On breaking free from the “girlboss” pressure and choosing what’s authentically right for you
I was sitting in my favorite café, wearing the silk blouse I always save for important meetings, while my former coworker Sarah spread out a business proposal that seemed tailored for women like us. A luxury beauty salon — the kind where women could feel pampered, beautiful, and cared for.
“It’s perfect for us,” she said, her eyes bright with excitement. “$7000 monthly revenue from the start, prime location, and you know how much women are spending on self-care these days.”
As a woman in business, I should have been thrilled. After all, isn’t this what we’re told to do? Create spaces for women, by women? But something in my gut was screaming no.
Breaking Free from the “Female Founder” Blueprint
Let’s be honest — as women entrepreneurs, we often feel pressured to start certain types of businesses. Beauty salons, boutiques, wellness centers… businesses that fit neatly into what society expects from female founders.
I’ve spent three years building various businesses, some successful, others not so much. And here’s what I’ve learned: The fastest way to fail is to build a business based on what others think you should do rather than what lights your soul on fire.
The proposal looked perfect on paper:
- A high-end beauty salon in an upscale neighborhood
- Services women already love and trust
- A ready market of professional women with disposable income
- The chance to create a luxurious, feminine space
But as I dug deeper, I saw the cracks in this “perfect” opportunity.
Why I Said No (And What It Taught Me About Being True to Myself)
1. The Hidden Emotional Labor
As women, we’re often expected to be naturally good at managing people and creating nurturing environments. But let’s be real — managing a team of beauty professionals means:
- Handling interpersonal dynamics
- Managing client expectations
- Constant emotional availability
- Being the face of the business
Having run other businesses, I know my strength lies in creating systems and digital solutions, not in daily face-to-face emotional labor.
2. The Freedom Factor
Here’s what nobody tells you about running a beauty business: It can be just as constraining as a corporate job, maybe more so. As women, we often start businesses to gain freedom, but end up creating beautiful cages for ourselves.
I watched my cousin run her salon for years:
- Working weekends because that’s when clients want appointments
- Missing family events because she couldn’t leave her team
- Being constantly available for client emergencies
- Managing staff drama while maintaining a serene environment
3. The Innovation Ceiling
In tech or digital businesses, I can innovate freely. But in the beauty industry, we’d be:
- Limited by established beauty standards
- Dependent on product manufacturers
- Restricted by local market prices
- Confined to physical location limitations
4. The Time-Worth Question
As women, we’re finally learning to value our time properly. The salon would require:
- 60+ hour weeks at the start
- Physical presence for quality control
- Constant client relationship management
- Endless staff training and supervision
What I Chose Instead
I decided to stay true to my strengths:
- Building scalable digital businesses
- Creating content that helps other women
- Developing systems that run without my constant presence
- Leading with innovation rather than tradition
A Message to Other Women Entrepreneurs
We need to stop feeling guilty about not fitting into traditional “female business owner” molds. Your business should reflect YOUR strengths, not society’s expectations of what women should do.
Ask yourself:
- Does this business model energize or drain me?
- Am I excited about the daily work, or just the idea of it?
- Does it give me the lifestyle freedom I really want?
- Am I doing this because I want to, or because I think I should?
Sometimes the bravest thing we can do as women entrepreneurs is say no to what looks good on paper and yes to what feels right in our gut. Even if it doesn’t fit the traditional “female founder” narrative.
Have you ever felt pressured to start a certain type of business because you’re a woman? I’d love to hear your stories in the comments below.