Running a growing business can be tough no matter who you are, but the challenges are often compounded as a woman — especially when you work with your husband.
This is a common scenario I've faced over the years that I'm sure many women can relate to:
My husband/business partner Daniel and I go to an important meeting. We prepare together, we know the same things and share the work equally. But when we sit down for the meeting, everybody is talking to him, assuming he is the one actually in charge.
For someone like me, who is naturally quiet, it really hurt my confidence. To this day, I sometimes find it difficult to express myself in meetings.
Imposter syndrome? Yeah, that’s the natural state of things — and even more so at the beginning. Despite all my preparation and expertise, I would sometimes experience doubts. What is a 22-year-old kid who looks even younger doing with all these fancy people using fancy words?
Over time, I learned to manage those feelings and move past them – and I learned that many women in business are experiencing the same things. I even gave this feeling a name so I can kindly ask it to leave whenever it comes back.
And I came to realize that even when facing someone with more experience than me, we can still find common ground. I can learn from anyone, but I also have a lot to give in return.
I’m so proud of our product and the way we made it happen. We’ve reached so many people with our vegan chocolate (and still have so many to reach in the future)! It really feels almost like our firstborn child.
If you’re a women feeling the same, remember it’s perfectly normal! Don’t let your fears stand in your way.
