I was deeply honoured to be named one of Australia’s 50 Influential Women Entrepreneurs. It was such an incredibly humbling and inspirational experience.

However, I was standing at the launch of the book which shares the stories of each of the 50 women, and I had a moment of self-doubt.

My self-talk went something like this: “Everyone here is so much more successful than me” and “My turnover isn’t $40 million a year like hers is.”

It is incredible how self-limiting beliefs creep up, even at the very moment you are being celebrated for your success.

It reminded me no matter where you are on your journey from unknown to expert you still need to recognise your true success.

It’s so easy to compare ourselves to others. As soon as we do this, we start living smaller lives. We start thinking our stories are not as important as theirs. It’s critical to have the confidence to know our stories are valid, no matter how big or small.

True success means different things to different people. For me, I wanted to have a voice that reached into the hearts and minds of entrepreneurs so they can grow their business… and change the world. I knew that I had to change my world to do that.

All those years ago, sitting in my rented apartment with my borrowed computer dreaming of building a business, I would never have imagined that I would be one of those 50 women labelled Australia’s most influential.

It’s amazing what you can achieve when you start your unknown to expert journey. Remember, it’s not about becoming louder, it’s about becoming bolder. It’s about being open to yes. So my advice to you is to start your journey today…

About Inspiring Rare Birds
Inspiring Rare Birds an organisation founded to support women entrepreneurs, has released a book ‘Australia’s 50 Influential Women Entrepreneurs’ which profiles the journeys of some of Australia’s most significant female entrepreneurs, and is part of the wider Rare Birds vision to inspire 1,000,000 more women entrepreneurs by 2020.

Serial entrepreneur, founder and CEO of Rare Birds, Jo Burston, got the idea for the movement after visiting her old school and discovering that many of the girls she spoke to either weren’t aware of what an entrepreneur was, or if they were, they thought that it was a man.

 “This book is a call to each to ensure that every woman is given the opportunity to be an entrepreneur by choice,” says Burston. “This book is aimed at future changemakers and entrepreneurs to give them the inspiration, skills and resources to create a job, rather than get a job.”

Burston hopes the book will reach every school in Australia, as well as see a copy on every library, every corporate bookshelf – to reach every woman, inspiring them with the mantra: ‘If she can, I can’.

“We want to inspire women. We want to give current entrepreneurs a voice. We want to allow them to tell their story and share it with our global community, so that a few years from now, when you ask a young girl what she wants to be when she grows up, it’s not so surprising when she says she wants to own her own business or even change the world,” added Burston.

The book is available on the Rare Birds website http://www.inspiringrarebirds.com/ for $49.50.

Catriona Pollard

Australia’s 50 influential women entrepreneurs:

Flavia Abbate– founder of City Clinic and Body Bolster.

Natalie Archer– co-founder of Bendelta.

Narelle Anderson– founder of Envirobank.

Jacqueline Arias– founder of Republica Coffee.

Shelley Barrett– founder of ModelCo.

Layne Beachley– surfing champion and founder and CEO of the Aim for the Stars Foundation.

Jo Burston– founder of Job Capital and Rare Birds.

Carden Calder– co-founder of BlueChip Communication.

Rebekah Campbell– founder and CEO of Posse.

Karen Cariss– co-founder of PageUp People.

Nahji Chu– founder and CEO of MissChu.

Topaz Conway– chairperson of PAFtec, Springboard Enterprises and Biothoughts.

Carolyn Creswell– owner of Carman’s Fine Foods.

Andrea Culligan– co-founder of HartEffect.

Nicole Eckels– founder of Glasshouse Fragrances.

Audette Exel– founder of the Adara Group.

Simone Eyles– co-founder of 365cups.com.

Jodie Fox– co-founder of Shoes of Prey.

Lauren Fried– founder of Pulse Marketing.

Kylie Green– founder of Dentsu Aegis Network.

Donna Guest– co-founder of Blue Illusion.

Mandi Gunsberger – founder of Babyology.

Janet Hamilton– founder of THE Shed Company.

Avril Henry– founder of Avril Henry & Associates.

Jo Horgan– founder of Mecca Cosmetica, KIT Cosmetics and Mecca Maxima.

Emma Isaacs– founder of Business Chicks.

Adina Jacobs– founder of STM.

Pip Jamieson– founder and CEO of The Dots.

Kristina Karlsson– founder of kikki.k.

Therese Kerr– founder of Divine by Therese Kerr.

Nicole Kersh– founder of 4Cabling and The Content Folk.

Kim Liddell– founder of Non Destructive Excavations Australia.

Christine Manfield– restaurateur.

Danielle Menachemson– director of B Seated Global.

Ivanka Menken– founder and CEO of The Art of Service.

Lisa Moore– founder of The Rodeo Show.

Pauline Nguyen– co-owner of Red Lantern.

Deb Noller– co-founder and CEO of Switch Automation.

Jan Owen– CEO of Foundation for Young Australians.

Dawn Piebenga– founder of Injury Management and Rehabilitation.

Catriona Pollard– founder of CP Communications.

Megan Quinn– co-founder of Net-a-Porter.

Sarah Riegelhuth– co-founder of Wealth Enhancers.

Margot Spalding– co-founder of Jimmy Possum.

Penny Spencer– owner of Spencer Travel.

Sasha Titchkosky– co-founder of Koskela.

Anneke Van Den Broek– founder of Rufus & Coco.

Angela Vithoulkas– CEO of VIVO Cafe.

Catriona Wallace– founder of Flamingo and Fifth Quadrant.

Leona Watson– founder of Cheeky Food Group.

 

ABOUT CATRIONA POLLARD

Catriona Pollard Speaker and Trainer in Social Media