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Business Strategy and Execution – Women Founders’ Advice - Part 22

Writer: Women Story
Women Story
Sep 25
9 min read


In the Business Strategy and Execution Series, we feature the insights of 10 women founders who share advice on taking action, building strong systems, and making clear, sustainable business decisions. Their advice highlights structured growth, financial discipline, boundaries, confidence, adaptability, meaningful relationships, and building businesses that can grow without sacrificing long-term stability.


Featured Women Founders

  • Pratima Maruti Marlapalle  Unlike our nature stay bold (more than confident) while investing in your company's Infrastructure or Hiring more Manpower for future growth or taking loan for expansion or adding a product or vertical in existing basket.

  • Jill Atwood  Build Systems Early — Not Just Revenue Revenue feels exciting in the beginning, but systems create sustainability.

  • Nancy Larrivee  Don't get discouraged.

  • Zoe McDowell  Start before you feel ready.

  • Chitranshi Baranwal  Build depth before you build noise.

  • Darreka Howell  My advice to aspiring women entrepreneurs is to start before you feel fully ready.

  • Richa Mongia  Build confidence before competence and systems before scale.

  • Gloria I. Staats  My biggest piece of advice for women entering the entrepreneurial space is to trade the pursuit of "perfection" for the practice of "structured clarity." In the early days, it is…

  • Sarah Frye  My advice to women entrepreneurs is this: build from who you truly are, not who you think you’re supposed to be.

  • Cristine Spurlin 


Pratima Maruti Marlapalle – Unlike our nature stay bold (more than confident) while investing in your company's Infrastructure or Hiring more Manpower for future growth or taking loan for expansion or adding a product or vertical in existing basket.

Company – NANDINI ENTERPRISES

Advice

Unlike our nature stay bold (more than confident) while investing in your company's Infrastructure or Hiring more Manpower for future growth or taking loan for expansion or adding a product or vertical in existing basket. We, Woman always want to play safe and stay as a responsible person, but Business Growth need you to take financial risks and bold decisions...hence keep the star and question marks aside and lead the way!


Jill Atwood – Build Systems Early — Not Just Revenue Revenue feels exciting in the beginning, but systems create sustainability.

Company – Calhoun & Atwood, LLC

LinkedIn: Jill Atwood

Advice

Build Systems Early — Not Just Revenue

Revenue feels exciting in the beginning, but systems create sustainability. Document your processes, define your standards, and protect your time from day one. Chaos is not a growth strategy.


Charge Based on Value, Not Fear

Many women underprice because they want to be helpful or competitive. Price according to the value and expertise you bring — not your comfort level. Confidence in pricing is confidence in your impact.


Set Boundaries Without Apology

You can be kind and firm at the same time. Clear policies, structured communication, and defined expectations do not make you difficult — they make you professional.


Stop Trying to Do Everything Alone

Delegation is not weakness. Whether it’s bookkeeping, admin support, or mentorship — invest in help earlier than you think you should. Leadership is multiplication, not exhaustion.


Seek Rooms That Stretch You

Get in proximity to people who think bigger than you do. Growth accelerates when you are challenged intellectually and strategically.


Lead with Integrity Over Image

Reputation is built in the small decisions no one sees. Choose consistency over popularity and long-term credibility over short-term validation.


Believe You Belong at the Table

Imposter syndrome is common, but preparation and experience matter more than doubt. You don’t need to be the loudest voice — you need to be the most prepared.

Most importantly: success is not just about scaling a business. It’s about building something sustainable, ethical, and aligned with your values.


Nancy Larrivee – Don't get discouraged.

Company – Custom Creations

Advice

Don't get discouraged. It is not easy in the beginning but if you remain true to who you are and know the value of your business and your work you can succeed. Don't allow anyone to make you lower your pricing just to get a sale as it doesn't help you but makes you think that the only way you will get customers is this way.


Those who use your services will see that you are a serious business person when you keep your pricing at what you have. Giving a discount is ok depending on your business but know that you don't have to give one to get customers.


Zoe McDowell – Start before you feel ready.

Company – Girl, Fund Your Glow

Advice

Start before you feel ready. Confidence does not come first. Competence does. Most businesses grow because the owner keeps showing up consistently, not because she felt fully prepared at the beginning.


Treat your business like a business from day one. Set prices based on sustainability, not comfort. Many women undercharge while they build experience and that habit creates burnout and resentment later. If you cannot operate profitably, you cannot serve people long term.

Boundaries are leadership, not selfishness. Clear policies, cancellation rules, and payment expectations protect both you and your clients. The moment you start making exceptions out of guilt you start teaching people how to undervalue your work.

Do not chase trends. Build trust. Skills, education, and real results outlast social media popularity. Marketing may bring people in once but consistency and honesty keep them for years.

Create structure early. Systems and repeatable processes remove chaos and decision fatigue. Stability in your business also creates stability in your personal life and that is what allows growth without burnout.


Most importantly separate your worth from your revenue. Slow seasons happen. Mistakes happen. A difficult month does not mean you are a failing business owner. Success comes from staying long enough to become experienced.


If you stay consistent, protect your energy, and focus on long term relationships instead of quick wins, your business becomes sustainable and sustainability is what turns a small business into a real career.


Chitranshi Baranwal – Build depth before you build noise.

Company – Genie Pads

Advice

Build depth before you build noise. Master your domain so well that your confidence comes from competence, not validation. As women founders, we are often questioned more and funded less, so clarity and preparation become our strongest assets.


Do not wait for perfect conditions. Start with what you have, test fast, learn faster, and stay financially disciplined. Choose resilience over perfection. Challenges will come in the form of bias, limited access, or self doubt, but consistency compounds.


Most importantly, build with purpose. When your mission is clear, decisions become easier, teams align better, and setbacks feel temporary. Entrepreneurship is not just about revenue, it is about responsibility. If your work solves a real problem, stay committed long enough to see it scale.


Darreka Howell – My advice to aspiring women entrepreneurs is to start before you feel fully ready.

Company – Snatched&Pretty Day Spa

Advice

My advice to aspiring women entrepreneurs is to start before you feel fully ready. Many women wait until conditions are perfect, finances are secure, or confidence is high, but entrepreneurship is learned through action. I began with limited resources and had to figure out systems, pricing, marketing, and policies as I went. Progress came from consistency, not perfection.


I would also encourage women to treat their business like a business from the beginning. Set policies, respect your time, and charge appropriately for your skills. Many women undervalue their services or overextend themselves to please others, which can lead to burnout. Clear expectations, professionalism, and boundaries protect both your peace and your business.


Another important lesson is to track your finances and reinvest wisely. Even small daily income should be managed intentionally. Reinvesting into better equipment, education, and marketing helped my business grow steadily and sustainably.


Finally, build relationships and not just clientele. Networking with other women business owners, referring clients, and supporting each other creates opportunities you cannot build alone. Collaboration has been one of the most powerful tools in my journey.


Entrepreneurship is not easy, but it is possible. If you stay consistent, continue learning, and remain disciplined during slow seasons, your business can become not only a source of income but a source of independence and confidence.


Richa Mongia – Build confidence before competence and systems before scale.

Company – Live Fabulous - The Door to Happy Spaces

Advice

Build confidence before competence and systems before scale.

We Women often over-deliver and underprice our value. However, Sustainable success comes from setting clear boundaries, valuing our expertise, and building businesses that do not depend solely on founders hardwork but on efficient teamwork.


Invest in learning, surround yourself with growth-oriented networks, and always remember that leadership is not about doing everything alone, but about creating structures where excellence can consistently thrive.


Gloria I. Staats – My biggest piece of advice for women entering the entrepreneurial space is to trade the pursuit of "perfection" for the practice of "structured clarity." In the early days, it is…

Company – Peace of Mind Design

Advice

My biggest piece of advice for women entering the entrepreneurial space is to trade the pursuit of "perfection" for the practice of "structured clarity." In the early days, it is so easy to feel like you have to have every single answer or offer every possible service to be successful. However, I have found that real growth happens when you narrow your focus. You want to find that sweet spot where your unique authority meets a very specific, high value problem for your client.


I encourage early stage founders to embrace three specific shifts in their mindset:

Position yourself as a partner, not a servant. So many of us fall into the trap of over delivering to the point of burnout because we want to please everyone. Instead, try to establish yourself as the expert guide.


Your true value lies in your ability to filter the noise and protect your client from making costly mistakes. When you lead with strategic authority, you build a business based on mutual respect rather than one based on being constantly available.


Prioritize tangible deliverables. Ambiguity is the enemy of a growing brand. Whether you offer a product or a service, make sure your clients know exactly what they will hold in their hands or see in their inbox at the end of the process.


In my firm, providing a written report or a paint schedule transforms a subjective conversation into a concrete professional asset. This builds immediate trust and creates that "peace of mind" we all want for our clients.


Build for durability from day one. Just as I design short term rentals to withstand high guest turnover, you must design your business to withstand the different seasons of your life.


Create systems and boundaries that protect your own well being. A business is only a high performing investment if it allows you to remain calm and focused. If a certain process or a specific client type causes consistent overwhelm, it simply is not the right fit for your long term roadmap.


Sarah Frye – My advice to women entrepreneurs is this: build from who you truly are, not who you think you’re supposed to be.

Company – SF Consulting Services

Advice

My advice to women entrepreneurs is this: build from who you truly are, not who you think you’re supposed to be.

For a long time, many of us are conditioned to believe leadership must look polished, unshakable, and perfectly composed. But real leadership is built in the moments when you are uncertain, rebuilding, learning, and choosing to keep going anyway.


It is okay to not be okay.

Entrepreneurship will stretch you. There will be seasons of doubt, financial pressure, identity shifts, and personal challenges happening at the same time as professional growth. The strongest leaders are not the ones who avoid those seasons — they are the ones who walk through them honestly.


Authenticity is not weakness. It is strategy.

When you lead from a place of truth — acknowledging your growth edges, your resilience, your humanity — you build trust. Teams trust you. Clients trust you. Partners trust you. And most importantly, you trust yourself.


I would also tell early-stage founders: do not wait until you feel “ready.” Start with clarity of purpose, surround yourself with people who elevate you, and focus on building systems, not just survival. Confidence comes from action, not perfection.


Your story — including the messy parts — is not something to hide. It is your competitive advantage.

Lead boldly. Build bravely. And remember that strength and softness can exist in the same woman at the same time.


Cristine Spurlin –

Company – USA Benefits Group

Advice

1. Believe in the Value You Bring

Confidence is not arrogance — it’s clarity. Women often underestimate their expertise or wait until they feel “fully ready.” Start before you feel completely prepared. Growth happens through action.


2. Understand Your Numbers

Financial literacy is power. Know your margins, cash flow, pricing structure, and funding options. Investors and partners take founders seriously when they understand their financials inside and out.


3. Build a Strong Network

Surround yourself with mentors, advisors, and peers who challenge and support you. Seek out other women founders and industry leaders. Strategic relationships often open doors faster than marketing alone.


4. Don’t Be Afraid to Take Space

In meetings, negotiations, or investor pitches, speak with authority. Avoid minimizing language. Your ideas deserve to be heard clearly and confidently.


5. Learn to Negotiate

Whether it’s funding, partnerships, salaries, or supplier contracts — negotiate. Preparation and data make negotiation less emotional and more strategic.


6. Build Resilience Early

You will face rejection, skepticism, and obstacles — sometimes more scrutiny than your male counterparts. Treat challenges as feedback, not failure. Persistence is a competitive advantage.


7. Focus on Sustainable Growth

Avoid pressure to scale too fast. Build strong systems, processes, and culture first. Longevity matters more than hype.


8. Protect Your Wellbeing

Burnout is real. Set boundaries, delegate where possible, and prioritize your health. A strong business requires a strong founder.


Final Thought

You don’t need permission to lead. Start with courage, stay consistent, and build something that aligns with your values — success will follow.


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