3 Things You Can Do to Become a Better Entrepreneur

Teneshia Carr, editor of All the Hats, sat down with Janice Omadeke, the 94th Black woman to raise at least $1 million in venture capital, and the founder of software company the Mentor Method, which helps companies build inclusive mentorship programs at scale in under an hour. Here are three takeaways from the conversation:

Embrace the things that make you different

Omadeke says that you can only harness your superpowers if you know what they are. Differences, she says, “will make you stand out in the market, and will help you scale faster and reach your goals a lot sooner.” Plus, says Omadeke, the sooner you embrace what makes you different from others, the sooner you will attract like-minded investors, partners, and customers.

Find balance

Omadeke knows how difficult being a founder and CEO can be. From constantly evolving her product and motivating her team, to planning an upcoming event at SXSW, she’s often being pulled in many different directions. One way she stays balanced is by taking care of herself. And that can be as simple as making sure she is rested and hydrated. This way, she says, “I can continue giving 1,000 percent of myself to the business and my team.”

Nurture your community

Omadeke makes it a point to check on her friends regularly. She says it can be as simple as “a text message, sending a meme, or something else, just to have that humanizing moment.” The important part is building reciprocal and uplifting relationships. Omadeke says this is what allows her and other founders to run 1,000 miles an hour toward their goals.