Another common thing, they all have, is that they all are role models. They are not necessarily famous or well-known, but through their actions and their stories they inspire other women. Those moments I spent listening and learning from these women have provided me with enough inspiration for decades to come. They also have inspired me to change the way I run my own business.
3. WHAT LESSONS DID YOU LEARN FROM TALKING TO THE WOMEN? 1. Letting go. I realised that no one has it all figured out. There is always a trade-off. You have to accept that you can’t have it all. There never will be the perfect balance. It’s always about give and take. And, the sooner you realise that “having it all” doesn’t exist, the sooner you can move forward. But there is more. We also have to let go of expectations we put on ourselves. Seeing failure as a positive rather than a negative. In the design and creative world failure is something everyone is trying hard to avoid. On the contrary, in technology failure is seen as a necessity. So many entrepreneurs started and failed businesses from which they learned. Failure puts them on the right path as a result. Women should see failure as an opportunity to learn. Personally, I always want to hear the “failure” stories because they can be so interesting and informative. 2. Acceptance of criticism. Getting a negative feedback is something not many of us want to hear, but learning to embrace criticism pushes us to achieve more. 3. Being authentic and being yourself. This goes back to women who inspired me in my own journey. They really showed me that I can be myself in whatever business environment.
“I was told to do what I love and not veer from that.” quote by Maira Kalman, one of the women featured in this book
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