When opportunity presents itself, be confident and take it
When an opportunity presents itself, there is only one option of what to do with it. Take it. If you connect to the idea and strongly believe in it, then pursuing it is the best thing you can do.
Opportunity came knocking for one entrepreneur when an old classmate asked her to be her co-founder. This is our FemGem 13:
When Anna Raabe was approached by Laura Cordes to become co-founder of her company, Anna recognized that as a chance to take. They soon started working together and launched their company Gardoré.
Gadoré is on a mission to empower business women through style. On their platform, they offer guidance and assortments of professional attire to women making them feel comfortable and confident. It was an issue Anna faced herself while working in the corporate world. Therefore, her decision to join was simple.
I wanted to do it because I really believed in it, and I still believe in the idea.
Picking the “right time”
People could spend years having their idea, but not know where to start. This usually results in wasted time “overthinking” instead of “doing”. Instead of spending time to perfect a business plan in your head, you could launch your business idea and perfect it from trial and error. It prevents you from wasting time and instead channels into productivity.
It might not feel like an “ideal time” to start, but the reality is there never really is an “ideal time”. The closest you can get to being at the right time is simply having an idea you’re passionate about. The belief in your idea is the green light for you to get started. You learn what works and what doesn’t by making mistakes. You cannot plan all potential setbacks and solutions in your head. Learning from experience is the best way to improve.
Once you launch your idea, you enter a space of natural productivity. You can start networking sooner, and meet potential supporters to help grow your business.
Balancing your work time and personal time
Making this jump into entrepreneurship comes with many lifestyle changes. One being splitting up your work life and personal life. When building your startup, the mentality feels like you need to be working 24/7. It feels as if you’re not working 24/7 then you’re not doing enough. It might turn into a constant state of worry. This makes it easy to feel overwhelmed by it all.
One solution is to aim to reserve time for re-creation and taking your thoughts away from work. For example, when it is time to focus on your personal life, put away the computer and stop checking emails. While at work, prioritizing your duties will allow you to maximize productive results. It will help avoid the gray area between work and personal life. Enjoying time with people outside of work keeps you away from the constant state of worry and fuels you with new energy.
For every individual this can be important to define themselves. Everyone works in different ways and it is important to find out what is best for yourself.
Don’t dwell on negative times
The best way to get through the negative times? Don’t dwell on them. Just like wasting time searching for the perfect time, dwelling on negatives takes away from productivity.
Even when parts of the job are not as glamorous you should remain positive. When you become an entrepreneur you become responsible for all aspects of a business. You cannot complain about your vacation, pay, or anything else anymore. You are in charge. This freedom of being able to choose what you can do should be appreciated, especially during hardships.
As far as receiving rejections, you should allow time to help build your confidence. It is a learning process. If you dwell on this negative, you are not spending your time looking for the next improvement. It is best to learn from the criticism, move forward, and continue focusing on the positives. You must continue to believe in your business because if you do not, why should the stranger on the street or next investor?
Remember that you got where you are because of who you are what you have accomplished. Don’t focus on the rejections. Focus on your purpose.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a girl, boy, woman, or man. That’s not the point. It’s about knowing what you’re there for.
Tune in to this wonderful, lighthearted and honest conversation to learn more about Anna’s entrepreneurial journey. Here are the links to Soundcloud, Spotify and iTunes.
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