9. Cut through bureaucracy.
“Certain situations will try to cloud your focus, but don’t waver from your ultimate goal. Remember that success is about building something that lasts. Longevity is what separates the real entrepreneurs from the opportunists. The real entrepreneur’s investment is the blood, sweat, and tears put into building a real brand and future. Surviving is succeeding and the journey is the reward.”
– Dimple Thakkar, CEO and Impresario of Synhergy Marketing: @synhergyent
10. Enlist others that will hold you accountable.
“Especially when dreaming big, it’s easy to get daunted. I find the best way to get out of my own way in business is to enlist others. By sharing my biggest hopes and dreams with someone I trust, I shift my mindset outside myself, which holds me accountable. Once the idea is out there in the world, I feel I have to ‘step it up’ and achieve what I said I wanted to.”
– Sarah Sloboda, Chief Creative Officer of Sarah Sloboda: @SarahSloboda
11. Remain open to change.
“As a business owner, I tend to be stubborn and unlikely to change our business structure if things are going well. It’s important to remember that there is always room for improvement and growing your business.”
– Ron Eiger, President of Sunny Decals: @sunnydecals
12. Find a “No” person.
“Get rid of the colleagues that ‘yes’ you to death and tell you what you want to hear. Find those one or two people that will tell you the real deal no matter what and will help you stop the sabotage.”
– Teana McDonald, Owner of The InStyle Diva: @TheInStyleDiva
13. Create a close inner circle.
“If you stay in your own head and get obsessed with your own ideas of quality, success, and progress, you can start heading down the wrong road fast. Have an inner circle of quality people who can give you constructive feedback and help keep you headed in the right direction.”
– Ciara Pressler, Founder and CEO of Pressler Collaborative: @themayoress
14. Seek feedback and embrace rejection.
“Don’t let your personal fears cloud your business judgment. It took me many months before I showed my business plan to anyone because I was afraid it would be rejected, but I realize now I had nothing to fear. The only way I ever have any hope of raising start-up capital for my storefront – and DC’s first cakepoppery – is to show people my business plan and get as much feedback as possible. People want to help you, they want you to succeed. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there… It will be well worth the risk.”
– Yael Krigman, Owner of Baked by Yael: @bakedbyyael
15. Give yourself a hard stop.
“Give yourself a schedule with a “hard stop” at night and do not bring your computer into bed. As entrepreneurs we can work around the clock and it can be very hard to “shut down” because the constant innovation that goes on in our heads can keep us up at night (literally). So I give myself a hard stop of 10 pm where I turn on the TV, make myself a snack and wind down. Because without sleep, I will be useless the next day.”
– Ariana Stecker, CEO of Ariana Stecker Weddings: @ArianaGStecker
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Photo: Massimo Dutti
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