5 Winning Traits for the Solo Female Entrepreneur
We’ve all seen stellar examples of inspiring female leaders and entrepreneurs. I’m introducing you to an inspiring woman at the top of her field. She’s not a household name (yet), but you will want to learn more about her historic win in the Golden Globe Race.1
Thursday, April 26th, 2023, history was made when skipper Kirsten Neuschafer completed her round-the-world journey, sailing into Les Sables -d’Olonne, France, after 235 days at sea.
Kirsten Neuschafer of South Africa is the first woman to win a solo, non-stop circumnavigation race in her Cape George 36 cutter, the ‘Minnehaha.’ She was the only woman skipper in the race and bested 15 other season skippers from 13 countries.
Following the rules of the race, she only used celestial navigation and paper charts, no GPS, no satellite to warn her of extreme weather conditions, and no cell phone or outside assistance. The race demands all skippers survive purely on their skills, seamanship, and tenacious strength of character.
Kirsten exemplifies five vital qualities for successful entrepreneurship.
Be comfortable going solo: You wouldn’t be where you are if you didn’t take risks. Sometimes it’s often a solitary venture with uncertainty. Embrace the alone time to focus on yourself and grow your skills. Kirsten’s 235-day journey in a solo circumnavigation meant she had worked hard to tackle solo adventures confidently.
In her early 20’s, Kirsten cycled from Europe to South Africa, traveling over 15,000km a year. The bike journey took her through Europe, the scorching Sahara desert, and the impossible terrain of rainforest jungle. Her mantra is “Just look past the fear…look at the next step and not the final destination.” After returning home to South Africa, she switched gears and decided to fulfill her childhood dream and learn how to sail, and the rest is history.
One thing to add- you are never genuinely solo if you take advantage of networking, joining entrepreneur groups in your niche, and asking a mentor to keep you on track.
Be highly adaptable: be flexible to change plans for the current reality.
Having a mindset that is open to adjusting to the situation is vital. Kirsten’s spinnaker pole brokeduring her 7-month journey, so she could not use a pivotal sail to gain speed during light winds. Although she lost the use of her spinnaker, she made adjustments in other areas to maintain her speed advantage. Ultimately, she won and was 90 nautical miles and 30 hours ahead of her closest competitor.
Adaptability can mean adjusting your sales timeframe when you aren’t getting wins. Instead of hearing a prospective client say “No,” consider it a “Not now.” This is an opportunity to consider why your product or service is not the immediate solution. Tweaking the message to address the buyer’s pain points may be the change that makes a difference.
Strong Sense of Self: being self-motivated and self-confident comes when you learn to be your own problem-solver.
Kirsten worked hard to get to the top of her field by constantly challenging herself. She entered the contest knowing that there was a chance she would not win or even be able to finish the race- a grueling test of body and mind with no rest days. Her race was marked with surprises- mechanical issues and limited weather data. She was at the right place at the right time for a competitor by chance.
She rescued fellow racer Tapio Lehtinen when his boat sank, and he spent 24 hours adrift in the southern Indian Ocean. It is satisfying when you are comfortable in your skin, solving problems, and uplifting others.
Put in the work: it sometimes sucks, but you only learn and succeed by doing. Learning as you fail, then finding ways to get better takes time.
At age 39, Kirsten was one of the youngest competitors in the Golden Global Race. She had put in years of work to become a confident sailor. She was highly motivated to meet the high bar to qualify for the race. Each skipper needed 8,000 miles of ocean sailing experience, 2,000 of that singlehanded sailing, and at least 2,000 miles solo in their current boat.
Putting in the work to build your business, the practice to hone sales skills, and growing your network will pay off. Through repeated efforts (and learning from them), you become more aware of what your customers want and how you can deliver solutions.
Be Persistent: a couple of days before Kirsten’s history-making success, the live race tracker projected (with 77% probability) she would win as she had a 90-nautical mile lead on her closest competitor. Since race rules did not allow for modern communication or awareness of other boats’ locations, Kirsten did not know this. She sailed her race, unsure of the eventual outcome, but continuously moving forward, never letting up to the finish line.
I hope you enjoyed learning about Kirsten Neuschafer, a historic sailor who prevailed in one of the most grueling races in the world. As an entrepreneur, you can hone the skills she has to succeed in your business.
References:
Kristen Neuschafer wins the Golden Globe Race: https://goldengloberace.com/day-236-kirsten-makes-history-simon-first-boat-home-les-sables-gearing-up-for-abhilashs-tomy-bayanat-welcome/
