Business advice I would give to my younger self

At Squirrels&Bears we feel inspired by the success of others - and as a female-founded business, we feel very strongly about sharing great stories and lessons learned from fellow female founders. In celebration of International Women’s Day, we have asked female founders in our online community to share the one business advice they would give to their younger self - and here is what they said:

Believe in yourself

“Stand tall and be proud of your success, no matter how small it may seem. Even if those around you cast a shadow of doubt on your achievements. You are the only one that can make your dreams a reality and only your opinions are important in terms of your self-worth. Don’t let others hold you back you can do this.”, recommends  Liz Marden, Founder of Nature Therapies.

“Believe in yourself and trust your intuitive and gut feeling. You can achieve great things if you are fuelled by passion and work hard to achieve your goals. Always be honest. Everyone messes up from time to time so don’t be afraid to own your errors but learn and move forward.”, says Jo Mitchell of Dib Dab Art Club.

Kat Horrocks, a women's life and career coach recommends to always trust your gut on any big decision. You can research, explore and get advice, but your gut instinct should have the final say.

"Trust yourself and learn to trust your gut instinct. Work hard and enjoy the process. Find what you are truly passionate about and try to incorporate that into your working life.", suggests Dr Vanessa Creaven, Co-Founder of Spotlight Oral Care.

Natalie Silverman, Founder of The Fertility Podcast says: “Never underestimate your idea. You don't have to conform to existing job descriptions when you are creating a new way of working plus the fact that you run your own business means you are brilliant, so stop comparing yourself to others.”

Krystyna Petersen of Excellence HR Consultancy believes that it will all be worth it in the end - sometimes you have to go through some bad experiences to give you that experience and drive to push on.

Just do it

"Better done than perfect - start, don't wait until your business plan is perfect in every detail. Or you might end up not starting at all., says The Rain Sisters Founder.

“Just do it. There is always a reason to put off taking the dive into starting a business full-time. The worry about earning a steady income, the worry about it not being a success, the worry that you'll end up having to start from scratch in the new job. All of these worries never go away, but if you're always half-in, half-out, you'll never be able to put in the energy your new business deserves. Make mistakes, learn from them, and never regret your choices”, recommends Claire Dinan, Founder and CEO of Makan Snacks.

Ellie’s Cakery Founder shares: “I would love to go back and encourage myself to have the faith and take the leap earlier, I waited for so long to start and in the end it was just that little bit of self-belief and hope, and I found a whole world of opportunities were waiting for me!”

Jessica Robinson owner of Squiffy Print says: “To my younger self: why did it take you so long? Push those negative thoughts and people’s comments and opinions to one side and get started now!”

Enjoy the journey

“Celebrate your wins, small or big, you've done it so pat yourself on the back! Be your best self and live for the moment. Stop striving for perfection - it doesn't exist”, says Founder of Pink Link and the Enterprise Vision Awards.

Nathalie of Buttercup Bus Vintage Campers recommends that you do something that you love. ‘It will make the long hours more enjoyable and the creativity will come more easily. And surround yourself with brilliant people, and appreciate them!’

Lynsey, Founder of Little Box of Books says: “Go through your griefs, heartbreaks, and disappointments, don't try and go round them. The lessons are, unfortunately in the pain.”

Look after yourself 

Heather Baker, CEO of TopLine Film says “I have learned so much over the last decade building my business. One of the biggest lessons is that self-care is really important. You can’t run a successful business if you’re not taking care of your own physical and mental health. That means making time for exercise, and recognising that business stress is not worth the toll it takes on your mind and body. For me that sometimes means turning away clients that are difficult to deal with and saying no to work that is going to cause undue stress – I wish I had learned this lesson earlier in my business journey.”

“Relax and enjoy the experience over focusing on the destination. It’s not a race! It’s your unique life so trust in you, embrace change and the inevitable uncertainty. The more connected with the ‘now’ you stay, the better decisions you will make for now your entrepreneurial journey will play out.”, recommends Sally Henderson.

When you’re unhappy and burned out, it’s already past the time to leave and start something new. When you start feeling like it’s time, it’s time, don’t wait, according to Jen Curran, Founder of Globe+Tribe.

Look at the bigger picture

"I would tell myself to always look at the big picture, think strategically and not get hung up in the details! Having no clear plan of where I want to go and how I am going to get there will keep me in a constant reactive state which will always lead to burnout. Having a strategic plan with clear goals and a detailed plan on how to get there is the difference between a sole trader/freelancer and a business owner in my opinion.", says Camilla Collins, Self-Image Specialist, and Entrepreneur.

Coffee&Kin Founder says “I would probably tell my younger self that mindset is key. I’d advise her to have a growth mindset and not a fixed mindset and more than anything, I’d tell her to believe that anything is possible and to enjoy the journey”.

"Dream big and do things to make progress towards that dream, but don't be so focused on the future that you are never happy with where your business is at right now.”, added Stacy Kessler.

Don’t’ be afraid to be different

Maria Purcell, Co-Founder of The Hood believes that just because it hasn't been done before, doesn't mean it can't be. The quicker you can start socialising your idea the better, that enormous task suddenly appears more "do-able" when you have the input of others.

“Don’t listen to the nay sayers. You will not be for everyone, and that’s ok. Focus on those customers who really need you and don’t try to be everything to everyone”, believes Talya Stone, Co-Founder of Self Love Today.

Don't panic if you don't follow the normal route to market with a product. Some of the most successful work has happened by accident and on a whim.', according to Rachel Gaw of Go Your Own Way.

Hannah Power, Personal Branding Coach recommends: “Stop letting your fear of what people think of you hold you back. It will take you about 5 years to learn this but when you do, life will start.”

Be authentic

"Capitalize on the characteristics that are inherent to you, and cultivate the ones that aren't. Do not feel shame in your qualities that may be 'female-centric' to those who haven't got on board with gender equality. Your 'female intuition' might just be the gut instinct that you follow and leads you onto an entirely new idea or emerging industry. Your 'sensitive side' might make you a greater leader, which means your team will be more productive. But don't shun the qualities of your counterparts either. Be bold, be assertive, and have confidence in your abilities," says Lauren Grech, CEO & Co-Founder of LLG Events & LLG Agency, and Adjunct Professor at New York University.

Anna  Wilk says that authenticity - being who you really are on the outside as well as the inside really can change our world. “Take time to get to know yourself. You don’t have to fit in. Embrace what you find out about yourself and the rest will follow.”

“I’m from Trinidad in the Caribbean – so black and an immigrant. When I came to the UK I joined a professional services firm and unknown to me (I was very naïve in those days) one of the biggest boys’ clubs imaginable. I wasted so much time trying to conform and to fit in with everyone else because I thought that was how to compete and what I needed to do to be taken seriously. I changed so much about myself, telling myself that I was being more corporate, more international, more polished … more. I wish I could tell my younger self that I was actually becoming less and that I didn’t need to change. It was enough to just be true to who I was, fully embrace myself, my background and my culture. I think I would have had a much richer career much earlier had I done so – and educated a great many people along the way.”, shares Dana James Edwards.

Connect with others

Jane Binnion, Founder of The Growing Club says the biggest asset you will have in your business is a team of peers who are rooting for you and to whom you are mutually accountable. It breaks the isolation and keeps you grounded.

“Surround yourself with people who lift you up and encourage you on your journey and be willing to contribute your own talents, time and resources to them. When you win, they win as a community of change-makers.”, says Jillian Kowalchuk, CEO, and Founder of Safe & The City.

Jane Badger suggests that “you shouldn’t be afraid of asking, whether it’s for help, advice or even criticism. Everything gets better when you ask.”

“Ask for advice but always trust your instinct”, adds Julia Perez, Founder of Co-Createur.

Dessy Ohanians, Managing Director of Certificate and Corporate programmes at London School of Business and Finance (LSBF) and CEO of London Academy of Trading (LAT) says “A lot of younger employees that come to work in my teams now make the same mistake I did in my 20’s. I was convinced that if I put my head down and worked hard, success and recognition would inevitably follow. We must not forget that business is done by human beings and working on human relationships is as important as working on your hard business skills.”

Never stop learning

Keisha from Teddö Play says “I would advise everyone to never stop learning! No good knowledge ever goes to waste. It will make you confident and so much happier in life.”

Happy&Glorious Founder adds that you never assume that you know everything. “I've worked in indie retail for 24 years and I’m still learning. Take every opportunity to learn and get a good business coach to keep you on track. Also, it will all be okay.”