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· Patricia Puiggros - "Journey and Support"
· Preksha Baid - "Passion and Integrity"
· Jackie Peters - "Overcoming Discouragement"
· Geetika Anand Gupta - "The 3 Ps of Entrepreneurship"
· Mary Munyao - "Confidence and Resilience"
· Akshima Jain - Take Risks and Network
· Captain Niriksha Sanil - Create Your Own Success
· Christine Hemphill - Love What You Do
· Maria Olazabal - Trust Your Instincts
· Kelly Lovell - Know Your Worth and Adapt
Journey and Support
My advice to young women entrepreneurs is to approach entrepreneurship as climbing Everest:Imagine embarking on a journey to Everest, where each step is a leap towards your entrepreneurial dreams. Picture yourself packing your "backpack" with the essentials—knowledge, passion, and resilience. The journey begins with setting foot in Kathmandu, symbolizing your first steps in business. Then, reaching Base Camp, marking the establishment of your startup. Each camp higher up embodies milestones achieved, challenges faced, and lessons learned. Surround yourself with mentors and peers—your sherpas—who guide and support you. Persist through the climb, fueled by the discovery of your ikigai. With every small victory, you draw closer to the summit, where your vision becomes a breathtaking reality. Sharing my journey through forums, social media I aim to motivate and empower women to step out of their comfort zones and pursue their passions.
Patricia Puiggros, Founder, IKI HEALTH GROUP SL
Passion and Integrity
A business idea starts from passion but to make it grow, one needs clarity, resilience and integrity. Everything that we do is interconnected. Work on the mindset, rest everything is taken care of with time. It has helped me tremendously to listen to my intuition and be authentic. The value that we create with a good business is not just wealth, but also inspiration, community building and smart solutions for your clients.
Preksha Baid, Founder, Ywalls Design Pvt. Ltd.
Overcoming Discouragement
I think there are a lot of stats out there that might discourage female founders. Only 3% of venture goes to female-founded companies and the like. My fear is that these numbers will dissuade many female founders from even trying. We spend so much time focused on what makes us different. Gender, skin color, ideological beliefs, religion. When in actuality we are all 99.99% the same. Genetically speaking that is! If you want to do something, the very very very last thing that should stop you is your chromosomal makeup!
Jackie Peters, Founder, Blind Insight
The 3 Ps of Entrepreneurship
I would advise to follow 3Ps of entrepreneurship - Passion, Patience and Perseverance.
Geetika Anand Gupta, Founder, MOPP Foods Private Limited
Confidence and Resilience
1. Believe in Yourself
Confidence is crucial. Trust your abilities and hold firm in your vision, even when challenges arise. Self-belief will keep you grounded and help you navigate setbacks with strength.
2. Build a Support Network
Surround yourself with mentors, advisors, and like-minded peers. Networking within entrepreneurial communities offers valuable insights, connections, and encouragement that can guide you along your journey.
3. Embrace Failure
Failure is a natural part of entrepreneurship. View mistakes as learning opportunities, adapt, and persevere. Every setback strengthens your growth and resilience.
4. Be Resilient
Entrepreneurship can be unpredictable. Cultivate resilience to overcome obstacles, criticism, and tough times. Stay determined, and keep moving forward, especially when things get challenging.
5. Continuously Learn and Evolve
Stay curious and open to learning. Keep up with industry trends, market developments, and evolving technologies. Adapt your strategies based on feedback and new insights to stay competitive and relevant.
6. Prioritize Self-Care
Balancing business demands with personal well-being is essential. Make time for activities that recharge you, such as hobbies, exercise, and quality time with loved ones. A healthy balance enhances productivity and mental clarity.
7. Advocate for Yourself
Don’t shy away from speaking up for what you deserve, whether it’s fair compensation, recognition, or growth opportunities. Advocate for yourself with confidence, and don’t hesitate to negotiate.
8. Stay True to Your Values
Root your business in your core values. Authenticity resonates with others, building trust and loyalty. Stay true to yourself, even if there’s pressure to compromise or conform.
9. Take Calculated Risks
Success in entrepreneurship often involves risk-taking. Make sure these risks are well-researched and carefully weighed. Trust your instincts, but base decisions on informed judgment.
10. Celebrate Your Achievements
Recognize and celebrate your accomplishments, regardless of size. Acknowledging milestones boosts morale, motivates you to keep going, and helps you appreciate how far you’ve come.
Mary Munyao, Founder, Yna Kenya
Take Risks and Network
Don't shy away from taking risks and stepping out of your comfort zone, as these are often the moments that lead to growth and innovation. Additionally, never underestimate the power of networking and seeking mentorship. Building relationships with experienced entrepreneurs can provide invaluable guidance and support.
Akshima Jain, Founder, Wordy Digital
Create Your Own Success
Don’t wait for the world to validate your goals .. you are your own creator .. just go out there and achieve it !!
Captain Niriksha Sanil, Founder, Space Media Productions
Love What You Do
Do you really, genuinely love what you are setting out to do? Do you really, deeply care about succeeding in it? If not, it will likely get too hard at some point along the way. If you do, find an amazing group of people to support you both as core team members in the business and as advisors / critical friends, and go for it with all you have. It will be hard. It will test you. It will take from you more than you expected. But it will also be worth it. It will give back if you can navigate the journey, continue to adapt and have the energy and courage to persevere. Even if for some reason it doesn't work out, if you truly love what you do, it will progress your skills and experience so that you are always learning, lifting your skills, connections and knowledge and heading more deeply along that path. Another door will open for you to continue it. My favourite quote about innovation and entrepreneurship from Jacqueline Novagratz (Acumen) is that we need a balance of humility and audacity to succeed. it is just so true. Humility to keep listening, learning, adapting and growing, audacity to keep true to your goals, values and purpose as you do so.
Christine Hemphill, Founder, Open Inclusion
Trust Your Instincts
Follow your instincts, believe in yourself and the team that you have chosen. Listen to your people and their ideas. Believe in what you are doing and give it all you’ve got.
Maria Olazabal, Founder, Ownia Collection
Know Your Worth and Adapt
1) Know your worth and have the courage to ask for it: The first step in accessing your power is believing you have it. When you look to external sources to validate your worth—or that of your business—you give away your power to something outside of your control. It's when you realize you have the power within, that you are the asset, that you become unstoppable.
2) Roadblocks are signals to new opportunities: when things don't go your way or you encounter a challenge choose to see them as signal lights to look in another direction rather than stop signs. Some of my greatest business achievements have come from pivots in ways of thinking or doing business that I never anticipated pursuing.
Kelly Lovell, Founder, BridgingTheGap Ventures
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