Business stories of successful women entrepreneurs. Women's success stories

Before you start talking about women's business success, you need to understand that women can achieve their triumph in different ways. Indeed, there are a lot of women entrepreneurs in the world who own companies, enterprises, brands. However, is it possible to compare the success of women who have their own business thanks to rich husbands or parents, and the success of women who have achieved everything on their own? Of course not.

Therefore, today we will consider the success stories of those women who started their business from scratch, who became who they are only thanks to their aspirations, desire to constantly improve and never stop there.

Since ancient history, two types of women have been distinguished - domestic and active. If the former agree to stay at home and wait for their husbands from work, but for the latter, vigorous activity and self-realization in any sphere are simply necessary. The success stories of each business woman are different, but there is something that all these women have in common. Perseverance and hard work - these are the qualities that are inherent in every woman who has achieved heights in her field.

No matter how a woman starts her business - either alone from the beginning, or in partnership with others - she is always forced to prove to others her right to make decisions on her own and have her own opinion.

Millions of women in different years, in different countries, tried at one time to start their own business. However, only a few have achieved real success. These are those whom the whole world knows now, whom they look up to and set as an example as strong and stubborn women.

A woman's success in business is determined, first of all, by her dedication to her work and real interest in it. Women in business carry a certain mission. If for a man business is often just a way of making money, then for a woman it is the work of her whole life.

Success stories of women in business

Elena Baturina

Founder of the BE OPEN humanitarian fund, developer, investor, hotel owner in Austria, Czech Republic, Ireland and Russia, 54 years old

The wife of the former mayor of Moscow once again entered the top 200 richest businessmen in Russia according to Forbes - and again as the only woman billionaire. Ms. Baturina's sphere of interests includes alternative energy and membrane construction, but she has a particular weakness for the hotel business. Elena says she likes to give people high-quality service and good mood. For the soul, the mother of two adult daughters collects porcelain and supports her husband in his hobby for horse breeding and sheep breeding.

Natalia Fileva

Owner and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the S7 Group, 54 years old

For the first time Natalia entered the top 200 richest businessmen in Russia by Forbes magazine and immediately became the third among the ladies represented there. Now she has firmly established herself in the public consciousness as a woman, for whom the first thing is airplanes, but in the 90s the distressed Siberia airline fell into her hands with her husband almost by accident. They say that the idea of ​​rebranding belonged to Natalia - like other strategic ideas that brought S7 to the second place in terms of air traffic in Russia. At the same time, Mrs. Fileva is an experienced wife, a mother of three children. Daughter Tatiana is responsible for advertising and marketing at the company.

Irina Stepanova

General Director of the Russian representative office of the auction house Sotheby's

In honor of the 10th anniversary of Sotheby’s appearance in Russia, Irina organized an exhibition, where for the first time she combined the top lots of future auctions with exhibits acquired for private collections at previous auctions. The anniversary concerns Irina directly. She went with the company all the way - from a tiny office with two employees to meeting the standards of a large Sotheby's. The representative office conducts examinations of the authenticity of art objects, patronizes museums, and supports young artists. Mrs. Stepanova admits that her life is subordinated to work, and even she tries to spend her vacation with benefit for the cause.

Valentina Rumyantseva

General Director of L'Oreal Luxе in Russia, 40 years old

This year, the company opened the first in Europe perfume and cosmetics boutique Giorgio Armani in the Atrium shopping mall and introduced the long-awaited Shu Uemura brand to the Russian market. Valentina, who studied the intricacies of business in Dusseldorf and London, actively uses the Internet space and the latest technologies in her work. She is confident that the future lies in the disappearance of the boundaries between online and offline. This is also the further strategy of L'Oreal Luxе: development of online boutiques and hone personal service using the most advanced digital capabilities. Valentina finds time not only for business and family, but also for travel and hobbies. The nearest plans are to return to the youthful hobby of making jewelry from stones and beads and new heights in your favorite yoga.

Anastasia Rakova

Vice-Mayor of Moscow, 41 years old

Soon after the birth of her second child, Anastasia returned to work at the mayor's office, where colleagues speak of her with respect. In sum, the opinions boil down to the fact that she is a competent lawyer, a tough manager and a workaholic. Ms. Rakova initiated many large projects - the creation of the MFC, the Moscow Urban Forum, the launch of the portals "Our City" and "Active Citizen". The renovation program is partly in her area of ​​responsibility. She carefully hides her personal life, outside the mayor's office she prefers an informal style of clothing that makes her completely unrecognizable.

Miroslava Duma

Founder of the Internet portal Buro 24/7 and the international venture project Fashion Tech Lab, 32 years old

Miroslava launched Fashion Tech Lab to support eco-designers and look for new ways to make fashion sustainable. One of Russia's top fashion experts was shocked to find out that her favorite industry is the second most polluted. Mrs. Duma does not want to bequeath an ecological disaster to her three children, so she invests in the production of artificial leather and fabrics from orange fibers. Business Of Fashion included Miroslava in the list of 500 main people in the global fashion industry.

Olga Belyavtseva

Founder of Assol Company LLC and Agronom-Sad LLC, member of the Board of Directors of Progress Capital company, which owns the Frutonyanya brand, 48 years old

Ms. Belyavtseva remains one of the richest and most mysterious ladies in Russian business, since her entire career is associated with her native Lipetsk. Apparently, Olga was lucky and no one suggested to her that success can only be achieved in Moscow. It is known that she is a real example of a self-made woman - Belyavtseva started her way into business as a packer at the plant of the USSR Ministry of Fruit and Vegetable Economy at the age of 21, shortly after the birth of her eldest son. Olga lives in her second marriage, and three children, probably, at one time inspired her to make baby food a priority.

Helen Isahakyan

General Director of Shiseido in Russia

The winter collection is already on sale, but Shiseido in Russia is no longer limited to promoting one brand. For six years, through the efforts of Mrs. Isahakyan, a global holding has been built, representing NARS, Cle de Peau Beaute, Narciso Rodriguez, Issey Miyake, Elie Saab, Alaїa, Tsubaki. “We created the beauty industry in Russia from scratch, from scarcity to abundance, from Soviet 'service' to the highest standards of service,” says Helen, a student of Leonard Lauder. While developing a beauty empire, she lives on airplanes, but sees travel as a source of energy. And she calls her daughter the greatest achievement.

Olga Karput

The owner of the concept store "Kuznetsky Most 20", 34 years old

Olga is moving the concept store to Stoleshnikov Lane, where it will occupy 2,500 sq. meters. It will retain nice little things like ping-pong tables and healthy food cafes, but there will be more of the most original things that can be found in Moscow. The wife of the developer Pavel Cho and the mother of three children is not going to change the concept, since the Moscow public is gradually getting used to "strange things and unusual images." However, the avant-garde for the sake of the avant-garde and even more so for the sake of shocking Mrs. Karput is no longer interested, now she professes a more adult and pragmatic view of fashion.

Natalya Kasperskaya

President of the InfoWatch group of companies, 51 years old

An information security company in the corporate sector has opened a representative office in Dubai. Natalya has been on the way to success for ten years, having received InfoWatch in a deplorable state - in her words, “one name” without a working product and team. By that time, her work experience at Kaspersky Lab had already turned her into a virtual police officer who is ready to do more than anyone else to catch a criminal. And he also taught not to allow business to waste time from a large family, because Mrs. Kaspersky is a mother of five (!) Children.

Marina Sitnina

Vice President of Gazprombank, General Director of Art Finance, 61 years old

Marina continues to curate the corporate collection of contemporary Russian art. She stood at the origins of a new investment direction for Russia - "art banking", because she agrees with the practice widespread in the West to invest in art and considers it a manifestation of social responsibility. “It is prestigious and pleasant to pass on such values ​​to descendants,” says Marina. Supporting artists whose works have not yet received a "historical verdict", the bank and Mrs. Sitnina personally give them a large advance.

Valentina Stanovova

CEO of Capital Group

At the MIPIM 2017 exhibition in Cannes, Valentina told how to minimize the loan burden by attracting partner financing. An example was the development company entrusted to her, which survived both crises without freezing any project. Mrs. Stanovova considers herself a happy person, but about her free time she jokes that she would not have married if she had not met her husband before joining Capital Group. Everything that is, is given to the spouse and daughter Dasha. Valentina is fond of photography, is in love with Italy, has a weakness for stylish shoes and bags.

Elvira Nabiullina

Chairman of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, 53 years old

Ms. Nabiullina, on the recommendation of the President, remained in the position of the Chairman of the Central Bank for a second term. It was she, the first woman in this post, to minimize the damage from the 2014 crisis. It is interesting that at the beginning of the path that led Elvira to economic responsibility for the country, she went to the Faculty of Economics for the unknown. In the corridors of power, she is known, among other things, for restrained elegance and amazing intuition. Outside of them, the love of poetry, classical music, theater (especially opera) and driving a car.

Aysel Trudel

Founder of AIZEL Group, 40 years old

For 15 years Aysel has united in the AIZEL Group a personal online store, a concept store, confectionery shops and a Laduree restaurant, boutiques of cult brands, to which the first Aquazzura boutique in Russia was added in March. Trudel was the first to enter the marketplace with Prada and Miu Miu, her company to this day is the exclusive online seller of Gucci in Russia. Aysel is happy to provide a trading platform for Russian companies and young designers, and does not change the principle of always surprising customers with something new. “Time is becoming more and more valuable, so online trading is the future,” she said.

Irina Kutina

Founder and CEO of the Encore Fitness chain and the Five Concept Fitness boutique studio, 50 years old

Irina opened two premium fitness clubs - the flagship Encore Fitness in Moscow City and a project in the Novoyasenevsky residential complex, plus the Five Concept Fitness multi-studio at the Arma plant. After 25 years in the industry, she came to the conclusion that in order to grow, fitness must stop being associated with self-torture. The highlight of Encore is a combination of premium service, beautiful design and new technologies integrated into the club's space and training process, with a strong team of trainers and a luxurious relaxation zone. Mrs. Kutyina practices what she preaches. Following the recommendations of Encore experts, she has lost 10 kg and is not going to stop there.

Ekaterina Dibrova

President of Rhana Medical Corporation, 57 years old

Ekaterina continues to develop laennec therapy in Russia based on the healing properties of the placenta. With this method to prolong youth and life itself, she met 17 years ago in Japan - a country that is ahead of the rest in the field of longevity. Ms. Dibrova does not offer others what she has not tested on herself. She regularly resorts to laennec therapy, and the president's appearance is the best advertisement for the corporation. Especially after admitting that sometimes she sleeps four to five hours a day for weeks. But Catherine always finds time to go downhill skiing with her husband and daughter.

Alisa Chumachenko

Online game developer, founder and CEO of Gosu.ai., 35

The new project of the creator of Game Insight is a global training platform for gamers and e-sportsmen based on artificial intelligence. The virtual assistant will help the player improve by analyzing his game. Ms. Chumachenko's intellect is completely natural, her love for a virtual wonderland does not mean that she is divorced from reality. Alice believes that the main thing in work is to do well what the soul is in, and not to chase millions at any cost. She keeps her son away from computers, closer to real people and paper books.

Owner and President of Showroom Li-Lu, 44 years old

The company celebrated the year with the opening of a showroom at Trekhgornaya Manufactory. More than 20 years ago, working as a translator from Italian at an exhibition, Oksana did not think that her humble beginnings would grow into thousands of square meters of European fashion from well-known brands. She does not hesitate to admit that she took the initial capital from her husband Vladimir Tsyganov, the head of the Belaya Dacha agricultural complex, but the long-term success and reputation of the company is her merit. Ms. Bondarenko herself prefers to wear clothes of her own brand "Li-Lu", and she is thrown into waste only at the sight of designer shoes.

Tatiana Lukovetskaya

Chairman of the Board of Directors of Rolf Group of Companies, 51 years old

Tatiana became the chairman of the board of directors of one of the largest Russian car dealers. The numerical superiority of men in business and under her leadership does not bother Ms. Lukovetskaya. She started her career as a “girl on the phone”, was in charge of mechanics, became the first woman in Russia at the head of a dealership, and she listened to all the jokes about “women driving” back then. There are no trifles in her favorite business for Tatiana - with one hand she rebuilds the company's management system, with the other, she personally agitates to buy a car. She relieves work stress by singing, and has released two albums of romances.

Society is used to the idea that successful people are, first of all, men. This stereotype is pretty easy to dispel, especially if you cite the stories of successful women who at first had nothing. This article will talk about the success of some Russian business women.

Women's success - what is it?

According to the most common public opinion, female and male success are completely different things. When it comes to men, success should be measured by power and finances. With the opposite sex, everything is more complicated. Society believes that women's happiness is always healthy children and a strong family. However, opinions change over time. It is unlikely that today anyone will argue that a good career for a woman is bad.

The fact of independence in the affairs of a woman remains of fundamental importance. A real business woman is, first of all, an independent and strong personality. It is not for nothing that the stories of successful women who at first had nothing are so popular in the world. Hardly anyone will be interested in the life of the daughter of a successful billionaire or the sister of a famous politician. Society is initially suspicious of such people: rumors are spreading that rich dad helped in everything, the business was not built from scratch, but only inherited.

A successful woman is always a strong-willed and hardworking person. You need to have a serious stock of intellectual and business qualities in order to be able to build something without outside help. Own office work, work for the benefit of the state, a prestigious position in a large company - these are just some of the scenarios typical of successful women.

Political success

Are there stories of successful women in Russia? Of course there are. However, statistics show that there are not so many of them - only 3% of the total list of the richest people. The criterion of independence "cuts" a few more women from here.

Before starting a story about Russian business women, you should pay attention to high-ranking officials. Are there many women politicians in our country who have managed to achieve success on their own? The stories of successful women who were able to get a high position in power are quite numerous. Here it is worth remembering Svetlana Ganeeva, head of the investment policy department of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of the Russian Federation, and Elena Fastova, director of the finance and accounting department. It would be quite misleading to imagine that the persons represented do not play a special role, and their positions are small. After the administrative reform of 2004, Ganeeva and Fastova became equivalent to the deputy minister under Mikhail Kasyanov. In addition, at the time of receiving their duties, both women were not yet 40 years old, which, by the way, is a great rarity even by today's standards.

We can recall women politicians at the regional level. The brightest representative here is Valentina Ivanovna Matvienko, the former governor of St. Petersburg and once the deputy prime minister. The success story of this woman is idealized by some people, criticized by others. Some argue that Valentina Ivanovna could not have achieved anything without the goodwill of the president. Others say the opposite - that only thanks to a strong and strong-willed character, this woman was able to reach such heights.

Ekaterina Azimina - Vice President for Finance, Baltika Breweries

Finally, it is worth paying attention to the stories of successful women in business. Ekaterina Azimina is the brightest representative of Russian entrepreneurship. She was born in 1967 in Leningrad, in the same city she was educated at the University of Engineering and Economics. After receiving the diploma, Ekaterina got the opportunity to teach at the department on the organization of production, and at the same time defend her candidate's work.

In 1995, Ekaterina came to the Baltika brewery, where she soon received the position of chief accountant. Already four years later, Azimina became the head of the finance department, and in 2003 she assumed the post of financial director. But Catherine did not stop there either. After working for a few more years, she was promoted to Vice President for Economics and Finance.

What does Catherine herself say about her success? “Moving up the career ladder as a woman is not so easy,” says Ms. Azimova. “You need to remain purposeful, selfless and very strong. The activities of Ekaterina Azimova have long attracted attention, as have other successful business stories of women entrepreneurs. There is a truly outstanding case here: thanks to this woman, a very "masculine" plant was developed. Baltika has significantly changed over the past 20 years, largely thanks to Ekaterina Azimova.

Svetlana Ganeeva - Head of the Investment Policy Department of the Ministry of Economic Development

What are they, successful women in Russia? Success stories of the fair sex are truly true only in the absence of outside helpers and "producers". The life and work of Svetlana Ganeeva is an excellent example of such a fair success.

Ganeeva's parents were simple physicists. Svetlana followed in their footsteps: she showed great love for the exact sciences. After graduating from school, Svetlana enters MEPhI. In the 90s she worked as a programmer. But this seemed to her insufficient: not wanting to stay with what she had, Ganeeva entered the master's program at the Higher School of Economics. There she wins a major competition, after which she receives a prestigious position as a consultant at the World Bank.

In 2000, Svetlana got a job at the Ministry of Economic Development. There she soon received the position of deputy head of the department. Ganeeva's career took off: she was offered a place in the reform strategy department, and soon in the investment policy department. Thanks to Svetlana, the mechanisms of the public-private apparatus received their qualitative development. It would seem that a woman who has already achieved success should remain in her workplace. However, Svetlana fundamentally disagrees with this: today she is studying the basics of jurisprudence at MGIMO.

What does Svetlana herself say about her success? Ganeeva believes that it is not very difficult to replenish the stories of successful women. In her opinion, nowadays there are all the opportunities for obtaining the cherished success. The main thing is to have motivation and healthy gnosticism, not to get upset about problems and not stop there.

Irina Gofman - ex-CEO of Rambler

Irina Hoffman's story is truly unique. If somewhere there is a list illustrating the stories of successful women in the world, then Hoffman simply must be in the forefront of it. At the moment, Irina Gofman is the head of the largest Swedish enterprise Modern Times Group. Prior to that, she managed to head one of the most famous media platforms in Russia - Rambler Media.

Irina has always been interested in the media technology industry. After graduating from the Faculty of Journalism, Hoffman worked as a translator, business consultant and director of an Italian construction firm. Irina studied in the USA, after which she managed to cooperate with some publishing houses. Wherever Hoffmann appeared, the accumulated problems were quickly and efficiently corrected.

Arriving in Russia, Irina Gofman began cooperation with the Rambler studio. Here she quickly achieved success: in just a few years, Irina has grown from an ordinary employee to a CEO. Irina believes that not everyone can be an entrepreneur. This is the lot of only brave, hardworking people who are truly interested in their business.

Hoffman, like many other business women, is not a lover of "sitting up" in one workplace. According to her, a real entrepreneur often goes through "transitional stages": I really want to give up everything and start creating something new. All the most successful women in the world do the same. Throughout the history of women's entrepreneurship, Hoffmann believes, very few ladies have remained committed to their business and continued to develop it. In the near future, Irina plans to create her own independent company.

Marina Zharkovskaya - editor-in-chief of the "Glavbuh" magazine

The success story of Marina Zharkovskaya is striking in its amazing simplicity. All the activities of this woman make it clear that nothing is impossible, and success can only be achieved with high-quality work and a constant striving for something greater. What allowed Zharkovskaya to replenish the list, which contains the stories of successful women in Russia?

Marina was born in 1975 in Bryansk. She graduated with honors from high school, after which she entered the Faculty of Law at Moscow State University. For some time, the woman worked as a simple lawyer. But one day Marina saw an advertisement with an invitation to the position of an accounting consultant. There she was noticed by the workers of the newspaper "Accounting. Taxes. Law". By 1999, Zharkovskaya became the editor-in-chief of this publication. Thanks to her effective labor activity, Marina quickly climbs the career ladder and soon becomes the head of the Glavbuh company. It is the largest magazine to date, with a circulation of over 180,000 copies.

Successful women's stories show that few business women decide to stop there. Marina Zharkovskaya was no exception. She decides to create her own independent project - the so-called Association of Accountants. Today, this organization includes workers from more than 51 regions.

Marina herself characterizes herself as a modest, sometimes even doubting person. According to her, such character traits allow you to constantly work on yourself, see mistakes and try to correct them in a timely manner.

Tatyana Lysova - editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Vedomosti"

Tatiana Lysova, before becoming the head of the largest news publication in Russia, changed many positions and professions. What is the path to the success of a Russian woman in modern realities?

Tatiana Lysova was born in 1968 in Moscow. After graduating from the Moscow Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics, Tatiana begins to build a career as a programmer at a defense research institute. However, in the 90s, the company runs out of funding. Lysova had to leave the organization. The woman managed to work as a manager in a trading, computer and even construction company, until in 1994 she got a job as an intern at Kommersant. The profession, according to Tatiana herself, was very difficult. But the mentality "sharpened" for the exact sciences allowed Lysova to quickly get used to her new workplace.

According to Tatiana herself, the main difficulty in the editor's work is communication with unpleasant and angry people. Perhaps, it is precisely because of disagreements with her colleagues that Mrs. Lysova leaves Kommersant and gets a job at the Expert magazine. However, Tatiana could not stay here either. In 1999, she took up the post of editor at the Vedomosti newspaper. In just three years, she is building a dizzying career, and by the end of 2002 she became the editor-in-chief of the publication. Thanks to Tatiana, the newspaper's audience increases by 40%.

According to Tatiana herself, the effective term of work for a top manager can be 5-7 years, no more. Further, the person becomes "hostage to his previous experience." Tatyana Lysova should definitely be included in the list illustrating success stories. There are not so many successful women in Russia, and therefore the editor-in-chief of Vedomosti is an excellent example for the whole society.

Svetlana Mironyuk - editor-in-chief of RIA Novosti

As you might guess, many of the stories of successful women entrepreneurs are connected with journalism. Svetlana Mironyuk, born in 1968 in Moscow, changed a number of positions before becoming editor-in-chief of the most widely read news agency in Russia.

Mironyuk studied at Moscow State University at the Faculty of Geography. However, she failed to make a career as a geographer: Svetlana was expelled from graduate school without the right to reinstatement. In the late 80s, Mironyuk entered the Hungarian University named after Eotvos, and three years later began his career in the "Bridge" group. For several years of work, Svetlana "has grown" to the vice president of public relations.

Not wanting to become a hostage to one position, Svetlana leaves to work for the RIA company. Perhaps it was thanks to the effective work of Mrs. Mironyuk that the revenues of the news publication began to grow incredibly quickly. At the moment, "RIA Novosti" is included in the top 100 world news publications, and Svetlana herself has almost 1,300 subordinates.

Who are they - the most successful women in the history of Russian journalism? A person asking such a question is simply obliged to pay attention to Svetlana Vasilyevna Mironyuk.

Marina Zhigalova-Ozkan - CEO of Disney CIS

Marina Zhigalova-Ozkan was born in 1971 in Moscow. In 1994 she graduated from MGIMO, after which she got a job in the Interros group. By the age of 26, Marina becomes vice president here, and a little later - deputy general director of the North-Western Shipping Company. Driven by cognitive needs, Zhigalova-Ozkan entered Harvard Business School in 1999. After studying there for two years, Marina returns to Moscow. Here she is invited to work at Prof-Media.

Since 2006 Marina has been the head of the Russian branch of the Disney company. Its tasks include licensing of products, sale of rights to films and cartoons, publication of printed publications and much more. Thanks to Mrs. Zhigalova-Ozkan, Disney feels quite confident and comfortable on the Russian market.

Perhaps Marina Zhigalova-Ozkan should top the list of successful business stories of women entrepreneurs in Russia. The head of Russian Disney is a truly successful person and a strong personality.

Successful women in Russia

The success stories above are just a few of the stories worth telling. All these biographies illustrate only one thing: to achieve any heights can only be achieved with quality work and your own efforts. It is quite possible to start building from scratch, the main thing is to have the right motivation and understanding of what and why needs to be done.

Women are no different from men. In many ways, they even surpass the stronger sex: as a rule, with their purposefulness and cognitive needs. By the way, gnosticism plays a big role in the lives of many successful individuals. As it has already been seen from the examples presented, almost all women studied a lot and effectively. This fact alone casts doubt on the assertion that education in modern Russia is unnecessary and "does not play a special role."

Our article presents a far from complete list of stories of strong and successful women, and it's nice that every year new faces of the fair sex appear on this list.

Are there differences in the success of a business depending on who runs it, a woman or a man? How do gender differences affect business success, and do they affect them at all?

Countless articles and studies have been written about this. We do not want to make references to such studies and opinions. We bring to your attention a small selection of interviews (the number of interviews will be constantly changing through replenishment) with successful foreign women entrepreneurs.

Simple business lady in pictures

Erin Baloga. Inventor of the women's holster

Erin Baloga is an ordinary woman, a mother of three children, a nurse, and later a housewife, who has no business experience at the start.

But all this did not prevent her from creating a successful business based on her simple but very popular invention. Hot Iron Holster.

We've deliberately put the story of Erin and her advice first, as she is a unique woman with a unique business destiny. Her story perfectly illustrates the fact that you can do business at any age, even if you have three small children.

I know that I will say simple and banal words, but at the same time these words I consider the main in the success of any business: "Be persistent and do not give up."

Do not give up when it is difficult and it seems that you are no longer strong. Everything passes. Fatigue, misunderstandings, problems will also pass. Everything will go away and you will win.

One of the biggest compliments I've received for my product is: “How great. How it is needed! I like coming up with ideas and bringing them to life.

When I was little, I often listened to audiobooks with biographies of great and interesting people. I listened with pleasure to stories about the life and success of Walt Disney.

As a child, I thought and dreamed that I want to be like this wonderful person in the future. What kid doesn't dream of creating an amusement park and coming up with amazing cartoons?

Most of all I am proud of my family. Despite a successful business that is growing day by day, I am most proud of the fact that I have created a large and happy family.

I enjoy being a caring mother of three adorable children and a wife, despite the fact that I still have a successful business. I organized myself in such a way that one does not interfere with the other, but, on the contrary, helps.

Constantly, even when I have urgent business, I talk on the phone with my four-year-old daughter. Family and children are a priority.

Erin Baloga: “I believe that business ideas for women, business ideas that are suitable for women, are no different from business ideas for men. However, there are also significant factors that influence the direction of the business that women organize. These are interests. The interests of women are significantly different from those of men, and therefore a division into women's business and men's business has emerged. "

Photo of a business woman earning millions

Ann Besancon. Mobile marketing in your pocket

Kelsey, after graduating from the University of Notre Dame where she studied industrial and graphic design, worked for several leading European companies but always dreamed of starting her own business.

Growing up in the family of a famous and successful entrepreneur, she decided to create her own business in 2012 and as the examples of her company's success show, she was not mistaken.

Tips for Aspiring Women Entrepreneurs: Trust me! Believe in yourself, your strength, in the business that you are going to create. Focus your attention on your customers' concerns.

Know what they need and what they are not getting by using the services of your competitors. If your business solves your customers' problems and solves them better than your competitors do, you are bound to become a successful entrepreneur.

There are many examples in the world when people, even with disabilities, achieved great success. Take a closer look at such examples and understand for someone who wants to achieve success there are no barriers except himself!
Entrepreneur I admire: The entrepreneur I admire is my mom. She raised four children and built a successful, profitable business in parallel.

As a stranger, I admire Larry Ellison's business acumen. Likes Brin and Larry Page for their dedication to Google culture and their global thinking.

My achievements to date: Seeing how the world's largest brands use our product every day, I am proud of myself and my business. Having the ability to serve clients like ESPN and CNN from the very first year of its existence is a major achievement for me.

I am also proud that millions of people use my product.

Kelsey Falter: “What kind of business should a woman open? Anyone! Anyone in which a woman has knowledge. But besides knowledge, it is also important to be passionate about this or that business. Without passion, business will turn into a routine. Routine business is very bad, it’s a road to nowhere. Love what you do. Love your business and you will succeed. "

Notes and revelations of a successful woman

Lisa Falzone. Sales support systems

Briefly about the heroine of the interview and her business: Lisa Falzone is the CEO and co-founder of the company Revel Systems

The business created by Lisa is a platform with software solutions for the restaurant and retail food business.

The software offered by the company helps thousands of firms to increase their profits through competent financial and economic activities.

In 2013, Revel Systems has more than 1200 regional offices. The business is constantly attracting outside investment. So in 2013 the company attracted investments of more than $ 13 million from private investors.

Tips for Aspiring Women Entrepreneurs: Stop thinking about what you will not succeed, do it and everything will work out.
Entrepreneur I admire: Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, Thomas Edison, Walt Disney, Henry Ford.

My achievements to date: My business is what I am most proud of today. I am proud that with the help of my product hundreds of thousands of people solve their problems and thank me. It's great!

I am also proud that I do not want to dwell on the achieved result. I want to grow my business and help more people in the future.

Lisa Falzone: “Before starting my business, I carefully studied the success stories of women in business and tried to understand their secret. I tried to understand how their success is ensured. There are no secrets. All women who have succeeded have been obsessed, consistent, and persistent in their quest to make their business the best. If over the years you make your business the best, sooner or later it will become so. Great recipe. "

We suggest reading an informative article:

The most successful women in the world live in America

Heidi Ganal. Pet Nursery Network

Briefly about the heroine of the interview and her business: Heidi Ganal is the founder and CEO of Camp Bow Wow. It is one of the most successful and fastest growing brands in the pet services industry.

Business Camp bow wow today it is estimated at $ 65 million. In short: the business is established and operates as a network of nurseries for abandoned and in need of care pets.

Top tip for aspiring women entrepreneurs: Think big. Dream more and try to make your dreams come true. Go to the realization of your dream step by step, albeit slowly, but always confidently forward.

Don't be afraid to give up your existing comfortable life for the sake of your business. Take risks, don't be afraid. Another important piece of advice I want to give women entrepreneurs is to stay focused on your business whenever possible. What do I mean by this?

Before starting your business, you must understand the following: you will have to focus on your business for several years and work on a daily basis. Are you ready for such sacrifices? If not, don't start. Remember, business will rule your life all these years.

Entrepreneur I admire: Sara Blakely of Spanx.

My achievements to date: Over the past few years, the attitude of people towards animals that need help has changed significantly for the better. This suggests that people are becoming more merciful.

I believe that there is also my little merit in this process. I'm really proud of this. My business has helped over 10,000 animals in 5 years. When I started my business, I didn’t think about such numbers.

I just wanted to help two cats that happened to be in my field of vision and needed help. When help was provided to these cats, I thought that there are still many animals that also need help.

So the idea to create a business was born. Today, my pet nurseries exist in all states and provide a comprehensive service. We can cure an animal, give the animal away for the time the owner is away, we also accept those animals that someone, for various reasons, can no longer support, etc.

We are committed to helping animals with cancer by partnering with major American hospitals and universities. Our charitable societies constantly carry out campaigns to raise funds for the worthy maintenance of animals, by the will of fate, who ended up in our nurseries.

Heidi Ganal: “The style of a business woman, whose photo we often see in glossy magazines, does not correspond to the style that is inherent in real women entrepreneurs. Women entrepreneurs prefer a free style, both in life and in a business setting. Believe me, a lot of what you see on the screen, on the Internet or in a magazine is far-fetched, artificial. "

Forbes magazine could not choose the heroine of the cover for the issue dedicated to the richest women who achieved business success on their own for a long time. Therefore, the editors invited 9 heroines to shoot, because each of them deserves to be known by sight!

These women, ages 32 to 69, include both MBA and college dropouts, a Silicon Valley CEO and a model-turned-tycoon. In total, they own $ 9.7 billion. So, get to know all nine.

Sara Blakely

Status: $ 1 billion

Sarah Blackley runs Spanx. Previously, she was among the top managers of Nike and it is her merit that the brand has expanded and now includes not only sportswear, but also clothing for outdoor activities, despite the fact that Blackley only spent two years in this position. However, starting once as a sales agent, Sarah decided to start her own shapewear company and at 29 she invested $ 5,000 in a lingerie that allows everyone, without exception, to wear anything, including white slacks. She is the sole owner of the company, and since 2015, Blakely has become a co-owner of the Atlanta Hawks basketball club.

Sofia Amoruso

Condition: $ 280 million

The only member of the billionaire millennial generation to make her way outside the entertainment industry, Sofia Amoruso made her fortune online. Her fashion company is called Nasty Gal and was founded by Amoruso when she was 22 years old. Then she sold mainly vintage items for young fashionistas. Ten years later, Nasty Gal is now competing with H&M and ASOS, with revenues of $ 300 million this year, up from just $ 100 million in 2012. Amoruso has published her autobiography #Girlboss and is preparing to release her autobiographical comedy series on Netflix.

Diana Hendrix

Status: $ 4.9 billion

“We have become the largest distributor in the country and delivered roofing materials to large and small roofers,” Diana Hendrix said in an interview about the company, which she founded in 1982 with her husband Ken. When Ken died in 2007, Diana refused to sell the company. It coped with the 2008 crisis and even bought rival Bradco Supply in 2010. The company's sales have more than doubled in the past 10 years.

Katie Ireland

Condition: $ 360 million

Supermodel Katy Ireland has built a licensing empire by lending her name, taste and marketing skills to over 17,000 products. And all this is being sold so successfully that it gives the trading network a profit of $ 2.6 billion. Katie herself opened a modeling agency Elite when she was 16 years old. While working as a model, Katie continued to come up with side business projects. One of them shot - furniture. As she entered the furniture market, Ireland decided that her brand needed to have some meaning: The “Solutions for families, especially busy mothers” approach has now become the company's motto. For example, carpets have been treated with a spill-proofing agent that preserves colors and lengthens rug life, and tables have been designed with rounded corners so that children running around do not get hurt by sharp corners.

Meg Whitman

Status: $ 2.1 billion

Meg Whitman was well known as a successful CEO at Hewlett Packard, and after the division of the company in 2015, she leads Hewlett Packard Enterprise, which sells servers and software. She has also held senior positions at Hasbro and Walt Disney, and is best known as the head of eBay, who raised its revenue from $ 5 million in 1998 to $ 8 billion in 2008 when she left that position.

Tony Ko

Condition: $ 260 million

Tony Ko moved to the US from Korea when she was 13 years old. After school, she helped her parents who had a warehouse. In 1999, when she was 25, she noticed how big the price gap was between supermarket cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Through her involvement in the family business, she had connections in the wholesale world and start-up capital, so she took a chance and launched NYX Cosmetics, a luxury cosmetics brand at a bargain price. In its first year, Ko received $ 4 million in retail sales. In 2014, she sold the brand to L'Oréal, a company valued at $ 500 million. And in the spring of 2016, Co launched Perverse Sunglasses for $ 40- $ 60 a pair of stylish and flirty sunglasses.

Katrina Lake

Condition: $ 120 million

Katrina Lake is the creator of Stitch Fix, an online retailer that selects clothes for customers based on statistics and stylist advice. Last year, sales reached $ 250 million, showing that the San Francisco-based startup has become a convenient shopping tool for busy women. Although Lake hasn't earned the $ 250 million frontier for the list of the richest business women, she is on the list of promising entrepreneurs and, in the near future, will soon enter the top 60 richest business women in the world.

Dorothy Herman

Condition: $ 270 million

The richest self-made American real estate company in the world, Dorothy Herman, is the co-owner of Douglas Elliman, a reputable New York-based firm that sells $ 22 billion in homes a year and has $ 600 million in revenue. The firm employs over 6 thousand agents in 85 offices. When Dorothy was 10 years old, she was in a car accident with her parents, in which her mother died and her father was seriously injured. The baby herself was thrown out of the car. Dorothy became a mother at 19, and in the 1980s began working as a real estate broker for Merrill Lynch on Long Island. Soon the company was bought out by Prudential Long Island, and already in the 90s, Dorothy herself acquired most of this company.

Liz Elting

Condition: $ 390 million

Liz Elting is one of the CEOs at TransPerfect, one of the largest multilingual translation firms, with $ 505 million in annual revenue. The offices of this company are located in 90 cities around the world. Liz Elting founded the company in 1992 with her fellow student Phil Shaw, who was once her boyfriend. Today their company is based in New York City and has 4,000 employees and 11,000 customers including AT&T, Google and Wal-Mart.