We all wish we could go back and do things differently—avoiding mistakes, seizing opportunities sooner, and skipping the trial-and-error phase. While time travel isn’t an option, learning from those who’ve been there is the next best thing.
To set you up for success, we’ve asked 14 experienced entrepreneurs from the Dreamers & Doers collective to share their top piece of advice for getting started. Let their insights help you move forward with clarity and confidence—without having to learn the hard way.
Yewande Faloyin
CEO & Founder of OTITỌ Leadership & People Development, helping growth-stage companies build strategic leaders, high-performing teams, and a results-driven culture that delivers exceptional value to clients, investors, and the business.
“Forget about marketing and focus on sales. You can build a successful business with a strong sales system and no marketing, whereas the reverse isn’t true. Things shifted for me when I redefined sales and moved past previous assumptions that selling had to feel icky. Creating a systematic, data-driven sales process that made me feel more in-control also helped. If I had understood these steps earlier, I would have spent less time perfecting individual marketing messages and more time speaking to my prospective clients and accelerating our growth.”
Ingrid Zapata Read
Founder & CEO of Grow With Community, a consulting agency empowering businesses and creatives to transform their audiences into communities through proven growth strategies.
“You don’t have to do everything on your own. In the beginning, it’s easy to feel like you have to wear every hat, but that mindset leads to burnout fast. The truth is, growth isn’t about doing more—it’s about building the right support system to stay consistent. Whether it’s leveraging platforms, systems, or communities of fellow founders, finding support makes all the difference. Small growth is still growth. If I had embraced that earlier, I would have saved myself a lot of stress and leaned into support much sooner.”
Mandi Young
Designer & Consultant at Trailblazer Design Agency, a small firm that helps business owners and wedding venue owners design their dream spaces that reflect them and their ideal customers.
“There’s no need for a perfect logo and branding as you start. It’s an easy place to get tripped up and spin your wheels. If I hadn’t been so focused on getting it just perfect or on comparison, I would have gotten to work sooner—and likely would have built a name for myself faster, too.”
Dora Rankin
CEO of Dora L. Rankin Consulting LLC, business coaching and growth strategy for purpose driven women entrepreneurs.
”Put your blinders on and stop comparing yourself to others. You can’t compare your first chapter to someone else’s twentieth—and you shouldn’t! You’ll get to your destination faster if you lean into your own expertise and stop trying to look at someone else’s. What’s ordinary and natural to you is extraordinary to others.”
Tara Zedayko
Chief Scientific Officer at Ollie Pets, transforming pet health and happiness through personalized human grade pet nutrition and expert care at your fingertips.
“Get any version of your product out in the market, even if it’s embarrassing. I once heard that if you aren’t embarrassed by your first product, you didn’t release it early enough. I love that advice because it really galvanizes the vulnerability needed to launch early and learn from the market, instead of over-engineering a solution that is most likely not perfect, anyway.”
Katrina Purcell
Founder & CEO of Katrina Purcell LLC, a fractional COO and consulting firm empowering tech startups to optimize their operations and achieve ambitious growth goals through strategic guidance and tailored solutions.
“Believe in the audacious potential of your business. When first starting out, I was very risk-averse and I played it safe. Parts of this approach are good, but it also meant that I did not appropriately set my processes for scale. I tell anyone just starting out to believe in the big vision and to make decisions as though your business will be the powerhouse you intend. This shift in thinking sets you up to build more sustainable processes, unlock remarkable achievements, and build something truly impactful.”
Grace Nguyen
Founder & CEO of LOUPN, an inclusive jewelry brand intended to encourage positivity, confidence, and love.
“It always takes longer than you expect to become profitable. If I had known the time it takes to grow a self-funded brand, I would’ve worked part-time to have more financial stability, peace of mind, and patience. I’d heard of a lot of overnight successes and got overly excited at the sight of a growing trend, but it’s important to see and make decisions around a more consistent pattern of growth and profitability.”
Allison Ullo
Founder of Leaves of Leisure Tea, a woman-owned, luxury tea brand designed for those who crave moments of relaxation without the buzz of caffeine.
“You have to be your own biggest advocate because no one else will fight for your dream like you will. Waiting around for validation, approval, or the perfect opportunity will only hold you back. Not everyone will understand what you’re building, and rejection is just part of the process. If I had understood that in my first year, I wouldn’t have taken every ‘no’ so personally or let the lack of immediate support slow me down.”
Bonnie Singleton
Founder & Strategist of Pollinate Marketing, partnering with successful business owners who are ready to stop guessing and start scaling strategically.
“Growth means regularly breaking things—and having the courage to build something better in their place. But in my first year, I kept treating broken systems like failures instead of seeing them as mile markers on the path to scaling. The real failure isn’t in breaking things; it’s in trying to patch up systems that you’ve outgrown instead of building new ones that fit where you’re headed. If I’d known this earlier, I would have spent less time trying to ‘fix’ systems that my business had simply outgrown and more time building scalable solutions for the next phase of growth.”
Monica Rivera
Personal Brand & Communications Strategist at YOU WANNA DO WHAT?!, helping founders, professionals, and underrepresented leaders build powerful personal brands, communicate their value with confidence, and attract career-changing opportunities—whether that’s funding, speaking gigs, or leadership roles.
“Entrepreneurship is just as much a mindset game as it is a business one. Nothing prepared me for the inner work of confronting self-doubt, fear of failure, and fear of success—and learning to truly trust myself. If I had understood that earlier, I would have spent less time questioning myself and more time owning my expertise and taking bold action.”
Nicole Cuervo
Founder & CEO of Springrose, an intimates brand developing innovative adaptive apparel that improves quality of life for women with limited mobility by helping them get dressed painlessly, independently, and with dignity.
“Relationships make the world go round, so be shameless about reaching out to people you admire and going to networking events. It’s the people you meet while building your business that will add the most value—and you never know how a chance meeting will help your business in the future. I’ve had many opportunities stem from meetings that seemed irrelevant at the time, so I wish I had been better about maintaining relationships from the beginning.”
Mari Milenkovic
CEO & Founder of With Mari, helping founders cut through marketing overwhelm and focus on the strategies that actually move the needle in their businesses.
“Having a co-founder is not the only way to feel supported in business. You just need to be intentional about having the right people around you. Support isn’t just about having someone to share responsibilities with; it’s about finding mentors and a community who challenge your thinking, introduce you to new opportunities, and help you grow beyond what you thought was possible. The strongest founders aren’t the ones who go it alone; they’re the ones who know how to cultivate the right kind of support at the right time.
Charlotte Lilley
Founder of The Ski Retreat, hosting and curating adventures in nature for women who can’t sit still.
“Your energy is your most valuable resource—protect it. Like most entrepreneurs, I poured myself into every detail when I first started, saying yes to everything and running on pure determination. If someone had told me to prioritize my energy as much as my time, I would have set better boundaries, delegated sooner, and focused on the things that actually moved the needle. I probably would have avoided burnout and built a more sustainable, joyful path from the start.”
Liz Morrison
Story Coach & Consultant behind Liz Morrison Strategic Storytelling LLC, helping people navigate career and life transitions by getting clear on the stories that shape their world.
“Trust the process, embrace the pivots, and know that each shift brings you closer to the business that aligns most with your purpose. In my first year of working for myself, I had a networking call with a woman who told me it took her a couple of years to feel truly secure in her business. I remember thinking I’d figure it out faster, but I didn’t. Looking back, I realize how important it is to give yourself time. When you try to force an outcome too quickly, you miss the opportunity to evolve, refine your vision, and discover what truly lights you up.”
All individuals featured in this article are members of Dreamers & Doers, an award-winning community that amplifies extraordinary women entrepreneurs, investors, and leaders by securing PR, forging authentic connections, and curating high-impact resources.
