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Business Strategy and Execution – Women Founders’ Advice - Part 26

Writer: Women Story
Women Story
Sep 27
10 min read



In the Business Strategy and Execution Series, we feature the insights of 10 women founders who share lessons on building businesses with purpose, taking action before everything feels perfect, and staying focused on real value and sustainable growth. Their advice also highlights financial discipline, data-driven decisions, strong systems, meaningful relationships, adaptability, and using personal experience and authentic leadership as strengths.


Featured Women Founders


  • Divita Kanoria  1) Start with a purpose that is deeply meaningful to you, because entrepreneurship will test your patience, resilience, and self-belief in ways you cannot imagine.

  • Mili Mishra  Start before you feel completely ready.

  • Natalie Kaminski  Focus on building a real business, not just something that looks like one.

  • Michelle Weger  Do not wait for perfect conditions before pursuing big goals.

  • Alice Mensch  Do not underestimate the value of your experience, even if your path has not been traditional.

  • Ioanna Anastasaki  "Build your business on purpose, back it with data, and never apologize for taking up space at the table." My foremost advice to fellow women entrepreneurs is to embrace your…

  • Tejal Lakkar 

  • Melissa Resende dos Santos Teixeira  My advice to aspiring and early-stage women founders is to believe in the value of what you bring to the table and do not wait until everything feels “perfect” to start.

  • Viviana Rocio Gill Llano  My message to you, whether you are taking your first steps or looking to scale your vision, is that your business is far more than a commercial entity; it is…

  • Erica Chin  Start before you feel ready, and find your community before you find your strategy.


Divita Kanoria – 1) Start with a purpose that is deeply meaningful to you, because entrepreneurship will test your patience, resilience, and self-belief in ways you cannot imagine.

Company– Vedic Collection Pvt. Ltd.

Advice

1) Start with a purpose that is deeply meaningful to you, because entrepreneurship will test your patience, resilience, and self-belief in ways you cannot imagine. When your business is rooted in genuine purpose, it becomes easier to stay committed during difficult times.


2) Don’t wait for everything to be perfect before you begin. Start with what you have, learn continuously, and improve as you grow. Progress matters far more than perfection.


3) Trust your intuition, but support it with knowledge. Invest in understanding your customer, your numbers, and your product. Passion is essential, but clarity and discipline are what build sustainable businesses.


4) Be prepared for setbacks and moments of self-doubt. They are a natural part of the journey. View every challenge as an opportunity to learn, adapt, and become stronger.


5) Most importantly, don’t feel pressured to imitate others. Build a business that reflects your values and your unique perspective. Authenticity creates lasting trust and differentiation.


6) And finally,  success is not only measured by revenue or awards. It is also about creating something meaningful, staying true to your vision, and making a positive impact on the lives of others.


Mili Mishra – Start before you feel completely ready.

Company– Bumshum

Advice

Start before you feel completely ready. Many women underestimate their capabilities because they wait for perfect conditions, but entrepreneurship is built through learning on the job.


Focus on understanding customers deeply, managing finances carefully, and building systems early. Consistency matters more than perfection. Build strong networks, ask for help when needed, and don’t hesitate to take up space in business conversations.


Most importantly, create businesses that solve real problems and stay resilient through slow phases, long-term trust and execution compound over time.


Natalie Kaminski – Focus on building a real business, not just something that looks like one.

Company– JetRockets

Advice

Focus on building a real business, not just something that looks like one. Revenue, customers, and retention matter more than branding, hype, or how your company appears from the outside.


Be selective about who you work with—clients, partners, and even team members. In the early stages, the wrong people can slow you down or drain your energy. Learning to say no early will save you time, money, and unnecessary stress.


Don’t try to do everything. Identify what you’re actually good at and double down on it. Clarity and focus are what allow you to grow sustainably.


Expect uncertainty and get comfortable making decisions without having all the information. There is no perfect timing or perfect plan. Progress comes from moving forward, adjusting, and continuing.


Also, don’t wait for validation. In many situations, especially as a woman in business, it won’t be given automatically. Build confidence through action and results, not permission.

Finally, take ownership of your standards. The quality of your work, how you communicate, and how you show up consistently will define your reputation more than anything else.


Michelle Weger – Do not wait for perfect conditions before pursuing big goals.

Company– Outclassed INC

Advice

Do not wait for perfect conditions before pursuing big goals.

Many women believe they need more confidence, more certainty, more experience, or more permission before taking action. In reality, confidence is usually built after action, not before it.


You do not need to have everything figured out to begin. Start before you feel fully ready and improve as you go.

I would also encourage women entrepreneurs to stop underestimating the value of their lived experiences. Some of the things that make you feel different, unconventional, or challenged may eventually become your greatest strengths and differentiators.


Build systems that support your growth instead of trying to force yourself into someone else’s definition of success or productivity. Sustainable high performance is not about pretending you have unlimited capacity. It is about being strategic with your energy, resources, and focus while continuing to move forward with discipline and consistency.


Finally, be willing to be visible. Opportunities often come from showing up before you feel fully prepared. Speaking on stages, sharing your ideas publicly, networking boldly, and telling your story can open doors you never expected.


Alice Mensch – Do not underestimate the value of your experience, even if your path has not been traditional.

Company– LedgerMax Growth Advisors

Advice

Do not underestimate the value of your experience, even if your path has not been traditional. Many women bring operational knowledge, leadership skills, creativity, and emotional intelligence into business environments in ways that create lasting impact.


Focus on building strong foundations early, especially financially. Understand your numbers, track your progress, and make decisions based on data rather than fear or uncertainty.

Most importantly, stay adaptable. Technology, industries, and markets will continue to change, but businesses built on clarity, consistency, and genuine relationships will always have value.


Ioanna Anastasaki – "Build your business on purpose, back it with data, and never apologize for taking up space at the table." My foremost advice to fellow women entrepreneurs is to embrace your…

Company– VALUE

Advice

"Build your business on purpose, back it with data, and never apologize for taking up space at the table."

My foremost advice to fellow women entrepreneurs is to embrace your unique perspective as a competitive advantage. Often, women lead with high empathy, collaboration, and social impact in mind. Never mistake these qualities for weakness; they are the exact traits that build sustainable, resilient businesses in today’s economy.


Beyond that, I would share three core pillars for growth:

Master Your Numbers: Passion gets you started, but financial literacy and data keep you alive. Know your metrics, understand your cash flow, and back your vision with hard data. When you speak the language of numbers, you command the room and silence the skeptics.


Build a Strategic Ecosystem: You cannot do it alone, and you shouldn't have to. Actively seek out mentors, build a diverse network, and find a community of like-minded founders.

Collaboration over competition will always accelerate your growth.


Fail Fast and Pivot with Confidence: Mistakes and rejection are not reflections of your worth; they are simply data points. View every "no" as redirection and a lesson in agility. Resilience isn’t about never falling—it’s about how quickly you dust yourself off, look at the problem analytically, and pivot toward the solution.


Tejal Lakkar –

Company– Cakeazzle

Advice

1. Don't Wait for a Certificate to Own Your Expertise

As a self-taught baker who went on to become one of the Top 50 Home Bakers in Bangalore, you are proof that passion and relentless self-education can beat a formal degree.


The Advice: Early-stage founders often suffer from imposter syndrome, feeling they need "one more qualification" before they can launch. Don't wait for permission or a piece of paper. If you are willing to put in the hours of trial, error, and obsessive practice, your work will speak louder than any formal credential ever could.


2. Turn Technical Challenges Into Your Biggest Moat

When you started in 2016, building massive, physics-defying structures without using eggs or preservatives probably seemed entirely impractical. Today, it’s your ultimate competitive advantage.


The Advice: Look for the things in your industry that everyone else labels "impossible" or "too difficult," and run straight toward them. Whether it’s a technical constraint, a logistical nightmare, or a strict product requirement, mastering the hard thing is what separates a standard business from a category leader. If you can engineer solutions to common industry pain points, you eliminate your competition.


3. Step Out of the Kitchen (or Office) and Into the Room

Joining BNI Billionaires Bangalore in 2019 was a massive step in cementing Cakeazzle’s professional, corporate presence.


The Advice: A great product is only half the battle; building a powerful network is the other half. Don't hide behind your laptop or product development. Show up in high-level business rooms, join structured networking organizations, and learn to pitch your business with absolute corporate professionalism. Network aggressively before you think you are "big enough" to be there.


4. Treat Imagination as a Blueprint, But Build on Systems

You explicitly state that "imagination serves as our blueprint," but executing that vision for large-scale corporate milestones requires serious operational discipline.


The Advice: Dream big, but build tight systems. Early-stage founders often rely purely on creative energy, which leads to burnout. To scale from a passionate hobby to a sustainable business, you must transition from a creative maker to an engineer of systems. Document your processes, master your timelines, and treat your business logistics with the same precision you treat your final product.


5. Play the Long Game—You are Just Getting Started

Reaching a decade in business is an incredible achievement, but your mindset is fixed on the future: "Ten years in, and we are still just getting started."


The Advice: Resilience is the ultimate entrepreneurial superpower. You will hit walls, batches will fail, and growth will feel slow at times. Do not view temporary setbacks as permanent failures. Pace yourself, keep your eyes on the long horizon, and maintain that day-one curiosity. Build a business that you are still excited to engineer ten years down the road.


Melissa Resende dos Santos Teixeira – My advice to aspiring and early-stage women founders is to believe in the value of what you bring to the table and do not wait until everything feels “perfect” to start.

Company– MB General Facility services

Advice

My advice to aspiring and early-stage women founders is to believe in the value of what you bring to the table and do not wait until everything feels “perfect” to start. Growth happens through action, consistency, and learning along the way.


Build your business with strong values, professionalism, and integrity from the beginning. Relationships matter just as much as the service or product you offer. Networking, communication, and trust can open doors that marketing alone cannot.


Do not be afraid to start small. Many successful businesses are built step by step through persistence, adaptability, and excellent customer service. Focus on creating real solutions for people, and your reputation will become one of your greatest assets.


Also, learn how to work on your business, not only in it. Develop systems, delegate when possible, and invest in personal leadership growth. Confidence is built through experience, not perfection.


Most importantly, protect your vision. There will always be challenges, doubts, and moments where people underestimate you, but resilience, faith, and consistency will carry you further than talent alone. Surround yourself with people who inspire growth, and never stop learning.


Viviana Rocio Gill Llano – My message to you, whether you are taking your first steps or looking to scale your vision, is that your business is far more than a commercial entity; it is…

Company– Consultora DOIS (Desarrollo Organizacional de Innovación Sostenible)

Advice

My message to you, whether you are taking your first steps or looking to scale your vision, is that your business is far more than a commercial entity; it is a reflection of who you are and the impact you choose to leave in the world. I invite you to lead from three profound truths:

Design for your freedom, not your enslavement: We often fall into the trap of believing that extreme sacrifice is the only path to success.


I assure you, it is not. Build your business as a vehicle for freedom. When you systematize your company, you aren't just creating manuals; you are giving yourself permission to step out of the 'cage of urgencies' to reclaim the time you need to be the woman and the leader you dream of being.


Excellence is born from care, not luck: Do not leave your success to chance. Quality is an act of love and respect for your clients and your team. When you create clear processes and human-centric protocols, you are gifting your team the security and structure they need to shine. When the structure is solid, talent flourishes, and you cease to be the only person holding up the building.


Your inner light is your greatest strategic asset: As an Ontological Coach, I can confirm: your business cannot grow beyond your own growth. Your wellbeing, your mental health, and your capacity to manage your emotions are not luxuries—they are the foundation of your success. Emotional intelligence and soft skills are the tools that will allow you to navigate storms without losing your essence.


Do not forget yourself in the process of building your empire; the leader you are is the soul that moves the business.


Erica Chin – Start before you feel ready, and find your community before you find your strategy.

Company– The Women's Outdoor Media Association (WOMA)

Advice

Start before you feel ready, and find your community before you find your strategy. Erica's path to leading a national nonprofit didn't begin with a plan — it began with showing up to an event, meeting the right women, and saying yes. The skills, the title, and the platform followed the commitment.


Don't wait until you feel qualified. Women like those at WOMA helped build a road. Whatever industry you're in, your presence changes what's possible for the women who come after you. Show up anyway.


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