If you haven't read our #Bosslady series you are missing out, don't do that sis, catch up now with part 1 where we brought you the make up artist, @Glamdutchess (Wunmi). Part 2 we met the baker @The21stCakery (Venessa) and then in part 3 we introduced you to the clothing designer @BlessedUp (Lorraine). The last lady in this series was part 4 the motivational speaker and trainer @TheSparkleNavigator (Carole).
These ladies were from four different industries, providing services to and meeting the needs of different target audiences, but what they all had in common was their positivity. Starting with their amazing smiles and continuing with the knowledge of their field, they spoke with an authority that both educated and empowered us.
They were also filled with a level of self belief that must have been built on the tips of mountains. We at OY were in awe of how they all recognised and utilised their self belief. By believing they were capable of the success that they sought they increased their opportunities and therefore their chances of actually achieving it.
Success, although planned for, was not always a straightforward or easy path, but their resilience combined with their own personal 'why', was the driving force in getting on and pushing through regardless.
At the beginning Wumni experienced a humbling time of arriving at a job without her full make up kit. Although upsetting at the time, this situation grew her skill and knowledge of her products and their versatility. She then was able to move on to make improvisation an art, stating "there is no tool I cannot adapt to use for something else".
Venessa for a time had a battle with blondies, they were doing their best to defeat her and she was so frustrated by her imperfect attempts. But, one final beat down and she managed to plate up some edibles that would make your mouth water and your nose believe you could smell those delights through the screen, lol.
A false belief was Lorraine's challenge, thinking that everyone was like her 'real' instead she met a lot of people who seemed to be 'keeping it real', but were actually making fake look good! This hurdle was a big one to overcome because to go it completely alone, went against her personal values and business strategy. Thankfully, she overcame this narrative with the support of her loyal customers. Instead of collaborating with others in the industry, she catered to her customers and branched out into other items of clothing and accessories, this way everything available was hers, embellished with the BU logo.
Carole knew she did not process things in a linear way and so adopted mind mapping to support her way of thinking. By her identifying her own differences she was able to make adjustments which supported her desire to stay in the room (of success). We too are able to be innovative about our 'how' and take action as soon as the 'now' arrives.
These ladies met challenge, dealt with issues and they all let us know, that starting out in business is hard, but they did it, and so can we!
For many of us staying where we are maybe harder than stepping out but only we can decide whether our rock is a hard place or provides us with shelter.
Lucky for us we have the advice of our boss ladies. So, here are some key things they learnt that you can use, to support your decision making when taking your first steps to becoming a boss lady :
Know your vision, what exactly are you wanting to achieve, why, for who or for what?
Do a strength and skills audit. Identify who you are and what you bring to the table.
Don't let a lack of money or resources stop you, there will always be a way to get started.
Think, can my service or product provide me with at least what I make an hour now? If the answer is yes, then do it, risk is scary but not impossible!
Do something you have a passion for, it makes it easier to remain motivated when things get tough.
You can be self-taught, do not let what you think you don't know stop you from getting started. You will learn along the way and your capabilities will grow because of your perseverance and determination.
You are not selling for friends and family, so don’t be frustrated by their lack of enthusiasm for your business.
Get paid for your service or product up front, this is self-care, time is precious.
Don’t be afraid to be unique and do things differently, this is your business, its an extension of you, so be competitive by showing your individuality.
Business will be quiet sometimes, don't be deterred, instead get back to being creative and developing your ideas, put them out there and bang sales are up again.
Lastly these ladies remembered and practiced self care by meditating and making time to be alone to free think. They hired an assistant or mentored a trainee, not everything has to be done by you. They took classes/training to understand more or differently, to better grow their businesses. As their efforts grew so did their business mind, opportunities and bank balances.
Their efforts didn't just lift their spirts in the moment it returned them back to feeling positive, smiling and working that magic over again.
In Carole's words, they have the Sparkle equation = knowing who you are + the value you bring = showing up unapologetically you, on purpose.
If you have just started your business and want OY to shout you out, drop us your details here.