Following the Curve on Your Business Road

Gold Fall

The best business advice I ever received was from an experienced woman entrepreneur who said to me, “The best thing you can do for your business is to follow the curve in the road when it appears.” I was too new in business to understand what she meant; but 22 years later after hitting big curves in my entrepreneurial career, I know I need to ease into the bend.

This week I had conversations with a couple women about the curves trying to modify their current path. After a quarter century in business one entrepreneur is finally going big time, adding staff and claiming national business. Another woman after two years of unexpected personal strife and five years in business is finally leaning into the curve to sell her business. With national news starting to spook and activate people, entrepreneurs and professionals in all career fields are wondering if their once smooth career road is going to start getting curvy.

A curvature naturally showed up on my road the day after the presidential election when women called me to see what Women TIES could do to support women rights more. I had to contemplate putting a “political curve” into my once only “business focused” company. Would I alienate people? Would I gain new followers? What would creating a new division to my company do to keep in line with my marketplace and focus? I saw the curve coming. I couldn’t stop it from coming. I decided to embark on the bend.

Where the bend has taken me personally is to a stronger understanding and re-commitment to my core ideal to have women supporting women in business, sports, equality and life. My company will always be focused on promoting and marketing women owned companies first and foremost but in these times it needs an “Equality Division” in addition to its four year old sister division the Women’s Athletic Network to further women’s issues across the board.