7 Ways To Stay Motivated On Your Entrepreneurial Journey
By: Mea Morrell, Camelback Ventures’ Summer 2022 Intern
The entrepreneurial journey can be a challenging one, especially for BIPOC, women, and non-binary entrepreneurs. While we know that genius is equally distributed and abundant in these communities, opportunity and funding are not. In 2021, only 1.3% of venture capital dollars raised by US companies went to Black-led startups and only 2.3% to companies founded solely by women. Camelback Ventures seeks to change this by offering undervalued entrepreneurs the resources and support needed to advance their social impact ventures. We do this by way of the Camelback Fellowship - a rigorous accelerator providing $40,000 in capital, executive 1:1 coaching, connections, curriculum, and access to a growing community of 100+ Camelback Fellows.
As you embark on your entrepreneurial journey, it is always helpful to learn from those who have come before you. Camelback Fellows are entrepreneurs who continue to face challenges, celebrate successes, and share a willingness to pass along their knowledge to other founders navigating the same tumultuous trek. Here are seven tips from Camelback Fellows to motivate you to keep pushing forward:
Taylor Toynes
Founder, For Oak Cliff
2020 Camelback Fellow
1. Always bet on yourself.
“There will be moments on your journey when you feel like no one is seeing your vision the way you are. The more you bet on yourself, the more you’ll find the inner strength to remain resilient along your journey. You also have to put in the work to help people recognize your vision. Remember, you're not alone in feeling doubt, it’s part of the growth process. The moments where you feel the most alone are the moments you’ll experience the most growth.”
2. Failure is okay.
“Everything will fall into place. Perfection is not necessary. It is okay to allow yourself to fail and to continue on. You have to remember that sometimes when you’re just getting started, ‘done is better than perfect.’”
Vanessa Castañeda Gill
Founder, Social Cipher
2019 Camelback Fellow
3. Keep going.
“Most of us are going to face hurdles and opposition, whether it’s not having enough investor interest, not having enough partner interest, not developing customers fast enough, you’re building the thing but it’s not quite working out, your pilot program went awry, etc. There are so many different hurdles and ways to get caught up. Keep going. Perseverance is an underrated trait, but facing those challenges and being able to say ‘I’m going to get up and do this again tomorrow’ is what will set you apart from other founders.”
Sage Salvo
Founder, WordsLiive
2017 Camelback Fellow
4. Have conviction in what you’re doing.
“Have conviction in what you’re building and the community you’re serving. There will be people who try to poke holes into your business model, your skills, the connections you have but know that what you’re building is deeply impacting peoples’ lives. Be able to say ‘It’s okay. I don’t need to convince you why I’m able to do this, I’m just going to do it.’ As underrepresented founders we have to be more scrappy than our peers who might have had people bet on them just because of an idea or because they feel a sense of affinity towards them. Remain committed and focused on what you’re building, who you’re building it for, and why.”
Devshi Mehrotra
Co-Founder, JusticeText
2021 Camelback Fellow
Founder, GovLia
2020 Camelback Fellow
5. Stick to what you know.
“Stick to what you know. Find a problem in your everyday life and solve it. Oftentimes we experience situations or challenges and think we’re the only one impacted by it. Use that struggle as a jumping off point to create your venture.”
6. Never underestimate the power of networking.
“Network, network, network. Don’t be afraid to talk to people and start building relationships because people are going to invest in you as a person. While they may care about your idea and what you’re trying to create, what funders and stakeholders are really looking for is if you are a safe bet and if you are someone they want to take their time to invest in. Build up your personal brand and take time to build strong relationships early on. Even if you don’t know how the relationship will be fruitful later on, it’s important to build your network.”
Founder, BELIEVE Schools
2019 Camelback Fellow
7. Your lived experience is your superpower. Be authentically you.
“Your living expertise is your superpower. No one can pull that from you. People can challenge any book that you’ve read, any seminar you’ve attended, but they cannot challenge your lived experience or the power that you hold within that.
Also, be authentically you, but beyond that be comfortable with navigating the consequences - positive and negative - that may come along with being your authentic self. When you shift your mindset to being comfortable with the spectrum of consequences that come with authenticity, you will recognize that performance is less important than always showing up as yourself.”
Founder, Creative Reaction Lab
2018 Camelback Fellow
If you’re looking for more inspiration, be sure to join Camelback Ventures’ Founder Friday’s Live series every other Friday on Instagram (@camelbackventures). To check out past insightful conversations with Camelback Fellows, subscribe to Camelback’s YouTube channel today!
Interested in becoming a Camelback Fellow? The 2023 Fellowship application window is open now through September 7, 2022. Learn more about the Camelback Fellowship and start your application today!