The "Just Do It" Mindset

Janine Vanessa Heinrich , an advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in entrepreneurship, shared her unique insights and experiences in creating a more equitable entrepreneurial landscape in episode 59 of the Embracing “Only” Podcast.

We dove deep into the hurdles minority women face in the workspace, especially in the startup ecosystem. But in this newsletter, I want to bring one of the highlights of that conversation.

I’m talking about the “Just Do It” mindset and its power to collapse time and take you further in your career.?

And when we talk about that mindset, it’s also important to consider our perspective on failure and discomfort.?

So, let’s dive in.

Listen to the episode or scroll down to read one of the highlights of our conversation ↓

The "Just Do It" Mindset

Something that Janine and I believe in is the “just do it” mindset.?

Sometimes you need to take a leap of faith and commit to something you want before you have all the answers.

Janine furthers this by explaining that every single woman she has done research with who decided to take a leap of faith and become an entrepreneur ended up succeeding either way – as an entrepreneur or in the corporate world.

How?

Even if their startup did not work out, they ended up in a significantly higher position in the corporate world than they were before their venture.

“That position that maybe would have taken them 15 to 20 years to get to, they managed to circumvent that time in a matter of three to five years because they left the corporate world to go focus on their venture. The skill set and everything that they learned were invaluable.” - Janine Vanessa Heinrich

That’s why the “just do it” mindset works. Because you will learn and that lived experience will take you further in your career.?

Shifting Our Perspective Around Failure

It’s a common belief that if you’re not winning you’re failing. When really, if you’re not winning, you’re learning.?

This is a mindset that is not often taught in the corporate world.

Janine points out that failure isn’t not achieving something, failure is not living according to your values.

“I have failed myself when I have not lived up to the values that I set myself. And everything else outside of that is not failure.” - Janine Vanessa Heinrich

It’s an inward journey.?

I invite you to pause here, and truly reflect on this.

What’s success to you? Where are your goals coming from? Are they aligned with who you are, what you believe in, and what you desire for your life?

Or were they imposed on you by societal norms?

Getting Comfortable with Discomfort

Now, as we prepare to wrap up this newsletter, let's talk about discomfort when it comes to your career and the workplace.

Things can get uncomfortable, really uncomfortable.?

We have all been there. Work might not feel like a lot of fun at times.?

Is that a reason to quit?

I’d go deeper and reflect on your end goal – but always keep in mind your goals should align with your values – is this discomfort getting you towards what you define as success?

I believe that sometimes you have to stay in the thick of the discomfort to get through the other side.?

You need to become comfortable with the discomfort.?

But then, how do you know if you’re not just pushing through your values and boundaries?

Janine explains that your body tells you a lot, and by taking the time to listen to it, you can help yourself.

“One of the ways that I helped myself thrive in this environment is I try to do at least half the day on Sunday just for myself. Then I sit and I feel. How am I feeling this week? Do I need this week to be a bit of a calmer one, because the last ones were a bit tough?” - Janine Vanessa Heinrich

Janine then goes back to something she said earlier in the episode which was to be graceful and kind to yourself.

“If everyone's at 100%, you want to be at 150%. But from time to time, you may only have 50% for yourself that day. That is your 100% for that day, and that's okay.” - Janine Vanessa Heinrich

To hear the full conversation I had with Janine on the Embracing “Only” Podcast, scroll up and hit play – or click here and tune into episode 59.

EMBRACING “ONLY” PODCAST

?? Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and anywhere you find your podcasts!

Women – particularly women of color – are constantly bombarded with societal and systemic hurdles that they face professionally with no balance in solutions.?

News, media, and coaching tend to focus on our differences and obstacles but don’t provide thought-provoking solutions to help people regain control of their lives and find direction.?

The Embracing “Only” Podcast seeks to provide a community for women to share their lived experiences and not feel alone in their journey to claim their power and purpose in the communities they seek to serve, transform, and impact.