Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Emily McDonald, Co-Founder of My Founder Circle, located in Redwood City, CA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

My Founder Circle is a platform for female founders looking to launch and scale their companies. Our customers are female founders who want support and education about growing their companies. I am also the founder and CEO of The Stylist LA. The Stylist LA is a subscription service for women's clothing aimed at Millennial and Generation Z women.

Tell us about yourself

I started my first company in 2009 as a side hustle, with a rolling rack in my living room. I grew that company to a 7-figure business with two retail stores in Los Angeles and San Francisco. I raised over a million dollars in venture capital.

When the pandemic hit, that company changed drastically, and we closed our retail stores. I struggled with mental health as that company shifted. I then decided to start coaching female founders and supporting them on their journey in entrepreneurship.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

It's hard to narrow it down to one, but I think my biggest accomplishments have been starting companies from scratch and building them up to be real revenue-generating businesses. It is extremely hard to build a business from nothing. With both of my companies, I have created loyal and enthusiastic users, and that is something I am very thankful for.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Feeling alone is one of the hardest things about being a founder. You have to make hard decisions, and most of the time, these decisions are completely up to you and you alone. That often leads to some middle-of-the-night anxiety about whether you are doing the right thing or not. It is hard to feel so isolated while trying to do something so difficult as creating a company from nothing!

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. You are smarter than you believe. If you have to list out all of your accomplishments and accolades to remember this, then do it, but no matter what, remind yourself often that you do have what it takes to build this business.
  2. You should never stop networking. Help others before you need any help yourself. Build a community of people who lift you up and want to see you succeed.
  3. Begin with the most difficult task. Often, we put off the hard work because we are scared of it or it makes us uncomfortable. Usually, that means that it is the most important work for us. So do the items on your to-do list that you want to do the least first.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://myfoundercircle.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/founderemily/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ekmcdona
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekmcdonald/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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