3 Questions to Ask Yourself as an Ambitious Woman to Set Your Course with Purpose and Build a Meaningful, Satisfying Career

By, Esther Spina

Business Coach and Mentor for Ambitious Career Women & Female Entrepreneurs

Inspired by Chapter 19, the last chapter of my

Amazon best-selling business book, 

The Ambitious Woman,

What It Takes and Why You Want to Be One,

10 Characteristics of Ambitious Women:

Live Your Life on Purpose!

“Tell me what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” — Mary Oliver

Intro 

There are certain traits all successful businesswomen and female business owners have in common — there is ambition, (of course!) determination, perseverance, humility, and more that I cover in the last chapter of my book . . .

But, what does it take to make waves in the business world and stay in the game for the long haul?

Get examples of inspiring female entrepreneurs and stories of the most successful businesswomen in the world who made it to the top following these same 3 principles.

Because nobody ever reached their biggest dreams without digging deep and making tough choices along the way.

Ask yourself the following 3 questions to see if you’re on track to reach your biggest goals or playing small and staying safe.

Because you ARE capable of doing anything you set your mind to as the ambitious woman I know you are . . .

1. Are you being intentional about your choices and business roles?
   
   

This is the secret of all successful women, female entrepreneurs, and career women — they are constantly re-evaluating, refining, and re-setting the course towards what fulfills them most.

Take Sophia Amoruso, author of the New York Times bestseller, #GirlBoss, and creator of a multi-million dollar company that re-sells vintage clothing online. She started this company with nothing from her bedroom at age 22.

The ultimate Girl Boss, decided to let go of the day-to-day control of the company she painstakingly built on her own to have more freedom and schedule flexibility.

She gave up her position as CEO to switch to the role of Executive Chairmen, where she now oversees branding and marketing instead. Now she coaches other budding entrepreneurs to have a smoother sail to the top than she did.

She credits her success with never taking “no” for an answer and refusing to listen to those who said it was a mistake to take a step back in her business.

Through Sophia, we see that making your intentions clear, refusing to give up on them, and re-evaluating your business role from time to time, is how to scale your career and grow as a businesswoman.

All your choices matter and make a difference in your long-term happiness. That’s the power of being intentional. And it has the power to change your life in indescribable ways.

2. Are you truly fulfilled in the career you’re in now or do you need to re-evaluate?

Amy Porterfield, the social media and marketing guru who has generated over $70 million in online course sales alone, knows what it means to choose your life on purpose. Having once worked in the corporate world and for Tony Robbins, she transitioned to her own consulting business but still found herself feeling unfulfilled.

She mistakenly thought that by having her own clients she would be her own boss. But, she soon realized that she’d traded in having one boss for having several bosses, who all had their own needs and were difficult to please. That’s when she created her own online courses to teach others her marketing expertise without sacrificing her time for money. 

She now answers to no one but herself, making passive income from multiple sources while focusing on what’s important to her — time with her family, growing her own personal brand, and sharing her passion to empower other entrepreneurs all over the world.

Amy is a great example of learning as you go and refining along the way to achieve exactly the type of lifestyle you want.

First, you have to know what your values are — what’s important to you? Then you have to start making choices, sometimes even scary and difficult choices, that start to move you towards what you care about most.

It may mean you have to change careers, or approaches, or where you put your time and energy to free yourself up for what really matters to you.

If you don’t decide what you want your life to look like — it will be decided for you by default. Then chances are, you won’t feel fulfilled. So start looking at any area where you don’t feel thrilled in your business and ask yourself — why?

3. Are you staying safe in your comfort zone or challenging yourself to expand your career potential?

How many times has an idea that inspires you been pushed to the back burner because you got too busy with your day-to-day chores and errands?

If you let them, your dreams can easily disappear under those piles of laundry, that stack of bills, and the mountain of work tasks you have to accomplish every day.

It’s so important to keep your goals at the forefront of your mind — whether that’s becoming the top earner in your direct sales company, reaching a certain number of clients, or starting that new business you’ve been dreaming about.

The trick is not to let yourself plateau — and to always push yourself on to the next level. 

This does not mean the transition will be comfortable. In fact, any time we go into the unknown, because our human brains are wired for survival not change, you should expect to feel a little uncomfortable. Fear will certainly arise any time you push yourself to expand and evolve.

Though change can be scary, it’s also exciting! Try to focus on what could go right, instead of what could go wrong. Because one small change in the right direction has the potential to set you out on a more rewarding path.

One of my favorite examples of an ambitious woman who is always facing her fears and challenging herself is author, speaker, and former Secret Service Agent, Evy Poumpouras.

Growing up in a rough neighborhood in Queens, Evy found she was always having to protect herself. This grew a fighting spirit inside of her that prompted her to join the NYPD, then be recruited by the Secret Service, where she was the only female agent for multiple presidents.

Having to make her way up in a male-dominated, physically-exacting, and challenging field, made her stronger, more reliant, and, as her book says, bulletproof!

She shows us that you can overcome major obstacles and female stereotypes to achieve anything you set your mind to. Evy is a tough and ambitious woman and someone to look up to.

May we all be as brave in the face of adversity and as bold in our choices as Ambitious Women!

Conclusion

So, what did you learn by answering these 3 questions?.

Let this be your reminder not to let mundane daily tasks distract you from moving toward the exact type of lifestyle you dream of — based on your unique values and goals.

If you want to read more, check out my book, The Ambitious Woman,

What It Takes and Why You Want to Be One, for the rest of this chapter and more on the top 10 traits of ambitious women. 

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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!

Email Me for Support and Business Guidance

3 Tips to Stay Positive in Just 5 Minutes Per Day

By, Esther Spina

Business Coach and Mentor for Ambitious Businesswomen & Female Entrepreneurs

Inspired by Chapter 17 of my Amazon Best-Selling Book, 

The Ambitious Woman,

What It Takes and Why You Want to Be One,

It’s All In Your Attitude — YOU CAN DO IT!

If you find yourself having a lot of negative thoughts about your career or business lately, thoughts like —

“I don’t know if I can do it.”

“Maybe these goals are too big for someone like me.”

Or, “I’ll never have enough money . . . time . . . energy . . .”

Then it’s time to do a mindset refresh because the only thing holding you back is your attention to the downside of things.

Being an Ambitious Woman means that you are driven and hold high standards of yourself. But, the same positive traits also cause you to be self-critical and disappointed when you don’t live up to your goals. We all slip into the negative thinking trap from time to time. It’s human nature.

Don’t let yourself stay in a pattern of negative thinking — you have too much good ahead of you to sabotage it with doubt and fear.

So, how do you stay positive when your demands become overwhelming and it feels like you’ll never get to where you want to be?

As a business mentor, I know it’s a challenge to get into a more positive mindset sometimes. I’ve been there . . .

Throughout my career, I’ve had to overcome several difficult circumstances from the loss of a child, to failed entrepreneurial pursuits, and economic downturns that devastated my businesses.

But, I chose to take a positive approach and focus on changing my thoughts one at a time. And it changed everything for me. Now, I hope to inspire other businesswomen like you to look at all the ups and downs as positives!

What the hard times made me realize is that we have a choice every day to look at the positive or dwell on the negative. The negative route gets you nowhere, but the positive route gets you AHEAD. My hardest times were the biggest lessons in the importance of positivity.

Without positive thinking in business, you don’t just remain stagnant in your career, you move BACKWARD.

Below are a few tips I’ve learned to leave negativity behind in only a few minutes a day. Make these a daily habit before you start your day or while you’re having a cup of coffee.  

Start your day with an open, success-affirming mindset.

1. Make a List of Positive Affirmations and Repeat Them Daily

Positive affirmations are “I AM statements” that are even more powerful when they are written in the present tense.

Don’t worry that what you’re writing hasn’t happened yet. Write these affirmations statements as absolutes, as if they already exist. Your brain won’t know the difference. And once you believe it to be real, you draw it toward you.


For example:

“I AM wealthy and abundant.”

“I AM the top earner in my company.”

“I AM supporting my family doing what I love.”

“I AM healthy, happy, and free to pursue my dreams.”

“I AM capable of achieving all my goals.”

Science shows that positive self-affirmations enhance performance and help you learn from your mistakes.

Affirmations help us shift our mindset from self-limiting beliefs to optimistic thoughts.

Even your health improves when you stay positive.

According to this article from John Hopkins, positivity reduces stress, helps you focus on long-term goals, and prevents disease. Negative thoughts weaken your immune system, leaving you susceptible to illness and injury.

Staying positive has so many benefits, but it also keeps you focused on your goals as an Ambitious Woman.

Negativity drags you down and saps your energy, but practicing positivity keeps you motivated and moving forward.

2. Write Down 3 Things You’re Grateful for Every Day

When you make gratitude a habit you program yourself to look for the good in every situation. 


Some examples are:

“I am grateful I’m in good health.”

“I am grateful for the support of my family and friends.”

“I am grateful for the comfort and companionship of my pets.”

“I am grateful for my current opportunities and open to new ones.”

“I am grateful I woke up to a new day full of possibility.”

Gratitude shifts your mindset from focusing on what you lack to what you have. That positive mindset always leads to success as a female entrepreneur or businesswoman

It’s important to appreciate what you have instead of complaining about what you lack. Because where the majority of your mental energy goes your career follows.

You can’t achieve your goals when you feel like you’re missing something. You have to focus on the skills, talents, and determination you do have. And that’s what practicing gratitude does — it shifts you from a scarcity to an abundance mindset. Then you’re unstoppable!

Here are 10 more research-backed benefits of gratitude, including stress relief and improved relationships.

Science proves gratitude works! By taking a minute to list what you’re thankful for, you rewire your brain. Your brain releases the feel-good chemicals dopamine and serotonin when you show gratitude. This is why you feel better when you express thanks.

Some of the most powerful people in the world struggle with major disabilities but know it’s important to focus on what they CAN do instead of what they can’t. Let those people be an inspiration to you, there’s always something you can do, even if it’s just thinking positive and being optimistic.

3. Re-Frame Negative Thoughts as They Arise

You’re human, so it’s only a matter of time before a negative thought slips in again, no matter how many positive affirmations or notes of gratitude you jot down. The trick is not to let them overwhelm you and to try to shift that energy as quickly as possible.

For example, “I’m a failure, I’ll never get to where I’m going,” can easily be shifted to, “I am figuring it out as I go and I am doing my very best right now.”

The next time you have a negative thought, ask yourself how you can soften it. Soon, “I don’t know if I have what it takes,” becomes, “I’ve faced difficult situations before and I always figured it out.” 

Stop negative thoughts from gaining momentum and power over you one thought at a time.

Looking for positive role models is another way to keep your thoughts on track for success. A mentor, business partner, or friend can alert you when your thoughts are taking a turn and help you course correct. This way you have accountability to maintain the power of positive thinking. Surrounding yourself with positive people is always helpful to stay on track.

And if you don’t have anyone to turn to for help staying positive — please reach out to me!

Soon, I will be launching a mentorship program where we can support and empower each other as ambitious women in business. But, in the meantime, I am happy to share what has worked for me as a female entrepreneur, top sales earner, and business coach for women.

To gain feedback for my upcoming mentorship program, I am offering free strategy sessions for a limited time! Get yours by emailing me below.

Get Your Free Strategy Session

The 3 Types of Business Choices That Change the Course of Your Future

By, Esther Spina

Business Coach and Mentor for Ambitious Businesswomen & Female Entrepreneurs

Inspired by Chapter 16 of my Amazon Best-Selling Book, 

The Ambitious Woman,

What It Takes and Why You Want to Be One,

LIVE YOUR CHOICES:

Be Responsible for Your Own Life

“What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” — Mary Oliver

No matter where you are in business or life, you always have a CHOICE to make a change. Remain stuck or CHOOSE GROWTH, shrink or EXPAND, survive or THRIVE.

The choice is always yours.

Even if you’re not sure what direction to take next — you’re only one decision away from a brighter future.

So, what are your options, and how do you get to a better place?

It starts with knowing your values and what is most important to you. Once you clarify that, all your choices should stem from one decision — is this in alignment with my values or not?

Everything we decide to do or not do is a choice that affects our future.

These are the 3 types of choices that most impact your career and life.

1.The Power of Small, Daily Choices

As Ambitious Women, it’s easy to focus on the big picture and ignore the small, daily tasks that get you there. 

It’s easy to put things off or skip what you planned to do today. But when that habit keeps repeating, productivity suffers. Then, one day, you feel like you’ve lost control over the direction of your life.

For example, if you decide not to work out today, it doesn’t seem like a big deal. You don’t see the effect or the consequences right away. But, you might start noticing a change in your waistline if you make the same choice every day for a month.

Little choices turn into big changes over time.

The Slight Edge is a great book about the idea of “compound interest.” In it, author, Jeff Olson, talks about the power of simple habits repeated daily. He says this creates a ripple effect that, over time, leads to forward momentum in your career. Or not. The choice is yours.

Committing to small daily habits leads to long-term success. As a female entrepreneur or businesswoman, you have to make a choice every day to push towards your goals. No one is going to do it for you. 

It’s the consistency of tackling day-to-day business tasks that builds a better future.  Establish a doable daily routine that supports your personal business goals.

Every day you have a choice to move towards your goals or away from them.

2.Make Conscious, Deliberate Choices, and Commit to Them

Every choice you make sets into effect a chain reaction. When you set your intention it changes your thoughts. This sets into motion a domino effect that changes the eventual outcome if you stick to it. It’s all about focusing your attention on the desired results.

First, you have to know what you’re trying to achieve. Is your goal to hit a certain financial milestone for financial security? To be your own boss and be home more often? Or to be the top salesperson on your network marketing team or real estate office ? 

When you know your values, it’s easier to make important business decisions.

The benefit of setting intentions is that it helps you make decisions that lead to your goals.

You begin to look at everything through the lens of, “Is this going to get me to where I want to go?” or not?

But, how often do you make a definitive decision and commit to it? If you don’t, you’re operating on default. Then you’re in danger of wasting time and energy on opportunities that aren’t in alignment with your business goals. It’s important to have a vision of the future you want to build so that you make conscious choices towards it. 

As a women’s business mentor, I encourage you to make a deliberate choice and stick with it. You’ll never know if you would have succeeded if you never fully commit.

3.Not Making a Choice is a Choice Too

Indecision is also a choice. Not taking action is a choice. If you choose to do nothing towards your goals, you are making a choice to move away from your vision. 

Don’t waste time blaming yourself or others for not being where you want to be. This keeps you from taking steps towards your future.

Take personal responsibility for your choices and learn from what is, or is not, working for you.

If you hit a roadblock or come to a dead end, take it as an opportunity to re-evaluate and go in a different direction.

It’s estimated that people have an average of 12 different jobs in their lifetime. (Source) It’s normal to pivot and re-maneuver on the road to success. Life does not always go in a straight line. Sometimes the original plan has to be amended.

Expect to experience detours along the way. These are opportunities for redirection toward opportunities better suited to your goals.

Sacrifice immediate gratification and focus on what leads to long-term success. 

Being decisive also means knowing when to say “no.” Turning down the wrong opportunities is as important as accepting the right ones.

Conclusion

If you commit to small daily choices that line up with your values, success is inevitable.

Once you set your goals, getting accountability for them is the crucial next step. This helps you see them through the inevitable ups and downs.

As I say in my book, you have to seek people “WHO know, not who YOU know.”

Look for someone who is already standing where you want to be. What steps did they take to get to where they are and what CHOICES did they make along the way?

In my last blog, I talked about the power of mentors, and how they help you make good business decisions.

A good business mentor saves you much time and frustration. They help you prevent pitfalls by sharing tried and true methods. 

I’m always happy to share what I’ve learned from years of direct marketing and entrepreneurship. My passion is bringing like-minded career women together for guidance and support. 

If you’re having a hard time setting goals and committing to them — reach out to me!

I’m now offering strategy sessions!

How to stick to your business goals for the long-term

By, Esther Spina

Business Mindset & Leadership Coach

for Ambitious Businesswomen & Female Entrepreneurs

Inspired by Chapter 11 of my Amazon Best-Selling Book, 

The Ambitious Woman,

What It Takes and Why You Want to Be One,

LIVE A PERSISTENT LIFE!

What do Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey, and the man Forbes magazine is named after have in common?

All of them faced a significant amount of trauma, rejection, or betrayal in their lives but kept on reaching for the top in spite of it. They were true pioneers in business who refused to let their past heartbreaks define them.

One of the challenges of being an ambitious woman or female entrepreneur is not getting discouraged and throwing the towel in when the going gets tough.

When it seems like all the pressure is on your shoulders to succeed and you’re almost ready to give up, that’s exactly the time to develop persistence. 

Learn to look at challenges as a time to test your tenacity.

What does persistence mean in business?

It means that you keep going even when the path is rocky or unclear. It means that you don’t give up or give in, even when you’re worn out and there’s no finish line in sight

 
Persistence means that you keep going no matter what.

In this blog, I’ll give you 3 ways to stay persistent in business to empower you to succeed as a woman in business through the inevitable pitfalls and hurdles. 

per·sist·ence

firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition.

1. Use Perceived Failures and Adversity as a Launchpad for Growth

The world’s most successful businesswomen will tell you that their failures shaped their success more than anything.

When something doesn’t work out as you’d planned it forces you to get creative, to think outside the box, and to innovate solutions you may not have thought of before. This helps you grow in bigger, unexpected ways.

If you learn to stop taking perceived failures personally, or as a sign that your business idea or goal is doomed to fail, you gain valuable insights to succeed.

From every missed opportunity or setback there is something to be learned to help you get to the next level. All of these challenges help you refine what you want and where you want to go as a woman in business.

 Successful entrepreneurs  and business women  use rejection as fuel to motivate them instead of proof that they weren’t in the right career or industry. By maintaining confidence in their vision they rose to the top of their fields by staying persistent.

2. Silence Your Inner Critic & Stay Focused On Your Goals

In my book, I mention that self-esteem, procrastination, and fear of failure are all ways that we let our inner critic overpower our ambition as businesswomen.

When you feel doubtful or pessimistic about your business goals, it eventually takes a toll on your confidence. And the low self-esteem that results in slowly sabotages your success.

Procrastination is another way to cope with fear. By delaying taking action, you don’t have to face that lingering fear of failure. But, when you delay taking the necessary steps to succeed in your business goals, it’s easy for time to pass you by and for you to completely lose sight of your dreams.

Instead, face your fears head-on. Ask yourself what the worst thing is that could happen then put a contingency plan in place. List all the obstacles you can think of that could arise and how you would handle them if they did. This way your fears become a tangible thing that you can address to limit the overwhelm and allows you to keep moving forward.

No one has all the answers at the beginning of their entrepreneurial journey or career in business. You just have to dive in and be willing to learn and adapt as you go. 

Perfectionism will keep you stuck at the starting gate paralyzed in fear and the best antidote is to just do SOMETHING. Any move is a step forward to learn from.

3. Refuse to Quit and Keep Going No Matter What 

In my book, I mention that Oprah Winfrey was told she wasn’t “fit for TV” as a news anchor, what if she had given up then? She would have left billions of dollars on the table as the host of her own show. And think of all the other women she has healed and inspired in her career.

Being let go by the news station may have been the best thing that ever happened to Oprah, who is now one of the most successful businesswomen of all time. The rejection showed her that she could do it on her own and that she didn’t need anyone else’s approval.

I know you’ve all heard the statistics that almost half of all small businesses fail in the first year. It can be overwhelming to think of branching out on your own or starting a new career path. However, did you know that 90% of billionaires are self-made?

Think back to the times you’ve been rejected in the past — do you ever look back and think you would have actually been miserable if you had gotten that job or opportunity you thought you wanted? Many times not getting what you want is a wonderful blessing in disguise. 

If you think about it, you are never really rejected, just redirected to something better!

If you are an ambitious career woman with lofty goals it is completely normal to feel overwhelmed sometimes, or uncertain of your next steps. It’s important to take breaks when needed so that the constant drive towards your goals doesn’t wear you down.

The important thing is not to stop moving forward one day at a time. And often taking a vacation or a weekend off is just what you need to do to refresh your mindset during trying times. This gives you a chance to release stress and recalibrate so you don’t burn out and give up on what you’re striving towards.

Want to hear more about how other female entrepreneurs and businesswomen overcame their greatest defeats to achieve the ultimate success?

For a limited time, you can get my book with inspiring stories of overcoming against all odds,

The Ambitious Woman, What It Takes and Why You Want to Be One,
including the hard-copy book and audiobook CD all for just $6.99 here!

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Get the book for yourself and give the gift of daily carpool inspiration to another Ambitious Woman for free!

Why Loyalty in Business Isn’t Just About Other People

By, Esther Spina

Business Mindset & Leadership Coach

for Ambitious Businesswomen & Female Entrepreneurs



Inspired by Chapter 10 of my Amazon Best-Selling Book, 


The Ambitious Woman, What It Takes and Why You Want to Be One,

LIVE A LOYAL LIFE!

When you think of loyalty, do you immediately think of being there for someone else? 

As women, we often put everyone else’s needs before our own, even in business. And the danger is that this keeps you from getting to where you want to be when you take on work that isn’t furthering your goals and is draining your most valuable resource — your time.


Have you ever said yes to a project you didn’t really want to take out of obligation or guilt?

Or maybe you took a job you didn’t want to help someone else but then instantly regretted it once you realized it didn’t align with your goals or values?

When I think of loyalty, I think of three different kinds, 2 of which have nothing to do with other people. Read more below . . . 

1. Loyalty to Your Vision & Your Values in Business

What do you value most?

Staying loyal to our values as businesswomen and entrepreneurs is key to achieving success. 

If you lose sight of the vision, you eventually lose the motivation, perseverance, and effort needed to overcome mindset blocks and obstacles to your goals.

Of course, vision alone is not enough. You need effort and time to make your dream a reality. It’s tempting to give up when you aren’t seeing the results you want happen fast enough.

You get tired of the daily hustle and missing out on family time when work spills over into the weekend, and you wonder, is this worth it?

Just remember, in those challenging times, Your ideas and imagination gave you that vision for a reason — because it’s your purpose! 

Where did you picture yourself ending up when you first started? What kind of ambitious woman did you imagine yourself to be?

Don’t be a traitor to your vision! Even when things get tough, which they inevitably will on the way to our dreams, we have to remember that there was a reason we started on this career path in the first place.

As a leadership and mindset coach for businesswomen, I know how important it is to stay true to your passion and eliminate anything that doesn’t fit with your values.


Your specific goals may change over time as you continue to grow and evolve as a woman in business, but your values don’t. So, don’t feel bad if your passion starts waning and turning towards something else. You will have to reevaluate and shift your focus many times throughout your career. 

This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t embrace change when it’s time. In fact, that’s another way to be loyal to yourself. Stay receptive to what feels right, and the next time you have to make an important business decision, all you have to ask is — 

Does this choice match who I am and who I want to be?

2. Loyalty to Your Own Self-Care as an Entrepreneur/Businesswoman

We are all guilty of working right up until bed sometimes, neglecting our self-care as entrepreneurs, and sacrificing our mental health to get ahead at some point in our careers.

But you can’t make chronic over-work a pattern, or you’ll find yourself depleted and burned out.

And even if you are successful as a businesswoman there’s no way you will feel happy or fulfilled when you work yourself to the bone.

In my work as a business coach for women, I’ve learned that women especially tend to put their own needs aside in service to their dreams or to others.

Are your personal needs being met right now? If not, it may be time to scale back and make more time to take care of yourself first. After all, your business cannot succeed without YOU being healthy, rested, and inspired first.

You may even feel guilty about taking a day off or a night to rest, but trust that time off makes you MORE productive in the long run. We all need the mindset refresh that comes from not thinking about our work for one day. 

What do you do to take care of yourself each week or each day?

I encourage you to take a hard and fast look at this and write down exactly how many hours you spend taking care of yourself and exactly what you do. Take an inventory of how much time you spend on yourself vs. helping others and business tasks.


If this list doesn’t include eating healthy meals, exercise, and having fun with friends and family, it’s time to invest in more YOU time. And, believe it or not, this is part of being loyal to your business goals too.

3. Loyalty to Your Biggest Supporters & Mentors in Business

Of course, we should never forget the women who empowered us or the mentors that lit the way for us. It’s a nice gesture to send an unexpected thank you card or email to let another successful businesswoman know how much you appreciate their time and support.

Gratitude is a form of loyalty that always comes back to you like a boomerang. Not only does it just feel good to acknowledge someone’s influence on your career, but your colleagues won’t mind when you need a favor or advice for an important decision in the future because they will feel appreciated. 

In my book, The Ambitious Woman, What It Takes and Why You Want to Be One, I talk about some of the pioneering female founders and CEOs that paved the way for all of us, along with close personal friends that continue to inspire me. These women were not only loyal to me, but they also inspired me to stay loyal to myself and my dreams. 

Right now, when you buy my book, you get the audiobook CD for FREE!

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At this low price, you can keep one for yourself and give one to a fellow ambitious woman too.

Give the gift of inspiration and guidance to your loyal supporters today at no cost to you!