We know how important it is for women to have the support they need from a network. For moms especially, it’s a different battlefield having responsibilities at home, at work and in other factors of her life. Having a team that provides various forms of support can help ease some load off.
This is what this community wants to provide for women in the Philippines.
CEO Moms, a community for startup moms and women who run their business, family and life, aims to create a network for ladies to have the support they need thru workshops, online courses and a place where they can ask questions, share tips, validate business ideas, collaborate and support each other.
Founders, Bianca Medina and Celine Villanueva shared that it started as a content platform that provides tips for CEO Moms and is now helping women be a CEO of their lives by conducting workshops and networking events, covering soft and hard skills, from finding one’s passion, to building their business, pitching and finding funds.
On their recent event last April 23 at the Mindchamps International PreSchool PH, speakers, executive coach and co-founder of strengthscoach.ph, Andrea Goseco and VC and co-founder of Mercatus Capital in Singapore, Rina Neoh, shared some valuable advice for the pioneer members of CEO Moms. Here are some lessons picked up from the event:
1. Know your values
Your values will lead you to your calling. Whether you are looking for what you are passionate about or what startup you’d like to pursue, try to list down the values that are important to you. Is it honesty, excellence and empowerment? What product or service can you provide that will have these values as its core? Examine your list and see which ones match the business that you’d like to be in. As Andrea Goseco explains, this will guide and drive you with your pursuit.
2. Look back in your life and determine when you are your happiest
Try to close your eyes and think of the times when you felt ecstatic or victorious. Was it when you won a writing contest? When you had your first client? Or your first trip in South Africa? Recall these joyous moments and find out which business idea you’d want to relate it with.
3. Like in marriage, find a co-founder that fits you
In any partnership, it’s very important to find a person that fits you. Same thing with finding a co-founder. Just imagine that like marriage, you will have to face and work with your co-founders everyday. And as with marriage, you have to carefully consider if you have the same vision and values. You don’t have to be the exact same person as your co-founder, it’s better if she complements you or is an expert in the field where you don’t excel much. You might be fierce in business development and she might be a natural hustler. Finding the perfect co-founder might take some time, but when you finally do and it’s an excellent fit, take the leap and just say “Let’s DO it!”.
4. Be proud of the crying baby at the background
As moms, working at home sometimes means dealing with an environment that includes a wailing baby, a screaming toddler or kids who just need your constant attention. This sometimes makes moms opt to hide in the closet during a phone or Skype call. While there are tips and tricks on working at home in peace, babies and tots are just unpredictable and may seem like they need your attention the most when you are focusing on something important (other than them). Know that it is definitely normal and ok to be in this situation. One of the goals of the community is to gain respect for the things that are valuable to moms like being able to work, with kids at the background. Respect should not just be from women communities but from clients, colleagues, investors and everyone that makes up the whole ecosystem.
5. Do not fall into false assumptions
We are sometimes victims of our own false assumptions, especially when it’s doing anything outside our comfort zone. While it’s ok to be cautious, having false assumptions paralyzes us before we even try. Do you jump to conclusions that nobody will like your product? Do you “read minds” of potential customers and see that they are not going to come back? Hold down your horses and try to get relevant data, do some validation and research before setting yourself up to fail with false assumptions.
6. Choose the right investors/ startups
There is a connotation that startups gawk on investors at the sight of them and first meetings are always like elevator pitches. But like finding a life-partner, investors also consider a very important factor in working with a startup: Personality. As Rina Neoh shared, “You don’t have to have a polished deck or robust business plan when pitching your startup.” The first thing that she looks at is the founder’s personality. Will you trust your investor and vice versa? Do you have the same vision? Do you find yourself working with this person? Ask these questions before choosing an investor.