She was said to be shrewd, calculating and a great beauty as well. BUT her enduring legend is her ability to use her wit and charm to facilitate powerful political and personal connections.

Cleopatra VII Philopator was the last Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. She married BOTH of her brothers, Ptolemy XIII and Ptolemy XIV. Her parents were also siblings. They did things differently then.

She co-ruled with her brothers until she learned they were conspiring to overthrow her and successfully turned the tables to emerge the sole ruler. At the same time she dissolved her marriage contracts, started amassing her own fortune, and forged impressive liaisons with other powerful leaders.

If Cleopatra were writing her top 5 tips for success, they might look like this:

• Learn to work with what you’ve got, beauty, brains, wit, charm, motivation: you don’t need them all, a couple will do nicely. It’s how you USE them that counts.

• Mix business with pleasure, especially if you enjoy both. If you don’t enjoy both then start now to make some positive changes in that direction.

• Dress for success. If you don’t have time to swath yourself in silk, put some decent jewelry on. If the jewels are BIG enough, no one will notice your old khakis!

• Know who’s on your side and who’s out to grab your throne. A girl NEEDS allies she can trust.

• LOVE big but don’t let it blind you, inhibit you, or throw you off your path.