Last week, we were thrilled to welcome Entrepreneur Barbie to LinkedIn who just launched the 'Dream Incubator’ to help girls around the world play out their imaginations. Barbie has an impressive professional profile with more than 55 years of experience and 150 different careers, so we thought it was only natural to sit down with Entrepreneur Barbie so she could share some of her knowledge and insights with you, our members. From the entrepreneurial women she admires to advice for young women who want to follow in her footsteps, Barbie shares what’s inspired her success.
What inspired you to be an entrepreneur?
Other powerful women whom I’ve partnered with and serve as my Chief Inspirational Officers (CIO). These entrepreneurs include the founders of Girls Who Code, Rent The Runway, One King’s Lane and Sugarfina.
In 2014, one in five start-ups are lead by female entrepreneurs. It’s inspired me to want to get that number up to half. Girls in classrooms today should believe they’ll have seats in boardrooms tomorrow. And one way to do that is to show them that it’s possible by example.
Why is it important for you to be on LinkedIn?
Like any savvy businesswoman, I want to continue to build my network, connect with other entrepreneurs, learn from LinkedIn Influencers and keep up with the latest professional conversations. Plus, being on LinkedIn allows me to showcase all my careers – when anything is possible, a girl is tempted to try everything she can. If you haven’t already, please follow me on LinkedIn.
What is your advice to young women who want to start their own businesses?
As a doll and all, here are a few rules I try to live by:
- Don’t let anyone put you in a box.
- Packaging matters. Having a great idea is vital but make sure it gets noticed.
- Aim for a career doing something you love because when you love what you do, you’ll find it really doesn’t feel like work at all.
- Heels are a great reminder to balance, and balance is key in both life and work.
- If you reinvent yourself, you will have staying power.
- Stay true to who you are.
- There’s room at the top, help each other out along the way - find a mentor and be a mentor.
Who are some female entrepreneurs you admire?
LinkedIn is full of amazing entrepreneurial women - start with these profiles and you’ll meet just a few of my personal favorites. They are all dolls!
- Gina Rudan, Genuine Insights, Inc.
- Rosie O’Neill, Sugarfina
- Deborah Jackson, Plum Alley
- Jennifer Hyman and Jennifer Fleiss, Rent the Runway
- Kim Stoegbauer, The Tom Kat Studio
- Reshma Saujani, Girls Who Code
- Susan Feldman and Alison Pincus, One Kings Lane