70 female business executives share career advice they would give their teenage selves, including: don't be afraid to tackle problems you see in the world; don't worry if you don't know what you want to do yet as your interests may change; always follow your gut; build your network early through sites like LinkedIn; and don't discount your natural talents while waiting for the "perfect opportunity". Overall, the advice emphasizes having confidence in yourself, taking risks, and following your passions.

1. 70 Female Business
Executives Share the
Advice They Would Give
to Their Teenage Selves

2. Rashmi Melgiri, COO and Co-
Founder of CoverWallet
Don’t be afraid of
tackling a problem you
see in the world. Others
don’t have to see your
point right away, but
believe me, with enough
hard work, they will.

3. Meredith Wood, Head of Content and
Editor-in-Chief of Fundera
Don’t worry if you don’t
know what you want to
do with your life. Even if
you think you know what
you want, that can and
probably will change.

4. Rachel Charlupski, Founder of The
Babysitting Company
• Always go with
your gut
• Try to finish
everything you
can during the
day because you
never know
what will come
up the next day
• You have to love
what you do.

5. Zondra S. Wilson, President and CEO
of Blu Skin Care, LLC
I would tell my teen-aged
self to stick to my vision. I
wouldn’t have listened to
people telling me that my
supernatural ideas were
too big and that I would
never reach my goals.

6. Donna Wells, CEO of Mindflash
Even more true today
than ever that your
network is critical to
your success. Get on
LinkedIn now and
don’t be afraid to
connect with people
more senior than
yourself as long as
you’re acquainted
and/or colleagues.

7. Diana Roberts, Owner and Realtor at
Pier-to-Pier Brokers
I would tell my teenage self
that I don’t need to be
aggressive LIKE a man, I can
be just as influential as a
woman. I believe in this
business you ALWAYS win
when you are making others
feel that they are … Not bully
them.

8. Robin Smith, CEO and Co-Founder of
WeGoLook
As long as you’re
innovative and you’re
able to create new
ideas and figure out
ways to solve
problems you can be
successful. You don’t
have to be an industry
expert to become and
industry leader.

9. Lori Cheek, Founder and CEO of
Cheekd
My strongest advice
for others considering
taking the leap is if
you truly believe in
your idea, give up
excuses and doubt,
surround yourself by a
trusted and talented
team, bulldoze
forward and DON’T.
LOOK. BACK.

10. Amanda Vega, Founder and CEO of
Amanda Vega Consulting
Be kind and take
interest in everyone
around you as you
never know how
they may impact
your future.

11. Kate Dobie, Founder of Pens Plus Pals
Avoid spending too much
time-traveling – mapping
out a hypothetical career
– and instead be
receptive to and excited
for the opportunities that
reveal themselves when
you have the confidence
to back yourself and say
yes.

12. Nellie Akalp, CEO of CorpNet.com
Show up daily,
be consistent
and find what
you’re
passionate
about and go
for it. Don’t
look back!

13. Amanda Moskowitz, Founder and
CEO of Stacklist
Fall in love with the
problem you are solving.
Building a startup is a
marathon of hurdles,
opportunities, pivots and
distractions – not
dissimilar from launching
a career.

14. Jennifer Green-Moneta, Senior Vice
President at Burns360
My self-advice would be to
stay up with all the latest
advancements and
technologies happening in
your industry, and bring
them to the company.

15. Jennifer Cloer, Founder of Rethink
Communications Group
Be curious: You don’t know
everything and you’re not
supposed to. Curiosity will
lead you to many places.
You will learn, expand and
grow while gaining a
positive reputation for your
inquisitive nature.

16. Alyssa Marie Langelier, Career
Services Manager at Coding Dojo
You are your own
toughest critic. You’ll
likely underestimate
your potential far
more than anyone
else will.

17. Daisy Jing, CEO and Founder of
Banish
You gotta know
yourself. Know who
you really are, what
it is that you believe
in and stick to what
you really want.

18. Jess Chua, Certified Career Coach at
Inner Life Goals
Be willing to save up and
invest in yourself when
you’re ready, in terms of
delegating to experts the
areas that are out of your
expertise.

19. Roberta Perry, Founder of
ScrubzBody Natural Skin Care
Fail often and fail big,
then you will know
what not to do on
your road to success.

20. Kate Lobel, Public Relations Director
at Power Digital Marketing
Always be asking the
why behind insanely
shared opinions,
controversial business
decisions and take-off
trends.

21. Erin Morris, Founder and Lead
Graphic Designer at Evergreen
Design Studio
Follow your passion
and don’t doubt or
judge yourself! Do
what makes you
happy and remember
that it doesn’t have to
be perfect

22. Deborah Sweeney, CEO of
MyCorporation.com
I would tell my teenage
self not to act too quickly
and think things through.
It sounds cliché, but I
believe you learn from
the biggest errors and I
have learned a lot about
the importance of
thoughtful consideration
and time in the decision
making process.

23. Deanna Latson, Co-Founder and Chief
Product Officer at ARIIX
If I could give my teenage
self some advice, I would
tell myself to not try to
“be like a man” to be
successful. In fact, I would
also advise myself not to
feel pressured to be like
my female peers either,
and simply embrace my
emotions, instincts,
intensity and intuition.

24. Lisa Bertania, President of
ExpoMarketing
As a teenager what you
want to be can be quite
different from your
actual career. Try out
new things, take
internships in fields you
might be interested in
working in someday, and
if it doesn’t work out, it’s
not the end of the world.

25. Heather Vickery, Owner and Success
Coach at Vickery & Co.
Believe in your power
and go forward with
courage and confidence.
All of the things you most
desire will be yours. I
promise.

26. Tanja Diamond, Founder and CEO of
Your Personal Evolution and
Learning Tantra
Protect your confidence
and understand that
courage and flexibility
are the two most
important skills to
develop for sustainable
personal and
professional growth
and success.

27. Natasha S Ford, Chief Executive
Officer of Natasha Chef Incorporated
Ensure you
remain true to
your passion
and only follow
your footsteps,
no one else’s.

28. Ambar Januel, Co-Founder and
Creative Director of Creative Agency
Januel+Johnson
The most important
things to remember
are to be authentic,
driven, thoughtful
yet persistent, and
constantly
motivated.

29. Karla Jobling, COO/Founder of
BeecherMadden
I would tell my teenage
self; make sure you
speak up. Your biggest
mistakes will come
when you stay quiet,
thinking a chance will
be given to you or your
hard work will be
recognised without you
bringing it to someone’s
attention.

30. Jessica Childress, Law Firm Attorney
and CEO of Children’s Content
Company
I would tell my teenage
self that your career is a
journey. Plan your career
destinations based on
your passions and
values.

31. Nelie Jacques, Immigration Attorney
and Sole Owner of the Law Office of
Nelie Jacques, P.A.
Trust in the
preparations
you’ve made thus
far, and use them
to chase your
dreams.

32. Katie Christy, Founder of Activate
Your Talent
I would advise other
women to stop
discounting their
natural talents and
waiting for the “right
opportunity” to come
along and start asking
for the positions, work
schedules and
opportunities they
deserve.

33. Catherine A. Wood, ExecutiveLife
Coach and Founder of Unbounded
Potential, LLC.
If she treats herself with
love and respect, she can
move forward with
confidence and power
towards her goals and
accept when others treat
her negatively or poorly.

34. Holly Rollins, President of 10x digital
Be less concerned
about what others
think and more
concerned about how
you can make a
difference in the
world.

35. Merrie Spaeth, Founder of Spaeth
Communications
To have a friend you have to
be a friend. That old saying
is so true...Make time for
your friends, celebrate their
successes and share their
sorrows.

36. Linda Griffin, Owner of Grass Roots
Marketing Systems LLC
Be the star of your own
life. Try everything that
interests you in order to
discover what you love
and what you’re good at.

37. Cary Carbonaro, Managing Director
at United Capital of New York & New
Jersey
I would tell myself
not to let fear stop
me! I would tell
myself I can achieve
anything my heart
desires with passion
and energy!

38. Robin Donovan, President of Bozell
Advertising Agency
I would encourage
myself to always
volunteer to take on
more work, never sit
idly or expect people to
tell you what to do. Be
confident and highlight
your ‘value add’ for the
company.

39. Tara Goodfellow, Owner at Athena
Educational Consultants, Inc
Be bold but not
reckless. Quitting your
first job because your
boss didn’t deliver
what was promised.
However, quitting that
day with no backup is a
bit risky.

40. Lori Bumgarner, Owner/Passion &
Career Specialist at paNASH
I would tell my teenage
self to not care so much
about what others think,
take the time to really
get to know who I am
and not to wait so long
to start my own business

41. GeorgettePascale, Founder and CEO
of Pascale Communications, LLC
Start networking
early. A critical
component to
having success in
any business,
especially early
on, is networking.

42. Monique Honaman, CEO/Partner at
ISHR Group
Travel. See the world.
Meet new people. Try
new things. Be an
adventurer. Explore.
You will get more out
of life by collecting
experiences than by
collecting things.

43. Heather Kovarik, Executive Creative
Director at Moncur
I’d tell myself to be
more courageous, not
to be afraid of exploring
other career paths. To
this day, having 20
seconds of insane
courage is still one of
my greatest lessons.

44. Kimberly Barnes, Chief Heroics
Officer at ContentPark
I’d tell my
teenage self
that yes,
anything is
possible if
you
believe…pray
…dream…vis
ualize.

45. Kelly Stickel, Owner/CEO of
Remodista
Walking to the beat of a
different drum is okay. I
would also remind her
that inspiration is not
ongoing, and to keep
pushing even when you
are not that interested in
where you are in your life
or career.

46. Sophie Knowles, Founder & CEO of
PDF Pro
Know how to negotiate
your salary. Compared
to men, women are
significantly less likely
to negotiate their
compensation package
or ask for a raise.

47. Melyni Serpa, Vice President, Client
Services at G/O Digital
Build a network. Start
now. Surround
yourself with positive
people who will
encourage and even
require you to be your
best self.

48. Megan Perrone-Floyd, Director of
Marketing at G/O Digital
Don’t try to know it all.
Surround yourself with
people who can help
strengthen your areas
of weakness. This way
you are constantly
learning and growing –
always becoming
better both personally
and professionally.

49. Nanda Davis, Owner of Davis Law
Practice
Be outgoing. If you
approach new people,
introduce yourself,
talk, and even ask for
help, you’ll be
surprised by how
welcoming most
people are.

50. Lindsey Handley, Ph.D., COO and Co-
Founder of ThoughtSTEM, LLC
Make as many
decisions for
yourself as you can
every day. By
making decisions for
ourselves, we
internalize the idea
that we are in
control of our own
lives and our own
fortunes.

51. Dawn Britt, Founder and CEO of one7
communications
Find something that you
love to do and cultivate
your passion. Then, all the
other pieces in your life will
fall into place.

52. Paige Arnof-Fenn, Founder & CEO of
Mavens & Moguls
Jobs and job leads can
come from anyone
anywhere anytime so
you should always be
on your best behavior &
make a great lasting
impression.

53. Larissa Pickens, Owner and Creative
Director of Float.Design
Don’t get paralyzed
with fear thinking
there’s one ”right”
career path — many
jobs of the future don’t
even exist yet!

54. Sylvia Vaquer, Co-Founder and
Creative Director of SocioFabrica and
Nicho
Think of your
career as a work
of art. It is always
in progress,
always being
shaped and
constantly
evolving, like
yourself.

55. Lindsey Carnett, CEO and President of
Marketing Maven
My best advice to
my teenage self
would be to become
an intern early in
college. Join the
PRSSA at your
university and start
networking with
business leaders in
your community.

56. Shobhna Upadhyaya, Senior
Manager/Head of Product Business
Operations, LinkedIn Marketing
Solutions at LinkedIn
The future is fine. That
one sub-par exam,
grade or interview
didn’t really matter.

57. Michelle Hutchison, Global Head of
Public Relations at finder.com
You will move onto even
bigger and better things.
Pay more attention in high
school and work harder on
your writing because it will
make your life easier when
you start your career.

58. Beth-Ann Eason, President of Innovid
Don’t watch other people’s
paths and measure your
success against
theirs…Recognize that you
have chosen a path for a
reason.

59. Gisela Hausmann, Owner of Educ-
Easy Books
Learn how to write effective
emails with personal
appeal. It is an
indispensable tool to getting
a part-time job,summer job,
an internship, scholarships
and much more.

60. Alexandra I. Levin, MBA, SPHR, Co-
Founder of The Back Forty
Take the time to explore
the world, different
business and career paths,
and find what you love to
do – it is better to take the
time and find what you
are passionate about, then
to find yourself in jobs you
don’t like.

61. Deborah Gregory, Co-Founder of
Gregory Law Group, PLLC
Focus on your dreams,
not your gender…You
really can do anything –
as long as you believe
you can.

62. Hannah Davis, Founder and
President of BANGS Shoes
The largest lesson
I’ve learned is the
importance in
having fun. You
may even have to
schedule fun at
some point – but
set your work
down for a bit, I
promise it won’t
go anywhere.

63. Kimberly Smith, CEO of AvenueWest
Global Franchise
Define your non-
negotiable.
Understand your
strengths.
Learn to
communicate what
makes you great.

64. Barbara J. Sullivan, President of
Sullivan & Associates
When things go wrong,
invoke the ‘five-year
rule.’ Will this problem
really matter in five
years? Probably not, so
don’t sweat it too
much or let it sidetrack
you.

65. Ayrin Islam, CEO and Founder of
ringID
Focus on a specific goal
and develop your
career around it rather
than trying to do
everything that comes
your way.

66. Richa Sharma, Operations Manager
at BlueCube Network
I’d advise my younger
self to be more
confident with risks.
Growth comes with
risks.

67. Elene Cafasso, President & Head
Coach at Enerpace Executive
Coaching
Trust yourself. You
cannot do this wrong.
Know that even if you
don’t like something,
you can try something
else and it will be ok.

68. Ellen Cunningham, Marketing
Manager for CardFellow
Dream jobs can be
anything where you get
to use your skills in a way
that you like, no matter
what industry it is.

69. Kerry Walls, Owner at The Coaching
Collaborative
Our career path
doesn’t make sense
when we’re going
forward in to it, but
it makes perfect
sense when we look
back on it.

70. Jennarose DiGiacomo,
Founder/Social Media Millennial of
Aldarose Media, LLC
I would definitely tell
myself to never give up on
your hopes, your goals
and your dreams. You
never know where life
may lead you. I am
beyond proud of where I
am today and I continue
to strive for success.

71. Jess Weiner, CEO of Talk To Jess, LLC
No matter what
field you decide to
go into, the
currency of your
career will be
relationships.