Yes, You Can Do This! How Women Start Up, Scale Up, and Build The Life They Want

Book excerpt: How women can “lean in” to entrepreneurship to create the life they want! Claudia Reuter left a promising corporate career to raise her two young children but realized, when re-entering the workforce, that the gap in her resume looked like a gap in ambition—not a purposeful plan. Instead of leaning into a corporate career and fighting the structures and systems designed by and for men decades ago, or leaning out and giving up income, Claudia took a different path.That decision ultimately led to success in the corporate world and at home. In Yes, You Can Do This! Claudia shares her own reasons for starting a business, and makes a call to action for women to consider entrepreneurship so that they can create businesses with the rules they want and change the playing field for others, making a significant impact in the world. More than a "How-to book" on building a business, Claudia provides clear examples and practical resources to help others create the life they want through entrepreneurship. In Yes, You Can Do This! you'll learn: How to develop and share your vision How to deal with stereotypes and unconscious bias How to leverage perceived weaknesses and turn them into strengths How to balance life at high speeds and avoid burnout How to cultivate the confidence to move from idea to creating a company with the culture and rules you want In Yes, You Can Do This! women are provided with an electrifying third career option: it's not just "lean in" or "lean out," but startup and change the playing field for others in the process. Praise for Yes, You Can Do This! “Combining compelling storytelling with practical, tactical advice, Reuter has created a manifesto for the next generation of female founders. Rooted in the research around gender and work, this is a must read for women looking to launch the next new thing." - Jennifer McFadden, Associate Director of Entrepreneurial Programs, Yale School of Management “A must-read for any woman considering taking the leap into entrepreneurship, You Can Do This brings together today's best thinking about women in the workplace with practical advice for creating your dream career and life - by starting a company. Whether you are just curious or ready to take the leap, this book is a great read and a valuable resource.” -Anna Barber, Managing Director, Techstars “Claudia helps not just the female entrepreneur, but all entrepreneurs, find their footing in what can be an overwhelming whirlwind of starting a business. This book is not only inspiring and uplifting, but positively necessary for any woman looking to find success in the startup space! -Shira Atkins, Co-founder & CMO Wonder Media Network "Stories of entrepreneurial success exist in abundance for men who receive 97.8% of venture funding and hold 95% of CEO roles. What is most inspiring about Claudia's book, making me want to shout from the rooftop, is that it is told from the perspective of an everyday woman who pushed hard through barriers, doubts, and setbacks that any entrepreneur would face. On top of all that, she overcame obstacles that are uniquely ours as women today. Claudia is now a standout among women, but with her book in hand, women who want to build a business to scale have a blueprint and path to do so. Here's to making dreams come true!" -Coco Brown, CEO and Founder, The Athena Alliance. "As I read through the book, there were multiple points where I thought, 'Every man in any startup or fast-growing business should read this.' As a man in technology, I took away a number of new ideas, along with examples that were explained in a way that I wouldn't have been able to do prior to reading Claudia's book" -Brad Feld, Managing Director, at Foundry Group, author of Venture Deals and Do More