There’s nothing like taking a quick break at lunch so you can connect with like minded women who are working as hard as you are to find success as a small business owner. That’s exactly what I did last week when I got the chance to participate in a Twitter chat with super successful entrepreneur Jen Groover and the team at Avon.
While the chat seemed to go by in a flash, what I really enjoyed was hearing stories from fellow small business owners who conquered their fears to pursue their passion. Some of my favorite tweets came from Stephanie Elie, the founder of Bizzie Mommy who I’ve had the great fortune of meeting over the past few years.
The common thread between all of us was that in order to succeed, all of us have had to do something outside of our comfort zone in order to move forward. Stephanie mentioned how she didn’t enjoy speaking in public but has sought out opportunities where she could speak so that she could face her fears head on. Others talked about how important it is to learn from failure and rejection and how we need to instill the concept of failing in our own children. While I have always encouraged my kids to pursue what they love, I agree that it is incredibly important to speak to our kids about rejection so that they know that it is okay to fail. Rather than give up, it’s best to learn from our failures so that we can continue on our path and experience success after we’ve made a few course corrections.
Jen Groover, who is a motivational speaker, entrepreneur and has created a number of popular retail products, including the ‘Butler Bag,’ shared some really great advice throughout the entire chat. Take a look…
The advice that I took to heart is the part about asking advice from mentors whenever you are in need of support. Fortunately, in my career, I have been lucky enough to get advice from incredibly successful entrepreneurs like Jeanne Burton, the former founder of Designhergals.com, Sue Kupcinet, a writer and creator of the off beat greeting card line Yenta Sentiments and New York Times best selling author, philanthropist and national television correspondent Lee Woodruff. Jeanne taught me that anything was truly possible and to never give up on my dreams no matter how big they seemed. Sue explained that while I might have tons of amazing business ideas, many of them could wind up in my garage (like the t-shirts I created nearly a decade ago when I first launched Role Mommy) but to not beat myself up over those failures – instead, I should learn from them and think twice about launching a t-shirt line if I haven’t yet built my brand. Finally, aside from being one of the most talented writers I know, Lee taught me about the importance of saying no. While I found myself being pulled in a million directions at the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey, the moment I started saying no to events and opportunities that took me away from my family but didn’t contribute to my personal income or enjoyment, was the moment I began realizing that it’s okay to say no and not feel guilty about it. Without these mentors in my life, I could have easily given up on my passions and gone back to a full time job but instead, I have persevered and have learned so much along the way.
Trust me, there is nothing easy about running a small business or in my case, two businesses. But if you are lucky enough to have the support of incredible individuals who can serve as your guides along the way, I say, take the leap, accept that you’re going to fail, but no matter what, don’t ever give up!
If you missed the last twitter chat but want to get in on the conversation, then you are in luck. Avon will be hosting two more chats with Jen Groover in December and January!
Make sure you follow @jengroover and use the hashtag #MyAvonStory to participate. The remaining Twitter chats in the series are:
‘Earning an income on your own terms’ on Thursday, December 18 (12:30-1pm ET)
‘Creating professional fulfillment’ on Wednesday, January 21 (12:30-1pm ET)
You can RSVP to each Twitter chat by emailing AvonRSVP@bm.com. If you RSVP and attend the Twitter event, you’ll be entered for a chance to win an Avon product bundle.
Disclosure: As a paid Blogger Ambassador for Avon, I will be discussing many aspects of Avon’s brand; from the entrepreneurial side, to career, to beauty tips, Avon staples, and more in a series of posts. The opinions in these articles are mine and are not indicative of the brand.
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