What it really means to be a female founder by Lucienne Shakir

Want to know how hard it REALLY is to be a female founder? Don’t ask the business ‘guru’s’ selling the million dollar dream - because what they are not sharing with you is….

THE REALITY. 

Without the right support - it’s so easy to give up on your business, especially when you are comparing it to every Jan, Sam and Sarah who are rolling in the big bucks, all whilst looking immaculate and like their life is effortless. (Bouncing their kids on their shoulders, running on the treadmill whilst answering their emails - all whilst not spilling a drop of their decaf coconut cappuccino.)

Well I’m about to spill the tea on them. (Like what I did there?)

Their life is not effortless. 

Trust me - I know. Because I see behind the scenes of SO MANY female founded businesses. Here are my top four traits needed to be a successful founder:

Resilience

Don’t underestimate the bounce back and the need to have thick skin. If you start taking anything in business personally - you’re in trouble. Your business is not you and you are not your business. Get tough. Your business depends on it.  

Integrity

Doing what you say you are going to do, when you say you are going to do it. I’m a firm believer in under promise and overdeliver. You can be too. 

Instinct

Somehow - somewhere women learned not to trust themselves. (Centuries of oppression and silencing might have had a role to play - but you know, I can’t be sure!) Often you don’t need a mentor to tell you what to do, because if you actually gave yourself enough time, you’d know that the answers are already inside of you. Work on developing communication with your gut. 

Fear

So underutilised - it’s the things that you’re scared to do that give the most progress and potential. So, write down the thing you would love to do, but are too scared to - and just go do it. 

“Stop thinking so much - you’re breaking your own heart” is a beautiful quote that links to all of the above. Tune into your heart and listen to what she’s saying. 

Lots of love, Lucienne

About the author

Lucienne Shakir is a Master Accredited, visionary coach and mentor in the field of female empowerment. Her mission is to empower female founders to build brilliant businesses - for them to succeed and thrive with strength, confidence and sheer self-belief in their abilities. Her inspiring longer-term vision is for complete equality in entrepreneurship - not just in relation to gender, but for every individual, in every sector, worldwide. She is an active campaigner for women’s rights having created a not-for-profit arm of her business to support women with accountability, education and coaching who may otherwise not have the funds for their personal or professional development. www.luciennecoaching.com