In the entrepreneurial world, men would often dominate the field. With times changing, more and more females are conquering the business world to make a mark and let their voices be heard. One example is Heather Sanders, the CEO of the fashion label, Sorella Boutique. Her fashion line started with humble beginnings of having only ten products in her line that, with her determination, boomed into a full product line with a shop at Melrose Avenue to boot! Indeed, Sanders is an inspiration to many aspiring female entrepreneurs who want to make it in the cut-throat industry. When asked what her secret to success is, Sanders mentioned that a big portion of her success is her ability to stay true and authentic. In fact, here are some of Sanders’ words of wisdom to anyone who wants to pursue their dreams of launching a business.
Sanders’ Food for Thought:
- Only compete with yourself
In any field, whether it’s dancing, school, or even a yoga session – you should only compete with yourself. Yes, there may be tough competition out there, but you will never go anywhere if you are too busy checking out the competition instead of focusing on yourself and your growth potential. While it is good to check what are the edge of other companies that you have to watch out for, invest your time, energy, and resources on building the good things of your brand, and you can never go wrong in growing your business.
- Support each other!
In a heavily male-dominated sector, there are only a few brave females who would even attempt to try it out in business. Instead of being catty and pulling each other down, do what females do best, and that is to support each other. Create a social group and maybe share best practices. Have a session solely dedicated to talk about everything and anything under the sun EXCEPT work. Get to know each other on a personal level, and it gets easier to have each other’s back.
- Use fear as a motivating factor
Being a newbie in any industry can be quite scary. Use this fear as a motivating factor to reach even greater heights! Do not be afraid to ask questions or speak out your ideas in board meetings or conferences – after all, this is your chance to be heard. Engage in mentoring sessions with other leaders and experts in the field. The main objective is for you to learn as much as you can and apply it to let your business grow.
- Practice determination!
Some people say that determination comes naturally, but determination requires discipline and lots of it! Choose a goal and make sure that you contribute every single day towards achieving that goal. For example, if you want to promote your brand, there are plenty of ways to do so! You can host meetings to gather feedback from your colleagues, share best practices with your female group, take online lessons on digital marketing, and up your marketing strategy in your social media accounts.
- Stay true to yourself
Some leaders, once they have achieved their perspective of what success is, often divert from the path they once called their true selves. However, many successful leaders remain true to their authentic and genuine selves. In fact, they thrive because of it!
Hopefully, the tips above can help budding female entrepreneurs to launch their new businesses.
