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Self Development – Women Founders’ Advice - Part 31

Writer: Women Story
Women Story
Sep 21
5 min read

Updated: Sep 22

In the Self Development Series, we feature the insights of 10 women founders who share their lessons on trusting their instincts, taking action before feeling fully ready, embracing challenges, and continuously learning and growing. Their experiences highlight that self-development is not about having everything figured out, but about building confidence through action, staying disciplined, adapting to change, and remaining committed to your own direction. From taking small risks and learning from failure to developing clarity, resilience, and strong decision-making, their advice encourages women founders to believe in their abilities while continuously evolving both personally and professionally.


Featured Women Founders

  • Pallavi Rakhecha  Trust your instincts, but support them with discipline.

  • Trina Nicole  What I would say first is build from conviction, not comparison.

  • Sarah A Scala  Don't be afraid to take small risks in the beginning, even if you sometimes fail.

  • Anna Kovalova  Move, move, move.

  • Kanika Sahijwani  One thing I have learnt is, newer challenges will always crop up.

  • Helen Viljoen  Build with clarity and discipline from the start—especially around numbers, systems, and decision-making.

  • Samantha Rogers  My advice to women starting or growing a business is to trust your instincts and be clear about your direction.

  • Moomal Sisodia  Believe in the value you hold and keep learning and growing.

  • Jeannette Ryan  The only advice i would share, would be don't be afraid, at 56 years of age to learn to be a business owner and deal with day to day work…

  • Khyati Naigandhi  Start before you feel fully ready.


Pallavi Rakhecha – Trust your instincts, but support them with discipline.

Company– Visual Dough

Advice

Trust your instincts, but support them with discipline. Entrepreneurship isn’t about waiting to feel ready, it’s about learning faster than your fear. There is nothing you cannot learn; technical knowledge, leadership, and business acumen are all built through consistency. Skills are not barriers, they are simply timelines waiting to be shortened.


Know your numbers, understand the ecosystem you operate in, and build systems that allow your business to grow beyond individual effort. Creativity might open doors, but structure is what sustains momentum.


Be obsessed with details, protect your standards, and never abandon the routines that keep you grounded. Growth feels glamorous from the outside, but internally it is built on structure, patience, and relentless consistency. Reputation compounds faster than revenue, protect it fiercely.


You don’t have to shrink to fit into any room. Confidence is built through preparation, not permission. Make people slightly uncomfortable with the seriousness of your work, and whenever you rise, create space for other women to rise with you. Leadership becomes powerful when it is shared. As more women step into leadership roles, the real shift will come from redefining how success looks, not louder, but smarter, more inclusive, and deeply human.


Trina Nicole – What I would say first is build from conviction, not comparison.

Company– The Curve Catwalk

Advice

What I would say first is build from conviction, not comparison.

It’s so easy to look around and feel behind, especially in the age of social media where everyone looks like they’re scaling faster, earning more, or moving differently. But comparison will dilute your vision. Get clear on why you’re building what you’re building.


When your mission is solid, decisions become easier and setbacks don’t shake you as much.

Secondly, don’t wait to feel “ready.” Confidence isn’t something you arrive with, it’s something you build through action. Start before you feel fully prepared. Learn publicly. Adjust quickly. Momentum is more powerful than perfection.


Also, understand that being underestimated can actually be an advantage. If you’re a woman, especially if you’re from a marginalised background, there will be rooms where you’re overlooked. Let your results speak. Let your consistency speak. But also, don’t be afraid to take up space and own your expertise. You don’t need to shrink your voice to be palatable.


Sarah A Scala – Don't be afraid to take small risks in the beginning, even if you sometimes fail.

Company– Sarah Scala Consulting

Advice

Don't be afraid to take small risks in the beginning, even if you sometimes fail. We learn through doing!


Anna Kovalova – Move, move, move.

Company– Anbosoft

Advice

Move, move, move. Do not wait for perfect timing, a perfect plan, or more confidence. Confidence comes after action.


The world is changing faster than ever, so your advantage is speed and adaptation. Talk to customers, ship a simple version, charge for a small pilot, learn, and iterate quickly.


Discipline is the real superpower: show up daily, protect your time, and take one clear step forward every day. Move now, adjust on the way.


Kanika Sahijwani – One thing I have learnt is, newer challenges will always crop up.

Company– Pusaaka Ventures

Advice

One thing I have learnt is, newer challenges will always crop up. So be agile, and don't pre-plan everything. Take chances and figure along the way.


Helen Viljoen – Build with clarity and discipline from the start—especially around numbers, systems, and decision-making.

Company– Nebu

Advice

Build with clarity and discipline from the start—especially around numbers, systems, and decision-making. You don’t need to know everything, but you do need to understand your unit economics, your risks, and where your time is best spent.


Be intentional about the role you want to play as the business grows. Early-stage hustle is important, but long-term success comes from learning to lead, delegate, and build structures that outgrow you. Finally, trust your judgment. You will often be the most informed person in the room about your business—own that responsibility and lead with confidence.


Samantha Rogers – My advice to women starting or growing a business is to trust your instincts and be clear about your direction.

Company– Drive Creative

Advice

My advice to women starting or growing a business is to trust your instincts and be clear about your direction. It can be tempting to say yes to every opportunity, but growth comes from focus and understanding what you do best.


Setting boundaries has been one of the most important lessons in my journey. Protect your time, your energy, and the standards you want to uphold in your business.


Surround yourself with people who support your growth, and don’t be afraid to make difficult decisions when something no longer aligns with your vision.


Most importantly, back yourself. You don’t need to have everything figured out, you just need to be willing to keep showing up, learning, and improving. Confidence is built through action.


Moomal Sisodia – Believe in the value you hold and keep learning and growing.

Company– Upshot Brand Media

Advice

Believe in the value you hold and keep learning and growing.


Jeannette Ryan – The only advice i would share, would be don't be afraid, at 56 years of age to learn to be a business owner and deal with day to day work…

Company– Kwik Kopy Seaford

Advice

The only advice i would share, would be don't be afraid, at 56 years of age to learn to be a business owner and deal with day to day work load in an industry that is very competitive with very tight deadlines. can be rewarding if you take the leap.


Khyati Naigandhi – Start before you feel fully ready.

Company– TenaSHEous

Advice

Start before you feel fully ready. Clarity grows with action, not before it.

As women founders, we often wait for perfection - the perfect plan, the perfect timing, the perfect confidence. The truth is that confidence is built through execution. Take the first step, then the next and allow your journey to shape you.


Don’t underestimate the power of "resilience"

There will be slower cycles, tough negotiations and moments of self-doubt. Stay patient. Upgrade your skills constantly. Learn the business side as deeply as the passion side.


Most importantly: "own your voice"

You do not have to imitate aggressive leadership to be effective. Strength can coexist with empathy. Strategy can coexist with intuition.


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