Thriving Through Entrepreneurship: Navigating Challenges and Embracing Opportunities

With many accolades, René Banglesdorf has had much success as an executive in corporate aviation. Starting in aircraft sales, she has climbed the ranks to brokering nearly one billion in private aircraft transactions as CEO & Founder of Charlie Bravo Aviation. She currently owns her own business, the Aviation Collective. ?

René had become known for her leadership skills and ability to motivate and inspire her teams. But after years of working in the same industry, René began to feel restless. She wanted to do something different that would allow her to make a significant impact and help others achieve their goals.?

René began looking for resources on how to propel herself to the next level, and one of the things she found was business coaching. She started paying a business coach to help her create scarier goals and formalize a way to achieve them. She went on to accomplish each goal she set—getting a degree and a pilot's license, accepting a position on a board, writing a second book and more. She gained more experience and knowledge along the way and realized that coaching was her true calling. ?

She loved working with individuals and organizations, helping them improve their performance, achieve their goals and grow their businesses. So, René decided to take the leap by accepting an invitation to join a coaching business and received her coaching certification.?

Women in aviation?

René's coaching style was unique because, with her experience in aviation, she discovered that corporate culture was the biggest deterrent to women joining and staying in the aviation industry. She had been coaching on that for years outside of the aviation industry, but now with her experience in a formal coaching role, she was ready to combine her love and passion for coaching and her connections in aviation. Thus, her own coaching business, the Aviation Collective, was born.?

Championing women in aviation is an integral part of René's personal brand. Her experience supporting women in aviation has not gone unnoticed, as she was invited to serve on the Advisory Board for the FAA Women in Aviation.

For René, pulling more women up creates a more robust industry culture. She believes that people should adopt an abundance mentality instead of being threatened by other people's successes. This means embracing other people and realizing that there is much success to be shared. She believes that with collaboration and generosity comes innovation and more ways to become successful.

Entrepreneurial spirit

From the beginning, René has always been excited about starting new things. She even, at one point, started an organic cookie dough company. But when every idea looks like an exciting venture, it is easy to get caught up chasing the next shiny object. ?

When entrepreneurs get caught chasing the next big idea, René suggests reframing this as an iteration process. To her, it is not about chasing shiny objects but rather listening and getting feedback for the best idea and approach to come into focus. ?

Goal setting is an important piece for entrepreneurs to stay focused on the ideas that land and set a path for success. Entrepreneurs can too often get caught looking down at the day-to-day without looking forward and working toward the set goals.?

The ups and downs

Entrepreneurship provided René the opportunity to chase after her ideas. However, not all ideas turn into successes, proving there are many ups and downs that come with owning your own business. The downtimes taught René to be more careful chasing every idea because learning from failures is a good thing, but avoiding expensive lessons is even better. ?

Entrepreneurship is not just about creating something from scratch and turning it into a successful business. It is also about handling the ups and downs that come with it. René has had many exciting opportunities and freedoms that come with being a business owner. Still, she has faced many challenges, obstacles and setbacks that tested her resolve. For example, her team at Charlie Bravo had to navigate selling private aircraft during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. She believes any entrepreneur should have thick skin and strong emotional fortitude to get through the bad and not-so-glamorous times.

It is also important for an entrepreneur to put a support system in place, whether it's family, friends, or fellow entrepreneurs and coworkers who can understand what you're going through, praise the small accomplishments along the way and keep you accountable. You also need to manage your emotions, stay focused and keep your eye on the prize.?

Imposter Syndrome

Remaining focused despite obstacles is a key factor for entrepreneurs. However, Imposter Syndrome, or the belief that your successes are not deserved and that you do not possess the skills to do your job well, can creep in and stop you from progressing. ?

René believes the best way to overcome Imposter Syndrome is to fail. "If you don't feel like you belong in the room, or you do not have the skills, then taking a risk, failing and then picking yourself back up and taking another risk, is the best way to gain confidence," René said. "Failure is not permanent, and confidence is what helps you overcome Imposter Syndrome."?

Taking confidence too far will not work either, so René suggests approaching Imposter Syndrome from a humble position. This means knowing that you will bring something unique and your own expertise to the table, and you will listen to others rather than coming in with all the answers.?

Final Thoughts

The entrepreneurship journey can be lonely, especially when you're just starting out. There will be moments when you doubt yourself and your abilities and times when you feel overwhelmed and stressed. So, emotional fortitude is an important quality that every entrepreneur needs to have.?

Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart. But the rewards can be tremendous for those willing to put in the time and effort. René's journey proves that with thick skin, emotional grit, hard work and a willingness to take risks, the rewards can be tremendous. And as founder and CEO of the Aviation Collective, René is passing on her years of experience, education and coaching skills to founders, leaders and management teams. ?

So, if you're thinking of starting your own business, be prepared for the ups and downs but also be excited for the opportunities that lie ahead. ?

René’s perspective on her journey is as unique and special as the other interviews in the Entrepreneur Close-Up series. To listen to the entire interview with René Banglesdorf and learn more about the journeys of other entrepreneurs, watch all the interviews here.