"Entrepreneurial always goes with the word ‘spirit' because that's what it's about; having determination, lots of energy and enthusiasm. Energy and enthusiasm are the only things that you can't teach people. It is absolutely also about having ambition," she enthuses.
"Ambition tends to be something that people are afraid of but we can all tell those ambitious people. It's those people that walk into a room and have that light behind their eyes; without ambition nobody ever started anything. It's true that without a lot of hard work you don't finish it, but ambition is that pride, that spark, that thing that drives you constantly."
Specific measures to build up the brand of Birmingham City FC were also implemented. The team was known as ‘The Blues' and yet their kit was white and green, something that was quickly rectified. She also used her experience to ensure that advertisers got the best possible service and therefore continued their investment.
"We had different layers of sponsors, from those spending millions to tens of thousands of pounds so there was something for everybody. I also set up account managers for each of the brands that were involved in Birmingham to ensure that they had a champion for their brand inside the football club. Someone was always ensuring that their brand was put forward, that it was seen and constantly remembered," explains Brady.
It is a testament to Brady's skills as a businesswoman that by the end of her tenure the club was sold for £82m to businessman Carson Yeung. Not bad for a business that had been bought for £1m.
You're hired
Brady is currently on television screens up and down the country appearing in the junior version of The Apprentice. Her first experience of the show was when she appeared on the Comic Relief version as a team leader and led the girls' team to victory.
Then in 2008 she was asked by Lord Sugar - whom she considers a personal friend - to take part in the interview process of the final five contestants, something that she clearly feels passionate about.
"A lot of people forget that The Apprentice is not a game show; it's a business show and at the end of it someone gets a £100,000 job working in one of Lord Sugar's businesses. So it's important, and that interview process can bring out the best and worst in people so I was pleased to be able to do it," she stresses.
"I think people don't really understand how fast moving, quick, determined and successful you have to be to get to that final five. So always the final five candidates are special people."
Having been on the show as both a contestant and judge she got to see first-hand one of the unexpected stars of the show - Margaret Mountford and her double act with Lord Sugar's other adviser, Nick Hewer. Mountford's dry wit and raised eyebrow saw her screen time rise with each passing series, and Brady counts herself as one of Mountford's many fans.
"When Margaret Mountford decided that she really didn't want to do it anymore I was very disappointed because I thought that she was brilliant on the show," Brady insists. "But she had really come to the end of what she wanted to do with The Apprentice. When Alan phoned me and said would I like to do it I jumped at the chance because I absolutely love the show and I know him very well and the kind of person that he is looking for to work with him, so I feel that I can really add something. I love the show and am looking forward to being part of my favourite TV show; nothing is really better than that."
Large baps.
