Finding success in life is something that everyone should aspire to. The tricky part, however, is finding out exactly what success means to you. Once you have an idea of that, everything else will just come naturally. That doesn’t mean that it will be easy, though. If you feel intimidated on starting your own journey towards success, check out these amazing bits of career advice from successful women. No matter what you’re shooting for in life, these quotes should help you get inspired!
Advice for entrepreneurs
Being a self-starter isn’t easy. If you’re going to want to become an entrepreneur, you’re going to have to work hard. But that’s half the fun of it! Hard work isn’t everything, though, and you’ll need to do a few other things to be a successful entrepreneur. According to the brilliant Kendra Scott, you need to be able to ask for help when you need it. Most people want to operate independently, but actually reaching out for assistance will really help you get to that next level.
Pick the right friends
It’s often said that it takes a village to get something done. You might think that you can get everything done yourself, but that’s just not realistic. Instead, you’ll want to surround yourself with like-minded people who will help elevate you and put you in the right position to really succeed. Marianne Lake of J.P. Morgan advises you to become a “talent magnet” to help you be surrounded by people that will actually benefit you. Don’t just attract the people who are content where they are in life. You deserve more than that!
Work on yourself first
Chelsea Pottenger created the company EQ Minds, and she has done quite well for herself since. She provides a unique view on finding success that actually makes a lot of sense. She says that you need to work on yourself before working on your business. In her words, “you can’t pour from an empty cup.” If you are feeling empty and unmotivated, try to take care of yourself and make sure that you feel 100% before pushing yourself harder. Not only will you feel better, but you’ll work better too.
Don’t fake it
In this world, a lot of people feel a certain level of pressure to be something that they aren’t in order to attain success. That might seem like a good idea, but it’s actually counterproductive in reality. You’ll get much further if you just act like yourself and focus on the things that matter to you. According to the legendary punk musician Kathleen Hanna, you need to figure out what it is that you care about and stay true to that. She has been able to change many people’s lives by doing just that!
Always try new things
Sherly Sandberg is an incredibly successful businesswoman operating in an industry that has not historically been the most welcoming to women. We’re talking about the tech industry. She’s worked with both Google and Facebook, and she currently is the COO of Facebook. Oh, and she’s a billionaire. She says that you should always try new and challenging things. For her, the benefits of new experiences outweigh the potential downsides that could come with failure. Throw yourself into a unique situation and treat it as a learning experience!
Keep your door open
Judith McKenna is the CEO of Walmart’s International Division, and she has a bit of advice for anyone that is looking to grow their team. She says that you should always be open to recruiting people who are “brighter” or “different” than you. Only surrounding yourself with people who you feel comfortable with isn’t a great way to grow a business and find success. You need diversity in every sense of the word. Remember: different ideas will always help push you forward. Embrace that!
Stay open-minded
There are a lot of paths towards success. There is never just one correct way of going about finding it. But if there is one principle that everyone should keep in mind while on their own journey, it would be the importance of keeping an open mind. Sarah Overmyer, one of the founders of the Juggle, says that the best advice she ever heard was the simple question, “What if there’s another way?” Try to ask yourself whenever you are working on a task. It might open your eyes to a brilliant new solution.
Don’t rush things
We are all rushing through life in one way or another. Sometimes it’s best to just slow the process down. That applies to a lot of things, but Helen Sutton of DocuSign says that it is especially important to apply to your speech patterns. “Speak slower; be more executive and more authoritative.” Not only will this piece of advice help with public speaking in general, but it will also make people take you more seriously in more casual conversations. Make sure that people understand that your words matter as much as you know that your ideas do!
Embrace being frightened
Nobody wants to do things that scare them. We get that. But as counterintuitive as it sounds, you shouldn’t be afraid of fear. You should embrace it! Jasmine Whitbread of London First says, “If a job’s not scary, it’s not worth doing.” You should never turn down a job because it seems intimidating. You’re only scared of it because it’s new and seems out of reach. If you can master it, you will level up as a person! Follow a path of fear and you’ll find that you aren’t nearly as scared as you used to be.
It’s all about preparation
Rebecca Minkoff was able to build an accessible luxury brand of her own designs, and her business has been doing great for years. But succeeding in the fashion industry is hard: you need to learn how to treat yourself as an equal among groups of people that you’ve always admired. So how did she do it? She gives this piece of advice: “When approaching someone you admire, be prepared.” It’s simple, but it really speaks volumes. If you want them to take you seriously, you have to give them a reason to. Always do your homework, everybody!
