14 powerful tips and lessons from top women entrepreneurs

Starting a business is not easy. Choosing to build something of your own, from nothing, is not easy. And doing it all as a woman is certainly not easy.

There will be days when the effort feels heavier than the progress and moments when you question if the sacrifices are worth it. But, one day, the effort you poured in will compound, and your business will start giving back.

For most successful women entrepreneurs, that's how their story goes. The lessons that come from those journeys are the most powerful, because they’re lived through real experiences.

As the final blog post of our International Women’s Day series, we bring you heartfelt advice from some of the most inspiring female entrepreneurs, hoping their journeys will help you navigate yours with a little more clarity.

Powerful advice for women in business

Lucy Guo

Founder and CEO of Passes and co-founder of Scale AI. She upstaged Taylor Swift’s spot as the youngest self-made female billionaire in 2025.

1. Not everything that feels risky is truly risky

In an interview with Forbes at the Under 30 Summit (2025), Lucy Guo shared from her life experiences, expounding that many opportunities only appear risky, but might not actually be a large risk.

Her take on business decision-making is simple yet bold: if you are not leaving life-changing money on the table, then, you can take the leap. Even if the idea does not succeed, at least the experience gained will be invaluable.

2. Your network is your net worth

Guo credited much of her strong foundation to the people who connected with her during her college and early days. One of her core pieces of advice to entrepreneurs starting out was to build strong relationships.

She believes the connections you form along your journey often shape the opportunities that come your way and ultimately determine your long-term success.

Emma Grede

Co-founder and CEO of Good American and founding partner of SKIMS, Kim Kardashian's shape-wear brand. She was named one of the richest self-made entrepreneurs (2025) by Forbes.

3. Take the step, there is no perfect time

When asked what is the one lesson Emma Grede would like to give during one of her Forbes interviews, the advice was not to wait for the right time.

She said, "The truth is there's always going to be something on the horizon. There'll always be something that doesn't quite line up."

Grede urges entrepreneurs to push through the fear of starting a business and just do it. Instead of chasing perfection from day one, she encourages focusing on getting something done first, then refining, iterating, and growing along the way.

4. Women should not shy away from talking about money

Drawing from her early experiences, Grede said she feels women generally hesitate to talk about money, thinking it is inelegant or impolite. But, open conversations about profit and value help women claim what they deserve.

She believes talking about money helps demystify the topic, allowing women to understand their worth and be in the know of what others are getting. In fact, she firmly believes that if women spoke more openly about money, they would ultimately earn more of it.

Jennifer Fleiss

CEO and co-founder of Code Eight; co-founder of Rent the Runway. She was recognized in Fortune’s prestigious "40 Under 40" list in 2012.

5. Solve a problem from your own life

Jennifer Fleiss' business was born out a frustrating problem women face: spending big on a designer dress, wearing it for one event, sharing the photos online, and then never being able to use it again.

With that, she started 'Rent the Runway', an ecommerce platform that allows users to rent, subscribe or buy designer apparel.

She firmly feels that finding genuine solutions for common frustrations often holds the best business opportunities and offers the same advice to new business owners.

6. Shape industries, don’t just follow them

Often warmly described as someone who helped launch a fashion revolution, Fleiss offers a valuable lesson: instead of entering an industry as it exists, rethink how it should work.

Rather than following what everyone else was doing, she imagined something different by offering designer dresses for rent. While others asked whether it was possible, she simply asked, “Why not?” That mindset became one of her important stepping stones to success.

Ann Shoket

Author of “The Big Life,” a thought-provoking book which inspires women to face the complexities of life, and former Editor-in-Chief of Seventeen magazine.

7. Focus on the idea, not your gender

In an interview ahead of the Inc. Women’s Summit (2017) where Ann Shoket spoke about the "secrets to success," she shared an important piece of life advice for women.

She said that whenever asked how women should navigate in male-dominated industries, you should always "Forget you are a woman."

Her point was not about ignoring identity, but about encouraging women to move beyond gender labels and position themselves as just a "Person with a strong idea."

Oprah Winfrey

Media executive, talk show host of the famous "The Oprah Winfrey Show," and global business leader. She was listed in the top 30 Power Women by Forbes (2025).

8. Focus on the next right move

Oprah Winfrey advises female entrepreneurs not to be overwhelmed by the big picture, but think of taking only the right next move.

She says you can move from one right decision to the next, trusting that progress comes from consistent action. She reminds everyone that life is bigger than any single moment, and real progress happens through thoughtful steps.

9. Focus on not just business, but also the people surrounding it

Winfrey believes that while it's important to know the business, it's also equally important to know what’s at the heart of the business, and that’s the people.

To her, the people associated with a business will determine its success more than any other factor. These people not only include employees, but also contractors, suppliers, and customers. She emphasizes that wisely selecting the people who make your business is essential.

Sara Blakely

Founder of Spanx, #28 on Forbes' 2025 America's richest self-made women list. She is featured in Time magazine's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world, "Time 100" (2012).

10. Visualize your success clearly

Sara Blakely implores budding entrepreneurs to create a vivid mental picture of what success looks like for them and to hold on to that vision. She believes when people have a clear internal snapshot in their mind, it will subconsciously guide them towards the decisions required for their long-term goals.

11. Start early with growth technology

In her view, technology has three main buckets:

1. Technology used for operations, inventory, and finance

2. Technology required to communicate, connect, and sell the product

3. Technology utilized to generate awareness

She recommends starting early with the right technology foundation to stay organized, competitive, and prepared for scale.

Kathryn Bernell

Founder of reBLEND, a company offering frozen, single-serve smoothie cubes made from rescued, "imperfect" produce.

12. Develop your communication skills

Kathryn Bernell talks about one of the most fundamental skills every business owner should have: communication skills. She views an entrepreneur as the voice of the company.

She also believes communication is extremely important when fundraising, a task that will fall on the shoulders of most budding entrepreneurs. Her tip is that great communication will shift you from using an apologetic tone or asking for favors to presenting it as an opportunity.

13. Understand the financial landscape

Bernell advises if you are looking to raise funds, you need to be as prepared as possible. For that, you need to understand what your financial projections look like.

This includes understanding what your funding requirements are and evaluating if they are realistic. She also emphasizes that you should be clear about how the funding will be used and how it will help your business grow and scale.

14. Hold off as long as possible before giving up equity

On the contrary, Bernell feels that most businesses don't need to fundraise at all. They can bootstrap, which will allow them to grow and scale a bit quicker. Bootstrapping supports organic growth while helping you retain ownership.

According to her, focusing on product-market fit and steady growth before fundraising can be a stronger strategy, as it helps protect your equity and gives you better leverage when negotiating with investors.

Conclusion

Building a business is never a straight path, but the experiences and advice shared by these remarkable women entrepreneurs show that success comes from courage, clarity, and consistency.

From embracing risk and building strong networks to focusing on ideas, people, and long-term vision, we hope these 14 lessons highlight the mindset and actions that can help you thrive in business.

With that, we conclude our Women’s Day blog series. We hope this collection of insights has inspired and supported you on your journey. Thank you for reading; we wish you confidence, strength, and success in everything you build.