The high achieving collection of businesswomen who gathered in Sydney this week for the ‘Google for Entrepreneurs Women’s Meetup’ had lots of advice to share – yet one key message stood out: take advantage of all the support you can.
The event was part of the Startup Spring Festival, and featured a series of panels which encouraged women to become entrepreneurs.
Discussions ranged from how to determine a healthy work/life balance and manage a team, to finding a mentor and how to determine the moment you know you’re an entrepreneur.
For Lauren Fried of Pulse Marketing, the light-bulb moment may be easier to spot than some may think.
“The second you’re inspired, and inspiring to other people, you’re an entrepreneur,” Fried said.
The advice from the Unimail Group’s Andrea Culligan-Dring was simple – “Fake it til you make it,” she said.
Discussion also turned to how female business leaders can reconcile their personal lives with their work lives, particularly when either one may be going through a rough patch.
Fried said it’s important to find something that feeds your confidence outside your business and professional performance, so you can continue to find satisfaction in other areas of your life.
Calder added, “Don’t catastrophise when things go wrong. It’s normal that things go wrong, so learn from it and move on.”
The women discussed how to set boundaries with their staff, including how they learned what to share about the running of their business – particularly when it was going through a rough patch – with their team.
“Decide who you are as a leader, and find people who can handle that and can flourish in that work environment,” Culligan-Dring said.
Above all, remember that whenever you need advice or support – your fellow businesswomen are always up for a chat.
