“Say Yes First, Figure It Out Later”: Top 10 Pieces Of Advice From Entrepreneurs

I’m loving this collation of advice from successful female entrepreneurs, via A Cup of Jo. Here are what I think are the ten most valuable bits, in no particular order:

“Pretend your life is an overflowing closet. In order to really get it organized, you can’t just remove one or two things here or there. You have to take everything out and then one by one put the most important things back in. … Sometimes you have to get rid of good things in your life in order to make room for the best things.”

“Be direct — anything else is a waste of valuable time (yours and others’).”

“I feel strongly that if you wake up on a Wednesday and feel like you’d rather have a root canal than get back to work, take a mental health day, or at least a mental health morning.”

“Find a schedule that works for you: Take note of the times you feel sharpest each day, when you want to crawl under the covers and take a nap, and when you’re the most stressed about everything, including your place in the world. … Once you have a schedule, protect it.”

“There’s never going to be a perfect balance. There’s only the balance of right now.”

“I usually say yes first, and figure it out later. I don’t let any opportunity slip away.”

“Be flexible. It’s great — and important — to start with a vision but don’t be so in love with your vision that you can’t bend.”

“’Walking meetings.’ We would walk around the neighborhood and talk, and I found that the other person seemed to be more relaxed. It feels less like an attack and can encourage the feeling that you really are trying to work things out together.”

“Eliminate the word “just” from your vocabulary — as in “Just checking on this!” You’ll immediately feel more confident.” [editor’s note: this works when you’re editing manuscripts too.]

And, finally:

“If you told a story about your career, would it be interesting and surprising? If not, think about the path you’re carving. You spend a large part of your life working — make it a story you want to tell.”

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