The Curse of the Female Entrepreneur

I’m creating a new website for my business. Well, that’s another story all together, but it sure is a process that’s creating a lot of awareness’s for me. Thinking of themes, image, creating just the right words that will convey just the right message. It’s a tricky process, but one that I’m enjoying….as much as one can enjoy trying to put their message in a single sentence (because that’s about all people really read).

I really want to reach out to the “successful” female entrepreneur; "successful" being a loose term because everyone defines success differently. While money may be a common factor in most people’s definition of success, the amount of money varies and the key factors and definition of success also vary: depending on the individual and her/his values and goals. The things that get in the way of each person’s success also vary. But many of my female clients share a common thread: they feel that they have to do it all. That’s right, many female entrepreneurs don’t consider themselves successful unless they continue to keep a clean house, cook great meals, satisfy all of their kids’ and husbands’ essential needs, remain the glue that holds the extended family together, “be there” for their girlfriends, AND operate a flawless and thriving business. Doesn’t sound too overwhelming, does it? That is if you forget about your own needs and subsist on about 3 hours of sleep a night.

During an exercise to find the common denominators in many of the women I’ve coached, I confirmed my suspicion that many women carry this curse: “If I am not Superwoman, then I will let everyone down and my world will fall apart.” Furthermore, many women believe that if they “let everyone down” then they are not successful and no one in their family and circle of friends will survive properly without their constant and unyielding support. Wow! Where did we learn this about ourselves? Why is it that we don’t understand that if we continue to tip the scales, somewhere along the way we lose balance? I guess this must be a leftover remnant of belief systems from generations past…and I can honestly say that it has to change to save the sanity and health of the modern female entrepreneur. These are the people I hope to reach through my new Internet presence. I want to help women business owners learn to take better care of themselves without sacrificing the integrity of their relationships and their business. It can be done – really it can!

As a coach, there is nothing more fulfilling to me than to hear my client say that their life has changed in a positive way. To hear the excitement in a woman’s voice when she reports that she slept in on Sunday and the kids brought her breakfast in bed; or that she’s been going to the gym regularly again and met a girlfriend for lunch…ahhhh, music to this coach’s ears! The “curse” begins to lift, the clouds part, and the client’s life begins to feel like a real life again – yippee! The really great news is that no one and nothing, not even the business, has to suffer during this process. Ahhh, life is good!

Do you operate under the shadow of the “curse”? For a quick test, ask yourself what is most important to you in life: the kids, your marriage, good health, spirituality, having fun, etc. Then ask how much time you spend satisfying this value or need. If you spend an insufficient amount of time in the area that is most important to your happiness and well-being, then take a look at the big picture and look for the balance. Is it there? If not, you can regain your life balance (or for some create it for the first time ever).

Stop by my website - LifeMapCoaching.net and ask for a complimentary coaching session. Let’s begin to balance those scales and help you to find you again!