The Entrepreneur Insider network is an online community where the most thoughtful and influential people in America’s startup scene contribute answers to timely questions about entrepreneurship and careers. Today’s answer to the question “How do you stay inspired to run a business?” is written by Tiffany Pham, founder and CEO of Mogul.
When you ask entrepreneurs what their daily roles look like, many times they’ll answer with the commonly used expression, “I wear multiple hats.” As the CEO of Mogul, I wear numerous metaphorical hats: boss, fundraiser, mentor, friend, speaker, coder, writer—the list goes on. While being an entrepreneur and running a business can sometimes feel like an ongoing marathon, doing the below will remind you of why you started your company in the first place and reignite your passion:
Find strength in your roots
When you need to feel renewed energy, turn to your roots and the people who came before you as a source of encouragement. I created Mogul to continue the legacy of my grandmother, who dedicated her professional career to providing information access to those in need. I was a teenager when she passed away, and I promised myself going forward that I would carry out our family legacy and provide the world with access to knowledge and opportunities beyond the boundaries set by their respective societies. Each and every day, I honor my grandmother as Mogul helps our users become more connected to information on a global scale.
See also: How to Stay Inspired When You’re Stressed
Know who you’re helping
Communicate with your users on a deeper level to understand how your product or service is improving their lives. Survey your users or conduct live interviews at regular intervals to fully grasp what is driving their continuing loyalty, and then incorporate their feedback. At Mogul, our goal is to provide women with access to useful, practical, and inspirational information. Each week, we now reach over 18 million women who use Mogul to become more successful—whether it’s by enrolling in one of our Mogul Courses, building leadership skills as one of our Global Ambassadors, or even connecting with others by sharing personal stories and insights. While supporting the rapid growth of the company can be challenging at times, I’m recharged when I receive emails, tweets, and comments from our users who tell us how Mogul has changed their lives and allows them to be their authentic selves. Ultimately, we’re working to empower women worldwide by uplifting their voices and create change.
Build a work family
In any aspect of business, it’s important to have people in your life who double as your safety net. The team of all-stars at Mogul is a powerful force, which proves that we are heading toward something revolutionary. When Mogul launched in 2014, I was a one-person team, coding the platform from scratch. I was fortunate enough to organically onboard an extraordinarily talented team dedicated to our company’s mission and vision. I feel lucky to work with a group of passionate individuals who possess the rare ability to think big picture and demonstrate flexibility in the midst of continued growth. They inspire me to do good by them.
Appreciate the journey
It’s easy to wake up feeling overwhelmed by impending phone calls, meetings, events, and bills. But I’ve learned to feel grateful for all of the things I must accomplish each day. As each day begins, there are so many new opportunities my team and I can now conquer. Part of being in a leadership role requires this shift in perspective. Instead of thinking, “I have too many things to do today,” try getting out of bed excited for all of the opportunities ahead that you might be able to leverage into further momentum for your business. As an entrepreneur, I am acutely aware that our organization’s trajectory could change at any moment. I appreciate that I am able to wake up every morning with a to-do list and an inbox full of interesting messages and potential partnerships.
Most importantly, our community of users is the driving force behind why I created Mogul. They are kind, authentic, and generous women thirsty for more knowledge and access to the world outside of their own. Knowing that Mogul is fostering the next generation of female game-changers and rule-breakers provides me with endless mileage for this path I have just begun to pave.
Tiffany Pham is the founder and CEO of MOGUL, an award-winning worldwide platform connecting women to trending content, including stories, products, and jobs that are personalized to their interests. MOGUL was named one of the Top NYC Startups to Watch in 2015 by Entrepreneur Magazine, named one of the Best Websites for Finding Top Talent in 2015 by Inc. Magazine, one of the Top Websites for Marketing Your Company Online in 2015 by Forbes, and has been honored and recognized by Bustle and Harvard Business School.
