Happy birthday, Terranova. My second start-up is turning 10, and we are enjoying growth into international markets, further integration with social media, and new collaborations. I feel so incredibly blessed to be here celebrating the birthday of the company I named for the little town of my paternal grandfather.
As the daughter of entrepreneurs, I grew up in a family-run (woman-owned) business. While I didn’t stay in the family business, research shows that children who grow up in an entrepreneurial environment are more likely to become entrepreneurs, even if it’s in a different field. It’s heartening to see that an increasing number of those entrepreneurs are women. Check out this recent article that helps women evaluate the opportunities to become entrepreneurs: https://www.thebalancesmb.com/business-ideas-for-undecided-women-entrepreneurs-3514849
What makes entrepreneurship so enticing for me, particularly as a woman? Here are some of the wonderful benefits I see….
Ownership. If my company succeeds or fails, it’s on me. I get to own my success by betting on myself everyday. That’s a great feeling that increases your confidence level.
Working with people I like. Although I just touted ownership, it’s not all about me. Terranova is successful because of the work of a core group of talented people who are committed to excellence and whom I love working with. In the corporate/real world, you often have to deal with personalities and politics that can drive you crazy. Leave that behind when you work for yourself.
Creativity/Generativity. I get to participate in the shaping of a living, breathing, growing entity that has a purpose and personality. What’s not to love about that, particularly for a mom?
Flexibility. If I satisfy my business commitments, who cares if I am sitting at the beach or handling a call during my son’s baseball practice?
You get to define how you work. For the working mom (and in my case, the slightly obstinate Jersey girl), that’s golden in terms of work-life balance and maintenance of sanity.
These are some initial thoughts as we look back at Terranova at 10. If you have any thoughts on entrepreneurship, share them—it’s been a wild and wonderful ride so far, and I love listening to other people’s stories!
Now that we’ve defined some of the benefits of entrepreneurship, our next blog will define some of the key strategies for success in starting/running your business.
