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Effective Team Management – Women Founders’ Advice - Part 10

Writer: Women Story
Women Story
Sep 25
6 min read


In the Effective Team Management Series, we feature the insights of 10 women founders who share advice on building strong teams, trusting your vision, and leading with resilience and integrity. Their advice highlights the importance of delegation, clear goals, continuous learning, healthy leadership, meaningful relationships, and creating a team culture built on shared values, trust, and consistent effort.

Featured Women Founders

  • Roz Lester  Outsource as early as possible.

  • Dolly Aswani  A healthy mind and body are the foundations of a sharp intuition, which help you always trust your instincts.

  • Kate Visconti  The thing that nearly broke you is almost certainly the thing that will define your individual, team, and organizational purpose, so stop hiding it and start leading with it.

  • Sanjana  Nothing beats hard work and resilience.

  • Payel Mukherjee 

  • Jessica Hackney  Be true to yourself and know that there will be ups and downs along the way.

  • Jennifer Savio  Honor the foundation you came from, but do not be afraid to evolve.

  • MARIA ANTONIETTA PLANTONE  To aspiring or early-stage women founders, I would recommend believing in your vision while supporting it with knowledge, structure, and perseverance.

  • Chiyona Indriya  Never give up.

  • Laura Simons  As someone who loves encouraging the next generation of leaders—whether speaking to high school and college students or connecting with young entrepreneurs at networking events—my core advice to aspiring women…


Roz Lester – Outsource as early as possible.

Company – Aurora Rose VA Collective

Advice

Outsource as early as possible. Find the things you're good at and build a team around you. Also don't be afraid to forge your own path. The VA industry can be quite career boxed in, unless you look to do something different. Also 100% hire a business coach!


Dolly Aswani – A healthy mind and body are the foundations of a sharp intuition, which help you always trust your instincts.

Company– The Kind Citizen

Advice

A healthy mind and body are the foundations of a sharp intuition, which help you always trust your instincts. Even then, do not be afraid of making mistakes. Embracing them as learning opportunities, rather than setbacks, it is what accelerates your journey at 10x speed.

In my journey I have  learnt to prioritize my health and emotional wellbeing, which directly reflects in the way I lead.


I faced mental health challenges early on due to the stress that comes with being an entrepreneur and navigating a niche ecosystem like social impact.

Now, I cannot emphasize  enough on frequent ‘switch-off’ times and striking the right amount of balance with the obsession for building your business and keeping your vitals strong.


Work should make you happy, make you feel fulfilled and sometimes should even knock your socks off out of fear, what it should not do is to take away your energy to the point that it drains you and takes that happiness away with which you started your vision. Your vision and team stays stronger until the time you are strong.


Kate Visconti – The thing that nearly broke you is almost certainly the thing that will define your individual, team, and organizational purpose, so stop hiding it and start leading with it.

Company– Five to Flow, Inc.

Advice

The thing that nearly broke you is almost certainly the thing that will define your individual, team, and organizational purpose, so stop hiding it and start leading with it. Build around a mission that you would pursue even if no one funded it, because there will be moments when no one does, and your conviction has to be stronger than the noise.


Surround yourself with people who are genuinely better than you in their domains, pay them what they're worth even when it costs you personally, and trust that a team built on autonomy and purpose will outperform any team built on control. And finally: raise your hand before you feel ready, because the world does not need another perfect pitch -- it needs your authentic, lived-in truth.


Sanjana – Nothing beats hard work and resilience.

Company – Sanjana Thakur

Advice

Nothing beats hard work and resilience. The never give up attitude is a must for founders to make it in the long run. The faster ideas are put into actions and implemented the better. Teamwork makes the dream work. Instead of trying to do everything yourself, you must learn to delegate work and responsibilities to other trustworthy team members.


Payel Mukherjee –

Company– Justwords

Advice

1. BELIEVE IN YOUR VISION, BEFORE ANYONE ELSE DOES

The early days of any business are nothing but a sustained act of faith. There will be people who do not see what you see. There will be moments when you do not either. Back yourself anyway. Clarity of vision, held consistently, is your biggest competitive advantage when nothing else is certain yet.


2. REFUSE THE GUILT TRAP

This one is specific to women — and it is real. The feeling that you are never giving enough to your children, your team, or your clients can become paralysing if you let it. DON'T. Give your best to each, know that your best is enough, and keep moving.


3. START BEFORE YOU ARE READY

Perfect conditions do not arrive. At some point, you have to back yourself and begin. The clarity you are waiting for? It comes from doing, not from planning.


4. HIRE FOR ATTITUDE, NOT JUST BRILLIANCE

The team you build will determine how far you go. Find people who share your values, are willing to learn, and will go the extra mile for clients. A great attitude compounds over time. A brilliant hire with the wrong attitude rarely does.


5. SUCCESS IS EARNED EVERY SINGLE DAY

It is not your entitlement. Show up, do right by your customers, stay true to what your business stands for — and do this consistently, over years. That is what builds something real.


6. STAY HUNGRY AND LEAN

The industry JUSTWORDS started in looks nothing like it did in 2010. The founders who will thrive in the next decade are those who stay curious, embrace change, and never stop asking — how can I do this better?


Jessica Hackney – Be true to yourself and know that there will be ups and downs along the way.

Company– Hydrate IV Bar Highlands Ranch and Castle Rock

Advice

Be true to yourself and know that there will be ups and downs along the way. Integrity and respect are key to building a community and team that trust you.


Jennifer Savio – Honor the foundation you came from, but do not be afraid to evolve.

Company– Beach Drapery / Creative Window Designs

Advice

Honor the foundation you came from, but do not be afraid to evolve. A strong business is built on relationships, reputation, consistency, and the willingness to keep growing. Surround yourself with great people, take care of your team, and always remember that the client experience matters just as much as the product or service you provide.


When you lead with integrity and stay committed to excellence, your business can create impact for generations.


MARIA ANTONIETTA PLANTONE – To aspiring or early-stage women founders, I would recommend believing in your vision while supporting it with knowledge, structure, and perseverance.

Company– MARIA ANTONIETTA PLANTONE

Advice

To aspiring or early-stage women founders, I would recommend believing in your vision while supporting it with knowledge, structure, and perseverance. An idea may come from passion, but to become a solid business it needs expertise, research, adaptability, and consistency over time.


Another essential element is the team. No project can truly grow alone: it requires skilled, motivated people who share the same values, goals, and sense of responsibility. At PDT Cosmetici, we strongly believe in the power of teamwork, and we are proud to have a team made up mostly of women, who contribute every day to the company’s growth with professionalism, sensitivity, and expertise.


It is important not to be discouraged by initial obstacles and to learn how to turn every challenge into an opportunity to strengthen the project. The most important advice is not to wait until you feel “perfectly ready”: growth also comes from doing, learning, and improving day by day.


Chiyona Indriya – Never give up.

Company– Blessoterra

Advice

Never give up.  Get the correct team.  Know clearly what you want.


Laura Simons – As someone who loves encouraging the next generation of leaders—whether speaking to high school and college students or connecting with young entrepreneurs at networking events—my core advice to aspiring women…

Founder – 901 Promo

Advice

As someone who loves encouraging the next generation of leaders—whether speaking to high school and college students or connecting with young entrepreneurs at networking events—my core advice to aspiring women founders comes down to three principles:


Do What You Love with Intention: Passion is what fuels you through the steep learning curves of early entrepreneurship. When you are genuinely excited about your work, that energy attracts both loyal clients and a great team.


Be Relational, Not Transactional: Prioritize authentic relationships over quick sales. When you focus on listening, caring for people, and solving real problems, business growth becomes a natural byproduct of the trust you’ve built.


Let Your Goals Drive Your Decisions: Define your vision early and set clear, actionable goals. When facing hard choices or pivots, your goals act as a compass to guide your everyday decision-making and keep you moving forward.


Beyond these, I always remind early-stage founders that you don't need a traditional business background to succeed. Curiosity, strong intuition, and a willingness to ask questions can take you further than any formal degree.


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