Welcome to this month’s installment of our Normalize This Series. Women’s entrepreneurship is a topic we hold close to our hearts.

1. Normalize This: Women's Entrepreneurship
Welcome to this month’s installment of our Normalize This
Series. Women’s entrepreneurship is a topic we hold close to

2. our hearts. We at Attn: Grace are proud to be female-founded,
and we are constantly inspired by the incredible women in our
network. The truth is that we’ve come a long way. Our role as
women in the workplace has grown exponentially. The
Economist named the economic empowerment of women as
one of the most remarkable revolutions of the past 50 years.
Women contribute more than $3 trillion to the economy and
own over 36 percent of all businesses. Female founders that
manage to raise capital are flourishing. By way of example,
women-founded companies in First Round Capital’s portfolio
outperformed companies founded by men by 63%. But despite
these remarkable statistics, startups with women founders
received less than 3 percent of all venture capital invested
each year. Sadly, there is much to be normalized.
Today, on Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, we want to honor
our collective progress as well as share some powerful
inspiration. We asked our phenomenal community of
successful female entrepreneurs what advice they might have
for women considering starting their own entrepreneurial
journeys and their response was overwhelming. We hope you
enjoy reading these as much as we did.
Let’s get inspired!

3. “Entrepreneurship has no age limit. As we age, we collect more
tools, resources, and experiences that better prepare us for the
challenging journey of starting a business. Leaning into your life
expertise is the way to win. And to underscore the point, research
from Penn State demonstrated that the most successful
entrepreneurs are over 45. What's more, a 50 year old
entrepreneur was 1.8 times more likely to achieve high growth
than a founder in their 30s.
So keep building ladies. We need more brilliant women building
growing companies that change our world for the better - and
model their success to the rest.”
Lauren Berson
Founder, Conceive
“I started my third and best company at age 50. ‘Older’
entrepreneurs benefit from the experience and wisdom gained,
driving these founders to combine lessons learned with passion
and drive that leads to better companies and outcomes.”

4. Pam Marrone, PhD
Founder & Director, Marrone Bio Innovations
“I started my entrepreneurial Journey at 28 and I am turning 58
this year. In 30 years I learned so much about myself and the
world. Things always change, but being a woman in business in
many ways hasn't changed a bit. The struggles are the same,
raising capital, balancing family, dealing with the never ending
info and data flowing towards us. Clearly, there are more "voices"
than ever out there serving us, leading us and contributing to our
success, voices that take into account our differences. The most
important voice, however, is my own. It is louder, clearer,
unapologetic, and most concerned with "my being" than in
pleasing other beings!”
Laura McCann
Chief Mood Booster & Founder, Adoratherapy

5. “My advice to new entrepreneurs is two-fold: 1) make sure the
problem you’re solving is acute and that your solution is a
painkiller, not a vitamin; 2) surround yourself with folks far more
talented but just as passionate as you, whether that’s a co-founder,
an executive team, or an investor. This will be a marathon, not a
sprint, and it’s not as glamorous as it looks so I really hope
Founders take time to prioritize their health and personal
perspective. In the early days of my first apparel business, I was
steaming and hanging clothes, for my second business, Manicube,
I was sterilizing and barbiciding tools every day in my bathtub,
and now with Exponent, I’m kitting out Vitamin C Test Kits and
running around in my car dropping off samples for consumer
focus groups. The day-to-day is such an exercise in bouncing
between ‘doing’and ‘thinking’so keeping sight of your vision,
your ‘why’for doing what you’re doing needs to be meaningful.”
Elizabeth R. Whitman
Founder & CEO, EXPONENT
“The most important part of my entrepreneurship journey has
been intergenerational mentorship and collaboration. We have so

6. much to learn from each other, and there is so much power we
hold when we can lean on, trust, and depend on each other. We're
in this together!”
Nadya Okamoto
Co-Founder, August
“Two cliches are very true in the case of being a founder - it's a
journey/adventure with ups and downs, and it takes a village.
The challenges and hurdles we face as female founders were not
instantly apparent to me. At first, I was able to take an idea, work
with former colleagues and friends in my network to vet it, and
find the right partners to bring it to life. I partnered with and
chatted to men and women, just good people who had more
expertise in areas I was lacking.
In my experience, over this 4+ year adventure (and counting!), the
hurdles and unequal treatment are subtle but over time are
increasingly popping up more and more. I just stay focused on the
bigger picture and surround myself with smart, thoughtful, driven

7. people of all backgrounds to continue to grow the business and
evolve as a founder.”
Staying positive doesn't mean you have to be happy all the time. It
means that even on hard days, you know that there are better ones
coming."
Allison Moss
Founder & CEO, Type:A Brands
“For me, there is nothing more important than discipline and
trust, having become an entrepreneur at 52. Discipline to stay the
course when things are challenging and to provide some safety for
those who depend on me. And trust in a purpose that is bigger
than the monetary success of my company. True success for me is
when your company meets the needs of the community it is meant
to serve and that your team is in lock step with that vision to make
it possible.”
Stacy London
CEO, State of Menopause

8. “Throughout my 20-year career in the corporate tech space, I
kept dreaming of doing something “big with impact”, but I never
knew what that meant until I met a woman who was on the ground
floor of building Neutrogena, who had a vision for helping others
through menopause. She was in a place in her life where starting
a new company wasn’t in her roadmap, but she urged me to make
the leap. I quit my job and started Gennev without a grand plan or
having done much research. I learned by doing. And it was the
best way to learn. I urge every woman with a ‘dream’to seize that
opportunity – planned or unplanned. The learning is in the
journey and when your heart is filled with the work you do, you
will find a way to figure it out. You’ll learn what you’re made of.”
Jill Angelo
CEO & Co-Founder, Gennev
"Entrepreneurship is tough, but what's going to carry you through
is believing in yourself and knowing that every problem has a

9. solution. Having an optimistic mindset will help you navigate the
ups and downs of entrepreneurship."
Courtney Spritzer
Co-Founder & CEO, Socialfly, Entreprenista
“Find what fuels you, makes you angry, makes you proud, makes
you want to change the world, and go after it, with every fiber of
your being. Most importantly, just keep going.”
Erica Jain
CEO, Healthie
“Menopause is our passage to power. This is the time in our lives
when we have the most freedoms, were the wisest we’ve ever been
and frankly we don’t give a crap what others think about us.
PAUSE, make your plan, and grab your power!”
Rochelle Weitzner

10. CEO & Founder, The Pause Group, Inc.
"What do you want to be when you grow up? Well, at 53, I’m still
“growing up”. I learned along the way that the answer to that
question is not finite. Instead, it’s a continuum of various
destinations that bring joy, and that each step prepares you for the
next.”
Debbie Dickinson, Esq.
Founder & CEO, Thermaband, Inc.
“I think making a mid-career switch is both brave and smart. We
gain perspective and experience with time and thus bring all of
that to any new endeavor. My recommendation for anyone starting
a new business or pursuing a passion project is to not try to do it
alone. Building an advisory board and asking for support will not
only improve the process but yield a better result.”
Kristen Carbone

11. Founder & CEO, Brilliantly
“Follow your intuition one step at a time! Trust your gut but also
think of the quickest way to check your assumptions.”
Alexandra Fine
CEO, Dame
“Perfectionism is the enemy of momentum - momentum is the
measure for success.”
Melissa Gollan
CEO & Founder, RIPA Global
“Do what you love, and be aware that it’s not a guarantee of ease;
rather, it’s a guarantee that when it’s hard, you keep your

12. humanity and your sanity. In authentic entrepreneurship, courage
is the ask and the reward.”
Pepper Landson
CEO, Praetego
“Just jump in and start it! You will learn and adjust along the
way. Too many women want to know everything and feel that they
are going to make all the right decisions before getting started.
There is NO right way to start or run a business and it is NEVER
too late to try it!”
Kate Isler
Co-Founder/CEO, TheWMarketplace
“Create the time and space to slow down and get clear internally,
so you can be clear with your team and partners.

13. Over the last few years as we've been building Origin, I find
myself in constant go-go-go mode and switching contexts all day,
from marketing to finance, internal to external. I've realized I
can't show up and provide clear direction or give honest feedback
if I don't have the time to process things myself. This means trying
to end meetings 5 minutes early so I have a buffer to jot down next
steps, daily journaling, weekly resetting priorities, and monthly
goal calibration exercises. I tend to lean more creative so all this
structure felt excessive at first but it's been a game changer!
I also try to check myself and share with my team when I'm
reacting in real time and thinking on the spot versus when I have a
fully baked perspective. Both are totally fine, but I realized that
sometimes my thinking out loud mode can create confusion and be
perceived as directive, so I'm much more explicit now in what
mode I'm operating in.”
Carine Carmy
Co-Founder and CEO, Origin

14. “They say the world whispers until it shouts, and one day an idea
will shout that it’s ready to be born through you. When that day
comes, trust yourself that you are ready. Know it won’t be easy,
but it will be rewarding; it won’t be linear, but it will all make
sense looking back. My advice in taking this leap of faith is to
know that the biggest first step is remembering your ideas are
worthy, and no one on the planet is quite capable of doing what
you so uniquely do.”
Erin Berman
Co-Founder & CEO, Superbloom Health
"No one will ever believe in you more than you believe in you.
Cultivate a powerful mindset, find the people who will help you go
big, invest in new skills and rewrite your story. This is your time!"
Julia Pimsleur
Founder, Million Dollar Women

15. “Learn how to be comfortable being uncomfortable!”
Angie Conley
CEO, Abilitech
“I think women are uniquely gifted to become successful
entrepreneurs. A generalization, of course, but we typically
respond to all inquiries, express appreciation, attend to the
details, are master multi-taskers, infinitely resourceful, resilient
and determined. I became CEO of MinuteClinic when I was 54,
though I had done many other startups previously as a part of
larger organizations. The 4 years before the sale to CVS were
some of the hardest and most exhilarating of my life. I'm so glad I
got to share that experience with my daughters who were 11 and
14 at the time.”
Linda Hall
Former CEO, MinuteClinic

16. "Trust your gut. When all you can think about is the problem you
want to solve, there's a strong chance others want you to solve it
too. I always ask myself, why not you?"
Emma Bates
Co-Founder & CEO, Diem
“I started my first company at 26 and my latest company at 50,
over 12 years ago. The good news is that after 50 you're better
connected, you're more confident and you've seen so much more in
terms of mistakes and recovery that you have much more wisdom
to guide you. You've also seen how NOT to do things so you can
often make decisions based on doing the opposite -- like treating
people well, listening and caring. Plus, most of us are far less
naive at 50+ which means we'll be less likely to get taken
advantage of! All in all, I recommend entrepreneurship at any
age, but I find it can be far more satisfying now that I know who to
call to help out and I'm more willing to ask for help.”
Denise Brosseau

17. CEO, Thought Leadership Lab
"I am 51 years old and left my corporate executive job as the
breadwinner in our family after 27 years. I know now that I was
always meant to advocate for women and I wanted to show my
children that it is never too late to bet on yourself."
Thyme Sullivan
Co-Founder & CEO, TOP the organic project
-“There are many paths to success, and with products and
services that are centered on women’s sexual health and wellness,
the path may be over, under, or around the most direct route to the
goal. You don’t have to like these extra barriers and
double-standards, but to succeed, you’ll have to acknowledge
them and find ways to circumvent them—and be prepared ahead
of time for the extra distance that may be added to your trip.
- Never, ever, ever take “No” for an answer. You may hear “No” a
dozen times. You may hear it a hundred times. But somewhere out

18. there is your “Yes,” and if you stop before you get there,
somebody else will hear it—not you. Many of the 50+
entrepreneurs I know interviewed in the coming describe doors
slamming (both literally and proverbially) in their faces at some
point in their careers —until they finally met the right
funder/partner/savior who “got it,” who took a chance on them
and their businesses.
- It’s OK to ask for help from people who have fought the same
battles—it’s a best practice. You can preserve sanity, time, and
precious resources if you can turn to others you respect (in your
industry or out) as your personal, business brain trust.
- Never, ever lose your sense of humor or sense of perspective. I
often think of several famous lines from one of my all-time favorite
movies, Airplane. As events start to go terribly wrong and it
appears a plane crash is imminent, the chief air traffic controller,
masterfully played by Lloyd Bridges, says, “Looks like I picked
the wrong week to stop smoking.” And he lights up. At the next
crisis point, he says, “Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop
drinking.” Commence the pour. Finally, “Looks like I picked the
wrong week to stop sniffing glue.” Many were the days when that
sentiment described how I felt during my own journey, and
tapping into humor kept me from becoming totally discouraged.”

19. Rachel Braun Scherl
Managing Partner & Co-Founder, SPARK Solutions for Growth
"Your Story's Not Over...it's just the beginning of a new ERA!
There is a new surge of women (of all ages) who have the desire,
aptitude, experience, and energy to start their own businesses,
and/or to guide younger entrepreneurs on how to grow their
businesses. They are motivated not only to create wealth, but also
to leverage their intellect, creativity, and insight to make a
meaningful impact in their sphere of influence. Entrepreneurship
is one of many ways we women can thoughtfully address and solve
real and pressing issues and redefine outdated notions of
"retirement".
Together we are proving that "it's never too late to cultivate your
purpose, harness your extraordinary, and monetize your
brilliance."
Rebecca Reynolds Moore
Founder, InANutshell Consulting

20. Yes, it’s true — life is short, ladies, but also life is loooong.
And we mean that in the best way possible! So many of us,
women in our midlife and beyond, are reinventing ourselves
and our careers, pursuing new passions and investing in
developing new ideas. Entrepreneurship amongst women over
50 is trending in a most exciting way, and we, for one, are
cheering all of us on! Let’s do this.
Source:
https://attngrace.com/blogs/the-edit/normalize-this-women-ent
repreneurship
Brought to you by: Attn Grace