This week LinkedIn sent out an announcement email, letting some of us know that Gwyneth Paltrow had joined the business-oriented social media platform and had penned her first post. GP talked candidly about the challenges associated with being “well known for doing something else” and now being an entrepreneur with a “unique set of issues.”
Before you scoff…rich, famous, beautiful, talented GP doesn’t seem to have a lot of startup issues, you say, or does she? At Innovation Women, we talk about visibility bringing opportunity. Every time you get on stage, or get the chance to tell your story, it can drive customer interest, connections with partners, investors…and job offers and board seats. Again, what’s the problem, GP? Visibility drives opportunity to connect with all kinds of goodness but it also drives opportunity to make mistakes publicly, to be unfairly criticized and scrutinized.
It’s up to all of us to take responsibility for our visibility and the resulting opportunities:
- Practice, practice, practice – do your best to put on a good show/presentation.
- Know your worth – whether it is pitching for investment or asking for a raise. According to a new study cited in a Forbes article by Amy Feldman: women entrepreneurs ask for less financing than men, and, as a result get smaller loans…and pay higher interest rates. ACK!
- Be prepared for fair and unfair criticism – Before you go public with your story, rehearse answers to the tough questions about your business, your job, your industry. Yes, you do sometimes have to answer for your entire industry!
Now…GP, about those boots I see on the Goop homepage…when will they be available in a size 11? Inquiring minds want to know!
