Category: Stories of Women Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs: What Do You Really Want, And How Badly Do You Want It?

Erin Marcus, founder of Conquer Your Business, is not one to mince words. She’s a no-nonsense “tough love” coach for startups. But given that most entrepreneurs are pretty stubborn and laser-focused, that’s what most of us really need.

She joins The Savvy Entrepreneur to talk about why having absolute clarity about what you want from your business is the place to start.

She shares with The Savvy Entrepreneur how virtually every decision you make about your business should be driven by what you truly want. That includes everything from the legal form of your company, to whether and what type of funding you seek, to the employees and skillsets that you hire, to the processes you develop.

If you aren’t totally clear about what you want and don’t stay laser-focused on that, you will soon find your business runs you. And that often leads to burn out, discouragement, and even the end of your business.

Erin and I also chat about the other side of the equation: How badly do you want it? Starting a business is a daunting journey. Many entrepreneurs find that what they think they want comes at a price that is too steep.

So it’s equally important to focus on what you’re willing to sacrifice to get what you want. That includes the financial risks you’re willing to take, but also the challenges to important relationships in your life.

Erin stresses that there is no judgment in her work. It’s perfectly OK to be a solopreneur and stay that way, if that’s the balance that works for you.

And it’s also OK if you realize your goals change along the way. Lots of entrepreneurs start out thinking they want to grow big and scale and look for venture capital funding, only to find out that’s not the path that truly makes them happy.

Take a listen to our chat! We talk about a set of basic considerations that every entrepreneur and small businessperson should think about, and regularly revisit to make sure you stay on track to your goals. And, that you stay healthy and sane while doing it!

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The Story of Novii CPA

Victoria Thayer came from a working class family in Venezuela. Raised by a single mother and her aunt, both of whom were maids, Victoria got her big chance when she was offered a college scholarship in the U.S.

She had never been to the States before, and spoke little English. Classes were so difficult that she recorded them and listened to them again later, frequently stopping and starting the recording, trying to understand.

Her hard work paid off, and she landed a job with an accounting firm. Although successful, she knew eventually she wanted to start her own firm — one that would spend more time nuturing individual client relationships.

She started Novii CPA in 2023. Victoria shares her journey and some of the many challenges she’s faced.

Her story is an inspiring immigrant success story: if you are brave enough to come to a new country to learn a whole new language and culture, then anything is possible. And starting a business on your own really isn’t that daunting!

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Purse Strings: Helping Women Make Sound Financial Decisions

Barbara Provost and her daughter Maggie Nieman created Purse Strings, a platform dedicated to helping women make better financial decisions. They joined The Savvy Entrepreneur Radio Show recently to share how they got started, and some of the challenges they’ve faced along the way.

Barbara spent many years working with financial institutions as a consultant. She felt their really was no part of the sector that was truly serving women’s needs. The focus was on sales, and the assumption was that the man of the household was making the decisions.

And then she went through her own divorce. She spoke with lots of other women going through the process, and realized how poorly prepared many women are to make sound financial decisions. She realized again how financially disadvantaged most women are because they earn less and are out of the workforce more.

Barb launched Purse Strings as a side business, but when Covid struck and her consulting business dried up, she decided it was time to dedicate herself full-time to Purse Strings. And at that point, her daughter Maggie had finished her MBA, and they decided it was time to team up.

Like most platforms, the business has gone through some different iterations to find the right delivery and pricing model. Today, Purse Strings offers a paid membership to vetted financial experts of all types, along with lots of free financial education for women.

It’s a great story, and a business filling a huge need. Click on the arrow to take a listen!

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First Light Health: Too Much to Do, Not Enough Time!

Balancing life with our business is one of the fundamental challenges of any founder. There is always too much to do, and never enough time! And women business owners often find it especially challenging to balance everything.

Jenna Piche, creator of First Light Health, joins The Savvy Entrepreneur Radio Show to share some of the ways we can become more mindful about the tradeoffs so that we can truly create both a business and a life we are happy with.

First Light Health helps women business owners `become more mindful about how they’re spending their time, how to help ensure the time they’re spending is better aligned with their values. First Light Health also helps women entrepreneurs find ways to draw lines and to give themselves grace in doing so.

Jenna says her passion and work grew out of her own experience after having two children. She continued to try to do it all, and ended up burned out. After hearing similar stories from other businesswomen, she created First Light Health to help other women balance work and life better.

Most of us — both women and men — have struggled at times with balancing our business with our personal life and personal goals. If you have, you’ll enjoy Jenna’s many suggestions to make sure your business doesn’t control your life!

Click on the arrow to the left to take a listen!

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Pathways to Entrepreneurship: Buying An Existing Business

When people think of entrepreneurship, usually they assume it means starting a new business. But there are other pathways to entrepreneurship.

The Savvy Entrepreneur has previously looked at entrepreneurship in non-profits, as well as franchise ownership.

In this episode, Deb Curtis, founder of Curtis Business Solutions, shares another pathway: buying an existing business. It’s a path that many don’t think about. But Deb shares insights on how it can be done — especially with the aid of an SBA loan.

She talks about the kind of person that might make a great fit, the likely costs, and some of the ins and outs of SBA loans. Is this an option for you? Listen in to find out!

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