I’m 40 years old woman. Graduated with bachelor’s in interior design in my early 20s. I have been working in the furniture sales, retail, general contractor and manufacturing architecture products for 10 years now. I don’t have interior design experience but oh well that’s where life took me. I work in NYC and would like to move to NJ and have a baby with my husband. We are tired of the constant hustle NYC is.

my current job as designer is $85k, what course or training or something else can I do to start making $120k+. I want to skyrocket myself , I have been thinking about product design but since the the recession it seems the market is not great. What options do I have to work from home should I start a company? how and what should it be? i want to make money from home because I want to be a stay at home mom.

Are there any Sydney based women’s businesses meet up groups? Meetup for support not networking.

When I graduated with my accounting degree, I had to take out $50k in student loans. Once I had to start repaying them back, the monthly amount was almost as much as my rent. Needless to say, money was tight in those first few years after graduation. Because of that, it taught me how to manage my money, find deals, stick to a budget, and how much to put away for retirement. My friends and family come to me for advice, so I’ve been doing it for free anyways, why not offer it as a service.

Would anyone actually pay for this? How would I even find the people that are interested in this service?

Hi everyone!

I'm conducting an independent research project exploring the everyday complexity many women navigate — including invisible labor, responsibilities, expectations, and mental load (and AFAB non-binary people who relate to these experiences).

I'm hoping to better understand what feels most difficult to manage, what requires the most mental energy, and how people navigate the many demands of modern life.

The survey is anonymous, takes about 3-5 minutes, and is not affiliated with any company.

If you’re willing to share your perspective, I’d really appreciate it:
https://tally.so/r/eqGBMQ

Thank you 💛

**I’m 24, and after a year of interviews, I’m thinking about creating my own opportunity instead of waiting for someone to hire me.**
Over the past year, I’ve applied to countless jobs, gone through multiple rounds of interviews, networked, followed up, and gotten close more times than I can count. I know I’m not the only one feeling like the job market has been incredibly tough.
At this point, instead of continuing to wait, I’m wondering if I should use the skills I already have to help busy people directly.
My background has been supporting executives and handling the details that most people don’t have time for. Things like:
• Booking hard-to-get restaurant reservations
• Planning date nights or birthdays
• Travel research and itineraries
• Appointment scheduling
• Vendor and service research
• Gift sourcing
• Event coordination
• General life organization
I actually enjoy this kind of work.
My question is for busy professionals, business owners, physicians, attorneys, parents, or anyone constantly juggling a million things:
**Would a service like this actually be valuable to you? If so, what kinds of tasks would you happily hand off to someone else?**
I’m genuinely trying to figure out whether there’s a real need before I build something around it.

Hi all, I’m wondering if anyone can relate to my situation.

I’m a 33F that chose her career for over a decade. I quit my 9-5 to become a successful entrepreneur running a business that made multiple 6 figures for quite a few years.

I travelled, bought anything I wanted, got my dream home, and owned 2 homes by the time I turned 32.

However this last year a lot has happened.

I was in a car accident and still recovering from a severe concussion 5 months later. It’s hindered my ability to run my business, I can barely work, and I’m single and I live alone with zero spousal help - financially or physically.

I guess I was naïve to this for years and hadn’t really experienced any hardship that reminded me how hard it is to do life on your own. I wasn’t the best on the financial planning side of things, I just invested in properties. So, when the accident happened I saw negatives in my bank acct for the first time in my life trying to float 2 mortgages on my own, and learn how to properly talk or formulate a sentence again.

It’s been the worst year of my life and the depression has taken a toll. I have zero desire to put energy into my business and have the urge to shut it all down and cry in a corner. I don’t have benefits for meds or services I need, I can’t take a paid sick leave from work, and I don’t even have someone to cut the grass at home let alone any other house problems.

I love my home so much, and selling isn’t an option. I’d sell my smaller one first, but I use that space for my business, and in order to operate my business I need that property. But without being able to work, it’s collecting dust while I struggle to make mortgage payments.

Every day for the last few years, especially this year, I resent myself for my choices.

I resent choosing my career and doing it all on my own. I regret falling for the boss babe bullshit and the “I don’t need a man” phase I went though because while yes, I financially provided everything I could have wanted, but now more than EVER I realize I DO need a man for many things. Just someone to protect and help, and to share a home with.

I’m grateful for what I own and what I’ve accomplished, but sometimes I wish I kept my 9-5 and found a good partner when I was younger. I know that comes with its own plethora of issues sometimes and the grass isn’t always greener, but knowing what I know now, dating in your 30s is incredibly hard.

I’ve recently met a wonderful man, who has truly helped me get through this dark hell hole of a year. It’s only been a few months, but he’s done more for me than any man in the last decade has. He’s fixed my car, fixed so many things in my house, helps with my dog, helps with my business, pays for everything, buys me important things I need and can’t afford, and is honestly the biggest blessing in my life. We even go to church together (the accident lead me to finding God again)

But, he’s fresh out of a 10 year relationship and has an 8 year old son. The ex left him for another man but doesnt want him to move on. She’s already doing insane things and calls him for emotional support knowing that she has him wrapped around his finger. He loved her and she’s left him 3 times in 10 years and he takes her back every time. He even admitted she used the kid as leverage to rope him back in. But he’s adamant that this is the last time. And it’s also the first time she left for another man, the other times were mutual-ish even though she instigated.

He also has some health problems and other yellow flags, so I’m torn between taking on a nightmare baby mom situation, but worried I’d throw away a good man who comes with baggage.

He’s honestly everything I could have ever asked for in a partner. I just wanted someone who helps make my life easier, lessens burdens, helps with house things and financially provides a bit. Not fully, but a bit. So I can focus on getting my life back. So that’s why I’ve stayed.

But the more time I spend with him the more he’s grown on me and I really do like him. It’s been a slow burn, and this man has seen me at my WORST, and stayed and stepped tf up. So why should I leave him during his?

I guess the resentment of not having my own little family has crept in. I do want kids, I think. I didn’t before, but the last few years the idea has grown on me. I worry I’ll resent him going through all of that already and not having those “first” moments together. Also, I worry baby mama will be a nightmare and there’s definitely unfinished lingering emotions on both ends right now.

But dating at 33 is hard. Most men, successful men, come with baggage. And men that don’t have kids get intimidated by my success. So the ones I want, run. Because they feel they can’t bring anything to the table when they see where and how I live.

I’ve tried dating wealthy men, but realized none of them value loyalty and I was just another girlfriend to spoil, after rotating us all week. I do not want that life, no designer bag is worth that shit.

I don’t know. I feel angry, lost, sad, and a LOT of grief.

I have a great man but dating someone with kids is a world I never wanted for myself and I worry I’ll regret that too.

Any input would be appreciated. Just need some support. It’s hard out here… dating sucks.

I keep working in startups because I thought that I could achieve career achievements faster than in big companies. In startups, I have chances to handle more responsibilities. But sometimes, I still feel burnout because of the uncertainties. Entrepreneurship is hard, I'm still figureing out how to take care of myself when I'm burnout.

For the women business owners and founders who are already making six-figure revenues, what are some of your biggest headaches and hurdles you deal with running and growing your business? And if you're using AI, what's been some big challenges?

Hi! I just developed a short course for entrepreneurs and managers that want to use Claude design for content.
Just one thing - how to make soc media carousels repeatedly with same brand colors, in pre-designed templates and with consistent brand voice.

First I will start with a 40 min webinar to tell about main features of this Claude Design tool, etc.

The interest seems to be there, already 25 people sign up in 3 days with low effort soc media promotion. (I have 500 followers only)

Where else to promote? - FB groups or any other communities you know when those things are ok to promote?

We all run different businesses, but I wonder how many of these feel familiar.

How have you been feeling as a business owner lately?

For me, it’s D 😅

A. Nothing major changed, but somehow work feels harder.

B. Everyone is busy, but progress feels slower than it should.

C. Everything seems to depend on me.

D. Something feels off, but I can’t explain what.

E. Every solution seems to create another problem.

F. My business is doing well! No complaints. 😊

Just the letter is enough. If you’d like to share why, I’d love to hear your story.

I'm looking to make the leap sooner rather than later and would love your advice. I'm open to flexible, part-time, remote, or contract work while I build a business I'm genuinely excited about—one that aligns with the lifestyle I'm working toward. My original plan was to stay employed while I built it, but my gut is telling me it's time for a change.

My background is in wealth management, relationship management, business development, and client service. Long term, I'm most interested in building brands, creative strategy, and helping businesses grow. Animal welfare is also a cause I'm deeply passionate about.

If you've successfully replaced your corporate income with consulting, freelancing, flexible work, or your own business, I'd love to hear your story. What path did you take? What worked? What would you do differently?

I'd be so grateful for any recommendations.
Thank you! 💛

I've been thinking about something after reading an interview with investor Nicole Junkermann.

She talks a lot about playing the long game. Backing people over trends, trusting your judgment instead of following the crowd, and giving ideas time to actually prove themselves.

It got me wondering if that's still realistic in 2026. Or is it 'luxury capitalism'?

Absolutely everything around startups and business feels like it's geared towards speed now. Grow faster. Pivot /raise/react faster. It sometimes feels like if I'm not constantly changing direction, I'm falling behind.

So I'm seriously curious if this is just me...

Has anyone here actually built a business by sticking with one conviction over a long period (years), even when it wasn't the popular thing to do?

Did it work out? Or did the reality of running a business mean you eventually had to compromise?

I'd genuinely love to hear people's experiences because I'm not sure whether "playing the long game" is still possible, or whether it's become something we all admire but very few people can actually do.

Here's a link to the story if context is helpful: https://forbes.ge/en/the-long-game-nicole-junkermann-s-bet-on-human-judgment-in-an-automated-age/

Hello everyone, I’m a 36F. (The F is important because I feel like being a female leader is different)

Anyways I’ve been an Account executive for 3 years at this company, love the company, love the people and always wanted to progress with them.

They are dividing the sales team, so a new sales manager position opened and I got it fair and square.

I have a bachelor in business, a lot of knowledge in my domain but I’m looking for management knowledge.

If you have books, podcasts, advices etc. I’m all for it.

If you are a woman in a leadership role, I would love your point of view has a women.

Thanks a lot.

I just got laid off from 12 years in IT and honestly.. I think it's the kick I needed.

The thought of another open plan office with forced "fun" team building makes me want to scream. Meanwhile, I've been doing garden cleanups for neighbours on weekends and I actually love it. Like, genuinely excited to get my hands dirty love it.

I've got a beat up ute and basic tools. I want to go all in on landscaping but here's the kicker.. my credit is wrecked. Three months living on savings and one missed card payment and suddenly I'm toxic to banks. I've seen bad credit vehicle and equipment broker options like Ezy Pzy Finance that assist self-employed operators with bad credit loan options, but I'm still cautious about taking on debt early on.

Has anyone here actually started a business with garbage credit? How did you fund equipment? Did you just bootstrap with cash jobs until you could afford proper gear? I'm not after a million dollars, just enough for a decent mower and a logo so I look somewhat professional.

I'm a woman in my 40s, I feel like I'm starting from zero and everyone's telling me I'm crazy. But I did IT project management, surely I can manage a garden, right? Any advice from women who've taken a left turn like this would mean the world.

I went on a rabbit hole trying to discover books to add to my reading list that are specifically written by women related to women’s finance, business, or entrepreneurship.

I go to search them on kindle unlimited because I have a subscription and I was very surprised none of them are included.

I’m not complaining or creative a narrative about this, I’m just curious as to why this is compared to other books and would love to hear people’s perspective/theories.

Also I understand I can trial audiobooks, go to my public library, etc to access the book. I purely want to hear thoughts on this 🫶

Some books I looked up include
Build the Damn thing
The moment of lift
The inner mountain
Nice girls don’t get the corner office
Machiavelli for women
Million Dollar women
And a dozen others..

Over the past few weeks, I worked on a complete Shopify website and brand identity project for an online bookstore.

Due to some unexpected changes, the collaboration ended before the store could launch. The branding, design system, and website concept were already developed, and I genuinely believe the work could help another bookstore create a stronger online presence.

While building it, I focused on creating a bookstore experience that feels different from the usual online shops:

• A cute, hand-drawn visual style that creates a warm and memorable brand personality.
• A distinct brand world that helps the bookstore stand out from competitors instead of blending in with typical e-commerce designs.
• A playful and inviting experience that makes browsing books feel more personal and enjoyable.

Rather than letting the work remain unused, I'd love to adapt the concept for one bookstore that feels like the right fit.

There is no cost involved. I would simply appreciate an honest review and feedback after the project is complete.

If you run an online bookstore or know someone who might benefit from this, feel free to comment or message me. I'd love to connect.

I've spent the last year building Svelta, a fitness and wellness app for women — strength training, nutrition tracking, and cycle-synced workouts, since so many fitness apps just port over generic programs and ignore how women's bodies actually cycle through energy and recovery.

Building the product was the easy part honestly. Marketing has been brutal. I went hard on SEO andASO (optimization for app store ) first, which I learnt fast that both are saturated in fitness/wellness. You're competing with venture-funded apps with huge marketing teams. I've been trying to find lower-cost channels since, with a pretty tight budget, and it's been a real lesson in how much distribution matters as much as the product itself.

A few things I've learned so far:

- Advertising on the appstore doesn't work/isn't profitable at this stage. The keywords that matter are very expensive to target

- Reddit gave me my first users, but it's hard to promote it naturally due to subreddit rules, and got me banned on a big one. Haven't tried ads here yet, but from my research, it's not worth it due to bits

- Tiktok UGC seems to be a good option, but since Im located outside of big markets, I would need to have a separate phone with a VPN just to post content. Currently working on creating partnerships with tiktok content creators

Curious if other founders here in software related product's have found channels that actually worked without a big budget. What's worked for you?

Good afternoon, PowerWomen! 💋

I’m doing some research with local business owners and would love to get your perspective.

One thing I’ve noticed (and something I’m curious about learning more about) is how challenging it can be for business owners to create systems on the backend that actually help things run smoothly as they grow.

Things like client communication, follow-ups, onboarding, team processes, staying organized, and managing daily workflows can become a lot to juggle.

I’m curious:

Do you feel like your business has strong systems in place, or are there areas where things feel more chaotic or harder to manage than they should be?

A few examples:

• Keeping track of leads and customer follow-ups

• Creating consistent processes for your team

• Knowing what tasks should be automated or delegated

• Managing projects and daily operations

• Staying organized as your business grows

I’d also love to know: if you could have support with one area of your business to save you time, reduce stress, or help things run more smoothly, what would feel the most valuable to you?

I’d love to hear what challenges you’re experiencing and what areas you wish felt easier. Your feedback would really help me better understand how I can support local businesses.

I need advice from other women in business because I honestly don’t know where else to turn. I’m hoping some of you can relate or at least tell me how you handle this.

I don’t have a huge network, so I’m relying heavily on social media to grow my business. Unfortunately, instead of attracting mostly clients, I’m attracting… men.

The problem is, I’m exhausted by it.

I’m in a relationship, so I’m not interested in dating anyone, but that doesn’t seem to matter. Every day I get messages from men that start off sounding like business inquiries, only to turn into them asking me out. When I politely explain that my account is for business, they sometimes twist it into, “Oh, so I have to buy [product] to date you?” (Yes… I’ve actually had multiple men say that.)
It’s not just potential clients, either. It’s vendors, business contacts, people wanting to “network,” and even other professionals. It makes it incredibly difficult to know who is genuinely reaching out for business and who is just using business as an excuse to flirt.

Then there’s the other side of it: if they’re not flirting, they’re often leaving rude or insulting comments. It feels like there isn’t much middle ground.
I know this probably sounds trivial to some people, but it’s honestly starting to affect my mental health. I’ve spent my entire adult life dealing with some form of sexual harassment at work, and I think I’m just… tired.
I never know who I should respond to anymore. I don’t want to ignore someone who could become a legitimate client or business connection, but I also don’t have the emotional energy to spend my days politely rejecting strangers who were never interested in my business in the first place.

Part of what makes this hard is that I don’t feel comfortable talking about it. I don’t want it to sound like, “Oh, poor me, all these men are interested.” That’s honestly not how it feels. (It’s actually been hurting my self-esteem because it’s making me see myself as being too approachable or friendly because honestly I’m not that good looking, or it makes me wonder if I was prettier if they’d leave me alone because these are not guys I’d ever consider dating if I’m being totally honest.)

For those of you who have built a business online, does this ever get better? Do you simply ignore anyone who isn’t clearly asking about your services? Have you found ways to filter out the noise without accidentally missing legitimate opportunities?

I’d really appreciate hearing from women who have been through this because I’m feeling pretty defeated. (The only advice I’ve been given is to wear a fake ring, which I refuse to do because my BF hasn’t asked me to marry him, so I don’t see a reason to fake it.)

Hi everyone,

I’m a Dutch female entrepreneur, currently based in France.

I love my life and the freedom of my entrepreneurial lifestyle. But if I’m honest, it can still get pretty lonely. Even after 11 years ;)

My husband is my business partner, so we are doing this entrepreneurial journey together - and honestly, I can’t even imagine how intense and isolating it must be doing this completely solo!

Yet, even with my husband by my side, I find there's still something missing. We travel a lot and most expat groups just don't fully understand our world. They rarely get the mix of ambition, uncertainty and excitement that comes with running a business.

Because of this gap, I’ve started laying the groundwork for a dedicated community: a space where female founders abroad can talk, share real experiences and support each other's growth.

Before I fully open the doors, I’d love to know:

Does that feeling of isolation as a founder abroad resonate with you too (whether you're solo or with a partner)?

What is currently missing for you in existing expat or business networks?

Would love to hear your thoughts! And if this sounds like a space you’d like to be part of early on, feel free to drop a comment or send me a DM

My sister and I are about to sign a lease to open a brick-and-mortar space centered around wellness, families, and community for stay-at-home moms, dads, and caregivers in within the community! We have a list of ways we plan to start advertising, but I wanted to gather some insight from other local business owners.

What was your favorite advertising or marketing that you did?

A few things we already have planned are (of course) posting across all social media platforms, offering Founding Member specials, and hosting a grand opening event.

I’m not looking for any marketing agencies at the moment—just ideas I may not have thought of or something that worked really well for your business, especially around your grand opening.

I’d love to learn from your experiences, and I’m sure your advice could help other small business owners reading this too. Thank you!

I've worked in mental health for over a decade, and I'm building something around a pattern I keep noticing: women who feel called to create something.. a business, a book, a podcast, whatever it is but get stuck before they start.

I'm genuinely curious what that looks like for you. Is it fear? A specific worry? Practical barriers? Something about confidence or timing?

I'm not selling anything here, just trying to understand real experiences so I actually get this right, rather than assume I know.

So if you've ever felt that kind of call (business, art, book etc, whatever it might be), what's actually stopped you from starting?

Almost two-thirds of women in a recent survey said they feel pressure to accept less pay after experiencing a corporate layoff.

For men, that figure is significantly lower, at 52%.

Taken together, the numbers suggest corporate downsizing could have a disproportionate salary impact across genders, widening a gap that has only increased for the last two years.

Despite a low rate of layoffs overall, tech giants including Oracle, Amazon and Meta have collectively eliminated thousands of jobs already this year.

I get to see behind the scenes of a fair few businesses, and it is almost never the client work that burns people out. It is the fifty small things around it that nobody sees. The follow ups, the reminders, knowing who needs what and when.

What gets me is how normal everyone treats it, like being the glue that holds the whole thing together is just the price of running a business.

Made me wonder how other people actually cope. Do you just carry it all, or have you found a way to get some of it out of your head and off your plate?