What 31 Women Wish They Knew at the Start of Their Careers
The words “what if” are scary for a lot of women; specifically, those contemplating a big change and pondering what could be if they don’t venture into uncharted territory. The mere thought of what you could be missing out on is enough to take the plunge, whatever that may be for you. Of course, predicting the future and changing the past is impossible, so career advice for women is typically in the vein of “please tell me what to look out for so I don’t crash and burn.” Ironically, one of the most popular pieces of wisdom from successful women is that failure is okay. And they’re right.
They’re also right about knowing your worth (and adding tax), honoring what makes you special, asking for help, and so much more.
Keep reading to see what 31 of this year’s BlogHer VOTY honorees—ranging from small business owners to Hollywood stars to successful bloggers—wish they knew at the start of their careers.
“How much of my career would be about emergence, about following things through to wherever they might lead and about deep collaborations.” –Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Co-Founder of Urban Ocean Lab and The All We Can Save Project
“How to read, because I was only 5, but no seriously, in the beginning of my career, I was fearless. I didn’t know any better, because I was so young. I honestly wish I could have carried the amount of fearlessness that I had then into the future with me.” –Marsai Martin, Artist, Executive, and Producer
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“Your work is always a learning opportunity. You’ll never arrive at this state of final achievement, you’ll just have to keep pushing through the next challenge.” –Trinity Mouzon Wofford, CEO and Co-Founder of Golde
“Changing my mind isn’t a sign of inconsistency or being wishy-washy, but a full-on acknowledgment of evolution.” –Tracy G., Wellness Artist, Podcaster and Radio Host
“A decade into a career in advertising, I felt very much I was on the wrong track. I asked the father of a close friend how he had known which career path to take. He had known great success in many diverse careers, and he seemed deeply amused by my earnest question. His response – ‘My dear girl, I am 72 years old and I still don’t have a bloody clue what I want to do with my life…’
Most of us will have many different roles, in many different organizations; finding the right job is often a process of elimination. You can learn from each opportunity, you can shape your path, and what you are looking for will inevitably change as you grow and change. Don’t be afraid to jump into something new, retrain, start fresh. Life is too short to be unhappy in a role you have outgrown. And don’t chase the money, it will never be enough.” –Lisa Farr Johnstone, Co-Founder of Optimist Drinks
“I think for me it’s just not letting the future unknowns get you down. The what-ifs can be really overwhelming in the beginning. Focusing on short-term goals really helps.” –Gloria Lu, Co-Founder of Chemist Confessions
“When you first start out, things can feel incredibly hectic. But it’s still important to remember to take pictures, cherish the moments. You’ll realize that those early-day struggles are some of the best memories of your journey. And it’s something we wish we documented better.” –Victoria Fu, Co-Founder of Chemist Confessions
“You will face endless rejection, but most of it will come from critics who deep down are just scared. Lean into that fear, own it, and never take it personally.” –Polly Rodriguez, CEO and Co-Founder of Unbound
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“I wish I was confident as I am now. It has taken time to embrace every aspect of me and to be comfortable moving through the world as my full self. I love it here!! I wasted way too much time doubting myself and my abilities based on other people’s points of view.” –Briana Thompson, Founder and CEO of Spiked Spin
“That people really do care what I have to say. There is an audience out there for me as long as I stay authentic.” –Karama Horne, Culture Journalist and Content Creator
“I wish I knew that it was ok to fail. I spent so much of the being of my career beating up my confidence because of the missteps I took. I know now that failure is indeed a part of my journey.” –Ty Alexander, Wellness Educator and DJ
“It’s a combination of two things about time. 1. Time is your most valuable asset. It is your life. Don’t treat it like it is worthless when it is everything. 2. Take your time. Let it take as much time as it wants to take. Don’t feel like you have to push to get anywhere, because you’re always where you need to be.” –Jessamyn Stanley, Author, Yoga Teacher, and Body Positivity Advocate
“I wish I knew more about the business and logistical side of having a brand. So much of what I know now is by being self-taught, organization and consistency but also by asking the right people the right questions, outsourcing skills I don’t have, and also exploring other methods of getting things accomplished.” –Priscilla O. Agyeman, MPH, Public Health Professional, Mental Health Activist and Founder of Saddie Baddies
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“I wish I knew that it would all be OK. I had a lot of hiccups from bosses who thought I was EVERYTHING and then quickly changed their tunes when the light shone on me. I thought that meant something was wrong with me or that I wasn’t good enough. Now I know that I am always enough and that if I am giving my best, it’s good enough.” –Danielle Young, Journalist, Producer, Host, and Content Queen
“Know your worth and then add tax! I have it plastered on my office wall to always remind me not to minimize my value. There were many times when I allowed my fear of losing a potential contract to overpower my strength to stand up for what I’m worth. I’ve learned that if a client wants to work with me, negotiating isn’t going to scare them away. A knowledgeable client understands that negotiations are a part of the business. De-valuing yourself for a client who doesn’t recognize your magic isn’t worth the regret you’ll feel later for allowing yourself to be taken advantage of.” –Ashley Renne Nsonwu, Environmental Activist and Influencer
“I think that the term ‘self-care’ has been stretched beyond its original meaning, but I wish I had learned to not only set boundaries with others but with myself as well. I think there are times when I’ve overextended myself, so caught up in what I was doing that I did not take stock of my health and mental well-being. I wish I had known slowing down and living would be the hardest part.” –Imani Barbarin, Digital Disability Advocate and Communications Director
“That failing is OK and I should never let my own fear of failure guide my decisions. I wish I knew how important it is to be vulnerable. I spent so much of my life trying to project what I thought was perfect and it was so exhausting. Really being myself and having the courage to honor it has been the most rewarding and liberating part of my career.” –Mandana Dayani, Creator and Co-Founder of I am a voter
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“I wish I knew how to charge my worth. I wish I knew the value that I was able to provide in others’ lives and be able to charge for that. It took me years to raise my prices because I could not truly see the value in my work and ability to help others strategically market their businesses.” –Candace Junée, Digital Marketing Maven and CEO of Epic Fab Girl
“The most successful career is not necessarily a ladder—rather a windy road. I find that to be a good thing, because as my career continues, I get to learn so much about different parts of business and grow in ways I hadn’t previously envisioned.” –Denise Woodard, Founder & CEO of Partake Foods
“I wish I knew that I could be more forgiving to myself and that I didn’t have to sacrifice my physical or mental health to advance in my career the way that I did in the beginning. I experienced major burnout over and over again, and my health suffered for it. I wish I knew that my talents and work ethic would still be appreciated without having to sacrifice my personal boundaries.” –Aurea Sanabria Molaei, Founder and Creative Director of Flower Bodega
“I wish I would have known that waiting to ‘be ready’ or have the ‘right thing’ in place before you start whatever it is you want to do is a big fat lie! It sounds nice, but it doesn’t exist. It’s not what you need to have in order to get started on your dreams or goals, but who you need to be first. You need to become the person today that you need to be in the future to get the results you want now. How does that person act? How does that person think? If I would have focused on that and just started before I was ready, I would have saved myself a lot of sanity.” –Julie Solomon, Business Coach, Founder of The Influencer Podcast and Pitch It Perfect
“Earlier in my career, especially when I was founding companies where I was challenging others to be bold, brilliant and even rule breakers, I wish that I had given myself permission to just be those things. At those times I was working under really restrictive conditions, and always felt like I had to ask permission to be visionary and innovative. But you don’t need permission. You don’t need permission to be innovative; you just are, and then you just do.” –Kathryn Finney, Founder and CEO of Genius Guild
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“Well, it took me a while to get the courage and clarity to fully dedicate my career to those living with a chronic illness even though it is something I have always been patient about given that I have had two chronic illnesses myself for the past 30 years. I wish I had taken the leap earlier some times. I know that what I learned earlier in my career allowed me to get to this place, but I still wish I had gotten more of a head start!” –Nitika Chopra, Founder and CEO of Chronicon
“I wish I knew that I could ask for help sooner. I never wanted to bother people. But I learned that people genuinely want to help, especially if they see that you are putting in the work.” –Tiffany Aliche, The Budgetnista
“I feel like I had everything I needed for the moment… the best part about my career is learning along the way and being able to reflect and pass along what I’ve learned to others.” –Monica Stevens, Owner of MoKnowsHair LLC
“I wish I knew at the start of my career the value of my voice and the value of my platform. I would have doubled the rates in our media kit!” –Rhonesha Byng, Founder and CEO of Her Agenda
“When I first started blogging, I didn’t see it as a business. I enjoyed writing and I wasn’t thinking about becoming an influencer. One afternoon, I met a woman who told me that she loved Black Girls Eat and that she would trademark the name in the morning because I hadn’t done so. That was a huge wake up call. As a result, I bought the URL, created the LLC and secured the trademark for Black Girls Eat without hesitation. Whew!” –LA Dunn, Owner of Black Girls Eat
“If I knew how much folks don’t respect non-profit founders, charity employees, or folks in social work. I would’ve cared a bit less and not tried as hard to please others. I would’ve given less f*cks, possibly worked harder to make the world better for those around me who were in need of unconditional giving.” –Chelsea VonChaz, Founder and CEO of Hashtag Happy Period
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“That you should build your career around your magic and whatever makes you special. I spent so many years trying to become a finance person or a straight salesperson, simply because I saw other people in my orbit going that route and finding “success.” I chased others’ definition of success for so long instead of creating my own definition. I wish I had known had futile that was.” –Ali Kriegsman, Author and Co-founder/COO of Bulletin
“I started my career believing that if I worked diligently then I would automatically be rewarded. Turns out as a first generation immigrant and a woman of color, without any networks or safety nets to fall back upon, this was simply not true.
Over time I realized the importance of building a network of mentors and allies who believed in me and were invested in my future. This is advice I would give to my younger self or anyone just starting out career wise. To nurture a network of people to support you as opposed to just putting your head down and doing the work.” –Ayesha Barenblat, CEO and Founder of Remake
“I wish I had learned sooner the importance of carving out your own path and that there isn’t a universal definition of success. Trends come and go, it’s so important to know what core goals (and day-to-day) lights you up on fire no matter how the world around you evolves. I’d rather fail at something I love than succeed at something that’s robbed me of my entire soul.” –Gesche Haas, Founder and CEO of Dreamers & Doers
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