How to Thrive in Business Without Losing Your Feminine Essence: Insights from a Business Coach

The image of a woman developing her business is often stereotypically and monotonously portrayed in cinema and beyond: sharp-tongued, workaholic, devoid of empathy and femininity. A veritable “man in a skirt.” On one hand, female entrepreneurs indeed dedicate a lot of effort and resources to their ventures, often forgetting about basic lunch breaks or weekends. On the other hand, we know many examples of women in business who are successful in both their professional and personal lives. Tatyana Isayenko, a business coach, shared how a woman can develop her business while maintaining balance in relationships with others and harmony with herself.

It’s Time to Stop Thinking That a Woman Successful in Business is Unsuccessful in Relationships

Every woman defines for herself how to grow and develop in her field. Once, I conducted a survey among my audience and asked the question: “What prevents you from scaling up now?” 90% of women answered that they fear they will stop spending time with their family, husband, and children. One can argue a lot about how we were taught to think: a woman takes care of the family, while a man earns money and runs the business. In reality, this is a victim’s position – I was taught this way and I live with this mindset. From my side, I suggest that women who come to me for consultations look at managing their projects from the position of “How do I really want to live and develop my business now?” You can be successful in your career and feminine in life. It all depends on how a woman decides for herself: is family a limitation in business or an additional support and strength. An unsuccessful businesswoman in her personal life is a myth. Each person is responsible for their decisions, including which position to take – that of a victim or a winner.

For example, I work until 3:00-4:00 PM. Then I pick up my child from kindergarten and dedicate the remaining time to my family. Only on rare occasions do I take clients in the evening. I can afford this when it does not affect my family. And I have another rule – not to work on weekends. It is impossible to maintain a 100% balance between business and personal life; there will always be imbalances. I understand that sometimes I can invest more time in business and less in family. But after completing a big project, I spend as much time with my loved ones as I dedicated to work – I compensate for everything.

The most important thing is for a woman to take responsibility for what she wants. For example, if it is important for her to have balance in life, she should ask herself and answer honestly: “What can I do right now in my life to achieve this balance?”

A Simple Algorithm to Start Acting Now

Define the boundary of your working hours – from and until which time you are willing to dedicate yourself to work.
Define the format and level of clients you are comfortable working with. At first, this may sound like a myth – working with “comfortable” ones. It is important to collaborate with people who respect you, and those who “destroy,” waste your time and energy, are better not to collaborate with.
Refuse work that takes away your strength and energy.
Ensure quality sleep, sports, and nutrition in your life.
Include time for family, husband, child, and meetings with girlfriends in your schedule.

The combination of all these factors helps maintain balance between work and home.

The Stereotype That Women in Business Are the Same as Men, Only in Skirts, Is Still Alive

Unfortunately, women still have to prove their place in the business environment. When a woman enters a male-dominated business, it is much harder for her to develop and grow than in a female-dominated business. For example, in negotiations, men listen more attentively to partners of their own gender. A woman has to prove more that she is an equal business partner like the others. This also applies to the field of company and personnel management.

Women themselves allowed the belief in the story with a masculine appearance in the form of pantsuits and a strict voice. When a woman goes to business negotiations, she most often chooses not a feminine outfit, but a strict one. This image is a setting from the male world that a woman agreed with. And here it is very important to understand what results such positioning will lead to.

You can wear business suits while remaining feminine. I always ask my clients with which gender men identify them in business negotiations. They answer – with a woman. And then I ask again – “Why do you pretend to be a man in a man’s world if you are a woman?”

Most often, women take my comments critically: “If I am feminine, I will not be heard and understood.” “If I take off my pantsuits and put on a romantic dress, I will be perceived as infantile in negotiations.” Here I always bring women back to the fact that a business partner will perceive you as someone whose external appearance confirms the internal state. Being in a more feminine outfit and transmitting your inner strength and confidence, without pretending to be someone else, a man is ready to hear you as a woman business partner. Not engaging in competition, but rather, on the contrary, being in equal positions.

I have extensive experience in the comprehensive transformation of women (note: in 2017, the heroine opened the first transformation studio “Inversion” in Minsk, which operated until 2019). A team of people worked with me (this is a psychologist, stylist, dietitian, sexologist, photographer) who helped me form a business style and the inner state of a woman. This allows her to enter business negotiations, remaining a woman, but confident and “firm,” with a clear understanding of who I am, how I can declare myself and be heard. And then there is no need to pretend to be a man, to try on a masculine image and type of thinking. Then men, to some extent, experience cognitive dissonance – he does not understand how a woman in a business suit and with a strict voice can look so feminine. This is a story about how important it is to understand and reveal your individuality in the image.

At my speeches in business clubs, I am often told that I confidently transmit business facts while remaining feminine. And then the question follows – “How did you manage to preserve all this in yourself?” I work on myself in the same way as I recommend to my clients – I do not pretend to be someone else, I do not follow established stereotypes and images.

How to Thrive in Business Without Losing Your Feminine Essence: Insights from a Business Coach