How Female Networking Builds a Success Mindset

As an entrepreneur, you have earned thick skin. There’s nothing that can prepare you for the journey of starting your own business, and while many hard skills are required, thriving founders will say attitude is everything. When faced against yet another curveball — lookin’ at you, 2020 — how do you react? Do you move swiftly and react with courage? Do you crumble with anxiety? Or, against all the odds, do you let your success mindset rule over your fears? In truth, all leaders will go through highs and lows as they create the life they’ve wanted. And that’s normal. 

But to stay steady and always moving forward, it’s vital to put your thoughts into perspective by learning from fellow female entrepreneurs. Networking groups, like FemCity, fundamentally stimulate and build a success mindset. Here’s how:

What is a success mindset? 

Regardless if you’re one month or four years into being a business owner, it’s inevitable that you’ve gone through unexpected changes, failures and setbacks. Hopefully, you’ve also experienced wins that worked tirelessly to achieve. But, if you’re like most people, you tend to focus on where you’re missing the mark, rather than celebrating the ways you’ve grown as an entrepreneur. That’s where your mental strength comes in handy, according to licensed marriage and family therapist Amber Trueblood. 

She defines a success mindset as a framework for thinking that allows you to consistently take action, confidently move forward despite hiccups, and remain positive, regardless of outside circumstances. “Leaders with a success mindset show mental flexibility and creative problem-solving skills, allowing them to view challenges as exciting opportunities for learning and growth.”

In other words: it’s the business term for turning lemons into lemonade. 

Why does having a success mindset matter?

In the late 1980s, renowned psychologist Dr. Carol S. Dweck tied mindset to behavior. Though there has been further research into this concept, her work is often considered the landmark discovery that created the runway for others to follow. She separated professionals into two categories:

• Those with a ‘growth’ mindset (aka — a success mindset).

• And those who operated in a more ‘fixed’ state of mind. 

Joanna Lovering, an executive presence coach, says the difference between these two camps largely depended on the impression they had for themselves and their definition of what achievement means. In comparison, those with a growth perspective pursue interesting and complicated tasks and experience in a life-long pursuit to be better, while those with a fixed approach only focus on the results at the end of the road, rather than learning from each step in the process. 

Dweck found that those in a growth mindset end up reaching and often surpassing their goals. “Because of their constant focus on flexibility and improvement, there is a higher sense of empowerment and free will in their lives,” Lovering continues. “Those in a growth mindset are more likely to start something they’ve never tried before, knowing that they can persevere through the challenges. They believe that they have the capacity to learn anything they wish.”

How female networking builds a success mindset. 

We already know female empowerment is contagious. When we are around other women who are blazing their own trails, we feel excited to follow suit. And the same is true when we choose mentors ad/or co-conspirators who have a success mindset. If you are struggling to see the silver lining in the middle of a pandemic, a networking community like FemCity could be a game-changer. Here, just a few of the benefits:

• It keeps us inspired.

• It makes us feel supported.

• It teaches us to become solutions-oriented. 

• It helps us to see the forest through the trees. 

It keeps us inspired. 

Former entertainment executive, current business owner and single mom Amy Johnson now works as a values integrator, where she helps individuals and budding companies identify their values. She’s found a great resource in other female entrepreneurs. One of the biggest — and simplest — is the constant flow of inspiration in both directions. “By being around women who already have the success mindset, you can learn both by example and by interaction with them how to cultivate and strengthen yourself,” she explains. “Especially if these women are in positions which you want to be in, they can be inspirational and educational in helping you develop a success mindset, too.”

It makes us feel supported.

While some are lucky to have a fan base in the form of close friends and family members, and a romantic partner, other women leaders are doing the dang thing on their own. And that’s amazing — but can also leave them feeling lonely at times. And when we burn the midnight oil alone, it can be easy to fall into a fixed mental headspace. Los Angeles-based psychologist Dr. Yvonne Thomas, Ph.D., says by networking with others, female empowerment becomes supercharged since everyone feels supported. “Compared to men, women typically tend to be more caring and helpful and can express themselves through better communication skills and through different avenues including social media,” she explains. “By having so many different ways for women to be communicative and emotionally supportive of each other, this can foster and encourage increased success mindsets in other women as well.”

It teaches us to become solutions-oriented. 

When we network with other women, listen and discuss common goals and experiences, we are slowly building resilience. As an entrepreneur, there is nothing more valuable than a success mindset that is tough, durable and can withstand any hurdle. Johnson says it’s not only about creating business plans or discussing how much you’re spending on marketing or development. It’s also about females who will recommend killer workout classes or loan you a page-turner for your much-needed vacation. These tools and resources allow us to find solutions, nurture our minds and bodies, and, most importantly, feel like we have a safe space to vent, learn, and grow. “Building our resilience toolbox, keeps us focused on progress — not perfectionism — and the success mindset,” she adds.

It helps us to see the forest through the trees. 

This past quarter, you faced one surprise after another with your business. And they weren’t all positive. In fact, they were exhausting, defeating, and scary. When you’re in the thick of the hard stuff, it’s hard to see the better days ahead. Female empowerment and networking provide that clear perspective. How so? It opens your eyes to other viewpoints, specifically, ones from women you admire and trust. “Openness to learning is a characteristic of a growth mindset and will only lead to more success,” Lovering explains. “Collaborating with others can help you embrace challenges, and having a group of women you can rely on not only helps with brainstorming solutions but also reminds you that you’re not alone in the process.”

To learn more about FemCity, visit FemCity.com. FemCity offers a Free 30-Day Trial Membership and Memberships start at only $9.99. You can also learn more about launching a FemCity Chapter in your community.