Female entrepreneurship is often under-researched, particularly in the African context. Most of the available literature is written by non-Africans in the context of the developed world. Despite the paucity of literature, female entrepreneurship is a critical element shaping a region’s socio-economic development. Often, women have been excluded from meaningfully participating in the economy because of traditions, religious beliefs, and cultural practices (Boateng, 2017). This article reflects on an interesting discussion that I had with female entrepreneurs at Innovate Durban’s American Corner, and a subsequent review of related literature. This discussion brought to light the universality of experiences, despite the diversity of backgrounds. This article highlights some of the key themes that emerged during this discussion, with the hope that readers may find resonance and insights to navigate their own challenges.

What initiated the discussion?

On the 4^th of December 2023, Innovate Durban’s recently established American Corner hosted a film screening of She Did That, showcasing the inspirational work of the talented Renae L. Bluitt. Renae is a New York-based filmmaker who has brought to life the stories and struggles of Black women entrepreneurs by addressing pressing issues such as the funding gap for women of colour, and their trials and wins as they attempt to break the barriers that confine them. The documentary focuses on the story of four remarkable black female entrepreneurs: Luvvie Ajayi, an author, speaker, and digital strategist; Lisa Price, the founder of Carol’s Daughter, a hair care brand; Melissa Butler, the creator of beauty brand The Lip Bar; and Tonya Rapley, a financial expert from My Fab Finance. This film was created to shed light on the authentic challenges and experiences faced by Black women entrepreneurs, going beyond their appearances on social media. The film draws back the curtain, providing insight into the how and why of their journeys. This film opened my mind to the plight of women, more specifically women of colour, in their entrepreneurial journeys.

Following the screening, I facilitated a discussion with 10 young and hard-working women who, despite their circumstances, are nothing short of inspirational. These ladies come from different walks of life and have overcome many obstacles in their educational, entrepreneurial and self-growth journeys. Collectively, the group reflected on the film screening and their diverse experiences as female entrepreneurs. Organically, the discussion with the attendees focused on the real-life challenges female entrepreneurs face, and several themes related to entrepreneurship and female entrepreneurship emerged.

Acknowledging mental health challenges

A major theme that emerged from the discussion was centred on mental health concerns, in particular, the depression and loneliness that come with not having a good support system and people that you can fall back on. Often, the group of female entrepreneurs felt that it was taboo to vent to a parent because certain ethnicities might view this as disrespectful because of the way they were raised or even ignorance towards mental health. Without a solid support structure to fall back on, they can often feel isolated and burnt out, which is very taxing on an individual. Some of the attendees noted that they would seek therapy as a means of dealing with their depression, too often uncovering childhood wounds. While therapy may seem like the ideal solution to some, the discussion highlighted the stigma associated with therapy or people not being fortunate enough to access these types of resources. In these cases, some attendees reflected that they would take a few days to wind down and relax in solitude, where they could gather their thoughts and anticipate their next moves. Others enjoyed listening to podcasts to distract themselves: a suggested podcast is Wisdom & Wellness with Mpoomy Ledwaba. Some, who were fortunate enough, could rely on their parents, friends and partners to support them when they could not give 100% to different aspects of their lives.

In the weeks after the discussion, I explored literature related to entrepreneurship and mental health challenges. Blum and Miller (2021) suggested a few ways to improve mental health. One of the most important aspects is giving your feelings a name. Often, we struggle to articulate what we are actually feeling; we aren’t burnt out or depressed, but something in between or not quite to this magnitude. This feeling is called languishing and is often called the neglected middle child (Blum and Miller, 2021). Another way to manage your mental health is to find meaning in your everyday activities. This can be done by completing your activities, even things you dread, with more purpose and tenacity. Remember that if you don’t prioritise your mental health, you will be pouring from an empty cup.

Identifying your support system

The second theme that emerged from the discussion was the importance of identifying your support system. Now, you might think that it is a given that you would receive emotional support from those closest to you, but often, this is not the case. Most of the discussants had experiences where their friends were not fully in their corner, where multiple participants held the perception that their friends were not supporting their businesses and entrepreneurial endeavours. However, several women noted that some of their greatest supporters were strangers or people they were not close to. This takes me back to an old quote by Heath Ledger: “Your BIGGEST supporter is a stranger, and your BIGGEST hater is someone you know well”.

This perception held by the attendees is somewhat perplexing, but there are many reasons why they feel the way they do. An article by Whitney (2017), a mindset coach and business strategist, highlighted that as an entrepreneur, you take risks and step into your individual power. For some, other people gaining power relative to themselves is intimidating. People may become accustomed to a version of you that was not confident or bold enough to take this step, so they do not know how to react to this new powerful and confident version of you. A possible underlying reason for this is that they might feel that on your journey to entrepreneurial success, you might change and view them differently (Whitney, 2017). Most people are comfortable doing what they know and sticking to their routine because it gives them a sense of safety, comfort and security, so it is somewhat perplexing to them when someone is willing to take risks and step out of these norms that they are accustomed to. In contrast, strangers who become acquaintances and transition into friends along the entrepreneurial journey often have less bias towards you since they only know this ‘new’ version of you and can also relate to your challenges. It is helpful to remind yourself that you are not responsible for, nor can you control, the way that friends and family act towards you. However, you are responsible for how you choose to react to this.

Imposter syndrome

Aligned with the theme of mental health, many of the ladies brought up the feeling of imposter syndrome – the third theme. A captivating article by Martins (2023) describes imposter syndrome as a feeling of self-doubt when it comes to your accomplishments. With this syndrome, people feel like they do not deserve certain things or opportunities because they do not feel good enough or that they have tricked people into thinking that they are good at something. Imposter syndrome is very prevalent in the workplace. It can often manifest as a lack of confidence in your work, getting upset over minor mistakes, burnout and even a fear of disappointing your team.

Silva (2020) highlighted that as an entrepreneur, you are constantly pushing yourself and getting your foot into doors you have never been in before; this will often result in imposter syndrome. How do you know once you have succeeded or reached ‘expert’ status? Is there even such a thing as ‘expert’ status? This is more of something that comes with time, experience and knowledge. It is good to remind yourself that you do not know everything. However, this should not stop you from sharing the knowledge that you possess or building a business around this knowledge.

There are several ways to overcome imposter syndrome, and change your perceptions of yourself:

1. You must accept that this is a natural feeling that comes with growth and stepping out of your comfort zone. Once you have embraced and acknowledged these feelings, you will be able to reach new heights (Silva, 2020).
2. Don’t get discouraged by the things that you do not know yet. As you gain more knowledge and experience, you will be able to support your perceived credibility. In the meantime, use your existing knowledge base and life experiences, and draw on the opinions of others that you have interacted with along the way (Silva, 2020).
3. Martins (2023) suggested that a good way to combat imposter syndrome is to express your feelings. Instead of internalising these feelings, you can recognise them for what they are and move on from them.
4. Instead of comparing yourself to a more senior team member, ask yourself what you can learn from them. Certain people have strengths in different areas you can benefit from (Martins, 2023).

Queen Bee Syndrome

Queen Bee Syndrome was the fourth theme that emerged from our discussions. Personally, I was surprised that this challenge emerged and how it affects women in professional settings. Queen Bee Syndrome can be summed up as when a woman in a position of power and authority becomes critical and judgmental toward her female colleagues, while also showing special treatment to men, especially in matters like promotions. In contrast to an actual queen bee in her colony, a human queen bee exhibits condescending and hostile behaviour toward other females in a plea to get ahead. Despite the current movement around feminist ideals and the rise of women in leadership roles within traditionally male-dominated fields, this behaviour persists. Surprisingly, some women adopt this behaviour to adapt to male-dominated work cultures, disregarding their female counterparts to climb the corporate ladder (Ramnund-Mansingh, 2020). I recently read an article by Saddleton (2019) which shed light on the magnitude of this behaviour and how deep it runs in professional settings. Queen Bee Syndrome can leave victims devastated, which often leads to reduced productivity in the workplace and on a personal level, as well as limited career advancement.

Here are some suggested ways to avoid the sting of the Queen Bee (Balodi 2013):

• Developing your skillset will assist you in expanding your knowledge and gaining more confidence.
• Expand your network through joining professional networks at your company and within your industry.
• Lastly, and most importantly, do not react when provoked. These people love to get under your skin. Remain level-headed, and don’t fall victim to their tactics.

Celebrating successes and empowering one another is important

Despite the challenges faced by female entrepreneurs, we need to celebrate successes and empower one another. The discussion revealed that this group of women had fought tooth and nail to achieve their current status. Some entrepreneurs needed two jobs to support their businesses and families, and some were the first in their families to get into a university. These are often conversations we will never hear because of the resilience and tough skin you have to form as a woman, yet alone a female entrepreneur. Women can do great things when they have been included in spaces that previously excluded them, and only by listening to their struggles and accomplishments can we create a more inclusive world for them and future generations.

In an era where a beautiful movement has been deemed as ‘toxic feminism”, we must remember the true essence of feminism and why it was brought about. It is apt to conclude this article with a powerful quote from the youngest female Nobel Prize laureate in history, Malala Yousafzai, “I raise up my voice — not so that I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard … we cannot all succeed when half of us are held back.”

References

Balodi, J. (2013). Taking the Sting out of ‘Queen Bees’ Who May Be Out to Get You. Forbes. Available: https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnbaldoni/2013/03/04/taking-the-sting-out-of-queen-bees-who-may-be-out-to-get-you/

Blum, D. and Miller, F. (2021). How to Improve Your Mental Health in 2022: Well’s most popular stories of the year offered tools to stay happy and healthy. The New York Times. Available: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/30/well/mind/mental-health-advice-2022.html

Boateng, A. (2017). African Female Entrepreneurship: Merging Profit and Social Motives for the Greater Good. Springer. Available: http://ndl.ethernet.edu.et/bitstream/123456789/38033/1/25.pdf.

Martins, J. (2023). Unmasking imposter syndrome: 15 ways to overcome it at work. Available: https://asana.com/resources/impostor-syndrome.

Ramnund-Mansingh, A. (2020). Queen bees muscle out other women in the workplace. Available: https://www.mancosa.co.za/blog/queen-bees-muscle-out-other-women-in-the-workplace/.

Saddleton, L. (2019). Avoiding the sting of the office “queen bee”. Insurance business. Available: https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/us/news/diversity-inclusion/avoiding-the-sting-of-the-office-queen-bee-167767.aspx.

Silva, P. (2020). Imposter Syndrome In Your Business And How To Overcome It. Available: https://www.forbes.com/sites/piasilva/2020/05/15/imposter-syndrome-in-your-business-and-how-to-overcome-it/?sh=753375d13048.

Whitney, G. (2017). Top 3 Reasons Why Your Biggest Supporters Will Be Strangers & Not Your Family/Friends. Available: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/top-3-reasons-why-your-biggest-supporters-will-be-strangers_b_57b39619e4b014a587fbb41e.