Think Like a Businesswoman
By: Lauren Marsicano
Insta: @networkingmaverick
Think Like a Businesswoman
Hey, Queen! Here’s the tea - Being a businesswoman can be difficult. Like a lot of things in life, business can be tricky! Not everything goes our way 24/7. But, I’ve learned one thing that works to help achieve business success. And here it is: Think like a businesswoman.
Seems simple, right? Well, it’s a little more complicated than that. When we approach problems, we often do so with our day-to-day selves in mind. And that can be good! Regular Lauren is good at dealing with personal problems, scheduling doctor’s appointments, getting groceries on time, and all those everyday tasks. But Regular Lauren isn’t the right person to deal with business issues; that’s a job for Business Lauren.
So, what’s the difference between how Regular Lauren and Business Lauren approach problems? Well, Business Lauren thinks like a businesswoman, which means she keeps a few things in mind when she deals with problems. Let’s talk about what makes an effective business mindset, so you can build your own Business Self.
Believe in yourself and your business.
The first step to success is believing that you can achieve it. You have to believe that you are capable of success, or you won’t approach your business with the strength and resiliency needed.
If you don’t embody these qualities, and you encounter failure, you’ll crumble. It’s important to recognize that failure is a step in the process, not the end of your journey.
Sometimes it can be hard to believe in yourself, so here are a few mantras you can repeat to help you boost your confidence:
I believe in myself.
I can succeed.
I have the ability to seek out the tools and the resources needed to achieve.
I got this!
It’s all about shifting your perspective from failure to success. Here’s a video all about it.
Keep perspective.
Speaking of perspective… Keeping perspective is crucial to succeeding in business. This means that it’s always best to keep both the big picture and the small picture in mind, then work towards achieving them.
Here’s a good exercise to work on perspective is asking yourself the following questions:
What am I trying to accomplish with my business?
How can I work toward that goal this year?
How about this month?
How about today?
After asking yourself those questions, make sure you are on track to accomplishing those goals.
Make your own luck.
I think that Russ Perry, founder of Design Pickle, said it best, “So-called lucky people aren’t necessarily getting more advantages than other people. The universe doesn’t favor them, but they’re putting themselves out there more… That is really how I interpret luck – creating more of a mathematical probability that you’re going to get what you want.”
The mathematical probability of luck is why I value networking so highly in business. If you’re putting yourself out there more and making connections, good things are more likely to come to you.
Keep a growth mindset.
Having a growth mindset is essential to success in business. As the entrepreneur, Guy Kawasaki said, “If you believe somehow you’re set to a certain capability and level of accomplishment, then you’ll never achieve anything more. However, if you believe you can get better and do other things, that growth mindset will enable you to accomplish more.”
If you have the mentality that you will always be able to improve and succeed further, then that growth mindset will ensure that you do just that.
Be quick to innovate.
Have you heard this said before? “Better done than perfect.” The same is true for business. When there are new innovations to your particular field, it is best to be among the first to adopt it. Because if you wait for it to catch on, then everyone will end up doing things the same way, and you won’t be able to establish your authority in your field as easily. Being quick to innovate will help you meet the demands of your customers and keep up with the changing market.
See failure as a gift.
It is absolutely inevitable, both in business and in life. Some business owners get discouraged by failure, but I love it. I think failure is an excellent teacher.
But how can we learn to love failure? Let’s look at it this way: when you were learning to walk, you fell. Over and over again, you tried to take a step, and you face-planted. And that’s okay! Because falling taught you balance and perseverance. The business journey can be seen the same way: you have to fall again and again before you learn how to walk.
Did you give up on learning to walk? Then, don’t give up on using failure to learn what it takes to make your business successful.
Failure is an essential part of mastering something. Making mistakes and dealing with failures makes you a better person and a better business owner.
Recap
So, let’s recap what to keep in mind for your Business Self.
Believe in yourself and your business.
Keep perspective.
Make your own luck.
Keep a growth mindset.
Be quick to innovate.
See failure as a gift.
Now that you know all of the techniques I, and many businesswomen, use to succeed, I have two questions for you.
1. Who is your Business Self?
2. What thing from the list can you start working on today to help your Business Self succeed?
Until next time, happy connecting!