I believe that two of the most overlooked female entrepreneurship growth strategies are building a supportive network of people who have your back personally and professionally, and regularly assessing that network.
For over 40 years, I subscribed to the conventional belief that hard work and chasing money would eventually lead to happiness and fulfillment. As a former Certified Financial Planner and trusted advisor in my family’s construction business, I wore many hats once and excelled in in them: CFO, HR manager, and advisor/coach.
Yet, despite my professional success, I found myself burnt out, frustrated, and disconnected from the joy of living. It wasn’t until I experienced a panic attack while flipping a house with my husband that I realized something needed to change, so I embarked on a transformative journey with a supportive network behind me.
There is so much power in community. I could not be living out the aligned life and financial freedom I have today without people around me providing encouragement and support at each step.
Why a Supportive Network Matters
As humans, we are made to be in community. Loneliness and isolation can have detrimental effects on our physical and mental health because connection is so crucial to who we are. We are not made to go it alone, especially not as entrepreneurs.
Surrounding ourselves with supportive people has the power to transform our businesses and our lives. Having a supportive network in place can lead us to greater confidence – in our decisions, in our goals, and even financial confidence – because we know that someone has our backs through it all.
Professionally, your supportive network can be a sounding board for ideas, an encouragement in the tough seasons we all face in business, and a source of inspiration. In your personal life, your supportive network can be there for you on days when life has given you more than you can handle. Or, equally as important, they can celebrate with you when you’re having wins!
Your supportive network is who you turn to in the good, the bad, and the mundane. They are people who fill your life with more joy and light, yet are not afraid to help you grow even when it’s uncomfortable. People like this want to see you living in a way that aligns with your true nature.
Assessing the Health of Your Network
Not all of the relationships in our lives, including the ones we have with ourselves, are healthy. Since a supportive network can play such an important role in your life and your business, it’s worth taking the time to assess the health of the key relationships in your life.
The relationship you have with yourself sets the tone for how you experience life. You are a critical part of your own supportive network, so investing in your relationship with yourself is a great place to start. Take some time to reflect on your inner dialogue. Are you speaking to yourself with compassion and patience? If not, it can be hard to find peace and confidence. Are you investing in your mind and emotional well-being? Or are you believing that you’re not worth it or it’s not important to your growth?
Your Professional Relationships
Consider the people who are in your supportive network on a professional level. Do the people you go to for business insight offer you respect? Do they speak to you with kindness? Can you trust that what you share with them will be held in confidence? If not, it may be time to think about bringing in others who can offer the support you need.
Your Personal Relationships
No relationship is perfect, but when you look at your personal life, are you surrounding yourself with people who encourage you to pursue what lights you up? Do they celebrate with you when you are living from a place of intuition and alignment? Do they support you when life feels hard? If so, you’ve found people worth keeping close.
Growing Your Network
If you find that you want or need more people in your supportive network, you are empowered to grow it in the way that feels right for you. Trust your intuition when you’re around people, and you may begin to notice some connections you’d like to invest in. Who around you is living authentically? Who around you is like-minded? Take some time to reflect on who you may want to spend more time with.
Final Thoughts on Female Entrepreneurship Growth Strategies
Being an entrepreneur doesn’t feel easy at times. Some days, the same is true for being a human. Yet both are incredible, too, and we need a network to see us through the good and the bad. That’s why, sometimes, the growth strategies we need most as women entrepreneurs are not the ones centered on numbers, goals, and outcomes; sometimes, they need to be centered around support for ourselves. When we are well-supported, we can pour out more energy into what lights us up.
I encourage you to pour into your network, either by growing it or investing in the network you already have, and pay attention to the results. Most importantly, I hope you find and develop connections that uplift you.
And if you find yourself in need of an uplifting connection, I’d love to be someone you can start with. Please feel free to reach out and book a call if you’d like me to be a part of your supportive network.
As always, from my soul to yours,
Erin