10. The exclusivity. Where else can you be part of such a small, elite group? Being a female entrepreneur is a little bit like being one of the world’s uber billionaires—so few understand, so many wish they knew how, and yet you wake up every day as one of the global elite. U.S. ranked #1 among 17 countries on having the conditions that foster high potential female entrepreneurship, according to Gender-Global Entrepreneurship Development Index (GEDI). Lookin’ good!
9. The freedom. Dolly Parton in “9 to 5”–not us! Nobody can tell you when to come in to work. When to leave. What to drink on the job. Of course, we know you’re always brewing that next idea, but that’s not the point. The point is, you’re in charge of how you’re inspiring the world.
8. The creativity. When one has done what you’ve done, it’s blank slate 24/7. All entrepreneurs are problem solvers—female entrepreneurs most of all.
7. The shock value. It’s more fun than new red silk undies. The looks on people’s faces at parties when they ask you “what you do” and you tell them you run your own company? Priceless.
6. The solitude. In many professions, you have indexes and benchmarks about how you’re supposed to do. A woman starting her own firm? Blue sky, baby! It’s all you.
5. The sense of accomplishment. Personal satisfaction at an outcome is directly proportional to the difficult of that outcome. Women who run businesses are a bit like Olympic athletes—it’s rarefied air in female entrepreneurship. Thus, there’s a real sense of personal satisfaction in achievement. While the work may be “never done,” the sense of accomplishment is steady, too. A recent report from Babson College called the Diana Project reported that, “American female entrepreneurs are a happy bunch, and among the most content and active compared to 24 other developed economies.”
4. The money. Yep, women who run businesses make more than women working for the man. No surprise there. And that money translates into ways of being yourself, supporting the things you care about, and being generous with yourself and others. It feels really good.
3. The adventure. You never know what’s next. No promotions to ask for, no clear milestones on the horizon except those you set for yourself.
“There’s such a sense of fulfillment in pursuing what they’re passionate about,” Donna J. Kelley, associate professor of entrepreneurship at Babson College, says. She led the 2013 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor U.S. report. “It’s like a running a marathon. There’s such a sense of elation when you’ve really achieved your goals.”
2. The learning. Being a woman entrepreneur means you are always your own glass ceiling—so you have to continually learn and improve yourself to get out of your own way. It’s a rush!
According to a study by the National Association of Women Business Owners, 1/3 of female founder said they’d experienced being taken “not seriously” by their employers before starting their companies.
Way to set your own bar, ladies!
1. The people. It may be a small crowd, but it’s a worthwhile one. Being among other women entrepreneurs is an amazing feeling. There’s no finer group of game changers anywhere.
Last year, one out of every 10 U.S. women were starting or running a new business.
“We’re beating Asia and Europe,” said Donna J. Kelley, associate professor of entrepreneurship at Babson College, located outside Boston. She led the 2013 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor U.S. report that reported this finding.
