Welcome to our Newsletter!
A behind-the-scenes look at Terranam Wellness & self-care tips for taking better care of yourself.
BY MARIA GARRIDO - 2 MINUTE READ
This week, we're celebrating Female Entrepreneurs, unsung heroes whose courage is inspirational.
SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT
In Europe, 2020 was a record year for female entrepreneurs. Women raised never-before-seen amounts of venture capital to help fund and grow their female-founded businesses...a whopping 2.4%! 😕 Yes, you read that right; only 2.4%. Unfortunately, the situation has since worsened with funding for women dropping to a pathetic 1.1% of VC investment in 2021.
Beyond the blatant disregard for economic gender equality, there is an additional factor that just doesn't jive here. A growing body of research suggests that women make excellent entrepreneurs. Here's why:
Women are good at taking measured and calculated risks while realistically assessing the dangers ahead.
Women keep it real; when asked about future performance of their business, they stay positive without being overly confident.
Slow & Steady wins the race. Women are more likely to take a long term business view, preferring to reinvest profit to generate sustainable growth.
Female entrepreneurs are better at overcoming barriers to succeed. Ironically, the lack of readily available funding generally leads to more solid business plans and higher revenues for female funded business, according to Boston Consulting Group.
Unfortunately, facts are not enough. As women, we already face so many challenges to start and maintain our own businesses that we must hold each other up and support each other's success.
A SPECIAL PLACE IN HELL
This quote from Madeleine Albright, the first female Secretary of State of the United States, hangs in my office. I live by these words! A few years ago, I had the tremendous honor to meet Madeleine and I asked her why she said this. She explained that when she was a young mum and had decided to go back to work as a journalist, the people who most criticized her were other women, saying she was abandoning her kids and that she was making her family suffer because she didn't have time to cook dinner. Women should support each other's choices, not tear each other down.
When I started Terranam Wellness, I was keen to work with small companies who were either female founded or female led. As a female founder myself, I was well aware of the additional challenges women face so I wanted to make sure I was helping other women wherever I could. In the past year, I've had the tremendous priviledge of working with several great female founders who've helped me bring my dream for Terranam Wellness to life.
Amazing women like Monica Garrido (no relation) and Paula Duarte from Garrido-Duarte Interiors who gave Terranam Manor the look that would match our tranquil and relaxing ethos. Monica, Paula and their team of women worked diligently to create a country-chic environment that's cozy and comfortable while respecting the heritage of our beautiful manor.
I've enjoyed getting to know Marta Cebrian Lopez, founder of MCL Food Consulting, who designed our out-of-this-world menu. Earlier in her life, Marta was in banking but decided to pursue her passion for cooking and became a Michelin-star trained chef who advocates for a sustainable kitchen and plant-based dishes. Marta not only understood my vision for a gastronomic menu that was locally sourced, but she improved upon my ideas, surprising our palettes and delighting our senses with delicious dishes that are based on the zero-waste and real food principles.
And then there's Thea Hyde, founder of HYD Studio. Thea has accompanied me from the very beginning, way back when Terranam was only an idea in my head with no name, no manor, and no retreats to speak of....just a business plan and a big dream. Thea's sensitivity to aesthetic and luxury-inspired creations informed our brand identity. She designed and developed our website and still helps to ensure our images and text articulate our uniqueness and give people a feeling of what Terranam Wellness is all about.
THE COURAGE OF WOMEN WARRIORS
Female entrepreneurs have to work harder than men to make a success of their business. And with lack of funding being a primary kill joy, sometimes women's entrepreneurial ventures don't deliver happy endings. In celebrating female founders, I also wanted to showcase women whose dreams haven't worked out, including people like Sophie Billi-Hardwick and her business partner, Marie Bouhier. Four years ago, these inspiring women founded Billi London, the first eco-friendly tights manufacturer in the UK. I was fortunate enough to meet them, try their amazing products and follow their journey as they navigated the ins and outs of starting their own business.
Their business idea was brilliant and purpose built; they knew that tights are made mostly from nylon, which derives from crude oil. As nylon is not an easy or cheap material to recycle, every year an additional 8 billion unreparable tights end up occupying landfills, polluting the planet. So, Sophie & Marie set out to reduce fashion waste by transforming the way people buy and dispose of tights; they created the first line of biodegradable tights. By early 2022 they had their first pop up shop in London and the future was looking bright.
Sadly, this past month, Marie & Sophie had to make the tough decision to shut down Billi London permanently.
I wanted to showcase their story because I believe their courage should be celebrated. They poured their passion and talent into a noteworthy project that created a business while caring for the planet. This should always be a cause for pride and celebration, regardless of whether the venture works out in the end. Sophie and Marie are incredibly brave women; it takes determination, hard work, resilience and love for what you do to get a business off the ground. All of these skills also come into play when you have to make the incredibly difficult decision to bring closure to a dream and move on. I hope in time they come to understand that life's setbacks make us better people; that the act of living these experiences, facing tremendous challenges that knock you down and getting right back up is what helps us be successful women and humans, not just entrepreneurs.
SELF CARE TIP
Support female and minority owned businesses any way you can: buy their products/services, volunteer to help or contribute to their business in any meaningful way. These are all acts of kindness that go a long way for them, but also for you! When we give back, the reward areas of our brain are stimulated, creating positive feelings and giving us all a sense of purpose and self-worth.
Help yourself by helping them. ❤️
SUPPORT OUR FEMALE FOUNDED BUSINESS
Join us at one of our exclusive self-care retreats.