When you start a business you can experience a rollercoaster of emotions. The highs are high & the lows are low, but it's all part of the incredible journey of chasing your dream. You always celebrate the successes and learn & grow from the setbacks. Hindsight is also a wonderful thing when it comes to owning a business, so we asked six successful female founders the advice they would give their younger self and ultimately any other young entrepreneur. 

 Jose Bryce Smith of O&M Haircare 

"Be prepared to work hard and grow a thick skin, people will criticise you. You should take what you need from that and learn but not take it on board, back yourself and be your own best friend, be kind to yourself, you’re doing amazing."

 Zeenat Wilkinson of SAUCE 

"My advice for budding entrepreneurs would be to get the experience you need before you decide to leap into it. An internship or apprenticeship with someone you admire and take the time to train and perfect your skills. It is also a great opportunity to make important connections within the industry. Working in fashion and beauty can be difficult and training for it can be challenging, too, but it is important to stay polite, work hard, and not dwell on the negatives." { Go inside Zee's workspace HERE }

Genevieve Rosen-Biller of Bed Threads 

"If I could give my younger self (even just a few years ago!) a piece of advice it would be that it's never too late to dream differently, and that despite how you might feel, you are not stuck. From a young age, all I ever wanted to pursue was writing and journalism. I never imagined owning my own business or pursuing a career in the realm of interiors. A near decade into working in media, in roles I am incredibly grateful for and was privileged to hold, I changed course and started Bed Threads. It was hard to be honest with myself that my goals and dreams had shifted, that I was taking a different path from the one I was happy and comfortable on. If I could give my former self advice, it would be that it's fine to adapt and change!"

Georgie Karloci (nee Duddy) of After The Rock 

"I’ve always been business book, and now podcast, obsessed. Starting my first business at 21 and then transitioning to After the Rock 7 years later was like seeing water for the first time, being thrown in the deep end and being told to ‘just swim’ – so good advice was something I constantly searched for.

I think this is as poignant now as it was when I was 21…  ‘we overestimate what we can do in a day but underestimate what we can do in a year’. I was the queen of the over promise – setting myself up for failure when giving deliverable dates meaning I would be up all night trying to meet deadlines.  I must admit, I'm still reminding myself of this one and working on it daily.

 The best advice I received later in my career was ‘No one else knows what they’re doing either’. I think most of us suffer from a bit of imposter syndrome no matter how successful we look from the outside  – thinking we should be more, do more, have all the answers, but we’re all learning. All the time."  

Erika Geraerts of Fluff 

"I made a lot of money doing something I later realised I didn’t care, or know anything about, and it didn’t make me happy. I did it because it all felt right at the time - I was crazy enough to believe I could, and that served me well, until it didn’t. 

Creating anything of value does not come quickly or easily. When someone is winning, someone else is losing. Leaders eat last. What you do is who you are. There are resume virtues and eulogy virtues, what would you prefer? Now go and find out what all that means. My journey is different to yours - at some point, (hopefully) we realise we are in control of it. Oh, and go to therapy, you’ll thank me later."

Fabienne Costa of YCL Jewels 

"I would tell my younger self to trust herself and her ability to create something incredible. To trust that sometimes the path diverts from where and how you thought you would 'get there' -  and that is okay! It is along that winding path, deep into the unknown, that you grow and learn so much about yourself. 

It is so easy to get caught up in fear and feel a huge sense of imposter syndrome weighing on your shoulders, so it's vital to step back from time to time to watch all that we have planted bloom."

Thinking about your next big step? Our Downloadable Goal Planner is a great tool to start planning.