November 19th is Women's Entrepreneurship Day! It's a day to celebrate and empower female business leaders and entrepreneurs all around the world!
And today, I wanted to put a spotlight on small female business owners from a budding 8th grader entrepreneur, to a mommy of 4 finding balance in owning her own business, to a new entrepreneur who literally just started her own business during this pandemic, just to name a few...
Today, I not only want to celebrate these women who are so inspiring, but also to empower those who are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur to just go for it! Read their stories and be inspired and read some behind the scenes on how they overcame some hurdles, as well as tips!
May we all continue to empower, enlighten, and encourage each other.
Happy Women's Entrepreneurship Day to all!
💜〽️
I also answered the same questions I asked these women on my YouTube Channel :) https://youtu.be/IcwOG-X1ze8
Meet Anjela
I am a software engineer by trade, but a beanie-knitter by craft. Two very different lifestyles but ones that I’ve figured out how to balance.
What do you enjoy most about being an entrepreneur? Everyday I work with clients to deliver their products, but all I’ve ever known is the technical side. The best part about selling my beanies is gaining a perspective of the business side. However, now I see the pressures of performance and being at the forefront of carrying out those expectations.
What is the hardest thing about being an entrepreneur? As I am new to this whole thing, definitely the toughest part is over-working myself to avoid failure. I’ve now come to accept that adjustments are all apart of the process. I now know that adjustments are not caused by failures, but the drive for improvement.
What Advice would you give to other entrepreneurs who are starting out? For those who are thinking of making that entrepreneurial move, give yourself a plan, and definitely take in to account possible deviations of that plan. Know that you’re always improving, even if you don’t notice it right away! Lastly, stay as well-rounded as possible. Be understanding of all client-sides, business-sides, and technical-sides!
You can find Anjela at:
Instagram @anjo.beanies
(Side note: you can also look into ISBX in Southern CA if you’re interested in large-scale apps and websites, and you can find my on a dev team there)
Meet Cheryl
I am a wife, mom of 2 and pediatric ICU nurse by profession. I came upon this business unintentionally about 5 and a half years ago and entered the Health and Wellness space.
What do you enjoy most about being an entrepreneur?
The thing I love most about being an entrepreneur is schedule flexibility. I love that I have a good work/life balance especially while I have two little ones at home. I also love that I can change an entire family's life, by simply sharing my story. We have helped so many families that have been truly grateful for introducing them to this product.
What is the hardest thing about being an entrepreneur?
The hardest thing about being an entrepreneur is maintaining consistency and focusing on the business while there are so many other things going on in life. The accountability of being responsible for my own success and success of my business depends on my efforts alone.
What was the toughest moment you have experienced in your business practice? How did you succeed to get over it and move forward?
The toughest moment I experienced was doing my first solo presentation. One speech class in college did not prepare me to get me out of my comfort zone of public speaking. I changed my mindset and realized this was not about me. I used my strengths as a nurse to feel more comfortable in front of a crowd. I was able to realize that I was doing this to spread the word about how my life changed and could possibly help someone change their own. I was able to share my story, show that I cared, and make a change.. Sometimes this was more fulfilling than my job in the hospital.
What Advice would you give to other entrepreneurs who are starting out?
Don't make the business about you and only your success. Everyone has a need, you can be a part of the solution. When you listen to your clients and find out what they need, you will succeed.
You can find Cheryl at:
Facebook and Instagram @watergamechanger
Watergamechanger@gmail.com
Meet Emani
Hi! I'm Emani, and I am an 8th-grade entrepenuer. I started my own business, Wish Upon A Star Jar, over the pandemic. I sell origami paper stars of all different colors and patterns, in glass jars. 25% of all proceeds are donated to an organization/charity, especially organizations promoting diversity and equality. My goal with this business is to spread joy, make a difference, and to inspire other teens to fight for change.
What do you enjoy most about being an entrepreneur? I have learned so much while running this business and I love it! My favorite part though is hearing from customers. I love receiving notes about how the star jars have made people happy and hearing about people gifting their jars to others.
What's the hardest thing about being an entrepreneur? One tricky thing is getting my business out there, and reaching out to more followers and customers. Another tricky thing is balancing my business with school, sports, extra-curriculars, and just downtime.
What was the toughest moment you have experienced in your business practice? How did you succeed to get over it and move forward?
I received an email from someone telling me that they did not agree with what I was doing, and the organizations I was donating to. It really hurt, and I didn't know how to respond. One of my business mentors gave me advice to not respond and to always remember that what I am doing is good, and there are going to be people in life who try to bring you down. I am so thankful for that advice, and I will remember that advice for the rest of my life. Learning that advice really helped me to be more confident in myself, and be proud of what I am doing.
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs who are starting out? My first piece of advice is to choose something you are passionate about! I once heard that if you love what you do, you never have to work a day in your life. Always love what you are doing, and also love the reason you are doing it! My second piece of advice is to surround yourself with supportive people. I have met so many people that have given me helpful business advice. All you have to do is reach out!
You can find Emani at:
email: wishuponastar@gmail.com
Insta: @wishuponastarjar
Meet Christina
My name is Christina, the woman behind Kono & Co. I started this company while being pregnant with my daughter, Kono! I wanted to provide effortless jewelry for other mamas out there. Something that is affordable but higher quality. All of our products are gold filled and has a lot of customizable pieces just for you or has something special to do with your babies.
What do you enjoy most about being an entrepreneur? The thing I enjoy most about being an entrepreneur is being able to be flexible with my time. Being able to spend time with my daughter during the day and working hard at night when she’s asleep!! Being able to be a good mother but also doing what I love, creating, is so fulfilling! Also, I am learning so much about myself and pushing myself to do things I didn’t think I was capable of. You never know your limits without stepping outside your comfort box.
What's the hardest thing about being an entrepreneur? The hardest part is juggling a full time mommy job and learning slowly but surely how to run a business. There were many frustrated nights on how to make your website or how to link this and that to your Instagram. Or simply how to navigate through Instagram or tik tok. Patience. Patience. Glass of wine or bottle of wine and YouTube. Always be open to learning.
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs who are starting out?
Advice: there will be so many hurdles in your way and so many voices telling you to stop. Know your vision but also be willing to learn even if it is out of your comfort zone. Most importantly, surround yourself with people who will support you. Even some of what I thought were my closest friends don’t even ask til this day how my business is going. Surround yourself with good vibes. You need them all the way!
Find me Christina at
Instagram: @konoandco
Meet Jeni
My name is Jeni & I am a wife, dog mama, Nurse, Hair artist for special events, & full time Brow (permanent cosmetic tattoo) artist. I love to inspire, support & empower women while giving them more confidence through the beauty/art of brows.
What do you enjoy most about being an entrepreneur? I enjoy being my own BOSS. The continuous feeling of going after my goals & manifesting my dreams are what keeps me going.
What's the hardest about it? The hardest thing about being an entrepreneur is deciding on marketing strategies.
What was the toughest moment you have experienced in your business practice? How did you succeed to get over it and move forward? Toughest moment was the decision to leave my full time nursing job & doing all things beauty ( brows specifically) full time and nursing prn. I was worried about building a clientele. With the full support & strength from family, friends, & past clients & knowing I’m not only doing this for myself- that’s what gave me that drive to push forward.
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs who are starting out?Just do it ! Stay focused, resilient, & know that things don’t happen over night. It’s takes patience & determination. Always step back & think of what your purpose is & why you wanted this. That’s what’s going to make you successful in life.
You can find Jeni at:
www.hairandbrowsbyjas.com
Instagram: @j.a.s._studio and @hairbyj.a.s
Meet Luanne
My name is Luanne, and I am a wife (hubby is Ian) and full-time mom of 4 crazy, but lovable kids (Liam, 8; Lianna, 6; Lana, 4; Landon, 2). I started Cakes by Ma almost 6 years ago, and I create custom cakes, decorated sugar cookies and other desserts and sweets for any and all occassions. "Ma" is the nickname my husband and kids call me.
What do you enjoy most about being an entrepreneur? What I love about being an entrepreneur is the ability to work on my own terms, which allows me to still be present as my kids grow. At the same time, I do find it hard to balance both roles. Having 4 kids is busy enough, but to throw running my own business in the mix, just adds to that already crazy stress. I have a lot of ideas that float around in my head (flavor combinations, design concepts, etc), and I love that I'm able to see those
ideas come to life in edible form. Cake makes everything better!
What's the hardest about it? The hardest moment I had was when my kids were starting to feel like I didn't have time for them. I put a lot of time into creating these cakes and desserts, and I'd be booked with multiple orders every weekend. Weekends were our "family time" and I'd find that I would have to sacrifice that in order to meet deadlines for events. Even though I stay at home with my kids, and I technically "work" from home, I'd still be busy during the week trying to plan what I needed to do for upcoming orders. It was tough hearing my kids tell me "Mama I know you're busy, but will you have time to sit with us for a little bit?" I had to slow down, and allow myself to be ok with turning down orders. It was ok for me to not be so busy all the time.
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs who are starting out?
For those who are contemplating starting a business, I say go for it. It's definitely a lot of work, and it's been a long process getting to this point. My other advice is don't think too small. I didn't think anyone would be interested in my creations, but I was blessed enough to create cakes for celebrities (Fabolous, Lil Bow Wow, Eddie Jackson, etc.) Never in my dreams did I even think this small hobby would have led me to that. I still have a lot of goals I'd like to accomplish with Cakes By Ma, but I'm proud of what I've done so far.
You can find Luanne on
