Wednesday Wisdom: Big vs. Small Differences

Wednesday Wisdom, Inspiration, Business Success Strategies for Women Entrepreneurs & Female Business Owners



Marion Wright Edelman once said, “We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee.” Although she was talking about her work as an American Civil Rights Attorney, the quote struck me pertinent for this moment in time as the world and especially small businesses reopen after the global pandemic.

Listening to the whispers in my closest family circles, some believe the past year robbed them of crucial time in their lives and careers while others chose to live the best they could not succumbing to fear and anxiety. There hasn’t been a right or wrong way to act in this once-in-a-lifetime pandemic but to ride its wave, survive, learn, listen, and look forward.

As I listened to some of our sister entrepreneurs and members, I found some divergent philosophies about running their companies during a pandemic but for the most part, our female friends survived by making small, daily differences and a few of them made large changes staring apprehension right in the face and saying, “move over.”

I’m proud of the women who took a leap of faith to expand their operations during the pandemic by moving into a larger rental space, applying for PPP loans and cash advances, retaining staff, and finding creative ways to hang on to their enterprises.


I’m equally proud for the females in our group who hung on, reinvented their marketing outreach, learned Zoom, and delivered services to their faithful customers. Sometimes those small differences we don’t count actually reap larger rewards in the long haul.

Today’s Wednesday Wisdom is to help you see that no matter how you professionally handled the year-long pandemic, you did it your way in big ways and small. Read the quote above again and take it to heart. Recount the small differences you took to keep your customers happy, informed, and enlightened. Recall the small, yet poignant thoughts you performed to help your staff and your own financials. Embrace those big leaps of faith too and let them remind you that you are more fearless than you think.


Don’t sweep anything you did this past year, big or small, under the rug until you shine a light on it and relish the fantastic, strong, woman entrepreneur you are. You survived and I promise you that you will continue to make big and small differences in the lives of others.