After speaking with hundreds of female entrepreneurs and watching my personal journey as a female entrepreneur closely, there is one mistake female entrepreneurs make above the rest.
If you’re like me, this one mistake…
- Limits your ability to stretch yourself and get things done
- Forces more tasks onto your already neverending to-do list
- Increases stress and burnout levels beyond what is healthy
And the mistake female entrepreneurs make is…?
The need for control.
Yep, we’re going there but don’t worry! We’ll talk through why having control can feel so important AND why following that feeling can hurt your business more than you may know.
Ready to stop sitting on all of your business copy that’s still in draft mode? Schedule a discovery call with us to get started!
Where Does The Need For Control Come From?
One of the main challenges female entrepreneurs face is setting up unrealistic and irrational expectations. You may be familiar with this if you’ve ever felt the need to do it all. As expert multitaskers, women often feel the need to be able to juggle multiple responsibilities at once without fail. But this frame of thought can end up creating more problems than solutions. Ask yourself a few simple questions…
Do I often or always feel the need to do it all?
Do I delegate tasks to those I trust around me?
Am I quick to ask for help when I need it?
Many female entrepreneurs believe that having control and doing it all themselves is the best way to conduct business. But if you find yourself burned out, exhausted, uninspired, or overwhelmed, having too much control can actually limit your success. Take a look at why this may be and how to let go.
Why Is Control Limiting Growth?
Just because we can control it doesn’t mean we should or that we’re the right person to do so. When you don’t lean into your own personal superpowers, you spread yourself thin over all the other tasks. Pushing yourself into overdrive once or twice to get everything done is one thing. But if you find yourself unable to…
- Delegate to your inner circle
- Meet self-set deadlines
- Let go of perfectionism
- Stick to a healthy work/life balance
…Then that sense of control is costing you time, money, and your mental health.
Reflect with us for a second…Are you sitting on copy you’ve written for your business that has yet to be published (or even edited)? Copy for your business is one of those tasks that you can (and should) delegate to the experts. Otherwise, your copy continues to sit untouched for as long as you promise yourself that you’ll get to it one day.
We see it all the time as copywriters, and you should know that you are not alone.
Psst! It’s okay to let go a little (or a lot). Talk to us today and get your business copy brewing.
How To Overcome The #1 Mistake Female Entrepreneurs Make
Female business owners generate $1.8 trillion in revenue for the U.S. economy. By questioning your need for control, we’re not questioning your power as a female entrepreneur – that impact is clear (and don’t you forget it).
However, the need for control could be limiting you from reaching your true earning potential and future opportunities. Breaking free from this thought process all starts with step #1…
Step 1: Identify You Are A Control Freak
Hi, I’m Lauren Jefferson and I’m a control freak. Hi, Lauren!
There’s a reason why AA has you identify yourself and that’s because when you say it out loud, it becomes real.
I’ll be honest with you. Telling yourself (or someone else) that you’re struggling is no small accomplishment. But you should know that it is just that – it’s an accomplishment to identify your feelings and ask for help moving forward. It sounds so easy to do. Yet, female entrepreneurs (like me) struggle with it regularly.
If you’re still here with me, let’s practice doing this together. Breathe and then say out loud (or to yourself), “Hi, I’m Your Name, and I’m a control freak.”
Hi, I’m Lauren and I’m right here with you!
Now that we’ve done that together, let’s try shifting the way we think about controlling every aspect of our business to construct a fruitful future.
Step 2: Gain Perspective
Your authority, leadership, and vision all work together in your favor as a boss and business owner. But what many female entrepreneurs don’t realize is that being a leader also means being able to trust your employees, partners, and team members to clear your plate of necessary tasks that don’t need your immediate attention.
When you don’t entrust the people you hired to do what you pay them to do, they may feel worthless, not needed, or even like they can never succeed under your leadership. Yikes! No one wants to feel that.
So expand your perspective on how others perceive your control tendencies and how it impacts their role in your business.
“The only thing you sometimes have control over is perspective. You don’t have control over your situation. But you have a choice about how you view it.”
Chris Pine
This week, work to prioritize the items on your to-do list while delegating other tasks. This will help you get them done without stretching you beyond your limits.
Step 3: Build Accountability
You need a team to call you out – especially if you’re prone to making the #1 mistake female entrepreneurs make. That could be your spouse, employees, business coach, bookkeeper, friend, strategic partner, etc. But first, you need to confess to them and tell them how they can help you out. A few common areas of accountability female entrepreneurs need assistance with include:
- Organization
- Scheduling
- Setting clear expectations
- Tweaking processes
- Transparency
Be honest with yourself and pinpoint your areas for improvement. Then, share your challenges with someone who can help you remain accountable.
It’s hard to let go. It’s also hard to hear criticism from those you respect. But gaining feedback from those you trust to set you up for success is one way to thrive as a business owner AND allow those you care about to grow and problem-solve on their own, under your direction.
Step 4: Recognize Real Wins
Always late to appointments? Pat yourself on the back for a full week of on-time meetings and phone calls.
Behind on replying to emails? Treat yourself to a glass of wine with dinner after you’re all caught up!
The point I’m trying to make?
It’s hard for female business owners to celebrate success when it doesn’t feel perfect. I understand that, however, I also know that you deserve to enjoy every milestone (even the smaller ones). Give yourself grace when times are challenging and give yourself praise for meeting various goals.
Step 5: Start Small Then Grow Big With Letting Go
Maybe the thought of giving someone else complete control over your Instagram is too much to handle right now. That’s okay! You can start small by thinking about the minor tasks that don’t need your full attention.
Remember the accountability list above? Find small to-dos that you can pass on to others in your inner circle and delegate away! It doesn’t have to be awkward to hand over something you need help with. If you’ve chosen the right people to lift you, they won’t have a problem stepping in to support you and your business when you need it.
As you get more comfortable delegating tasks, you can move on to bigger responsibilities that take up too much of your time. Think email and social media scheduling, sales calls, blog posts and publishing, etc.
Let The Control Over Your Copy Go & Avoid The #1 Mistake Female Entrepreneurs Make
Female entrepreneurs spend so much time writing, rewriting, and holding on to copy that never seems to get published. This is a huge problem if your website, social media, landing pages, and blogs either don’t reflect your current business OR have the right information but never get published.
If it isn’t online and up-to-date, it doesn’t exist for your target audience. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
Breathe – you’ve got this! Get help from a team of professional digital marketing copywriters to bring your business to center stage.
We’re your copy shop barista to support your growth goals. Let’s talk shop!
