If you’ve been a Business Heroine reader for a while, you’re used to hearing our Founder & CEO Anne Perry ask all the questions. Well, this time the tables are turned, as Anne shares about her own journey through entrepreneurship and the wisdom she’s gained along the way.

Lisa Berkovitz, creator of Project Sweet Spot, finds and showcases entrepreneurs who have successfully made the transition from traditional work to create a thriving profitable business built on who they are, what they love, what they’re best at, and what matters most to them. Enjoy this Sweet Spot Interview featuring our own Anne Perry…

Read the article below, and watch the entire exclusive interview here:

 
In the video above, Anne shares:

• Why and how she started Business Heroine magazine (she never planned to be a publisher!)
• Her biggest a-ha moments and bold actions that allowed her career on her own terms
• Her philosophy on ‘rock bottom’ and how hitting hers liberated her
• The brilliant re-frame she did to release herself from debt and financial burden
• What she did to create location freedom, first as an employee and then as an entrepreneur
• Her daily practices and boundaries to bring more balance and self-care to working from home
• How she handles self-doubt
• And much more!

What Would You Say To Your Younger Self? Wisdom from THE Business Heroine, Anne Perry

When I left corporate, I read voraciously, seeking wisdom and learning from others who’d walked the path I had started to walk as an entrepreneur. I wanted to know the pitfalls and insights that would assist me along the way.

I’ve given away literally dozens of the books I read over the years, but one that stayed with me in my core library through what seems like lifetimes of change and growth was called “If I Knew Then What I Know Now: CEOs and Other Smart Executives Share Wisdom They Wish They’d Been Told 25 Years Ago” by Richard Edler.

The premise of the book was that Edler, a seasoned executive in the ad industry, was asked to give a commencement address to new graduates, and asked himself and 10 other executives in his industry this question that became the title of the book (and formed the basis of the book).

Though that book was not specifically about entrepreneurship, it was chock full of wisdom, and represented the power of a sage guide sharing their insights and advice to new initiates on the path that they had already successfully walked.

My interview with THE Business Heroine herself, Anne Perry, founder and editor-in-chief of this magazine, reminds me of the power of learning from those who’ve walked the path before you.

In case you don’t happen to know, Anne describes herself as having spent her early years burdened by debt and suffocating in jobs that drained the life out of her (something she talks about in detail in our interview).

She like me, spent years studying people who had blazed the trail she was inspired to take – that of the self-made, freedom-based entrepreneur – and carved her own path to freedom. She became a work-from-anywhere entrepreneur, running her business from the beaches of Belize, and while traveling around the US in a motor home.

She then built Business Heroine as a platform to broadcast the voices of women who, despite all obstacles, decided to break free of the mold and design life according to her own design.

We were talking about the ups and downs of her journey (including when and how she hit rock bottom) when I asked the golden question:

What would you say to your younger self if you could go back before you were on this journey, now that you have the benefit of all this wisdom?

Anne: I think what could have expedited everything good, and maybe avoided some unnecessary struggle, would be to tell myself, “You’re allowed to say ‘no’ to things that you don’t want to do that aren’t inspiring, that drag you down, that just feel like downers or bummers or draining. You’re allowed to say ‘no’ to that.”

There’s a quote – and I don’t know who to credit this one to – that you create your opportunities by asking for them. When I look at it, even with other people I’ve hired, when they’re very specific about: “This is what I’m good at… This is where I can help and be of value… This is what I’m amazing at… This is what I don’t do… This is not what I’m good at…” – it’s such a breath of fresh air.

But I was running around being a people-pleaser. I contorted myself to fill the gap they needed, rather than be who I am and see how it can best serve them.

That’s what I would really tell myself – Just own fully who you are and say ‘yes’ to what inspires you. Say ‘no’ to what drags you down and trust that you’ll find the right matches for what you’re up to. That would have saved me a lot of struggle.

I love this advice! I would give very similar give advice to my own younger self as she was just starting out. I’d say: Be Yourself. Be true to what feels right for you and let go of the rest. Do whatever it takes to discern your own truth, and follow that above all else. No one else knows what’s right for you except you.

What’s your biggest insight that you can apply to yourself from Anne’s advice to her younger self? What advice would you give to your own younger self at earlier stages of your journey?

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October 2014 Issue