I'm not saying anything groundbreaking when I say the Entrepreneurial scene has really taken off over the past 5 years.
This in turn has seen more and more women start and grow businesses, in Australia alone that increase has been phenomenal.
Recent Australian Bureau of Statistics Data shows women make up just over a third of all business operators, which is close to a 50% increase over the past decade.
It's inspiring to see so many women Entrepreneurs start ventures and share their missions with the world.
After coaching and mentoring thousands of Entrepreneurs men and women alike, it's clear to me that the reason so many women are beginning to start businesses and do so well at the same time is due to their passion to transform industries.
From the people that I've coached, I've seen many women out compete the men and stay true to their causes longer. Where a lot of men are more prone to the Entrepreneur curse of chasing the next shiny object.
When it comes to success it doesn't always come down to skill, where you're from, how old you are or your credentials. It comes down to your mission and how much impact you want to make in the world.
And as well as that - how committed you are to that mission. An area that women excel in as compared to men based on my experience.
So for this article I decided to chat to 3 Australian women Entrepreneurs that are making waves in their industries to find out what their mission is, how is it shaking up their industry and dissect what makes their missions so compelling, so you can apply their framework for yours. Male or female.
The inspiring Entrepreneurs I have decided to interview are Dr Amy Carmichael, Fiona Craig and Amanda Blesing.
The question I put forth to them was: "What's your mission? And how is that mission shaking up your industry?"
"I'm driven by a mission of connecting thousands of professional women in Australia and around the globe. Firstly connecting them to their own brilliance allowing them to create a career and life that challenges, rewards and fulfils them.
Then connecting them with each other, helping them build a resilient business and personal network that will nurture and support them through good/bad times.
In the technology dependent world we live, my goal through the SmartWomen Connect community is to bring the human connection back to business because I believe we are stronger together." Fiona Craig, founder of Smart Women Connect
"My mission is to help women play a much bigger game - and do so with big ideas, big vision and big, audacious bucket loads of confidence.
Throughout my career I've helped professionals be more .... professional, by providing opportunities via their professional association. I noticed that women required a different style of encouragement.
So I established a program to do just that - mentoring, speaking and training to help women to step up, speak out and take charge.
Because, helping women in (and into) leadership roles, is not just great for business but great for them as well." Amanda Blesing, founder of The Ambition Revolution
"My mission is to inspire, motivate and educate others so they are empowered to live out their healthiest happiest life. Carving their own unique path. This drive began when I realised my own health needed a thorough tooth comb and I got excited about the advantages of a personalised approach.
My vision now is to make personalised healthcare the norm. Looking specifically at your genetic make up we can adjust lifestyle changes and have a program that Is tailored to you. We are all unique. Not a number and not one size fits all.
Optimum healthcare lies in mind body spirit medicine. It helps to get to the root cause and alleviates some of the guess work. Patients feel empowered and reconnected. This is the future of medicine." Dr Amy Carmichael
After speaking with these entrepreneurs I broke down the 3 main reasons why women are fantastic at creating compelling missions, which push them through the hard times:
1) Women are more in tune with their feelings
One thing that I notice with women and their missions is that there is a lot of emotion behind them. They are passionate about their missions and how they feel about that particular topic, you can hear it in their voices.
Men on the other hand are a little less emotionally connected to their missions, which means that they are not as powerful. This also means men are less likely to keep pushing through the hard times when their mission isn't as emotionally charged. Then when that shiny object appears, they go running.
2) Women seek out help more than men
Unfortunately us men are a proud bunch and a lot less likely to yell out when we need a hand. Women on the other hand are more than willing to learn from others and put their hands up when they need a bit of support.
Doing it on your own is hard, reaching out for help is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength and only benefits you in the long run.
3) Women tend to be supportive and build better relationships
Some men can be a little too competitive and that means they are negative towards joint venture partnerships and helping people in their industries. I see more women build better partners that create more business for their companies.
And this is why you are seeing so much more successful Entrepreneurial women in the media. Get the fame and recognition they deserve. Some great well known examples include: Arianna Huffington, Tory Burch and Zhang Xin.
So to wrap things up I came up with a few key questions to ask yourself based on my experience and research that will help you before you begin to embark on your entrepreneurial journey and before you create your mission..
- In 10 years time if your company has reached the highest heights, what does that look like?
- Now that you have clarity on that, does that excite you and are you committed to achieving that?
- If so, prove it by reading and completing the inclination point. A process of identifying whether you are truly committed to your mission. Only then will you know if this is something you should pursue. Click here to read the article
Ask yourself these questions, then develop your mission on the back of this. If you can get through it without questioning whether you are still 100% committed to achieving this goal.