I have been around the tech entrepreneurial world for most of my professional career. At a certain point, feeling dissatisfied and removed from my previous aspirations, I decided to reboot and take control of my life. I must confess that this journey has been way harder than I ever imagined. In reviewing some of the mistakes I have made, I have few insights that I want to share, hoping they can help you prepare for your journey. 1. Giving up – when the going gets tough I started with a blog, hoping to learn more about the industry, find connections, and build an audience. I r...

As an entrepreneur, you probably occasionally have your moments of doubts, when you ask yourself: Should I go on, or is it time to stop? Have I reached a dead-end, or is it simply another challenge that needs to be met? On the one hand, you know you are fully invested in the process, you have devoted time and energy, you have made some sacrifices and probably put in some money; on the other hand, doubts and uncertainty are essential to progress. So how can you know whether it is time to recalibrate and move onto a different path, or, alternatively, whether you should stick with your...

How often do you find yourself on the verge of giving up, thinking it’s just been too long since you started?  Before you make any decisions, it might be worth reminding yourself that the bigger your goal or your dream, the longer and harder it may take to get there. Along the way you'll meet endless achievers who have already arrived at their destination, either because they started earlier, they run faster, or they simply had an easier, more achievable goal. No dream is unattainable; it is just the question of distance that will determine how long it will take to achieve it. R...

Running and entrepreneurship are not the same thing. You can be a great runner and have nothing to do with starting a business, and you can (apparently) be a happy and successful entrepreneur who hasn’t run a single mile in her life. Yet, there are, in my experience, a few similarities, and some thoughts that keep emerging while doing one of the two which remind me of their resemblance. 1. You never get used to the starts. No matter how many times you’ve done it before, every new run requires a call to that inner motivation starter that will get you out there one more time and "ge...

One of the things I like most about the entrepreneurial journey is learning new things. These past two years have had the steepest learning curve I have ever encountered. Being a fast learner is definitely an advantage for an entrepreneur or someone wishing to create her dream career. But this post is not about what and why should be the areas to expand your horizons (we'll deal with that another time). It's about how you can learn from the experience of others who've had the chance to go through the same path and are now sharing their knowledge and insights with others. At a certain...

When you call someone a perfectionist, do you mean it as a compliment? Do you look at a co-worker or friend with a pinch of envy and think to yourself: "she's a perfectionist—no wonder she looks perfect and, at the same time, juggles all her tasks and manages her work life so well." Well, you may want to think again. Refusing to accept any standard short of perfection comes with the tendency to be orderly, detail-oriented, conscientious about following rules and doing what is right and "proper.” This often comes with a price tag, however, because the same person may be afraid of maki...

Flowers are one of nature's perfections. It is, therefore, not surprising that designers are often inspired to capture the feeling of nature in their fabrics. Printed fabrics are often colorful and cheerful, imbuing the wearer with a sense of boldness. So too are the images I share with you today, each lending a different interpretation to the idea of prints, flowers, and their combinations. Prints can be calmer and more restrained or noisier and more self-assured. You can take the full outfit or settle for a touch just to get the spirit.  I find it hard to achieve a clean-...

"Shallow men believe in luck, believe in circumstances… Strong men believe in cause and effect.” Ralph Waldo Be you shallow or not, luck is certainly a great ingredient to have in life but far from being sufficient. Many people do seem to believe, however, in that axiom: "Everything happens for a reason." Like me, you too, at some time or another, must have come across truisms such as: "It might take a year, it might take a day, but what's meant to be will always find its way" or "sometimes when thing are falling apart, they may actually be falling into place." And as easy as it...

Be it clothes, shoes, nail polish or wallpaper – lately I can't seem to resist the color nude/blush. It’s neither beige nor pink but something in between. It is probably the natural shade and calm presence that makes it so appealing, lending it something magical. It does seem to be more present both in fashion shows and on the high street, but it might also be my current mindset causing me to notice it rather than its intensified presence.  This color seems to echo the notion of being able to accept things as they are; adopting an effortless shade which surprisingly has the oppo...

"Expectation is the root of all heartache." William Shakespeare Anyone over their twenties will have had a chance or two to realize that the way you manage your expectations can help prepare you for disappointment. Yet, nothing can train you to deal with your expectations better than confronting disappointment. For entrepreneurs, this question of expectation and disappointment becomes particularly tricky: on the one hand, your long term vision must trust that things will turn out the way you dreamt and that you can make them happen, but at the same time you must be able to...