This entrepreneur brought in $250m last year. Here’s her advice to women founders

Photo credit: Pixabay.

In the developing world and the developed world, women on average spend 90 percent of their income on their families and communities. Men, in comparison, only put 35 percent. That means that getting women in business, particularly businesses that they own, is the key to solving economic problems.

That statistic was a hell of a way to start off a morning.

On a Friday morning in Houston, surrounded by the lavish and quirky Old Hollywood glamour of Hotel Zaza, a couple hundred female entrepreneurs gathered in a large meeting room decorated to look something straight out of a “Keep It Classy” Pinterest board. The event, the Circular Summit run by the Circular Board, was invitation-only, with female entrepreneurs who had been invited because of their potential to have a successful and scalable business.

The atmosphere was one of excited anticipation. During the event’s introduction the day before, the entrepreneurs had been told that they were being invited to be a part of a circle, where they could find help and support. This was the first Circular Summit, and many of the entrepreneurs I had spoken to had shown up on the whim of an invitation, unsure of what would happen that day.

Last year she saw the business through to acquisition by Unilever.

Then, Jane Wurwand stepped out as the day’s first keynote speaker. By the time she finished, she’d set the tone for the rest of the conference: humor, warmth, and a thirst for learning.

Think optimism and clarity covered in sparkles. That’s what watching Jane recount her story was like. She moved to the US from the UK in 1983 with her boyfriend – later husband – Raymond and a beauty school diploma in order to start her business Dermalogica on just US$1,400.

Dermalogica started out training skin therapists in the US and also has a line of skincare products. It made US$1 million in its first year, and last year, its wholesale revenue hit around US$250 million.

Last year, Jane and Raymond saw the business through to acquisition by Unilever, which Jane describes as just the next step in her thrilling adventure.

She also helped found FITE (Financial Independence Through Entrepreneurship), which has helped fund and grow the businesses of 73,000 women internationally.

Jane had a lot of advice to dole out, plenty of which was augmented by her rapt and dynamic audience. Here are five things that I found useful for myself, and all female entrepreneurs everywhere.

Even Wonder Woman had the Justice League to back her up. She was the only woman, but she made it work. Photo credit: Pixabay.

1. You’re stronger with others

2. Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing

3. Don’t forget to bring yourself to the table

4. Be different

5. Education is everything