As many of you know, I’m a champion and a mentor for other women including female entrepreneurs and public relations pros. I was recently asked to share my top 5 tips for women entrepreneurs. After 15 years, I realized there are more than 5, and some of the answers surprised me. Let’s start with 10.

Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Develop adversity resilience. Develop agility and decide that you will persevere.

Entrepreneurial success depends upon the willingness to accept change, failure and the unanticipated. This requires a commitment to personal growth, the development of self awareness and spiritual muscle, and the ability to remain calm and curious in a storm.

Create your support team. At minimum your support team should include 5 talented people: A business advisor that will guide you and hold you accountable, a senior leader in your field that is way more experienced than you are, a business attorney, a CPA, and a financial wealth advisor. 

Dedicate yourself to becoming the best at your craft. This requires a personal commitment to lifelong learning, the ability to delegate, and personal growth. Mindfully bake professional and personal development into your schedule. Make it a conscious habit. This may include putting selfcare on the list.

Say no with confidence. No is a complete sentence. It can be stated respectfully. It doesn’t need to be weighed and measured. It does not have to be justified or explained.

For many women, this is a habit to be mastered. Be comfortable saying no to the wrong clients, people, work and opportunities so you can say yes to the right ones. People with strong boundaries are more respected, and live happier, more balanced lives.

Stop saying I’m sorry. The literal meaning of the word sorry is wretched, poor, pitiful, regrettable, deplorable, unfortunate and tragic. Instead, use one of the following empowering statements:
1. Thanks for your patience. (Then, proceed to address the matter at hand.)
2. I apologize. (When an apology is necessary because a mistake was made.)
3. It seems like…(and fill in the blank with what you observe may be happening to allow the other person to reflect and clarify.)

Practice gratitude every day. Amidst the most difficult and profound experiences, there is something - usually many things - to be thankful for.

Did you know that gratitude practice has an immediate positive impact on your health? Gratitude practice reduces stress, improves mindfulness, and helps one experience greater happiness and feelings of wellbeing.

Smile anyway. It’s been said on more than one occasion that I’m “too nice” because it is in my nature to smile and encourage others.

Would someone say that to a man I wonder? Nice men that go the extra mile are referred to as leaders, mentors, champions, good friends, good dads, philanthropists. If you have good boundaries, it’s impossible to be too nice. Be yourself.

Get a therapist. I’ve not yet met a human that would not benefit from having a therapist. Rumble with your personal stories and lived experiences including trauma. There is so much we can learn and heal in therapy. Becoming the best version of ourselves requires a lot of big work, and it can’t be done in a vacuum. Therapy has become a non-negotiable for me.

Commit to selfcare. Selfcare is not selfishness. It’s necessary. Men tend to have a much easier time with this because women in our culture are still responsible for the lion’s share of home and family care. This might include making time for rest, play, creativity, hobbies, interests, therapy, exercise, and vacation time. This will include saying no. This is something I’m still learning about.

Ditch perfectionism. Perfectionism is diabolical. I recommend reading Brene Brown’s book The Gifts of Imperfection and keep your journal handy.

In many ways, being a single mother has been outstanding bootcamp for entrepreneurship. Both require that I do the best I can every single hour of every day, stay super humble and super thankful, keep learning, ask for help, make mistakes and give myself some grace, persevere, figure out when to rest, lean into God, and as my Dad would say, enjoy the journey.

Copyright 2020 Tracy Teuscher