15 Feb Entrepreneurish

When I was a young girl still in knee socks, I discovered that I had the power of persuasion. As they say, I could convince somebody in hell to buy a tanning bed and an Eskimo to buy a freezer. Somewhere, somehow, I had acquired the skill to sell anything. The only thing was, I didn’t want to sell anyone anything that they didn’t want or need. In fact, if I sensed you didn’t really need something I would start talking you out of it. I was good at that too. It wasn’t until I was older that I realized this flip-flopping wasn’t a design flaw. When combined, it was the best of both worlds.  I could convince people, but the effort would usually be an improvement not a distraction. 

I was always dreaming up solutions to everyday challenges. All I needed was a pen, a pad and a device connected to the internet. It didn’t cost me anything to dream. That was my favorite part. As a kid Teachers said that I had an over active imagination. As an adult, people said I was a daydreamer. It didn’t matter. I loved to do it despite the labels!

With 20 years of corporate skills behind me and my penchant for dreaming up solutions, I’ve been on a roll.  It’s my imagination that has helped me to be an asset to entrepreneurs, A.K.A.  people brave enough to take the plunge. I couldn’t wait to solve problems and give advice. I would live vicariously through them, wishing that I had their guts.

I have often envied those taking the leap to be an entrepreneur.  It didn’t occur to me that I wasn’t all that different.  I loved to find solutions to problems and create something out of nothing. I didn’t even realize how my “special skills” of persuasion was helping me to be a better leader.

The last few years has been a blessing working with bright founders.  I studied from the Masters and learned how to launch a business the right way. Now I want to build a community and share what I’ve learned with all Women aspiring to be business owners. 

I haven’t always been an entrepreneur, but I’ve always been entrepreneurish. This year we take the plunge ourselves. We created Built By She, a unique start-up created to help Women succeed in venture.  We have the knowledge, we have the ideas and now we’re entrepreneurs.