Boost Your Authentic Self As a Female Entrepreneur with These 3 Unique Nature Principles
The smart way of doing business
Image made by author using gencraft.com
Dear reader,
For many, living authentically is a dream straight out of a romantic Hollywood blockbuster. To be yourself. Making decisions according to your head. Not having to wear a mask. Women in particular often tend to make one-sided compromises. And they make life hell.
Trying to please everyone is the surefire way to burn out. That's why it's important to remain authentic as a female entrepreneur. Only very few people know there are natural laws that can help with this. To be yourself.
In this article, I will show you three examples of very successful female entrepreneurs who made use of these laws. On their way to the top, they relied on nature and intuition.
Whether consciously or unconsciously doesn't matter. It's the application that counts.
The three principles of nature that inspired this article are:
Observe and interact.
Use small and slow solutions.
Creatively deal with and react to change.
Observe and Interact: Sara Blakely (Founder of Spanx)
Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx, is a great example of “observe and interact.” Before launching her business, she spent many months observing women's needs. She was not above really getting to know her future customers.
And her meticulous research into the market soon paid off.
The entrepreneurial journey is comparable to planting a garden. Careful prior observation is important. Recognizing patterns, cycles, and needs helps to answer the most important question: what does the market want? What do my future customers want?
Sarah Blakely clearly based her success on careful observation of women. In countless conversations with her potential customers, she found the gap in the market that made her a millionaire. Comfortable, slimming undergarments didn't exist at the time. She improved her product according to her customers' wishes. The product became a brand and appealed to women. Because it was authentic.
Your next step: do the dirty work. Talk, ask, note. Observe and then interact. Understand the needs of your customers. Observe them when they use your product. Ask them what they like about it. And what they don't!
Who is Sarah Blakeley?
From Wikipedia
Sara Treleaven Blakely[1] (born February 27, 1971) is an American businesswoman and philanthropist. She is the founder of Spanx, an American intimate apparel company with pants and leggings, founded in Atlanta, Georgia.[2] In 2012, Blakely was named in Time magazine's “Time 100” annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.[3] In 2014, she was listed as the 93rd most powerful woman in the world by Forbes.[4]
In October 2021, The Blackstone Group acquired a majority stake in Spanx, Inc.[18][19] The company was valued at $1.2 billion.[19] Blakely was to retain her position as Executive Chairwoman.[19] Forbes estimated her net worth after the deal at $1.3 billion.[20] To celebrate the transaction, Blakely gave each of her 750 employees $10,000 in cash and let them purchase two first-class plane tickets to any destination they desired.[21]
🌱……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………🌱
Use Small and Slow Solutions: Arianna Huffington (Founder of The Huffington Post and Thrive Global)
Arianna Huffington exemplifies “use small and slow solutions.” After experiencing her personal rock bottom point, burnout, she didn't immediately overhaul her life or career. Instead, she started making small, deliberate changes to her daily routine. She reflected on her new values of wellness and mindfulness. And led her company to great success with incomparable openness and authenticity.
The principle of small and slow steps focuses on the power of small, deliberate steps instead of seeking quick solutions. Small steps are easier to analyze. And they give enough time and space to take the logical next steps.
In the world of entrepreneurship, authenticity comes from building a business step by step and making thoughtful decisions that reflect your true self. The increasingly important “personal branding” can only be achieved in small steps. Customers want to see your development. They need time to understand your activities. They want to know why you are doing this. Big, radical steps overwhelm most customers.
And kill authenticity before it can develop.
Who is Arianna Huffington:
From Wikipedia:
Arianna Stassinopoulos Huffington (née Ariadnē-Anna Stasinopoúlou; Greek: Αριάδνη-Άννα Στασινοπούλου, pronounced [ariˈaðni ˈana stasinoˈpulu]; born July 15, 1950) is a Greek American author, syndicated columnist and businesswoman. She is a co-founder of The Huffington Post, the founder and CEO of Thrive Global,[1] and the author of fifteen books.[2] She has been named to Time magazine's list of the world's 100 most influential people[3] and the Forbes Most Powerful Women list.[4]
In March 2014, Arianna Huffington published the book Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder, a No. 1 New York Times bestseller,[7] which addressed the personal and collective crisis of stress and burnout, as well as the widespread longing “to redefine success and what it means to lead ‘the good life.’”[8]
Huffington says a 2007 incident in which “she collapsed at her desk from exhaustion and awoke in a pool of blood, with a broken cheekbone,” was the wake-up call[9] that eventually led her to start Thrive Global.[10]
Huffington stepped down as editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post in August 2016 to fully focus on launching Thrive Global.[11]
🌱……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………🌱
Creatively Use and Respond to Change: Whitney Wolfe Herd (Founder of Bumble)
Whitney Wolfe Herd, the founder of Bumble, is the perfect example of “creatively use and respond to change.”
After leaving the dating app Tinder, she faced significant personal and professional challenges. She was sexually harassed and verbally abused by the other board members. But she didn't let this be her downfall. Instead of letting these setbacks define her, she used them as a springboard to create Bumble. A new dating app that empowers women to make the first move.
The principle of reacting creatively to change is probably the most important entrepreneurial skill of all. You've probably heard the quote: the only constant in life is constant change.
What is the case in life plays an even greater role as an entrepreneur. It’s a philosophy to see change as an opportunity for creativity and growth. Women entrepreneurs in particular, who often juggle multiple roles, can benefit from embracing this mindset. As the story of Whitney Wolfe Herd shows, you can turn the worst of life's circumstances into your own strength. By turning challenges into opportunities.
Whether you are an entrepreneur or a garden owner. After the storm is before the storm. The vicious snail is just waiting to attack your broccoli. If you are expecting this attack, you are prepared for it. If you're hoping that the snail will become a carnivore and spare your vegetables... Well... Good luck.
Who is Whitney Wolfe Herd:
From Wikipedia:
Whitney Wolfe Herd (born July 1, 1989)[1] is an American entrepreneur. She is the founder, executive chair, and former CEO of publicly traded Bumble, an online dating platform, launched in 2014. She is a co-founder of Tinder and was previously its Vice President of Marketing.[2][3]
Herd was named as one of 2017's and 2018's Forbes 30 Under 30, and, in 2018, she was named in the Time 100 List.[4][5][6] In February 2021, Herd became the world's youngest female billionaire when she took Bumble public.[7] She is the youngest woman to have taken a company public in the United States, at age 31.[8]
Wolfe Herd resigned from Tinder in April 2014 due to growing tensions with other company executives. On June 30 she filed a lawsuit against Tinder for sexual harassment.[22][23] She reportedly received more than US$1 million as well as stock as part of a settlement in September 2014.[12][24]
Having received online hate, Wolfe Herd started sketching out a female-only social network centered around compliments which was to be called Merci.[25] Even though she didn't want to go back to the dating industry initially, in the following months she cooperated with Badoo founder Andrey Andreev on assembling a team and developing a new female-friendly dating app. She planned to name the app Moxie, but this name was already taken[26].
Bumble, Inc (2014-present)[edit]
In December 2014, Wolfe Herd moved to Austin, Texas, and founded Bumble, a female-focused dating app.[23][16][27] By December 2015, the app had reached over 15 million conversations and 80 million matches.[23] After Wolfe Herd left Tinder, Andrey Andreev, founder of Badoo, contacted her about creating a dating platform and partnered with her,[28][11][12] and the company remains majority owned by Badoo.[4]
What you can do right now
As an entrepreneur, what's stopping you from learning from nature? These three basic principles of nature...
Observe and Interact
Use Small and Slow Solutions
Creatively Use and Respond to Change
...not only play a role in every successful permaculture system and garden. They can also significantly influence your entrepreneurial success.
Especially as a woman, you may not just be an entrepreneur. You are also a mother, partner, daughter and friend. You often play many different roles. Sometimes several at the same time. Neglecting your own self or even losing your authenticity is a great danger.
Which you can avoid.
Making nature your partner is smart. Understanding and using nature as your strongest ally makes you unstoppable.
As the three examples of these successful women clearly show!
Thank you for reading.
To your success,
Daniel
🙌 great insights and connections between business and nature!