One Red Lipstick

Live Your Dream

"I’d like to see ‘One Red Lipstick’ become a way of being, a catalyst for change. I want it to be a way of always being honest and authentic in our relationships, where we can be open and not hide from the struggles and embrace the pain that has happened to us."- One Red Lipstick, page 9

Indeed, weaving beneath each tale is an inner strength borne of stopping at nothing to find one’s passion rather than allowing our music to die on the inside.

A central point is how many of us are waiting to feel ready, waiting to feel good enough, waiting for the perfect moment to “magically arrive” before going after what we truly want. The problem is that perfect moment may never arrive.

Every day, on some level, the entrepreneur is called upon to push through fears and release comfort zones. The reward is to arrive at places you never thought possible.

Common Themes

"It takes courage to run a business. Without it, I would not have been able to deal with the dragons around the corner or the challenges that came along."- One Red Lipstick, page 107

As you read the fascinating stories, common threads can be located. Many of the women were propelled by parents who encouraged and fostered their entrepreneurial spirit. Many chose this path because life left them with few other choices. A number are from immigrant families or are immigrants themselves – having taken the risk to start afresh in a new country.

The idea that we cannot always control what happens to us but we can control our reaction underpins their collective wisdom. Here are but a few representative examples:

• The key is to always keep redefining yourself.
• Let go of the fear that holds you back… Does it really deserve that much attention?
• Take it one step at a time. It is easy to get overwhelmed when you see the end goal but if you take little steps each day, it will be a lot more manageable.
• Don’t shrink to fit someone else’s definition of you.
• Keep moving forward and surround yourself with a group of people who support you and have your back.
• Right from the start, plan to be successful. If what you are doing fails, ride that failure like a gift, because it will take you somewhere. Accept it graciously and doors will open.
• Growing up, I gave in to those little voices that lived inside my head. I let them hold me back. We give those limiting beliefs power when we believe them to be true, but the truth is they’re not.
• If you’re not doing something that scares you every day, at least do something that stretches you.

Specific Advice

"We need to redefine success beyond money and power. We need to integrate well-being, wisdom and wonder."- Arianna Huffington, quoted in One Red Lipstick, page 49

No one was asked to sugarcoat their insights. Rather, the aim is to share trials as well as triumphs involved in running one’s own business. The women in One Red Lipstick made the choice to face their challenges head on.

In the end, your business is a reflection of you. Those who dare to follow an entrepreneurial path need to be ready to play big and live even bigger.

That’s why a primary goal of this igniting volume is to encourage women of all ages to consider entrepreneurship as an alternative to working for someone else. While admittedly not for everyone, we certainly can’t help but come away with renewed vim and vigor to follow our dreams!

Editor Anne Day says it well: “We thank the women for sharing so freely and allowing themselves to be vulnerable and authentic.” I wholeheartedly agree!

The depth of pain that some of these women have overcome speaks volumes about their courage, resiliency and just pure grit. Who could not be moved? I was.