Self-made billionaires such as Warren Buffett, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk have achieved extraordinary wealth and success, but their journeys offer more than just financial lessons
Self-made billionaires such as Warren Buffett, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk have achieved extraordinary wealth and success, but their journeys offer more than just financial lessonsThe lessons I’ve learned from them are not just applicable to women but to all entrepreneurs who seek to build businesses that stand the test of time. These women exemplify what it means to build with purpose and resilience. Here are four valuable lessons I’ve gathered from their journeys.
1. Stay Grounded in Your Mission and Values
One of the most profound lessons I’ve learned comes from Bee Nance, a woman whose passion for education and community impact is seamlessly integrated into her professional life. With a background in accounting and financial management, Bee combined her expertise with her love for education by leading Generation Teach as its Chief Operating Officer. Under her leadership, the organization achieved six consecutive years of clean financial audits and grew its budget significantly, all while staying true to its mission of creating educational opportunities.
Bee’s ability to align her professional life with her personal passions underscores a critical business lesson: success comes from being rooted in your mission and values. When you are clear about your “why,” you’re more likely to make decisions that create a lasting impact, not just financially but in terms of positive contributions to society. This alignment fosters long-term sustainability and ensures that your work leaves a meaningful legacy.
2. Use Your Disadvantages to Your Advantage
Women entrepreneurs often face unique challenges, particularly when it comes to accessing capital or building networks. Courtney Spritzer and Stephanie Cartin, the co-founders of Socialfly and Entreprenista, have experienced these challenges firsthand. Despite the fact that women-owned businesses represent nearly 40% of all businesses in the U.S., women entrepreneurs often struggle more than their male counterparts to secure the funding needed to grow their companies. Courtney and Stephanie, however, saw this as an opportunity rather than a setback.
They founded Entreprenista, a community designed to connect and empower female entrepreneurs. What started as a podcast in 2018 has now blossomed into a thriving community of over 2,000 women founders who share advice, insights, and support. Their ability to turn a perceived disadvantage into a market opportunity is a crucial lesson for all entrepreneurs: When faced with barriers, ask yourself how you can use these challenges to identify market gaps and innovate solutions. Sometimes, the very challenges you face can drive the most impactful changes in your business.
3. Be Resilient — But Don’t Be Afraid to Pivot
Brittany Malidore’s story is a powerful testament to the strength of resilience. After a life-threatening car accident, Brittany had to rebuild not just her physical health but her business vision as well. Prior to the accident, she had been running Ledgerly Consulting, providing affordable accounting services to nonprofits and small businesses. However, following her recovery, she refined her focus, deepening her commitment to helping organizations that face overwhelming challenges, just as she had.
Brittany’s story teaches an important lesson: Resilience isn’t just about bouncing back from setbacks — it’s about using adversity as a springboard to refine your goals and pivot when necessary. Being willing to change your approach and adapt to new circumstances can often lead to more meaningful impact and better opportunities than sticking rigidly to an old plan. The ability to pivot can be the difference between enduring a setback and turning it into a strategic advantage.
4. Value Community and Harness the Power of Your Network
If there’s one thing Claire Coder, founder of Aunt Flow, has taught me, it’s the importance of community and the power of networks. At just 19, Claire dropped out of college to start Aunt Flow, a company that provides menstrual products to businesses and schools to offer for free, just like toilet paper and soap. The journey was far from easy, especially in an environment where menstruation was still a taboo topic, and securing funding was even harder for women entrepreneurs.
Despite these challenges, Claire built a robust network of supportive women entrepreneurs who understood the unique hurdles she faced. With their guidance and through the valuable connections she nurtured, Claire was able to grow Aunt Flow from a one-woman startup into a company with over 1,000 customers, including Fortune 500 companies. Her story is a reminder that business success is rarely achieved in isolation. It is built on relationships, collaboration, and the willingness to seek help when needed. In a world where competition is fierce, a strong network can often provide the resources, support, and opportunities that make the difference between success and failure.
Conclusion: Building with Purpose and Resilience
These lessons from women entrepreneurs show how resilience, purpose, and community can drive exceptional results in business. Whether through aligning your values with your work, turning challenges into opportunities, being open to change, or leaning into a supportive network, these strategies can help any entrepreneur build a lasting, impactful business. As we celebrate Women's History Month, let us draw inspiration from these remarkable women who remind us that the path to success is not linear — it’s about finding meaning in the journey and building a legacy that matters.
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