Chick Chat With Cornelia O’ Dwyer: The Hype of Entrepreneurship
Hello Guys! Its #TalkTuesday A.K.A. #ChickChat. I’ve been thinking about the hoopla around entrepreneurship these days and I can’t help but think some of it is just hype. I’ve also thought about ‘Female Entrepreneurs’ and why it is that most women’s businesses are sole proprietorships and rarely grow past this stage. Do we as women lack the confidence to set big goals and strive to meet them? As a woman, If I can be honest, I have a hard time tooting my own horn or asking for what I need and I sometimes struggle with the ‘game’ that is such a big part of getting ahead.
On some days, I’ll advise women NOT to step off the corporate ladder but on other days, I’m all for rampant optimism and would urge you to claim your freedom but whichever way you go, do remember ENTREPRENEURSHIP is hard! It’s hard on our human feelings to ‘keep going’ when things are not doing well. Some of what we see on social media is really just hype.
It’s difficult and its long slug stuff. It leaves you feeling overly optimistic at first and completely deflated when things do not go according to plan. I read some research that suggests It takes about 4 years of graft before the general public knows about what you do. Female entrepreneurs have been in existence for decades but in recent times it has become a fad! It’s seems to be the “in” thing to do and rolls of the tongue nicely when you say “I work for myself” but are ALL women cut out for entrepreneurial world. Some of my friends landed into the world because of necessity. Some had been laid off, some have to contribute to take care of their families and some just love the freedom and want control of their destiny and so, some women don’t possess the necessary skills as a result. For instance, when things are rough and you have to worry about how to feed, how can one prevent this from hindering success? I know men struggle too but are there some things they do better than us or handle better? Some my friends have network problems. Women do not have the network to get the help they need and to meet investors. Most women I know rely on seed funding and it seems to get to the top one has to build a strong support network.
Outside of this though, I believe that a lack of confidence is one of the major problems that women have. There are tough choices to be made if you want to be successful in your business and most of us aren’t cut out for it. A friend of mine Tania outsourced a part of her business to another company and this third party company was based on friendship and barter. The third party was unreliable and didn’t create more revenue for the company but Tania based on sentiment didn’t know how to fire her ‘friend’ quick enough. Fewer men make decisions based on sentiment. Women are often embarrassed to ask for help when the chips are down. They feel exposed when business isn’t successful.
It would be ignorant not to acknowledge other factors that hold women back I.e gender barriers and stereotypes BUT, in my lifetime and early career, there has been nothing standing in the way of women’s progress other than our ability to make choices. Before you delve into the world of business, ask yourself if you are truly cut out for it. Female entrepreneurship is a graft and will bring you face to face with your many flaws. I.e remaining ethical when competition gets fierce, accepting that your idea is failing.
I tend to respond better to ‘touchy feely’ and can get defeated BUT in the real world no one has time for that. Women do not take well to constructive criticism about their businesses especially from other women and this can slow down progress significantly. Not sure if any women would agree but the Genesis and Revelation of it is to accept that perception is different from reality. Feel free to share any thoughts about your journey. If you agree, disagree or have come face to face with what you don’t do so well with.