I had a specific vision in my mind when it came to Women Funding Women. Obviously, it was women investing in other women, hence the name. I wanted to build a funding force where women could put in a little bit and gain access to a world of resources and even micro-grants.
I spoke with a friend—well, an associate from high school. In my mind, she was very successful. She had several businesses, was making good money, and traveling all the time. When she told me to make my thing a nonprofit organization, I didn’t really think about it much. I just started doing the research on how to make it a nonprofit. From that, I was very proud because I was able to get my 501(c)(3) status by myself. I created the board of directors and proceeded as a nonprofit.
The thing, though, was that the moment I did that was the moment I lost my vision. In the nonprofit sector, you can’t have donors benefit from their donation directly. I couldn’t have the person who donated then turn around and be eligible for grants and other resources. That is exactly what I wanted to do. I do believe that that contributed to my burnout in some ways because I worked so hard to figure out how to make the thing that I envisioned into something else so that it would fit into this nonprofit sector. We ended up coming up with coaching—no-cost, low-cost coaching—but it was not the thing that I wanted to do.
After the burnout, once my slate was clear because I had dissolved the nonprofit organization, I decided to revisit and see what I really wanted to do. Women Funding Women was a big part of my heart. I could not let it go. It broke me down when I dissolved that nonprofit. Although that was never the vision, it still felt like failure.
It has been reborn as a purposeful for-profit membership model business where members pay a small fee every month and get access to a load of resources to include quarterly grants. That was the dream, and I’m back to that dream.
I just wanted to say, if you are a business owner or someone building a brand or a business, it is okay to seek advice from people who are where you want to be, who have money, who are traveling, and who have successful businesses. It is always important to keep in mind that they are not where you want to be exactly. They did not do the thing that you want to do exactly—unless they did. Do your research. Prioritize your vision. It isn’t about what will make the most money. It isn’t always about what will make you most successful. It is about making sure that you are showing up in the world in a way that only you can, that you are making space and honoring your vision and your purpose.
I’m doing that right now with Women Funding Women, and it feels amazing. I am completely happy with the results and I'm so glad I didn't give up. If you are a woman who has a brand or a business and you would like to join a community of ambitious women who are investing in themselves and each other, please visit www.womenfundingwomen.org.