The Top 4 Things That Motivate Female Entrepreneurs

The Top 4 Things That Motivate Female Entrepreneurs I grew up watching  Robert Schuller  on TV on Sunday mornings.   Dr. Schuller was an American televangelist, pastor, author and  the founder of the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California.  He may not be one of the female entrepreneurs that have closely mentored me but  this one life-changing question he often asked always  made a big impact on me. “What would you do if you knew you could not fail?”   I love this question because  it really inspires  you to think about what you are passionate about and what you would love to do in your work and life without fear and doubt in your way. So how does this question apply to entrepreneurship? Not everyone has the drive to be an entrepreneur but I wanted to explore the characteristics of the women  that do and how they handle the fears and doubts that creep in while starting a business. What motivates female entrepreneurs?  Is it the drive to control  their own schedule, manage  their own workload, and steward  their own destiny? The top 4 things that ultimately motivate successful female entrepreneurs: 1. Vision of Doing Something You Love The  female entrepreneurs  I know  have this  entrepreneurial “drive” and they envision a future where they are doing what they love to do all the time. Their vision  is waking up  happy and fulfilled and knowing that if they just put a little extra work in now, that they can create their dream future. Vision is very important for all entrepreneurs and a big reason I always recommend getting started by creating your vision board and repeating affirmations every day. 2. Changing the World According to Peter Senge, “Great entrepreneurs are motivated by a desire to change the world.   If they’re good at what they do, they’ll make money.   But, it’s more important that they have something that they’re passionate about.   If business schools continue to reinforce the idea that the purpose of business is to make money, we doom ourselves to mediocre business.” One of my main goals is helping women. I have to do it every single day. The days that I cant blog or share my advice on social media are not very happy days for me. I love waking up and getting a couple articles out because I know I have helped someone that day. I know that I have done my little part in helping to make a difference in someone elses lives. That is what motivates entrepreneurs like me. 3.  Ownership and Responsibility In my organizational behavior class during business school, we discussed  how SRC Holdings Corporation successfully  used employee ownership to motivate their employees to become entrepreneurs.   Most companies use stock merely as a form of compensation â€" a carrot to get employees to work harder.   SRC on the other hand, uses equity to involve  employees in the process of making a difference in the company and culture and giving them entrepreneurial ownership. According to A Stake in the Outcome by Jack Stack, ” If you want to build a culture of ownership, people have to understand that they have a direct role to play in creating the kind of company they want, and that creating such a company is their responsibility and the ultimate goal of the enterprise, the end result of all their efforts.” By implementing  open-book management, employees at all levels are very knowledgeable about how their job fits into the financial plan for the company. Just like an entrepreneur, employees need to be trained to understand income statements and balance sheets because they have a stake in the financial outcome of the firm. SRC understands that owners do not follow a job description and don’t just put in their time.   Instead,  they have something bigger that they are working toward and feel a sense of responsibility about accomplishing it. 4. Freedom and Flexibility This motivation is huge for female entrepreneurs  and one of the main reasons I decided to leave my corporate job in 2014. I knew I wanted a family someday and the thought of sitting in my cubicle for 8 hours while my future child spent the day with someone else made me hustle hard before she was born so that I didnt have to go back after maternity leave. [RELATED: A Day in my Life as Mompreneur] I love being in charge of my schedule as an entrepreneur and setting my own goals. I also love that if my daughter is sick, I can usually cancel my commitments pretty easily and spend the day with her. Then, just pick up what I really need to do when she falls asleep later that night. Do  you have any of these motivations to start a business? If so, join us to learn more on our next free Corporate Rescue Plan webinar. Will you be our next success story? So,  what would you do if you knew you could not fail?