Written by: Cathy Dimarchos, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Do you have the best skills to be an Entrepreneur?
As an award-winning Mentor –Business Advisor I have worked with people from all walks of life. I help people find their place of genius from starting up their own business to those who are looking to scaling their business.
I know my place of genius and I know the clarity that sits behind each of my decisions, but that hasn’t always been the case and this is why I do what I do today. I don’t want people to wait until they get older to learn what I know that’s why I share knowledge and help them achieve success earlier in life.
When I look at businesses, I look at the people in them, I look at who they are and what they say they want to do. I hear their story but mostly I listen to what they don’t say.
There are patterns in each of us and I look for them to help you navigate forward. I remove blind spots.
When I look at some of the traits or behaviours of successful entrepreneurs, I see the following:
Being able to balance competing priorities
Being able to Negotiate
Effective Time Management
Strong and effective Communication skills
Being able to building relationships
Are you starting to see where I am going? Can you see the skills that you hold as a mum in everything you do are the very same things that successful people in business display?
Pause for a moment to think about where you are today and where you would like to be.
As a mum, I know you just look at what you do every single day as simply what you need to do so you can get the job done. But, each of these skills that you possess makes for the best entrepreneur, yet we don’t seem to see these skills as transferable skills in business.
For those of you who had a career before family, all you can see is yourself in that old job and wonder how you can find your way back into that corporate ladder. Holding onto the limitations that had been placed upon you from old beliefs and an industrialised age of employment.
I encourage you to pause and ask yourself; what is holding you back? What forms part of your thought process that keeps you in the confines of your perception?
Knowing where to start is what holds you back – not fear!
Let’s start to break down the barriers.
Whilst there will be trepidation in taking those steps forward, I would like to share some insight so you can begin to shift the lens in which you see things.
Fear may be a driver that precludes you in taking a step forward, as will doubt, but the reality is, that what really holds most women back is the clarity in which they can step forward!
Yes, it is that simple. I know that as you read this again. You smile. You know that there is merit in what I have just shared with you.
Great, because this now means you have a break through.
You now know that there is path... You now know that you do have transferable skills and well let’s face it – time is not going to be an issue because you have been mastering that from the moment you became a mum.
Don’t’ BOUNCE BACK – BOUNCE FORWARD
I have set up business and scaled them across the globe, across different industries, so what I am sharing with you comes from lived experience. Knowing the foundations of where to start is important so that you begin the journey of discovery.
As a strategist I love this initial process of discovery. Breaking down the moulds and leaving behind the shackles of who you were to who you choose to be is the most rewarding.
I share the same creative journey when I talk to young people when they look at their future and ask themselves “what do I want to do when I finish school?”.
This process is not a marketing strategy, although many will try and sell that to you. It is a process that allows you to identify what IMPACT you want to make.
Bouncing forward allows you to leap well into the future; to see yourself as you exit your business and the person you want to be known for.
As a mum, you have some ideas about what that looks like because you look at your child/children and know that you want them to know what you stand for. You want them to know what your values are and you want them to have the confidence in doing what they want in life.
Aligning values in business shapes a better tomorrow and that is what mums do best
When you know your values in life and align them into everything you do – success becomes a natural path. There is harmony in the way in which you engage, there is honesty and transparency in the way in which you do business.
It’s about having the structure to step forward and recognise that there are blind spots and that it’s ok to ask for help. Seek out support from someone who has done what you want to do so you can get there faster. Finding that someone who actually knows the “end to end” process in setting up a business and being able to show you how to find your “north star” and keep you on track is what you need, not a marketing strategy. Marketing is only one part of business.
So, as you now pause again to think about all the skills you hold, think about taking ownership and giving yourself the best opportunity to succeed so when the kids grow up you know who you choose to be.
More importantly you become the role model because you are showing them the way and breaking down the old shackles that women before you held.
And if not today, ask yourself when?
If you have the little tingle in your belly or can hear the little voice in your head, don’t leave it for another day. Know that you hold the skills and traits already, it is just about being clear about your intentions and knowing the way to step forward to become the entrepreneur you know you want to be.
To step forward take these first 5 steps
Putting Fear and Doubt behind you
Writing down all of your transferable skills
Making a note of things that give you joy
Identifying the “impact” you want to make
Seek out the right support and investing in you.
No matter who you are, opening the door to opportunity is about giving yourself permission to follow the path to your next destination.
I wake up with a smile on my face every single day in doing what I do and knowing the impact that I will make. You can do this too.
Choose a date, place a line in the sand and begin your journey forward.
Want to learn more from Cathy? Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and visit her website.
Cathy Dimarchos, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Cathy Dimarchos is an award-winning business advisor, mentoring and coaching leaders internationally, and is an indefatigable philanthropist who believes we can all contribute to lifting the baseline of people across the world one person at a time.
She founded Solutions2you with purpose for impact so that she can serve others and leave a lasting imprint. As a professional advisor and motivational voice, Cathy dedicates her time to perfecting a combination of people, business and situational skills. Her values take centre stage and business becomes honest and expressive. She believes that knowledge exchange leads to self-reliance with effective and sustainable outcomes.
Her Advisory services extend to New and Established Entrepreneur’s, teams and large corporates and supports people to become antifragile in a world that is forever changing, stretching their boundaries.
“When we rise, it is important to also lift those around us”