And it’s okay to grab it. The premise of Real You Incorporated is that you, as a businessperson and a woman, want an authentic, transparent, dynamic, relevant, and real brand. Both personally and for the company you are creating. You want and deserve the right to follow your dreams in a uniquely feminine way with enthusiastic pursuit. Women do have more choices than ever before. The problem today is: What choice is right? For you—not for your neighbor, your co-worker, your spouse, or your mom. For you. And I’m not talking about an unbalanced approach to your business goals. Nope, that can be risky. As with anything else in life, the time can come when you turn around and realize a single-minded focus on your career can feel a lot like being a one-dimensional person. Not good. Not interesting. Not fulfilling.

The key to having a rewarding business is having one that speaks to your inner strengths, bolsters your passions, and engages your heart. That doesn’t mean you need to default to a traditionally feminine career, although those careers are right for some. It simply means that you follow your instincts and your intellect, use all of your skills, and do it in a uniquely you way. All the while realizing there still aren’t a lot of road maps....

It’s never too early or too late to create your own personal real brand. You can start the building blocks right now, in whatever stage of your career you find yourself. Your life, up to this point, has helped you plot a course toward entrepreneurship, even if you didn’t know that! And if you’re already an entrepreneur, begin now with Real You Incorporated to reinvigorate your existing company by following these life lessons and action steps, and by learning from the real stories of successful women entrepreneurs.

QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT

1. What does being real mean to you? What could you do to be more true, genuine, authentic?
2. Are you real? In your everyday life, at work, at home, or do you change personalities and play different roles in different settings?
3. Can you allow yourself some time to think, plan, and dream?
   

1. Take time to get organized. You will be filling out the Real You Incorporated chart, but you’ll also be bubbling up some ideas you’ll want to record.
2. Take a break. If you can, head to the hills, the ocean, or just a hotel for a night or a weekend, by yourself. This is tough, especially if you’re a parent. But you are allowed to have some guilt-free along time. It’s vital.
3. Allow yourself to think big, be ambitious. This is your life, so get it right.