How to Start a New Business or Change Career Paths for Ambitious Career Women and Female Entrepreneurs
By, Esther Spina
Business Coach and Mentor for Ambitious Career Women & Female Entrepreneurs
Inspired by Chapter 18
of my Amazon bestseller and business book for women,
The Ambitious Woman,
What It Takes and Why You Want to Be One,
Ambitious Women NEVER ARRIVE
It’s the Journey That Matters
“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become while achieving your goals.” — Zig Ziglar
Having started several successful businesses as a female entrepreneur only to watch them fall apart during recessions, I can tell you there is no bulletproof business model.
If you’ve ever had to start over and build from rock bottom, you know it’s a humbling but transformative experience. What I learned was that I could trust my resilience and tenacity to get me through anything.
I had to become bulletproof and adapt to the times, reinventing myself and my companies many times over the years.
For example, I had a thriving, high-end baby clothing line online and then the economy tanked. I found myself with no sales and terrified about what would happen next. Then I realized I had an opportunity to roll with the punches and invent something new. So, I started another business venture in a completely different field that ended up being even more successful.
This blog will prepare you to change careers, even if you have no experience, or to pursue that entrepreneurial dream that’s been on your mind for a while now.
You’ll Never Feel Ready — Get Started Anyway
The truth is, the best way to start anything new is simply to BEGIN.
You can’t possibly plan for and prevent all the things that will come your way when you start a new business venture or embark on a new career path.
The future is always unknown and affected by many factors you can’t control — economic downturns, unexpected changes in industry, global pandemics . . . And it’s happened to me MANY times.
But, if you’re right at the beginning of your journey, or making an unexpected career pivot, know that any change triggers fear.
This is a human reaction to uncertainty because we’re wired for safety, not change. Our brains are geared for survival, not risk, so we have to take control.
Worries about financial insecurity, your reputation, or the dreaded, “Can I actually do this?” are very normal. You just can’t let them stop you.
You may not feel ready, but put yourself out there anyway. It’s the only way to learn. Give yourself the opportunity to grow as you go, it’s the only way forward on uncertain paths, but it’s a grand adventure!
Don’t wait for a magical day to arrive where all your “what if” worries go away. That may never happen. But, you can surround yourself with the right support system to help you along.
Take that first brave step into the unknown . . . because that may just be the step that changes your life.
Fake it Til You Make It — Then One Day You Become It!
Many successful women in business struggle with imposter syndrome and feel like they don’t know what they’re doing.
But does anyone really know what they’re doing completely when they set out on an uncharted path? If you feel like a “phony,” just know this is a normal part of growing into who you want to become.
They say it takes ten years or 10,000 hours to become a master at something.
The longer you work at whatever career you’ve chosen, the more experience you gain and the more confident you get, until one day you ARE the master! But, even masters feel off sometimes.
Instead of worrying about how you will be perceived or if you’re good enough to be successful in business, focus on developing your skill set and networking to build your connections. It’s those consistent daily habits and efforts that build experience and make you an authority in your field.
Then one day you’ll look back at where you started, at the beginning of the path, and think, “Wow, I do know what I’m doing now!” The sense of accomplishment you feel will be unparalleled and a huge confidence booster to go for even higher goals.
Put Fear Aside & Recognize the Journey is Never Over
John Wayne said, “Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway,” which is great advice for businesswomen everywhere in pursuit of their dreams.
Fear isn’t a sign that you shouldn’t do something, it just means you care about what you’re doing. And that’s a huge sign that you should DO IT!
All new ventures are a little risky and intimidating at first, but the only way to overcome that fear is to push through. One way to overcome the fear of something new is to do as much research as possible.
What has worked for others? What didn’t work? What can you learn from the people who have succeeded in your industry?
Knowledge is power and the more you educate yourself the greater your ability to prevent costly mistakes. And if you do make mistakes in judgment, that is all part of the learning process too. It doesn’t mean you should quit or that you’re “bad” at something.
And once you reach the top, don’t forget all that it took to get there. Remember, you never fully arrive. You will continue to work on yourself throughout your career and improve as you gain experience along the way.
The recipe for long-term business success is simple:
Make Mistakes. Learn. Grow. Revise. Persevere. Succeed. Repeat.
And don’t forget to enjoy the journey!
