Image: © Mette Boesgaard/Ikon Images/Corbis
Mashable’s latest #BizChats Twitter chat discussed what it takes to rock the business world as a woman.
Over the course of an hour, and with the curation partnership with Natalie Zfat, @MashBusiness covered an array of topics ranging from the challenges women face when pursuing entrepreneurship, to the most important business skills female entrepreneurs should develop.
Several amazing businesswomen contributed to this conversation including: Ann Shoket, former editor-in-chief of Seventeen Magazine and author of the BABs newsletter; Bethenny Frankel, reality television personality, talk show host, author, chef, & entrepreneur; Chondra Sanchez, writer at Evil Ink Comics and co-founder of The Social Co.; Jenny Fleiss, co-founder & head of business development at Rent the Runway; Jessica Naziri, tech expert, writer, vlogger, & content strategist; Mara Hoffman, fashion designer, owner of Mara Hoffman, Inc. & entrepreneur; Natalie Zfat, writer, entrepreneur & social media influencer; Rachel Grant, entrepreneur, actor & humanitarian; Rebecca Minkoff; industry leader in accessible luxury handbags & designer extraordinaire; and Rosie Pope, entrepreneur and creative force behind Rosie Pope Maternity & Baby.
Check out highlights from our chat in the Storify, below:
[View the story “#BizChats: How to be a fierce & fabulous female entrepreneur” on Storify]
Mashable shares tips and tricks on how women can achieve brilliant careers in entrepreneurship and earn their slice of success.
Storified by Mashable· Wed, Mar 23 2016 20:41:04
A full-time female entrepreneur wears many hats.
This includes: accountant, marketer, publicist, receptionist — the list goes on and on. In a world where big and bold ideas are being transformed into the most successful businesses of our time, we’re seeing more women stepping up, taking more risks, and evolving into the leaders that they were always destined to be.
@mashbusiness and several amazing female entrepreneurs participated in a #BizChats Twitter chat to discuss how women can overcome the challenges faced in entrepreneurship.
Welcome to #BizChats! Today we’re discussing how to be a fierce & fabulous female entrepreneur. Please introduce yourselves!Mashable Business
A warm welcome to our female entrepreneurs: @annshoket, @bethenny, @chonnye, @pjtentrepreneur, @jessicanaziri, @nataliezfat (cont) #BizChatsMashable Business
(Cont.) @marahoffman, @missrachelgrant, @rebeccaminkoff, & @RosiePope! #BizChatsMashable Business
#BizChats tip: Be sure to number your answers according to the question you’re answering. (ie., Q1.—> A1., Q2. —> A2., Q3. —> A3.)Mashable Business
Question 1:
Q1. What characteristics encompass a successful female entrepreneur? #BizChatsMashable Business
A1 Women naturally know how to build a team, teach, nurture, create working units. Go with these instincts #BizChats https://t.co/j785m1HvDsRachel Grant
A1. The most important quality any entrepreneur can have is ambition. As I like to say: Women do everything men do – in heels. #BizChatsNatalie Zfat
A1 Passion, tenacity and scrappiness! #BizChatsProject Entrepreneur
A1: You have to be comfortable with failure and have the passion to innovate and persevere #BizChatsProject Entrepreneur
Q1. REGARDLESS OF GENDER, an entrepreneur should embody: focus, strength, grace, vision, and intelligence. #BizChatsmarahoffman
A1 Naturally, mothers are strong – leaders, team builders, multi-taskers, planners. Focus on these natural characteristics. #BizChatsRachel Grant
A1 Women are designed to create, to nurture. Get inspired. Allow these natural abilities to grow. #BizChats https://t.co/YB47wyHcBgRachel Grant
Q1. Confidence, perseverence, passion, flexibility.Ability to be tough, but not mean. Ability to turn on and off in ur diff roles #BizChatsRosie Pope
A1. Look at any successful businesswoman & you’ll discover how much they believe in themselves. If you think you can, you can… #BizChatsJessica Naziri
A1. #BizChats Driven to look for new answers to old ?’s, adaptive, curious, resourceful and likely at the center of a serious networkChondraEchertSanchez
A1. The same that encompass a male entrepreneur: organization, delegation, execution, passion, drive, vision, determination #BizChatsBethenny Frankel
A1. A prerequisite to being an entrepreneur is to finely tune your decision-making abilities. Avoiding ‘paralysis by analysis’ #BizChatsJessica Naziri
A1. Society is going to tell you “You can’t do it.” But it’s up to you to break those barriers and do the things you believe in. #BizChatsKritika Kulshrestha
A1. The new crop of entrepreneur women I know want to change the world. They see a problem that they NEED to solve #bizchats @mashbusinessAnn Shoket
A1.Also,don’t look at other people’s success in reflection as ur failure.Be inspired by others success/happiness not angered by it #BizChatsRosie Pope
@mashbusiness Unwavering determination,creativity, being a strong collaborator & persistence. Bc no is just the beginning of yes. #BizChatsRebecca Minkoff
Question 2:
Q2. What are the most important business skills female entrepreneurs need to develop? #BizChatsMashable Business
A2 Learning how to test & pivot your concept based on customer feedback is key #BizChatsProject Entrepreneur
A2 That’s what @Jenn_RTR & I did to test out @RenttheRunway and #RTRUnlimited. #BizChatsProject Entrepreneur
@mashbusiness Being your own champion & surrounding yourself w/ strong women who speak up for you & support you. Be fearless. #BizChatsRebecca Minkoff
@mashbusiness A2. Women have to stop being over apologetic. We’re hard workers & don’t need a crutch to fight for what we deserve. #BizChatsTracey Edouard
Q2. Teamwork. You can’t do it alone. I’ve seen AMAZING things happen when women collaborate with openness. #BizChats https://t.co/QFnbqzlyBaAnn Shoket
A2. Did you know that only 30% of women negotiate their salaries? As entrepreneurs (+ intrapreneurs) let’s demand what we deserve. #BizChatsNatalie Zfat
A2. Gender bias is one of the most important movements within the tech industry, we think we need to act like men to catch up #BizChatsJessica Naziri
A2 There’s always a creative & scrappy way to create a minimum viable product test #BizChatsProject Entrepreneur
A2. Rigidity vs. flexibility and when to apply each is an important skill any entrepreneur should develop. #BizChatsmarahoffman
A2 Always dream. Learn to visualize. Be curious. Always see things on other levels, in new ways. #BizChats https://t.co/PjVwDdsYrmRachel Grant
A2. Resiliency is key! Also, the confidence to know when to fight for an idea & grace to admit when something isn’t working. #BizChatsChondraEchertSanchez
A2. As a female in tech (geek in heels) it’s difficult to strike the right balance without being seen as meek or harsh. #BizChatsJessica Naziri
A2. The same as men: directness, decisiveness, authoritativeness, a commanding presence #BizChatsBethenny Frankel
A2 Be wise with money. Be resourceful. Practise resourcefulness each day with all things. #BizChats https://t.co/PlbWd3DEUTRachel Grant
A2. Communication, learning to be assertive w/o being too aggressive, being open to changes for the greater good (consumers) #bizchatsLittle Bo Fleek
A2 Customer feedback proved that women would rent dresses and subscribe to fashion #BizChats https://t.co/2bWxhum1Sm cc @RenttheRunwayProject Entrepreneur
A2. Loaded Q! Clear communication is at the top of the list. What will it mean if you’re heard, but misunderstood? @mashbusiness #BizChatsRachel Jolley
Q2. On top of standard business skills (communication, etc.), female entrepreneurs need to learn to lean in #BizChatsAnna Slyusareva
Q2 Important business skills female entrepreneurs need to develop – accounting + law + negotiations @nashvillewe #bizchatsPatricia Mathisen
Q2. How to command respect, look out for yourself, be able to work with other female (and male) entrepreneurs, believe in team #BizChatsRosie Pope
@mashbusiness Being your own champion & surrounding yourself w/ strong women who speak up for you & support you. Be fearless. #BizChatsRebecca Minkoff
Question 3:
Q3. How can women achieve work-life balance while keeping their entrepreneurial spirit alive? #BizChatsMashable Business
A3. Work/life balance comes with understanding the yes’s + no’s – establishing boundaries – and being fully present in each place. #BizChatsmarahoffman
A3 Work-life balance is important but you also have to accept that you may never find the “perfect” balance #BizChatsProject Entrepreneur
A3 Work-life balance is a sham! It’s all work all the time, all life all the time. #BizChats @mashbusiness https://t.co/Ia3pMMc9UiAnn Shoket
A3. If work/life “balance” existed, we’d work 3.5 days and have 3.5 days off. Never feel bad about living a full life. #BizChatsNatalie Zfat
A3. #BizChats Finding a partner who is flexible, encouraging and pulls EQUAL weight (in all life aspects) makes all the difference.ChondraEchertSanchez
A3. I schedule all my biz obligations when my daughter is at school or I’m not w her. This way, when I’m w her I don’t feel torn. #BizChatsBethenny Frankel
A3 Sleep well. Sleep is essential to mental & physical health, memory. Get good sleep. Sleep is healing. #BizChats https://t.co/xyoPU5g7EdRachel Grant
A3 Women have phenomenal energy. Can survive with little rest. Genetically a vital resource. Has brought mankind to where it is #BizChatsRachel Grant
A3. Spend less time talking about it + use that time to find some balance! Lol #bizchatsRosie Pope
A3 If you have kids, talk to them about what’s going on at work & what being an #entrepreneur means! #BizChatsProject Entrepreneur
47% of women have been asked to do lower-level tasks that male colleagues are not asked to do (note-taking, ordering food,etc) #BizChatsJessica Naziri
A3. #BizChats Work/Life balance shouldn’t just be something we talk about for women!ChondraEchertSanchez
A3 Making dedicated time for family & friends is essential, but it’s OK to have multiple priorities! #BizChatsProject Entrepreneur
A3.Women need to create their own rules to redefine work/life balance, take risks & inspire a culture to thrive in a modern market #BizChatsJessica Naziri
@mashbusiness A3. Be disciplined! Have structure to your work schedule and make sure you have time to rest in between work hours. #BizChatsTracey Edouard
A3. Its such an obsession it makes pressure to “find It’ worse. I look at balance over long periods of time, not in a given day #bizchatsRosie Pope
A3: You have to embrace your mess. BIG Life and BIG Work are never going to be neat…but it will be FUN! #BizChats https://t.co/Ia3pMMc9UiAnn Shoket
Q3. You don’t need a balance if you love what you do. Otherwise, careful planning always helps #BizChatsAnna Slyusareva
@mashbusiness By knowing ur boundaries & what ur comfortable w/. Explore ur limits to learn what they are & then commit to them. #BizChatsRebecca Minkoff
Question 4:
Q4. What challenges do women face in entrepreneurship and how do they overcome them? #BizChatsMashable Business
A4 Women start companies at 1.5x the national average, yet account for less than 10% of founders at high-growth firms #BizChatsProject Entrepreneur
A4 Make the most of being a woman. Stand out of the crowd. Be the black sheep. Soon you’ll be the shepherd #BizChats https://t.co/k9kjiE8Ry0Rachel Grant
A4. The differences in the WAY men & women lead is a beautiful thing. #BizChatsChondraEchertSanchez
A4. Traditionally women have had to fight for opportunities to even prove ourselves that in many cases, are open for men. #BizChatsChondraEchertSanchez
A4 Economic barriers are a big one that all female entrepreneurs face #BizChatsProject Entrepreneur
A4. Women own 29% of businesses – but receive only 4% of small biz loans. Don’t forget to ASK – and you shall receive. #BizChatsNatalie Zfat
A4. Keeping the conversation going about these gaps and inequalities is vital to closing them. #BizChatsChondraEchertSanchez
A4. One of the biggest challenges for a female entrepreneur is not understanding how important it is to have networks and mentors #BizChatsJessica Naziri
A4. Our ability to create a weblike business model rather than a vertical is powerful. We overcome by carrying on. #BizChatsChondraEchertSanchez
A4.Entrepeneurship is tough no matter who u r.Being mother+ #womanwhoworks is challenging period but doesn’t mean u can’t b great #BizChatsRosie Pope
A4. I don’t view life this way. I worry about what I’m doing, not what I’m not getting. I will go toe to toe with any man. #BizChatsBethenny Frankel
A4 Still not being seen as equals. Fight by having stellar reputation, not backing down when negotiating your pay from clients. #BizChatsSBN Marketing
A4 In fact, next month we’re bringing together 150+ #female founded #startups & hosting a weekend intensive in NYC #PEIntensive16 #BizChatsProject Entrepreneur
A4. As a social entrepreneur, I feel compelled to list quantifiable accomplishments since otherwise my work is seen as “charity” #BizChatsRachel Sumekh
A4. Men have the ‘boys club.’ We are late to the game, and we have to support each other by developing a strong ‘girls clubs.’ #BizChatsJessica Naziri
A4. I use my femininity to my advantage in the tech space, call me the * chic geek* #gadgetgirl #BizChatsJessica Naziri
A4. use the strength of being a woman to apply care and grace while navigating challenging situations. #BizChatsmarahoffman
A4. Being own boss+schedule maker sometimes hard 4team but leaving early for kids doesnt mean less work.Burning 12am oil anyone? #BizChatsRosie Pope
A4. Finding your tribe is essential fo entrepreneurs. It’s hard to big things…you need people who see the world the way you do. #BizChatsAnn Shoket
@mashbusiness A4. Finding your voice in business can be a challenge. Your passion is what will speak volumes behind your biz. #BizChatsTracey Edouard
A4. My team of 27 women teach me daily to view womanhood as a source of power and not an obstacle to overcome. #Bizchatsmarahoffman
@mashbusiness A.4 Not being taken srsly despite being a smart & savvy woman in business. The
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