Seven Lessons for Aspiring Female Entrepreneurs from the Founder of Xena Workwear

MILWAUKEE, WI / ACCESSWIRE / December 15, 2022 / Ana Kraft is the founder of Xena Workwear, a fast growing company that makes functional and stylish safety workwear to fit the needs of women in STEM and the Trades. Her success didn't come overnight and Ana had to overcome countless hurdles to get the company to where it is today. She hopes her story can help guide aspiring women entrepreneurs.

Growing up in Kazakhstan, Ana observed that there were predefined gender norms. Girls weren't encouraged to pursue higher education or to succeed on their own. This experience inspired in her a deep desire to seek economic independence and to advocate for gender equality.

Ana studied hard to become a project engineer and eventually moved overseas to join the manufacturing industry in Wisconsin. That's where she noticed a major issue with women's safety footwear. Steel-toe boots were a job requirement, but available women's options were too bulky, had a loose fit, and unflattering looks. These heavy boots were a trip hazard and made her feel less confident amongst her peers.

Ana founded Xena Workwear to make better footwear for women in demanding fields of STEM and the Trades.

Her Milwaukee based company was selected for the incubator gener8tor's gbeta spring cohort in 2019. Ana went through an intensive seven week period to perfect and pitch her idea to prospecting investors. During this process she was often the only woman in the room. Ana felt added pressure to be perfect, because it is much harder to pitch venture capitalists on an idea they can't personally relate to. Despite more awareness about the need for diversity, women founders only raised 2% of venture capital in 2021.

Unphased by comments of doubt and hearing the word ‘no', Ana successfully raised $750,000 in seed funding for Xena Workwear. This infusion of capital allowed her to expand the team, to engineer new products, and to scale Xena Workwear into a multi-million dollar business.

As part of Ana's desire to give back, she regularly mentors aspiring female entrepreneurs on how to bring their ideas to life. Here are seven lessons that helped her along the way.

1. Frustration to motivation: If you find yourself feeling frustrated, don't panic, you're not alone. Learn how to channel your frustration into a motivational force instead of feeling paralyzed. Frustration can help you move mountains.
2. Listen with conviction: As an entrepreneur, you will likely receive advice from various individuals. However, most will give guidance based on personal experience that worked in their specific situations. Remember that your business is different and you know it better than anyone. It's ok to gather outside advice as data-points, but have conviction and use your instincts to make important decisions.
3. Take calculated risks: A study by Hewlett-Packard found that women apply for a job only when they fit the criteria 100% whereas men apply if they just meet 60% of the criteria. This often translates to women entrepreneurs being more risk averse than men. While you shouldn't be foolhardy, it is important to recognize the importance of taking calculated risks as you look to grow your company.
4. Business doesn't have to be war: Women tend to have a more collaborative approach to business while men are more competitive. This difference can be quite advantageous. Business doesn't have to be war and you can succeed by creating a collaborative and inclusive workplace.
5. Hire self-starters who identify with your vision: Remote or hybrid work is commonplace in the post covid world. Look to hire versatile self starters who believe in your brand's mission and vision. As you grow, you'll need to trust them to execute in various capacities. You cannot afford to micromanage and won't have much time to train them.
6. Focus on meritocracy: Meritocracy matters more than having consensus. Encourage transparent communication within your team and look to make decisions based on merit by rewarding the best ideas.
7. Love the journey: White it's important to set long-term business goals, you have to learn to love the journey. There are unexpected headwinds that may push you further away from set goals, but if you learn to appreciate each workday, you won't get down on yourself and your team will feed off that energy.

About Xena Workwear

Xena Workwear is a women-owned company that makes stylish and functional safety shoes for women in STEM and the trades.

Media Contact:

Name: Anastasia Kraft
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE: Xena Workwear