Blog | Entrepreneurship

Empowering Up-and-Coming Female Entrepreneurs

My Message to Women

During this time of year, it’s hard not to be grateful for all the people in your life. Beside my family and friends, I am very grateful to all the women who have paved the way for all of us female entrepreneurs. Many sacrifices have been made and as a result, traditional work environments have been challenged and changed. We've come a long way, but there is still more advice and change to be passed along.

Personally, I want female entrepreneurs to find their passions or what I call the “why”. It’s what’s going to get you out of bed in the morning; it’s what will keep you going when the times get tough. Your “why” is a great motivator in anything you do.

Your business must also have a purpose. For most entrepreneurs, that means solving a problem. For example, Ken McElroy (Rich Dad Advisor) uses apartment complexes to solve housing problems.

And lastly, find a mentor. Just like I said in the beginning, it’s always important to learn from others who have paved the way. I have learned that mentors are very willing to share their experiences (the good, bad, ugly and great). When you learn what works and what doesn't, building a business becomes easier while minimizing the potential for mistakes.

My Personal Challenges

I went from being an employee to a business owner. It was a big personal hurdle, changing my beliefs and mindset to be an entrepreneur. From a young age, I was taught to go to college and get a good job that would take care of me for the rest of my life (like many of us are/were told).

Because I went through a big hurdle (Josh going to rehab), I knew our lives had to change. Like most of us who read Rich Dad Poor Dad, I was introduced to a whole other world and that made the transition easier.

Once I realized that I had another option in life (other than being an employee), I was very ready to take the leap to entrepreneurship. But I still had so much fear and original beliefs that were on the precipice of holding me back. I still had to deal with the past and focus on not getting stuck looking into the future.

I learned, change is constant. Our beliefs and mindset can always change. It’s just important to evaluate your beliefs and ask, “Is this belief mine, or someone else’s?”

Growing up, we usually take on the beliefs of our families and friends,and those can remain true but we also have to look inside of ourselves. What’s our own personal beliefs and values?

Once you can identify them, make sure you’re following that path. If you find that you are carrying other people’s beliefs understand that your mindset might need to change. This is where mentors and personal development comes into play.

If there is one piece of advice I could give to my younger self, it would be: get into personal development sooner. I had done a lot of healing work with Josh when he was in treatment but learning about emotional IQ is key. Being an entrepreneur is a roller coaster ride of emotions. I had taken a lot of different trainings early on but once personal development became a part of my routine, only then did I realize how important it was to continue. Doing a couple seminars/trainings/sessions a year isn’t enough. It has to be a routine.

Have someone you can trust process your upsets and take personal development courses on a regular basis. You never know what you may learn and you’d be surprised how much you can grow in such a short period of time.