Yesterday I spoke at a female founders event, and was reminded of what the purpose-driven CEO Journey actually looks like behind-the-scenes and the secret solution for navigating the social entrepreneurial journey well.
There were 30 amazing social impact founders in the room - from a 20-something cookie maker to a fintech founder transforming the world.
Each woman spoke openly, honestly and vulnerably about the realities of what it's like to be a woman business owner.
One woman put it so perfectly. She said:
"It's nice to be with other women who know what it's like to be striving to make a social impact, building a brand, being a partner/mom, and... sometimes actually feeling a little bit good about yourself."
The entire room laughed because they also knew the struggle of trying to tick all the boxes, all day long.
But, here's the thing.
Simply trying to 'let go’ of a bunch of your boxes isn't the answer because you CARE so deeply about your business, your family, and your health. Letting something fall through the cracks would feel like losing a part of you or deeply failing.
BUT what most women do is try to SOLVE for everything in a very linear way. It’s like they are after this feeling of having “made it” or having “figured out the solution.”
This is just NOT how it works.
The solution to growing your brand without ALL the other stuff suffering is not about finding THE answer.
It's about stepping into your CEO Shoes.
There are a lot of misconceptions around what the CEO experience is. Women look in from the outside and assume that business owners of large global brands have the answers.
It's just not true.
They have the right mindset. So they always find their next answer.
They make a lot of mistakes along the way. And when that happens... they use the right mindset again to turn that failure into their next answer.
Stepping into your CEO shoes doesn't necessarily mean hiring people, raising capital or going 'bigger.'
It also doesn't need to mean having a crystal clear vision, or having the right answers to your next strategic move.
Stepping into your CEO Shoes is a mindset shift. It simply means you stick firm to your values and goals, and commit to working through each question mark, fear and complexity one by one.
That's it.
Businesses are built decision by decision, year after year.
It's a never-ending process of choosing to be IN the game, which simply means learning how to manage your mind, and stay objective as you build your business brick by brick.
This process requires outside support. Because it's not a one-size fits-all game. You and your business are nuanced. And it's hard to navigate it alone.
The best business owners and CEOs know this. This is why professional singers still take voice lessons, and top athletes still have coaches.
Being a business owner is no different. Getting help navigating all the decisions and complexities doesn't mean you're bad at your job. It means you are good at it.
So really, all that's in the way is you. You've got to commit mentally and emotionally to a journey that will feel messy and imperfect, and then get help navigating it well.
The process can be full of ease, joy, and fun. As long as you have the right mindset, tools and support.
In this episode you’ll learn:
> Why most purpose-driven business owners feel a sense of struggle
> What the social entrepreneurship CEO Journey actually looks like behind-the-scenes
> How to navigate your business well so you grow your company without sacrificing all the important things to you (like your family,...
