Celebrating Female Entrepreneurs

First One In, Last One Out: In the Shoes of an Entrepreneur Written by Janan Leo, Founder & Creative Director of Cocorose London I’m often asked about how and why I set up Cocorose London and what it’s like running my own business. As an entrepreneur in the fashion industry, the glamour and glitz often mask the daily highs and lows that go on behind the scenes and the whole-hearted team effort that goes into creating a beautiful, international brand. My passion here is to unfold the emotions that run with every step of being my own entrepreneur and to lay bare what it’s like being in my shoes. Find me on twitter and Instagram @jananleo with the hashtag #InMyCocorose. __________________________________________________________ Yesterday I went along to Enterprise Nation's Festival of Female Entrepreneurs 2017 which was all about celebrating female entrepreneurs and women in business. I founded Cocorose London 10 years ago and am incredibly passionate about entrepreneurship and supporting women in business. I've learned loads along the way, although many times the long way round, unfortunately, and there's still tons that I don't know. But I know that if I keep learning, listening and sharing, then I'll be just fine. I find that taking part in days like yesterday are really interesting and inspirational and it allows me to take time out of a 'normal' day to listen to some amazing women (and men) and share in their stories and journeys. To be honest, I wasn't too surprised that the underlying tone and message of the day was about authenticity, honesty and getting personal. People want to know who's really behind the brand, behind the business, and to know what they're like. Being an entrepreneur has become so cool and so trendy, particularly over the last few years, so getting to know what happens behind-the-scenes allows customers to share in the entrepreneurial journey (without having to do the hard graft, which I can completely understand and more often than not, envy!). Seth Godin is famously known for saying, "People do not buy goods and services. They buy relations, stories and magic." I believe that this has never rung so true. With the opening up of the internet and the ability for pretty much anyone to start a business (which is absolutely amazing!), one must think about how they can stand out from such a crowded marketplace. I think the ones that are really killing it are the ones that are open, genuine and transparent, and this allows them to build up a real, emotional connection with their customers. At the end of the day, it's about trust and honesty and if someone feels that connection with you and your brand, then that loyalty is going to go a long way.