Okay, real talk: Who else is tired of business advice that sounds like a TED Talk script written by ChatGPT? 🙃 Last year, my candle biz nearly burned out (pun intended) until I discovered success isn’t about hustling harder – it’s about hacking patriarchal systems while keeping your soul intact. Let’s get messy.
1. Your Intuition Isn’t “Woowoo” – It’s Data (Backed by Science!)
That nagging feeling telling you to pivot? Neuroscience confirms women’s brains have stronger connections between analytical and intuitive regions (hello, anterior cingulate cortex!). When I ignored my gut to chase IG trends, sales dropped 30%. When I listened and launched imperfect “ugly beautiful” candles with trauma-healing scents? Viral TikTok moment. 💫
2. The 70% Rule That Changed Everything
Forget “done is better than perfect” – that’s still patriarchal productivity porn. I live by “70% cooked, 100% served.” My first pop-up had handwritten labels and mismatched chairs. Result? Women DM’d me: “Seeing your chaos made me believe I could try.” Vulnerability = currency.
3. “Networking” is Dead. Build Wolfpacks Instead
Traditional networking feels like speed-dating hungry sharks. My wolfpack? A menopausal CFO turned pottery mentor, a Gen Z barista who schools me on meme marketing, and a divorced mom running a covert wine club. We share everything from Shopify plugins to Xanax prescriptions. 🐺
4. The Dirty Secret About Funding
VCs invest in 2% of female-founded startups but here’s the tea: Women-owned businesses generate 10% more revenue over five years (Boston Consulting Group). My power move? Crowdfunded through storytelling about my immigrant mom’s kitchen experiments. Raised $42k from strangers who now DM me recipes.
5. Burnout is the System’s Problem, Not Yours
When I collapsed after working 18-hour days, my male advisor said: “Maybe you’re not cut out for this.” Joke’s on him – I hired a 4-day-week COO (a former teacher who structures meetings like kindergarten art class) and profits jumped 65%. Playground rules > corporate manuals.
The Uncomfortable Truth Nobody Shares
Success isn’t about balance. It’s about creating ecosystems where crying during investor calls is normalized, where “mom brain” becomes “multitasking mastery,” and where revenue goals include mental health budgets. Last quarter, I allocated 8% of profits to my team’s therapy fund. Best ROI ever.
Your turn, sis: What business rule are you ready to break? 🔥 (P.S. My DMs are open for rants, plot twists, and trading emergency chocolate stashes.)
