3 Lessons Every Female Entrepreneur NEEDS to Know!

Recently, I was going through my favorite content planning tool- the Social Celebrator, and I saw that May 22nd was BOSS BABES DAY. TBH I have mixed feelings about the term (😶) but it got me thinking – WHO exactly is a boss babe?

I figured this holiday is about people like you and me – powerful, bada** WOMEN in business who show up, hustle and work on chasing their goals every damn day.

Because let’s be real, sis – it’s not always easy. In a world where the odds are often stacked against us, it takes a sh*t ton of courage and resilience to chase our dreams and turn them into REALITY.

That’s why I’m all about being 100% TRANSPARENT about my journey, mistakes, and all. It’s hard enough to build a business, and the BEST way we can support each other is by sharing our lessons, triumphs, and losses – which is WHY I’m constantly sharing the mistakes I made along the way so you don’t make the same ones.

In today’s blog post, I’m sharing 3 lessons I think every woman in business should KNOW and I hope it inspires you to get out there, pursue your passions (whatever they may be), and be the BEST version of yourself you can be.

Lesson #1: Your past DOESN’T define your future

You’ve obviously heard of the famous singer-songwriter, Jewel, right? I LOVE her music but I recently came across her book, Never Broken, and I was BLOWN AWAY learning about her extraordinary life story.

Get ready for a SPOILER ALERT…. 🚨

Jewel was raised on a homestead in Alaska. She learned to yodel by age 5 and performed at bars and hotels with her parents. But behind the music, her home life was full of instability, abuse, and trauma.

At 15, Jewel decided to defy the odds and move out of home. She attended the prestigious Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan where she discovered her true voice through music and songwriting.

BUT her story doesn’t end there. After graduating, Jewel found herself homeless in San Diego, living in her car and battling chronic kidney infections. She started playing at coffee shops to survive and reconnected with her long-lost mother, who later embezzled millions from her. One day, a radio DJ aired a bootleg of one of her songs and it was requested into the top-ten countdown, something UNHEARD-OF for an unsigned artist!!

Jewel’s fame skyrocketed from there! But in her book, she depicts the painful reality of the abuse, trauma, addiction, and insecurities that she had to fight on her way to success. I loved her raw courage, vulnerability, and open honesty in the book. It felt like an important reminder that success isn’t always LINEAR or perfect. It can be ugly and MESSY but it’s important to acknowledge our reality, BELIEVE in our dreams, and pursue them RELENTLESSLY.

I’d definitely recommend her book to anyone who wants to learn and be inspired by a powerful real-life story of a woman who defied the odds and MADE it despite having every reason to believe she couldn’t. You can check it out here → Seriously, friend, this book is AMAZING!

Lesson #2: You don’t need to act on EVERY idea

Quick STORY TIME:

In 2018, I started getting serious about my health and fitness. I became extremely mindful about the food I consumed – and worked HARD to meal prep and eat super clean. To be completely transparent, I did this because, owning a bakery, and being surrounded by sweets ALL DAMN DAY, can lead to nibbling and eating scraps especially if you don’t have healthy food available. Needless to say, I gained some weight and wasn’t feeling super confident. Maybe you’ve felt this way too.

But I was BUSY AF. I was running a BOOKED and BUSY bakery, parenting 3 kids, and juggling a million other responsibilities. (Mom’s, I’m sure you can relate!) I didn’t always have the time or energy to prep a healthy meal from scratch even if I wanted to. But these are all excuses at the end of the day.

I’ve learned over the years that, YOU control where you put your energy and YOU prioritized the things that are most important to you. So… this led to me entering two years of my life that I dedicated to body-building and practicing self-discipline. I wanted to PROVE to myself that I could be in the best shape I’ve ever been in, that I didn’t need sweets, and that I could FEEL confident in my body even as I’ve gotten older.

During this time is when I created Balanced Box – a meal prep company that would deliver made-from-scratch, prepped meals made with only the finest ingredients. I’m talking organic, no preservatives… everything was as clean and fresh as possible.

I figured there MUST be other busy people out there who didn’t want frozen or fast food for lunch every day. People who wanted to eat food that was healthy, fresh, and tasty. Right?!

WRONG. ❌

The business didn’t take off right away! Although we had customers and a decent following, it was an EXPENSIVE AF investment (healthy food ain’t cheap). And unfortunately at the time, the niche for something like this wasn’t very large. So, it didn’t work and I was fine with it.

So, why am I sharing this failure with you?

Because despite being disappointed about my failed side hustle, the experience taught me an important lesson: Not EVERY business idea you have needs to be pursued. Sometimes, it’s important to stay in your lane, leverage YOUR strengths and focus on doing what YOU do best!

Lesson #3: You CAN’T succeed if you don’t VALUE your worth

This is an important one so LISTEN UP 🗣️…

As women in business, for some reason, we ALWAYS make ourselves small, second-guess ourselves, and undervalue our talents, abilities, and knowledge we bring to the table.

After coaching THOUSANDS of women in the baking industry in particular, this is the BIGGEST problem I see- they don’t feel confident, or worthy enough, and base their value on what others think of them.

And I always tell them the same thing- No one DEFINES your worth except you.

You have the power to set your standard, create boundaries, and only accept what is beneficial for you. When you see the value in yourself and what you bring to the table, others will see that and value you as well. ****

One thing I see so often with women, specifically in the creative space is they are so scared to charge a high dollar amount for something they worked their ASS off making. So, they charge what they THINK someone else would pay for it. SIS 🗣️ JUST STOP THIS! 🛑

For example: Just because you would pay a certain amount for cake doesn’t mean Jane from across the street wouldn’t PAY MORE?! You feel me???

Your ability to demand top dollar versus demanding your worth is all the same. It comes down to what you feel you deserve to be compensated and how much you feel you’re worthy of making.

So, invest time and energy into learning how to PRICE your products strategically. And read this book: You are a Badass by Jen Sincero! You can thank me later! It will make ALL the difference!

The bottom line is this– If you want to build a business that’s THRIVING and PROFITABLE, you need to learn how to price your products for success.

And the best way to get this right is by setting yourself up to learn, strategize and adapt as you grow. If that’s something you want for your business, check out my exclusive **pricing membership program**!

We meet LIVE once a month for 90 minutes to share PROVEN pricing strategies, tips, and tricks, answer burning questions, and cover different pricing methods so you can stay ahead of the competition and start EARNING more in your baking business. It’s the ULTIMATE combo of fun, learning, and community – and once you’re in, I SWEAR you’re gonna wish you’d found us sooner. Our next session’s on Thursday, June 1st, 2023, so book your spot here TODAY → https://www.janellecopeland.com/pricing-for-profit-membership

I hope these insights help you trust your own worth and grow into a bada** business owner, I know you’re capable of becoming. Don’t hesitate to shoot me a DM on @janellecopeland or @thecakemamas on Instagram if you have any questions, thoughts, or experiences you wanna share!