Becoming a Female Entrepreneur
We are more than two decades into the 21st century, yet being a female entrepreneur remains a daunting task to this day.
Women across the globe face innumerable hurdles to success. The negative societal behaviors prevalent in society act like a weight, pulling them down. This is in stark comparison to their male counterparts.
Women struggle to be taken seriously in the world of business. Any businesswoman could detail the negative energy present when entering a conference or a boardroom, which can be especially unnerving and hinder success if you're new in the game, perhaps looking for funding for your venture.
This, in turn, can invoke a feeling of 'impostor syndrome' with many women doubting their own intellect and capabilities.
Even today, women are expected to be the primary caregiver, expected to leave their careers to become the stereotypical homemaker and mom. Even if both parents work, the woman often juggles the housework and her professional career.
The innumerable challenges faced by women entrepreneurs make their hard-earned accomplishments that much more impressive.
As an ode to renowned and accomplished women entrepreneurs, we list below some of the most successful ones from around the globe.
Oprah Winfrey
Ok, can there be a list of successful business moguls without Oprah's name on the top? I think not!
Oprah Winfrey came from humble beginnings and defied all odds to become the household name she is today. She had various factors working to her disadvantage, like being a person of color, a survivor of sexual abuse, being dirt poor, and of course – being a woman.
Through her resilience, she powered through and debuted as a daytime talk show host, surpassed Phil Donahue - the pioneer in ratings at that time.
As of today, she is world renowned for being the host of "The Oprah Winfrey Show' and a billionaire philanthropist, with various successful business ventures in tow.
Along with all this, she is also the founder of 'Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls.' It works as a means to give a leg up to girls from impoverished backgrounds with a flair for leadership and success.
It is safe to say that she remains one of the most influential people - not only women - in the world. Climbing her way through various ventures, she tops our list and is a true inspiration.
J.K Rowling
British novelist JK Rowling’s journey from a struggling mom on welfare to an overnight success makes her the one to watch on our leading women entrepreneurs list.
She used the initials of her name because it was suggested to her that her books would sell more if people thought they were written by a man – a classic example of male misogyny prevalent in society, derailing capable women’s careers everywhere.
She was rejected by 12 publishing houses (who must be kicking themselves right now), but through her perseverance, she finally secured a contract that catapulted her to fame.
Her books are recognized all over the globe and have been translated into 88 different languages, including Braille and ancient Greek – if that’s not a mark of raving success, I don’t know what is.
The books were subsequently adapted into movies, games, adventure theme parks, and merchandise.
J.K. Rowling fell off the billionaire list because of her charitable contributions.
The creator of the biggest worldwide phenomenon believes in giving back.
Arianna Huffington
Arianna Huffington, the founder of the ‘Huffington Post,’ is a Greek American author and businesswoman. The HuffPost enjoys the title of being one of the largest digital media outlets in the US.
The media outlet boasts coverage in several different languages with a mix of local and international news. The site offers articles relating to lifestyle, comedy, and entertainment, along with covering the news.
Arianna is an icon for women pursuing dreams of entrepreneurship everywhere. Her determination and strong views are behind the success that allowed her to amass a net worth of around $100 million.
Shahnaz Hussain
Shahnaz Hussain is well renowned as the “Queen of Herbal Care.”
She is the owner of ‘Shahnaz Herbals Inc.' which offers a variety of cruelty-free cosmetics with over 400 franchises across the globe.
She has received an international commendation from such big names as Harvard, Oxford, MIT, etc., inviting her as a lecturer on her unique success story of garnering international acclaim without any commercial advertising.
She won the title of the ‘World’s Greatest Entrepreneur’ in 1996 and has spoken to both the House of Lords and the House of Commons in the UK.
Sophia Amorusa
Sophia Amorusa is a businesswoman who is doubly impressive and doubly inspiring.
After knocking back all obstacles, she stood at the helm of ‘Nasty Gals’ and became a millionaire with a $280 million net worth. Unfortunately, the business went on to file for bankruptcy.
Following this monumental setback, instead of wallowing in despair, she picked herself up, dusted herself off and moved on to establish yet another corporation - 'Girlboss'.
A website that offers advice and insights to empower women. After this successful comeback, she regained her millionaire status.
Yang Lan
Yang Lan is perhaps the most distinctive and powerful media mogul in China. She is a prominent journalist and talk show host, as well as the creator of the Sun Media Group.
She has interviewed the likes of Bill Gates, Hillary Clinton, and Keanu Reeves - to name a few.
Rihanna
The famous superstar singer Rihanna’s talents, lie not only in music but in entrepreneurship as well. She debuted her line of foundations, including a whopping 40 different shades, promoting inclusivity.
Her business ventures consist of ownership of the brand Fenty x Savage and Fenty House with LVMH. She is the only artist in the house responsible for big names like Dior and Givenchy.
Needless to say, she is an idol for aspiring entrepreneurs everywhere, achieving success at a very young age.
She supports various causes, donating $47 million to causes like racial justice, climate change, COVID relief, etc.
She was among Forbes’ list of ‘America’s Richest Self-Made Women' in 2020.
Sofia Vergara
Actress Sofia Vergara has been the victim of misogyny from prominent men in the entertainment industry, deemed "too sexy" to be taken seriously.
But the Latina persevered against all odds. After achieving fame as an actress and model and gaining endorsements from top brands like Cover Girl, Pepsi, and Head and Shoulders, she launched her business career by co-founding EBY with Renata Black - an underwear company.
Her business offers seamless underwear for people of all shapes and sizes.
She and her partner offer small loans to women to get them on their feet with 10% of the company's profits.
She is also the co-founder of ‘Latin World Entertainment,’ a talent management and entertainment marketing firm.
Cher Wang
Sadly, even in this day and age, women in the fields of science and technology remain few and far between.
Cher Wang is among those entrepreneurs who make women everywhere proud.
She is the co-founder of HTC, the prominent mobile technology company, creating new innovative smartphones despite the struggling market conditions.
She has a net worth of an impressive 1.6 billion dollars.
Cher has been featured in the Forbes list of billionaires for several years in a row, along with being listed as one of the world’s most powerful woman in 2012.
Indra Nooyi
Indra Nooyi is the former CEO and Chairperson of PepsiCo. After joining the company in 1994 she was allocated the President and CFO after a mere 7 years due to her talents. She is frequently ranked among the world’s most powerful women.
Under her leadership, the company secured many lucrative deals worth around 30 billion dollars. She was also instrumental in restructuring the company and cementing its survival and growth.
She has been ranked as the 13th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes magazine.
Sara Blakely
Sara Blakely, today a successful business tycoon, once struggled to get the funding for her inspired business idea. She is the founder of Spanx, a game-changer in the world of undergarments for both men and women.
The eventual influx of money to her venture came after Oprah acknowledged the viability of her idea that drove awareness for the brand and, thus, sales.
An absolute feel-good story about women supporting women.
With only $5000, and pure resolve, Blakley set her business idea off the ground. Today, she is the proud owner of a multi-million-dollar business with branches in more than 50 countries.
Like many successful women leaders and entrepreneurs, Blakley has established a foundation to support women worldwide. She teamed up with GlobalGiving to aid women entrepreneurs, awarding more than thousand $5,000 awards during the economic crisis of 2020.
She enjoys a net worth of $1 billion.
Sara Blakely’s success story is a must-read for struggling entrepreneurs everywhere.