POWer a very special class!
Tuesday afternoons have been charged with great reflection for me this last 10 weeks. POWer: Building entrepreneurial mindset from the perspective of women; is a class taught by Fern Mandelbaum & Anne Raimondi about female empowerment, self-awareness and building your own entrepreneurial plan and journey. And I want to share with you what I have been learning about:
1) Values
Key quotes: "Be your authentic self" (Jess Lee, Investing Partner, Sequoia Capital). "Customers buy us because of what we stand for" (Ashley Aikele, Bravery Magazine).
So what are the key values that define me and that I would like my company to stand for:
Balance: Things are usually not black or white, there are multiple shades of grey.
Positive attitude: Life is too short, enjoy the journey.
Solution oriented: Think critically and offer solutions (yes and vs yes but).
Determined: Keep moving forward & evolving with a dose of resilience.
Creative: Be curious and open minded to create new possibilities.
Keep it simple: Focus, clarity and prioritization.
2) Communication
Key quotes: "Culture has to be explicit and simple". "Little things can take a lot of meaning". "Ask, don't assume" (Niniane Wang, Founder/CEO Evertoon).
I summarize my communication takeaways in this 3 key points:
Stories: Use the power of story telling to persuade others.
Leadership: Great communicators are better leaders. Communicating a compelling vision, clear expectations and actionable feedback are the key strengths.
Feedback: Practice "Radical Candor".
3) People
Key quotes: "The partnership is so much bigger than who does what" (Jennifer Goldfarb, Co-founder/President, Ipsy), "The key is the people you surround yourself with" (Vlada Bortnik, Joya), "We all ask for help and people want to help, just have a specific ask" (Shauntel Poulson, Reach Capital).
In general values alignment is the key. Beyond that also consider:
Co-founders: "Find someone you can effectively disagree with and share values" (Brad Stroh, Freedom Financial, Formation of new ventures class)
Advisory board: Find those who will challenge you and that you are willing to listen to. And ask for help!
Team: Understand not only what they say but also what they do. Do a "test drive" before hiring.
4) Courage
Key quotes: "Just try it and lower the stakes of failure" (Kristina Klausen, Founder/CEO, Panda Tree), "You have more courage if you have a plan" (Niniane Wang, Founder/CEO Evertoon).
I believe confidence builds courage. The more confident you are the more likely are you to take risks, because you believe in your ability to make it happen. And also courage or taking risks builds confidence. When you decide to jump and it goes well it is a great confidence boost. Then just plan and do it! It will start a virtuous loop that will gain momentum towards your success.
5) Action
Key quotes: "If you can see it you can build it". "What you leave for later never gets done" (Dushka Zapata, VP of Comms, Zendesk, author)
As I finish winter quarter, and get ready for spring, my last quarter here at Stanford, I wonder... How am I going to keep this up? How can I stay connected, updated and motivated? and how can I inspire others in Latin America to adopt the entrepreneurial mindset? I guess by doing, and this blog is the begging!
Entrepreneurship is hard, but worth it! (Jennifer Goldfarb, Co-founder/President, Ipsy)
PS: There is a separate post for Dana Kanze's talk. So impactful for me, that it is worth a longer reflection.