Okay, female founders are straight-up my obsession. I’m sitting in this loud-ass Brooklyn café, brick walls and hipster baristas judging my order (yes, I got the $7 oat milk latte, sue me). My laptop’s at 2% battery, so I’m scribbling this on a napkin like a total cliché. Smells like burnt espresso and regret in here, but I’m fired up thinking about how female founders turn side hustles into legit empires. I’ve been hustling myself, screwing up left and right, and I’m gonna spill my guts—messy, real, and maybe a little embarrassing—about what I’ve learned from them and my own faceplants. Let’s get into it.
Why Female Founders Got Me Hooked
Real talk: I didn’t always stan female founders. Back in my 20s, I was freelancing as a graphic designer in a shoebox Chicago apartment, surrounded by pizza boxes and existential panic. I thought “entrepreneur” meant some dude in a Patagonia vest pitching a crypto app. Then I read about Sara Blakely, who turned $5,000 and some pantyhose into Spanx (peep her story on Forbes). It was like a lightbulb went off—ding!—and I realized female founders are out here building empires from nothing but grit and weird ideas.
What hits me is how raw their stories are. Like, I tried selling custom tote bags on Etsy a few years back. Thought I’d be the next big thing. Sold three. One to my mom. Another to my cousin who felt bad. Female founders get that kind of flop—they talk about it, laugh about it, and keep going. They’re not just selling stuff; they’re rewriting the whole damn game. And I’m here for it, sipping my overpriced latte and dreaming.
The Side Hustle Grind Is Too Real
Let’s chat about the side hustle life. Picture me last year, stuck in a soul-sucking marketing job while trying to launch a podcast about—yep—female founders. I recorded in my closet, surrounded by laundry and my cat, Muffin, who meowed like she was auditioning for American Idol. One episode had a solid minute of me muttering, “Why is this so freaking hard?” and I didn’t even edit it out. Female founders know that vibe. They’re juggling day jobs, kids, or parents who go, “You’re still messing with that little project?”
Like, look at Whitney Wolfe Herd, who built Bumble while dodging haters and naysayers (her story’s nuts—check it on CNBC). The side hustle phase is like running through mud in flip-flops. You’re broke, exhausted, and wondering if you’re delusional. But every female founder I’ve fangirled over started there. It’s not cute Instagram posts—it’s coffee stains, 3 a.m. emails, and pure chaos. And I’m obsessed with how they own it.
Stuff I’ve Learned From Female Founders (And My Own Disasters)
So, what’s the tea from female founders, besides the fact that I’m not cut out to be the tote bag queen? Here’s what I’ve picked up, mixed with my own, uh, learning moments:
- Start small, dream ridiculous. Female founders like Melanie Perkins of Canva didn’t just wake up with a unicorn company. She started with yearbooks, for God’s sake (read more on Entrepreneur). Me? I tried launching a whole branding agency right away. Tanked hard. Lesson: take baby steps, but keep the empire in your head.
- Find your squad. I was too stubborn to network at first—thought I could lone-wolf it. Nope. Female founders lean on mentors, friends, even random X connections. I finally joined a women’s entrepreneur group in NYC, and it’s like finding my people. They roast me when I overthink (which is, like, daily).
- Own the awkward. I once pitched a client while Muffin barfed in the background. I pretended it was “just the neighbor’s dog.” Cringe. But female founders normalize that stuff. They’ll admit they cried in a parking lot or sent an email with a typo. It’s messy, and it’s human.
My Biggest Faceplant as a Wanna-Be Female Founder
Alright, here’s where I get real vulnerable. Last summer, I decided I was gonna launch a subscription box for “empowered women.” Think candles, cheesy affirmations, maybe some crystals. I dropped $500 on supplies, built a website that looked like it was designed by a toddler, and… nothing. Zero sales. I forgot to, like, tell anyone it existed. I was so embarrassed I hid it from my friends for months. But reading about female founders like Katrina Lake of Stitch Fix (her story’s on Inc.) made me realize screwing up is just part of the gig. They all flopped at something. The key is getting back up.
What’s Next for Female Founders (And Me, Probably)
I’m still a hot mess, let’s be clear. My podcast’s got, like, 15 listeners now (shoutout to Mom and my neighbor). But female founders keep me going. The future’s looking up for women entrepreneurs—more funding, more hype, more stories like ours getting told. I’m stoked about platforms like SheEO giving women a megaphone. It’s not perfect, but it’s something.
My Plan to Channel Female Founder Vibes
Here’s what I’m doing, inspired by these badass women:
- Quit overthinking. I rewrite emails like 20 times. Female founders say just send the damn thing.
- Celebrate the small stuff. Even if it’s just one podcast download that’s not my mom. It counts.
- Keep learning. I’m inhaling books like Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg and podcasts like How I Built This. Gotta stay curious.
Wrapping Up This Messy Rant
So, yeah, female founders are my heroes. Their stories make me feel less like a total disaster in my coffee-stained hustle. I’m still learning, still bombing, but I’m also dreaming bigger than ever. If you’re out there grinding on your own side hustle, don’t quit. You’re not alone, and you’re probably closer to an empire than you think. Got your own hustle story? Spill it in the comments—I’m all ears!
