Key Takeaway:
Join us in mulling over wise insights from female leaders across multiple industries as we celebrate National Women’s Small Business Month this October.
October is National Women’s Small Business Month, and here at Technology Therapy®️ Group, we’re using it as an excuse to turn up the volume on women’s voices.
Running an independent business means wearing a lot of hats: marketer, creative director, customer service rep, and chief problem-solver (sometimes before lunch!). On the days when it feels like too much, the right words from someone who’s been there can make the next step feel more doable.
So, we gathered insights from women leaders whose perspectives speak to the realities of small business life: finding fresh ideas, earning customer trust, and sticking with it when growth takes longer than planned. Each one comes with a lesson or takeaway you can carry into your own business this month.
Twyla Tharp:
Stretch Beyond Your Comfort Zone
“Venturing out of your comfort zone may be dangerous, yet do it anyways because our ability to grow is directly proportional to an ability to entertain the uncomfortable.” – Twyla Tharp, “The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life”
– Twyla Tharp, “The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life”
As an independent business owner, it’s important to reassess your growth on a regular basis. But sometimes you really have to look beyond engagement and conversion rates, profits, and ROI to measure your business’s true vitality. Behind every healthy enterprise is a leader and team that embraces being uncomfortable.
Perhaps it’s listening to and responding thoughtfully to some recent negative reviews you received on Google, then using that feedback to overhaul outdated processes or experiment with more prompt, personal customer service responses. Or maybe it’s reaching out to some local business owners to plan a collaborative in-store event, or committing to short-form video marketing content to promote your business to the younger customers you’ve been wanting to target.
Action Step:
Do one uncomfortable marketing task this week that you’ve been putting off.
Brené Brown:
Trust Is Earned in the Quiet Moments
“Trust is […] earned in the smallest of moments. It is earned not through heroic deeds, or even highly visible actions, but through paying attention, listening, and gestures of genuine care and connection.”
– Brené Brown, “Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.”
Trust is at the heart of the strongest relationships, whether in the personal realm or in the business world. From a business owner’s perspective, it’s easy to think that building trust with customers requires bold gestures, a rigorous loyalty program, or over-the-top incentives. But customer loyalty is often built in the quieter moments that span from first touchpoint to after the sale.
Think about what those moments look like day to day: a quick reply to a question before someone is ready to buy, a clear explanation of your return policy, or a follow-up note after an appointment. None of them will make headlines. But each one tells a customer you’re paying attention, which is exactly what Brown describes. And they add up. Customers who feel informed and heard tend to come back.
The best part for lean teams is that these habits cost far more in consistency than in cash. You don’t need new software or a bigger budget, just a decision to make them part of how you do business.
Action Step:
Here are some small ways to build trust with your customers this month:
- Reply to emails, calls, and DMs within one business day, even if it’s just to say you’re looking into it.
- Share pricing, policies, and turnaround times upfront so there are no surprises at checkout or on the invoice.
- Follow up after a purchase or appointment with a quick note asking how everything’s going.
- Own mistakes quickly by explaining what happened and how you’re fixing it.
- Give customers a heads-up the moment a timeline slips.
Bouchra Ezzahraoui:
Go for It Before Fear Talks You Out of It
“Don’t waste too much time worrying, just go for it!”
– Bouchra Ezzahraoui, Co-Founder of AUrate New York
Worry comes with running a business. Before a launch, a big purchase, or a new campaign, it’s easy to find a dozen reasons to wait for a better moment. But waiting for certainty can cost you momentum, and many business owners never get that certainty before they start.
AUrate New York shows what can happen when you commit to a clear point of view. Founders Bouchra Ezzahraoui and Sophie Kahn built a jewelry brand around sustainable pieces crafted by women, for women. Putting a brand like that into the world means sharing it before you know exactly how it will land, and we admire the courage in that.
The good news is that you don’t have to take the whole leap at once. Shrink the first step until it feels doable: draft the first version of the post, send the email to a small segment, or set a modest test budget for an ad. Once you’ve started, you’ll have real results to learn from instead of guesses.
Takeaway:
Don’t let anxiety or fear paralyze you from taking that first step. Whether it’s securing funding for your small business idea or launching a bold new campaign.
Joanna Gaines:
Keep Going Through the Setbacks
“Don’t quit, and don’t give up. The reward is just around the corner.”
– Joanna Gaines, Co-Founder of Magnolia
Joanna Gaines’s success didn’t happen overnight. Before the TV show, the books, and the product lines, there was a small boutique in Waco, a young family at home, and plenty of people questioning whether opening a store was a smart move. She grew up helping out at her family’s Firestone shop, where she picked up a strong work ethic and some early bookkeeping experience, and she later studied Communications at Baylor.
The road had its bumps, too, including debt and losing out on the building she first hoped to buy for what’s now Magnolia Market at the Silos. With her husband Chip’s support, the two kept building, adjusting, and trying again.
You don’t need to follow Joanna’s exact path. The takeaway is simpler: setbacks are a normal part of growing a business, and a closed door doesn’t have to be the end of the story.
Action Steps:
What are some obstacles your business is facing right now? What are some negative reviews or opinions you’ve been listening to lately? What are some positive cheerleaders in your life (friends, family, staff, business coach)? Schedule a phone call or coffee date with one of them this week.
Judy Blume:
Gather Ideas from Everywhere
“Ideas come from everywhere—memories of my own life, incidents in my children’s lives, what I see and hear and read—and most of all, from my imagination.”
– Judy Blume
Blume was talking about writing novels, but her advice applies to marketing too. Your next content idea or campaign concept is probably hiding in plain sight. Skim your customer reviews for the phrases shoppers use to describe you. Send a quick customer survey to find out what they want to know. Try some social listening (tracking what people say about your business, products, and industry online) or pull your team together for a brainstorm. Even a podcast on your commute can spark a thought worth jotting down.
Social media is another rich source of inspiration. Scan your feeds for trends that fit your store and your brand and skip the ones that don’t. Sure, AI tools can help you brainstorm content, campaigns, and ads. But you’ll have more fun (and end up with ideas that sound like you) when you lean into your own imagination and do some idea-gathering of your own.
Takeaway
Don’t over rely on AI for creative ideas for your small business marketing. See what you and your team can come up with, surf social media trends, and sift through your customer reviews/feedback as you plan your content and campaigns for Q4 and into the new year.
Keep the Inspiration Going
Creativity, trust, and persistence don’t belong to October alone. They’re the habits that carry a small business through every season, and the women featured here show they’re built in everyday moments, not just big breakthroughs.
So, pick the lesson that spoke to you the most and put it to work this week. Then take note of what changes, whether that’s a new content idea, a stronger customer connection, or a little extra motivation to keep going.
Ready for Your Next Good Idea?
Jennifer Shaheen’s weekly retail tips are short, simple, and made for busy business owners. Which one will you try first?
