Women's history month: Achievements of women in business

March is Women's History Month, and it's a great time to celebrate the achievements of women in various fields, including entrepreneurship. Throughout history, women have faced numerous challenges when it comes to starting and running businesses. However, despite these obstacles, many women have managed to build successful companies and make significant contributions as unstoppable entrepreneurs.

Female entrepreneurs who have made history

Today I wanted to take a moment to highlight some of the amazing female entrepreneurs who have made history and continue to inspire us today.

I feel it’s important to explore their stories, learn from their successes and challenges, and hopefully, inspire you to stay on track and continue to pursue your entrepreneurial dreams.

First I want to talk about the inspiring Madam C.J. Walker.

Madam C.J. Walker is widely considered to be the first female self-made millionaire in the United States. Born in 1867, Madam C.J. Walker, whose given name was Sarah Breedlove, was the daughter of former slaves…. And she began her entrepreneurial journey in the early 1900s when she developed a line of hair care products specifically designed for black women.

Through a lot of hard work and determination, she built a very successful business and became a philanthropist, using her wealth to support social causes that were important to her.
A black woman in the early 1900s becoming a self-made millionaire. Just allow the power of that story to land.
Pretty remarkable and inspiring isn’t it?

Another female entrepreneur many admire is Coco Chanel. She is the founder of the iconic Chanel brand. Coco was born in 1883 in France, and the Chanel brand revolutionized the fashion industry with its elegant and timeless designs. Coco Chanel was a trailblazer in the male-dominated fashion industry, breaking down barriers and paving the way for future female designers.

Many of you may remember the episode when I spoke about losing my beloved Chanel sunglasses. In episode 34 of the  Unstoppable Female Entrepreneurs podcast I talk about how these sunglasses were the ONLY glasses I’ve owned that truly fit me well. The theme of that episode was all about Letting go… because now those beloved CHANEL sunglasses belong to the pacific ocean. And I know in the grand scheme of things, losing a pair of sunglasses is not a big deal… but Letting Go was definitely the theme of that trip and I was truly upset about losing those glasses. Truthfully I still miss them.

I recently replaced them with a new pair of Chanel sunglasses - but you know, it’s just not the same.
I’ve gone off on a bit of a tangent but I have a couple Chanel handbags, I have a Chanel suit that I love, I just recently bought a new pair of Chanel boots, and I have my new sunglasses. And Chanel isn’t typically my style but the few pieces I have I love - and I also love thinking about what Coco Chanel did for other women designers.

Ok, let’s move into the 21st century. This is a name many of you may have heard before: Sara Blakely. Sara is the founder of Spanx and she started her company with just $5,000. Well, $5000 and an idea to create comfortable and flattering undergarments for women. Today, Spanx is a billion-dollar company, and Sara Blakely is a billionaire, making her one of the most successful female entrepreneurs of our time.

I think this is a really important story whether you’re a fan of Spanx or not… It started as an idea.

My resort in Costa Rica, started as an idea.

You had an idea that was the genesis of your business.

I think this is incredibly important to remember.

And last but not least, we have the amazing story of Jessica Alba, who is the founder of The Honest Company. Jessica is an actress, and after becoming a mother, she realized there was a lack of safe and effective household products available for families. So, she decided to create her own line of natural and eco-friendly products, which has since become a massive success and I believe this time last year her company was valued at $550 million dollars.

These are just a few of the many incredible female entrepreneurs who have made history.
These women had an idea.
They saw a gap in the industry and an opportunity to fill it.
They went with their gut.
And now I’m sharing their stories today.

I hope these stories inspire you to pursue your own entrepreneurial dreams, no matter how big or how small.

Recognizing entrepreneurship as part of Women's History Month

Recognizing entrepreneurship as part of Women's History Month I think is important for a number of reasons.

Firstly, entrepreneurship provides a platform for women to break free from traditional gender roles and achieve financial independence.

I strongly believe that entrepreneurship empowers women to create their own opportunities, pursue their passions and dreams, and make a significant impact on society…. And make a significant impact on their bank account which carries its own powerful trickle down effect.

I think highlighting female entrepreneurs helps to challenge the stereotype that women are not as capable or successful in business as men.

I think that by recognizing the achievements of women in entrepreneurship, we can raise awareness of the many obstacles we have faced and overcome… and we can inspire future generations of women to follow in our footsteps.

I believe that, promoting women owned business contributes significantly to the economic growth of our society… and I think that providing women with support and resources, we can inspire more women who have an idea to take it to the next level, because when they do it creates more jobs, it increases innovation, and it drives economic growth.

And let’s be honest, celebrating the achievements of female entrepreneurs is a way to honor the many contributions that women have made to various fields and industries throughout history.

Something that is so important to acknowledge. By acknowledging their successes and challenges, we can make sure their stories are remembered, and that their stories continue to inspire future generations of women.

I think that is another important aspect of being an unstoppable entrepreneur is celebrating and acknowledging other women entrepreneurs.

Something I'd love for you to do today is Google women owned businesses in your area. You might find some lovely businesses that catch your interest that you would love to support, and it also helps to inform you of other female entrepreneurs in your area that you may want to connect with.

Happy Women's History Month!