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The Unexpected Advice That Sparked The Success Of Three Self-Made Women

This article is more than 8 years old.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? That’s what Andrea Guendelman, cofounder and CEO of BeVisible, and I asked the women we’re featuring in our Self-Made Women series. The long answer to that question would fill a book. We’re breaking that list down into bite-size pieces so you can digest them in no time and start putting them into play:

Believe In What You Say And Sound Like It

“You need to state your opinions confidently. They’re good ones.” – Anne-Marie Slaughter during my thesis defense. When it comes to self-made women, Anne-Marie Slaughter a.k.a. “Professor Slaughter” is the real deal. Lucky for me, she agreed to be my thesis advisor in college. I learned so much from her, but this piece of personal advice – to state my opinion confidently -- struck me most. It is relevant every day and lends a glimpse into how she got to where she is.

When I was growing up, a lack of opinions or confidence was probably the least of my worries – my family and friends can attest. But beyond one’s personal bubble, the real world is a different ball game. Having an opinion isn’t enough. Having confidence isn’t enough. Without putting both to use, they will just collect dust. It is essential to listen and respect others’ points of view, but what will you do when you’re handed the mic? To establish trust, gain credibility, and rally people around you, take it from Anne-Marie: if you believe in what you say, sound like it. Otherwise, who will believe you?  --Amira Polack (25) Youth Campaign Lead at SAP

The Only Way Out Is Through

I can’t say there’s a single piece of advice that has resulted in a “philosophy-to-live-by” for me. What I keep coming back to though, per my own experience and the experience of close friends and family is to TRY. Try again, and again. Sometimes you’ll be successful. Sometimes you won’t. Sometimes you’ll make mistakes. Other times you’ll shine. But when you fall, you need to get up, stand up strong, and try again. It is up to you, and you alone to make that happen.

The phrase “The only way out is through” sticks with me in those moments. To cite an analogy from a book I recently read, “when a big wave is coming at you, the best way not to get pummeled is to dive right in.”  In other words, keep trying, tackle that wave head-on, risk getting pummeled, and then do it all over again. Sometimes you’ll find peace on the other side. Other times you’ll end up in the sand. But realize, no matter how things end up, you’ve DONE IT. And no one can take that away from you.

By the way, I have not mastered this by any means. I struggle with learning this lesson daily. --Jessica Teal (38) Principal, Teal Media

You Are Your Own Number One

"You have to take care of number one. YOU are your own number one."  My brother said this to me six years ago when I was going through a painful breakup and it has been my mantra ever since. It hits home because as women we tend to put everyone else's needs before our own. We cannot be the leaders we want to be for others nor will we find healthy and fruitful relationships if we do not take care of ourselves first and respect our own boundaries. It's so simple and so easily forgotten. --Eliza Pesuit (30) CEO, Global Glimpse

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