The Broad Appeal:
One chick's case against perfection

7 factors fueling the rise and revolution
of the female entrepreneur

By Lani Voivod

It’s time, Granite State girlfriends. It’s time to rule – and rescue! – planet Earth.

Humankind is evolving faster than a hummingbird hula-hooping, and our singular strengths are the headlamps guiding us out of the collapsing mineshaft of “Ye Old Way.”

“Women, it turns out, are built to lead – particularly in the modern world,” says biological anthropologist Helen Fisher. Based on what she calls our “web thinking” (as opposed to males’ more linear “step thinking”), we have distinct, evolution-bolstered gifts designed to excel right now. Fisher cites intuition, imagination, long-term planning and networking among our gender’s gene scene.

Not coincidentally, these traits are shared by successful entrepreneurs.

“But I’m not an entrepreneur!” you say. Oh really?

Do you organize and manage your life (a budding enterprise if ever there was one) with considerable initiative and risk? Do you play the odds, move mountains, make decisions and invent solutions as often as you’re supposed to do your Kegel exercises?

Then yes, incorporated or not, you’re an entrepreneur at heart. And female entrepreneurs are at the heart of a major cultural and philosophical shift – in power, productivity and possibility. Thanks to ideological momentum plus mind-blowing advances in technology, all signs point to seven feminine-laced virtues that are changing the way we all live, work and play together.

1. Creativity. “Web thinking” means discovering 1 + 2 sometimes equals kumquat. Creativity allows us to riff off that answer with purpose, passion and elegant flair.

2. Compassion. A profound capacity for empathy helps us understand our neighbors’ trials, tribulations and triumphs, too. Compassion inspires us to take action – like volunteering, sending care packages, cooking casseroles and launching mission-driven organizations.

3. Collaboration. Listening to others without feeling threatened, then blending the best ideas to solve specific problems. What woman doesn’t get a thrill out of mixing a pinch of this with a dash of that to create something new, better and delightful?

4. Connections. As in, making lots of them. Social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn certainly help. We socialize in life, and keep strong, meaningful connections going with the tools available to us.

5. Community. When Hillary Clinton said “it takes a village…” she immortalized the phrase. These days, your “village” could be a local one, an online cooperative or a global community of like-minded souls united by a bold vision or venture.

6. Communication. I once heard the average man mutters 7,000 words per day, while his ovaried companion squeezes 25,000 words into her daily repertoire. By glare, gab, blog, bootie shake, text message or gesture, we gals definitely revel in revealing what’s on our minds.

7. CRAZY. Seal sang it best: “Oh we’re never gonna survive, unless, we are a little crazy.” Fight it or flaunt it, but don’t dare deny it – crazy is a chick thing. We may as well use it to our advantage!

These seven “C’s” are giving us – the world’s female entrepreneurs – the winning edge that makes things all work out, against all odds.

And with crazy as our ace in the hole?

Not only can we grasp the kumquat equation in

No. 1, we can live, learn and love at full blast. No boundaries, bras optional. Once and for all.

Lani Voivod is a female entrepreneur. Care to chime in? E-mail Lani@TheBroadAppeal.com.