Are you afraid to fail?
We all are.
Maybe you’re getting ready to start your first venture and the fear of failure is getting in the way of preparing yourself for success.
Or maybe you’ve experienced failure once, twice, or multiple times...but deep down you still want to try again.
Today, I want to talk to you about failure...the kind of failure that happens before success.
Failure happens to everyone who starts a business. Why? Because we ALL face unexpected challenges when getting off the ground.
Sometimes failure means losing it all. But often it looks like stagnation. Stress. Self-doubt.
Here are three women who started out just like you. With a vision and a little hope...and what we all have in common on our way to success.
Arianna Huffington: An Immigrant With NO Support
Arianna Huffington is one of the most powerful media moguls in the world today, starting and selling multiple renowned print and online publications.
Born in Greece, she was the daughter of a man who ran an underground resistance newspaper during WW2. You’d think her success would be an easy destiny.
Think again.
At the start, she was just another immigrant with no money and a pile of rejection slips. English was her second language and she faced an uphill battle in her dream of getting published.
She slowly built her reputation in the shadows of her husband’s political career...but her world came crashing down during a painful divorce. She moved across the country. Then, as a single mother of two daughters, she ran for governor in California, and failed.
At the age of 54, how did she finally break through?
She regrouped. After her failed political campaign, she drew on her network to create the support team she needed to start The Huffington Post. Through persistence and poise, this “greek peasant” won the hearts of America’s elite to create a powerful media company.
Learn from Arianna and build a team that can leverage your talents and support your vision right from the start HERE. < Link to Ultimate Guide Team Building >
Kathryn Minshew: A Young Visionary Without A Strategy
Kathryn Minshew fearlessly quit her day job to build a women’s networking platform with three co-founders in 2010.
Four years later...she lost everything.
Without a strategy for success, much less legal protection, her co-founders took away everything she had worked for- leaving her with no savings, no assets, and no self-worth.
She had invested everything she had $25K of her own money into the company. But, she had never formalized her ownership. All she had to back her were handshake agreements and some promises written down on notepaper. Her co-founders pushed her out and took it all.
Having lost so much at such a young age, it would have been easy for Kathryn to quit. She could have gone back to the corporate ladder and hidden away in obscurity behind a desk job for the rest of her life.
But as a visionary, she was determined to start again.
She knew she had royally screwed up. Next time, she promised, she would start with a strategy.
Within a few months, she bounced back to start The Muse, an online career platform the now boasts with more than 75 million active users.
Seven years later, she attributes her success to starting The Muse with not just a good idea...but a solid plan for success.
Don’t think you need a business plan for your idea? Learn from Kathryn Minshew’s failure and read why you should get started on one today HERE. < Link to Business Plan Article >
Diane Von Furstenberg: Facing Self-Doubt in a Man’s World
Diane Von Furstenberg married into the old elite of Germany...but didn’t want to be a trophy wife.
She wanted a career.
Back in 1969, she face a lot of red tape with that decision. Not only did she raise eyebrows in her new family’s society...but the fashion industry just wasn’t a place for a woman.
She was determined to change that.
Diane faced rejection, discouragement, and ultimately divorced to pursue her vision. In the face of self-doubt, she succeeded. Diane was named one of the most powerful women in the world by Forbes Magazine in 2014.
#1. “The most important relationship you have in your life is the one you have with yourself.”
#2. “When you wake up some days and you feel like a loser...remember that if you doubt your power, you give power to your doubts.”
Are your fears holding you back? Self-doubt is one of the biggest struggles female entrepreneurs face.
Sometimes, all you need is a coach with an outside perspective to give you a honest look at your situation- and help you through the challenges you face.
Let’s meet up for a 15 minute consult call; my treat to discover what’s holding you back and how we can breakthrough your barriers to help you find the success you deserve HERE. < Link to Coaching Call >