I’m a young entrepreneur, a YouTube vlogger, and a beauty addict by nature. I started a business from scratch, and have seen it grow over the last five years. We are now a team of 14 women based all over the world. If you had told me a few years ago that this would be my life, I would have laughed. But, that’s exactly why I want to inspire other women, and let them know that, if you have a dream, you should go for it!
Here are five things I’ve learned about running a business:
There Is No “Right†Time
A lot of people think that there’s a right time for something. “I’m not ready†is always the excuse–I’m not ready to quit my job, I’m not ready until I get my MBA, I’m not ready until I can pay off my car. But, life is never going to open its doors and wait for you. Do you think an Olympic diver is ever ready to jump off the high-dive backwards? They just go for it. The same is true in business. You are never completely ready. You just have to take the plunge. I wasn’t ready for a lot of surprises in my business, but I trust that I’m smart enough to figure them out as they come.
It’s Empowering to Have a Team Full of Women
I never set out to have an all-female company. It just happened based on the hires who were the best cultural fit. I was originally apprehensive because of the “mean girl†stereotype of having too many women working together. However, I realized that that’s a cultural misappropriation reinforced by movies and TV shows. At work, that’s never the case. We all get along very well and treat each other with respect. It’s pretty cool to see ladies supporting each other and wanting the company to succeed. Running a business has changed my personality and who I am. It has influenced my perspective on girl power and what it means to have a team of ladies–smart, creative, and passionate.
No Health, No Wealth
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Avoid getting sick at all costs. Getting sick not only feels miserable, it’s also a loss of productivity. For example, on my flight back from Asia last year, I came down with the flu for three weeks. I assume it was because I booked my travel plans too tightly, didn’t take the time to sleep, didn’t eat healthy foods, and just forgot to relax, because I was constantly in “go, go, go†mode. Being out for three weeks meant a huge loss of money and productivity, so now I do my best to avoid getting sick at all costs. Keep your health a priority. Eat fruits and vegetables, take vitamin C, and get enough sleep. Everyone thinks entrepreneurs work for 20 hours a day. That’s not sustainable, and not even possible. Prioritize your health, because without good health, you won’t be able to create wealth or enjoy that wealth.
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Daisy Jing founded and bootstrapped beauty product line, Banish. Her team is on a mission to inspire women through their products.
BusinessCollective, launched in partnership with Citi, is a virtual mentorship program powered by North America’s most ambitious young thought leaders, entrepreneurs, executives, and small business owners.