For me, one of the most significant hurdles as a female entrepreneur was being taken seriously early on particularly while negotiating with vendors or presenting to investors, which often resulted in them underestimating me because of my gender and the scale of my business. I walked into too many rooms where there were expectations or assumptions already made before I spoke. That was frustrating, but it did cause me to lead from a place of results, clarity, and decisiveness. The unexpected challenge wasn't rejection or active dismissal; it was more of a passive dismissal. The lesson? Confidence isn't loud; it's precise. I started to simply stop overexplaining; I started to set clearer boundaries and expectations. That shift in how I expressed myself changed the way I was perceived, and, crucially, changed the way I perceived myself. It also changed how I approach being a leader; I intentionally create places for those who have historically dependent on others or stages they were not seen. I run a business built on trust, accountability and unambiguous self-worth. You cannot control bias, but you can outlast bias through strategic adaptation, data, and unbending intent.
As a female entrepreneur, the greatest challenge has been trusting myself to realize that the only way I was going to scale and get into the 7 figures was by hiring other professionals to do the work. I delayed hiring top talent that shared my experience for years for fear that I could not afford it, or they would take my hires and form a coup. But by not hiring and not delegating, it kept me stagnant. As soon as I began hiring, i immediately began scaling and doubling and trippling company revenue. I wish I had known this when I started out but realized its scarry, you fear you cant make payroll, you cant sustain the figures. However, knowing now what i know about hiring fast and building my team, I could have scaled so much quicker. This is one of the best pieces of advice I would provide to any leader. Hire quickly.
The greatest challenge I've faced as a female entrepreneur is building a business category that didn't really exist when we started, and still doesn't exist in many parts of the US. Night nanny services and newborn care aren't widely understood as formal, professional support, so much of the work has been about creating the lane while driving in it. Part of this is building-as-we-go obstacle is understandable, as "baby nurse" care is almost always an out of pocket expense, so it's not a given for many new parents. However, the other part of the challenge, the part that shouldn't even be there, is the guilt and shame that surrounds mothers who reach out for help. Justifying the value of something that should be a given; caring for new parents during one of the most vulnerable times in their lives, is something we battle each day. It has shaped my leadership by pushing me to concentrate on maximizing each day with practical, measurable steps while always keeping the long game in view. There are 2 ways I do this: 1. ALWAYS speaking from a place of compassion while gently educating. Whether it's speaking to expecting parents, social media posting or advocating to those in leadership positions, who can make larger change, the compassion for new parents is always centered in the conversation. 2. Highlighting my team as subject matter experts in newborn and postpartum care, and ensuring that families can access tools, education, and guidance whether they hire a night nanny or not. Building trust in a new service category has been slow but deliberate, and it's taught me that clarity, consistency, and generosity are non-negotiable when you're introducing something new.
One of the greatest challenges I've faced as a female entrepreneur was learning how to run the business side while still being present and client-facing. I love injectables, and I love connecting with people, but I quickly realized that if the backend of the business isn't running smoothly, the client experience suffers. So I revamped our admin and operations system , which now allows me to focus fully on my patients and deliver the level of care they deserve.
A key obstacle was that I got sick and then my team had to take over a huge launch we were in. We realized the systems we did not have in place and that we need to always be prepared for me to not be there. I loved seeing who on my team rose and who did not and then creating good systems for the future!
A challenge I had was an entrepreneur was being able to come back from burnout and be able to create the business into what I wanted it to be. This was a hard thing to do, but I knew in the long run, I needed to take care of myself if I wanted to do this work.
One of my biggest challenges as a female entrepreneur has been showing up authentically on social media, and not for the reasons you might think, like comparison or scrolling unhealthily. But because my life and work often don't feel relatable. As a destination wedding planner and travel advisor, I'm frequently traveling, and I used to worry that sharing too much would feel out of touch or alienate people I know. Over time, I've learned to share in a way that feels aligned with my values, resonates with future clients, and still honors my real life. The lesson? You don't have to shrink your success or curate a version of yourself to be relatable or fit in! Authenticity doesn't mean oversharing, but means finding the tone and rhythm that reflect who you are and how you serve. That shift has made me a more confident leader in my business and life, and helped me attract the right people to my business.
Doubt vacuums the air out from under your wings. It can make you crash and burn, because doubt makes choosing your path more difficult. Sometimes you have to go with the least worst option, create alternative paths if you fail, and stride on forward with your battle cry and sword in your hand. Even if you're just pretending and you're jelly inside. When I'm taking myself too seriously, I remind myself that I'm not a brain surgeon or a general in battle. It gives me comfort to think that no one will die based on my decisions.