Last night I had a convo with someone who works in the corporate world. They were remarking (ok, bemoaning) at how many of their fellow employees worked more-than-full days only to then take their laptops home and work each night until midnight.
Really? Ugh.
What struck me (aside for the sheer insanity of that practice), was that these employees were grinding themselves to the bone for someone else’s vision. It wasn’t cause-related (no babies were being saved here) and it wasn’t their asset. Yet they were working around the clock to slave away for the bottom line of the company.
Listen, I have no issue with working hard for a company – I used to do it happily (mostly). But this unsustainable, work-a-holic practice seemed a bit over-the-top to me.
In that moment, it really reminded me how blessed we are as entrepreneurs to get to advance OUR mission and work toward a vision that inspires us and our right people.
Every single ounce of blood, sweat and tears we pour into our business matters – to us and to our customers and clients.
I find that tremendously liberating, don’t you?
A recent Forbes article identified 11 Reasons Why 2014 Will be a Breakout Year for Women Entrepreneurs. And I believe, for a myriad of reasons, we’ll continue to see more and more women start their own businesses.
What inspires me to no end about that, is the collective global impact we as women in business can make – both economically and socially. When I think about the work my clients are doing in the world, I have no doubt that entrepreneurship is a gateway to a more sustainable, loving world.
The challenge of course, is that it’s one thing to start a business and entirely another to grow a profitable, sustainable one that can actually create that impact.
In fact, in another Forbes article, they looked at Why Women-Owned Businesses Don’t Grow.As of the article’s publishing, three quarters of all women-run businesses (U.S. data) were not able to surpass $50,000 in gross annual income.
Yikes!
And guess what they identified as one of the main reasons women-owned businesses stay small.
Leadership.
And no, not the stodgy C-Suite version of the grey-haired man in the corner office. To quote the article:
A big problem when it comes to women business owners is that many don’t think of themselves as a CEO. Instead they think of themselves as sort of a chief multi-tasker and the person who should be doing everything in the business. While that may at times work on the home front, in a business that is not the best way to go. A CEO of a growing company has to be able to step back and make plans and engage other people in doing the work.
“Too many women limit their vision and opportunities by getting overwhelmed,” Merlino says. “They end up walking away from opportunities or clients or more work because they know there is only 24 hours in their day – as opposed to, ‘Who can I get to help me so I can go out to sell the company?”
Women who start out as seeing themselves as the boss are likely to get to the $1 million revenue mark quicker.
Whether your goal is to get to the $1 million revenue mark or not, the point remains the same. To have the impact, income and lifestyle you want — you’ve got to see yourself as the CEO of your business and step up to lead it to success.
I get that it takes courage. I get that it can feel vulnerable to really put yourself out there. I get that sometimes you’re basically treading water – balancing a business, a family, friends, volunteer engagements, side jobs and maybe even 5 minutes for your own interests. I get that it feels like there are a 100 decisions to make each day, and 100 more on your to-do list, and not enough hours in the day.
Every single day, being an entrepreneur will test all of what it means to be human.
We’ve got the battle scars to prove it.
And frankly? I wear mine proudly.
My kids get to see a Mom who does work she loves. I get to build something that is a pure reflection of what I most value. And I get to DIRECTLY impact the lives of other women who want to do the same.
You get to do this too.
This is your time. You’ve got this.
The doors have been busted WIDE open and there’s plenty of space for you to create a business and a life you love.
If not you, who?
If not now, when?
Step up and take your place as CEO. You’ve earned it!
If you’re ready to make 2014 your breakout year, I encourage you to sign up for my leadership program, Beyond PRO.
This program will empower you to go from busy-work and indecision that keeps your business spinning in one place, to taking back control and navigating your business into a much more expansive future.
Registration closes April 17, and you can sign up here:
Steph
P.S. The program starts April 28th and won’t open again until the Fall. If this is your time, don’t wait. http://beyondpro.biz/ — (If nothing else, check out the sales page – I’m getting rave reviews on it!)
Photo credit: Startup Stock Photos via Compfight
