Vicki Donlan's gut has never been wrong. Most important, I always take action. Believing in yourself and having confidence in your decisions is what entrepreneurs need.
Vicki Donlan, Consultant and Author of HER TURN
I grew up with a Dad who was what I call a "big picture guy". He was a real estate developer and he would drive up and down the highway and point out to me the different types of buildings he had planned for the different sites. For example, an office building here, a shopping mall there and on and on. As I grew up these buildings actually appeared just as my Dad said they would. What did I learn? If you believe it you can achieve it. I realized I had to envision my dream and it too could come true. The details would take care of themselves as long as I was committed to my vision.
In 1995 I envisioned a women's business newspaper profiling women in business in my region - MA, NH and RI. I knew exactly what I wanted it to look like and because I had worked in most areas in the newspaper business I had no question about my ability to make my vision into a reality. In 1998 I launched Women's Business. In August, 2001 I expanded it to NY, NJ and CT -- I had not have envisioned what would and did happen on 9/11! Of course, my NY staff was devastated and felt that they were unable to make the sales calls they needed to launch the paper in October 2001 as planned. This was a challenge but one I believed would respond to my simple philosophy of connecting to others as human beings with the goal of sharing their pain and fear. I also always think in terms of the worst case scenario -- what is the worst thing that could happen if we call someone to sell ad space to and they have been deeply and sadly personally affected by the tragedy. The worst case scenario was we would offer our sincerest sympathies and let one new stranger know we understood and truly cared about their loss. Going on with business was what businesses had to do.Our calls to potential advertisers and subscribers continued but with an attitude that we were all in this together and by working together and connecting with each other we would not isolate ourselves and feel held back -- the objective the terrorists had for all of us. The October issue launched on time and with a party of 450 attendees in Manhattan celebrating its first Women's Business Newspaper. Donna Hanover, former wife to Mayor Giuliani was our emcee.
Of course, my purpose in starting the paper was to one day sell it. So beginning in 1998 when I launched I regularly sent out letters to major publishers across the country to invite them to meet with me and see the special niche newspaper I had created. Again I envisioned these very important publishers to be just like me - except with bigger offices, bigger bank accounts, more employees and more advertisers -- but otherwise just like me -- publishers of newspapers that were always looking for a new edge to keep their readers engaged. Almost every newspaper publisher invited me for a meeting. I may have been a small business but I was a niche business they wanted. By 2004, I was able to sell my newspaper to The Boston Herald. They were the first paper I was able to trade space with and get successfully in my door. I could envision a partnership and more perfectly the scenario for a sale -- and it worked out just as I had planned.
Finally, with a 3 year contract in place after the sale it was time for me to being envisioning my next venture. People had been telling me to write a book for at least 20 years. I thought about what I would write about. I tried to envision myself as an author. At first the idea didn't resonate with me. Could I actually sit still long enough to write 80,000 words which is a typical size book? I went to the library and search the shelves not necessarily to decide what to write about but whether or not I could fit in. That's when it hit me! If all these people could write a book - of course, I could. None of them had published and sold a successful newspaper. All I really needed was the idea that would inspire the process. I had been writing monthly columns for my own newspaper and contributed columns to the Boston Herald. But a book was different. I talked with the librarian about business books and books about women. The idea began to gel. Business books were in one section and women's book's they had their own section. What? No Men's section. I had spend the last 10 years profiling women in business, telling their stories and demonstrating that they could do any job a man could do. I had co-founded or founder 3 different women's groups all growing and networking doing their best to at least compete with the 'old boys network' where just being a member of the group gave you an opportunity. I had recently received the latest data on women senior executive and women board directors and noticed that the numbers were going down not up. That was it. I could see my book. HER TURN Why It's Time For Women To Lead in America --- for both men and women.
It was time for a book that detailed the history of the women's movement in America and demonstrated how critical it is at this moment when women are the most educated in America that our companies, organizations, educational institutes and political arenas take advantage of the expertise of 52% of the U.S. population.
Once again I sat down and envisioned what my book would look like. What I had learned, what I wanted to share with the world, particularly with men and women in business. The book was finished in May 2007 and published in September 2007. I believed it and I achieved it.
Now I am onto to my next excellent adventure.
Finally tips: Anytime I have had questions about what to do I do 3 things.
1. I create a list on a sheet with pros and cons
2. I create a list of worst and best case scenarios
3. I take a run and always go with my gut!
Over 30 years my gut has never been wrong. Most important, I always take action.
Believing in yourself and having confidence in your decisions is what entrepreneurs need.
Listening to others: family, friends, business coaches and/or colleagues are all important parts in making the decision. But a smart entrepreneur will listen to her own gut and take action.
The worst thing to do is to do nothing. Even a wrong decision is better than no decision. It eventually opens up other doors and it is through those doors that a new answer will come to you.
Vicki Donlan -
Founder, Women's Business newspaper; Author of HER TURN
Why It's Time for Women To Lead in America and Consultant.
Email via the website
