If you have ever felt euphoric over a new client and then woken up at 3:00 AM panicking about an invoice or stopped working on your business because a trusted friend didn’t support your “risky idea”, you know the emotional chaos that comes with entrepreneurship. Thanks to long hours, a hard hustle, little or no staff and a whole lot of worry, those of us working on building a business often live our lives high on a mix of joy, anxiety and utter terror. In fact, a recent study found that 72% of entrepreneurs have “mental health differences” from those on a more stable career path. Awesome.
And yet, we persist. Why? Because we believe in the power of our dreams and the value in our product. We enjoy the feeling that comes with empowering customers and colleagues with our services and we love the “win” that is born out of our hard work. If you are one of those risky dreamers who is working hard on achieving your goals (while also freaking out about where you’ll be in six months), we have some good advice coming your way. We asked 8 entrepreneurial women to share what they would have liked to have known six months ago. Read on for some excellent personal and professional wisdom that reminds us that it all works out in the end.
“Don’t overthink it. Overthinking leads to self-doubt which leads to failure. So, in the words of Nike, ‘just do it!” Elizabeth Rose, Director of Evolve Model Management
@EvolveModel
“In the last 6 months, I’ve gained a husband and lost my Mum, leaving me a married orphan at the age of 35. If I could go back 6 months and give some advice to myself, I would say: “Your path has never been an easy one, and it’s about to get a lot harder – you are going to feel more pain than you have ever known, but then you are also going to experience more joy than you thought possible. So keep the faith, hold strong, and don’t fight it, because it’s all bringing you to exactly where you need to be,” Siobhán Kangataran, author, coach & founder of ToGetHer Further
@ToGetHerFurther
“You don’t need to be polite in every response – especially when someone has deliberately tried to derail you or a conversation you are having [online or off]. Grace does not mean that you cannot draw a line and call someone out,” Wersha Bharadwa, Journalist and author of the upcoming This Is Earth, Part of the Tempest: An Anthology available for pre-order on Patrician Press.
@Wersha
“Go with your gut. There are so many people that will doubt what you’re doing and try to discourage your growth. People are afraid of your success. Don’t let it become contagious and cause unnecessary negative energy while you’re doing something you’re passionate about,” Jennifer Kennedy, RN. Founder of@Bomb.Ass.Skin
“You can create anything in 6 months! Last year we had an idea that we should bring
Lifeworking to every woman who wants to work on their goals and dreams, so it was time to build an online membership for DrivenWoman woman. When I started I didn’t know exactly how it was going to look like but you can figure out anything in 6 months. We’ve now launched the pilot and women love it! You can create anything when you put your mind to it.” Miisa Mink, founder & chief-doer at DrivenWoman@DrivenWomanNetwork
“Change your mindset. If you want to achieve your highest goals, you need to focus on your aspirations and let go of anything in your life is not aligned with them.” Amber Friederichs – Director and Co-Founder of Yohan May Interiors
@YohanMayInteriors
“Find the time to plan for the future whilst addressing the present. Your goals will all come around sooner than you imagine,” Natalie Burns, Senior Strategist at UnitedUs
@UnitedUS_
“You have always taken the road less traveled and have never stopped working just because it was hard or because someone didn’t believe in your vision. Hold onto that and know that you are stronger and more resilient than you feel right now. Stop focusing on what you lack and use your strengths to tear through this new terrain so that you can create the life you came here to enjoy.” Brenda Della Casa, Author and Founder of BDC Digital Media and The BDC Collective.
@BDCDigitalMedia
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