Entrepreneurship is no joke. It’s HARD work. Long hours, endless networking, small business admin, the list goes on and on.

And, sometimes, being a woman in entrepreneurship is that much harder. But what nourishes and sustains me is the community I’ve built through it.

I love that I can collaborate with other women entrepreneurs, supporting each other’s dreams and work in the community with each other rather than in competition with each other.

I’m constantly reminded every time I make a connection for someone else or reach out for one myself, of the power of community.

No one achieves anything alone, as the greatest Leslie Knope, of the Pawnee Parks and Rec Department, reminds us. My tenacity is strengthened by the women in my life, those I have yet to meet and those I look up to.

This art piece is a little homage to one of the fiercest women that so many young people, like myself, got to look up to while growing up. She’s a cultural icon and perfectly embodies community and collaboration over competition. Happy Women’s History month!