Five lessons learnt while building a business as a female founder
As many entrepreneurs do, Radha Vyas, founder of solo adventure travel company, Flash Pack, decided to turn her lifelong passion into a business plan.
As soon as she realised the potential of building a brand to connect similar travellers alike, all it took was a simple “pitch” on a first date (to the man who is now her husband) to kick-start the momentum.
Now, over a decade later, the 43-year-old founder takes the pen in our newest founder series to tell us five lessons she’s learnt while building her brand— and a team of over 70 international employees — as a woman in business.
1. Put self-belief front and centre of everything you do
No one knows your own business vision better than you – and in order to succeed as a female founder, in particular, that sense of confidence will be key to everything you do. Listen to your gut and have a rock-solid belief in what it is that you want to achieve.
That inner drive is essential to help you weather the ups and downs that will inevitably play out with the growth of any business.
Radha Vyas
As an Asian woman and female founder, I’ve experienced first-hand the barriers that still exist in areas such as VC funding. Potential investors have criticised me for not being “aggressive” enough, or they’ve suggested I should rein in my business expectations because I happen to be a mum.
Things are changing, slowly, but in the meantime, your best way through these challenges is to develop an armour that looks like tenacity and unwavering self-belief in your own ambition and ideas.
2. Surround yourself with fellow founders and mentors
As a founder, you’ll inevitably want to lean on others for advice and support. It helps if they’ve faced similar challenges to you but with no vested interest in your brand (apart from being a cheerleader for you on a personal level).
I’ve found the ability to connect with other women in business to be really powerful, in terms of unlocking growth, trading ideas and creating a mutual support network.
This could look like networking, online groups or signing up for a mentor scheme. But however it takes shape, it’s an incredible advantage to be able to talk openly with people who understand what you’re going through – especially in times of crisis.
3. Put your people first
One of the first major milestones of any new business is when you grow from a one or two-person gig into developing a team. There’s nothing more validating than bringing other like-minded people onboard who share your vision and are excited to expand it. The team you hire at this point really matters, too.
People don’t come and work for you because you supply nice coffee or have a ping-pong table in your office. They come onboard because they share your belief in what it is that you’re trying to build.
That realisation can be really boosting. Having a strong team behind you gives a huge sense of momentum amid the more challenging parts of running your own show.
4. Experience isn’t everything, you can learn on the go
There’s a temptation to wait until you’re ready to launch a business – which makes sense to an extent, but also risks never reaching that point. I think it’s possible to over-analyse whether you have the right experience.
I didn’t have any experience in the travel industry before launching Flash Pack; but I did my research, surrounded myself with great people, and learnt on the go.
The truth is, you can learn to do anything to at least a fair level in business, from paid advertising to sales or customer services.
Radha Vyas
And there’s no better motivation for getting up to speed. So, roll up your sleeves and get stuck in – the confidence and knowledge will come.
You’ll learn quickly from inevitable mistakes. Again, that core idea that fuels you will be your driving force here.
5. Be part of the bigger picture
The fact is, we need more women in positions of power in business; from investors to founders, the C-Suite and beyond. And things will only change in a meaningful way for the next generation of women and girls when this shift takes shape.
The road ahead is not easy, but together we can provide a goal to aspire to and create the change we want to see. It’s important as female founders that we lift one another up, and champion tomorrow’s female leaders.
We need to be open and generous in sharing the hard-won knowledge, experiences, and resources we’ve acquired to help others succeed.
I’m a big believer in LinkedIn and love sharing my learning and exchanging ideas with my community there, so we can all move forward together.