"​Lean Out" With Felena Hanson: 5 Important Questions Every Female Entrepreneur Should Ask by 30Seconds Mom

Do you feel stalled in your career? Do you feel underpaid, overworked and without flexibility and autonomy over your time? If the answers are yes, then it may be time for you to lean out, says Felena Hanson, the founder of Hera Hub, a spa-inspired shared workspace and community for female entrepreneurs and the author of Flight Club - Rebel, Reinvent & Thrive: How to Launch Your Dream Business. 

Adding to that, if you have a personal passion that you want to turn into your own entrepreneurial venture, then for sure it is time for you to “lean out.” As you consider joining the ranks of the millions of female-owned businesses in the U.S., there are five key questions you should ask yourself as you decide if it’s your time to “lean out:”

• Are you determined? Let’s say you have an idea but everyone is telling you it can’t be done. What are you going to do about this situation? This experience might be motivation enough for you to try to one-up the naysayers.

• Do you want to leave a legacy? You aspire to live a bigger life, to make an impact, to make your presence known. As they say, if you’re not building your own dream, you’re building someone else’s.
  

• Do you want to control your time? Maybe you’re most productive from 4 a.m. to 9 a.m., or perhaps you’re a night owl. Maybe you want to be at your daughter’s soccer practice at 3 p.m. or your son’s acting class at 4 p.m. Instead of being told when to work and when to take breaks or a vacation, you could finally determine your schedule.

• Do you mind getting your hands dirty? You’ll have to do plenty of grunt work as a new business owner. It’s not always enjoyable, but you find it rewarding to see the fruits of your labor.

• Are you a born leader? Having a great idea is one thing. Being able to communicate that idea and convince others to jump on board is another. If you have the leadership skills to round up the troops and motivate them, consider starting your own venture.

The entrepreneurial journey is not an easy one. It requires determination, time, hard work and leadership. But if you said yes to the above questions, it’s your time to “lean out” and turn your dreams into reality!

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