7 Lessons I’ve Learned from founding Averr Aglow®

We started Averr Aglow about seven years ago—and before that, I helped build several other businesses, so I’m no stranger to entrepreneurship. When you start from scratch, there’s a learning curve for everything you do, but I think those tough moments are where true leadership is made.

I like to say that business is a problem-solving machine. You’re solving problems internally, of course, and you’re also solving problems for your customers. At Averr Aglow, our mission has always been to help women achieve confidence through high-quality products that solve their skincare issues.

I’ve learned to view challenges as inevitable learning opportunities. The brain is a muscle; a speedbump probably won’t feel great in the moment, but it stretches you. And when that challenge arises again, it will be a cakewalk. Focus on the small steps that lead you to the big ones; those small increments of progress will lead to the result.

Throughout my leadership journey, here are some of my biggest lessons learned:

Everyone experiences self-doubt and has moments where they feel like they aren’t enough. You’re allowed to think on something but don’t dwell on it. It comes down to what you focus on. If you keep telling yourself you’re not good enough, that’s what you’ll focus on, and you’ll believe that. Instead, what can you celebrate and be grateful for? Keep moving forward and reflect on how far you’ve come.

As women, we are often subjected to so much guilt. Am I pretty enough? Am I skinny enough? Am I a good enough mother? Am I taking care of my family? But to me, there are no rules for how you run your life. When you’re eighty years old, no one else will be there to answer for your life choices but you. Ask yourself: What makes sense to you? What makes you feel good? Throw out whatever rules you think people have placed on you.

Surround yourself with people who believe in your mission. Our mission at Averr Aglow has always been helping women with their skin and confidence by bringing them a high-quality product they can rely on. Your team should support your mission—and support each other to achieve it. I think it’s also important to remember that hiring someone should be mutually beneficial; I’m hiring you for a particular skill set, and I want to help you thrive. Everyone has different needs and communication styles; as a leader, it’s important to learn how to navigate those nuances.

Business owners tend to want to touch everything—because when you build something, it requires a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. But to truly grow, scale, and take on new, cool things—more products or new pop-ups and stores— you must start scaling back everything you touch. Just because you can do it doesn’t mean you should. Learn to identify your weak spots and what you don’t like doing—because I guarantee there’s a person out there who loves doing what you hate. Delegating those tasks means you can focus on what you love and what you’re great at doing.

Find something that—even on those hard days or off days—you want to come in day in and day out and say, “Yes, I want to work on this.” Entrepreneurs who make it don’t stop; there’s an innate drive that doesn’t turn off, and failure is not an option.

We only have so much time in this world, so make sure you’re investing in the right thing. Work is work, of course. I love skincare, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t challenges that come with running a skincare company. For me, it’s an insatiable appetite that’s gotten me through. I know what I can do and what we have here with Averr Aglow, and I’m excited. Ask yourself if this is something you feel enough passion about that you can push through when it gets challenging.  Because it will get challenging; it always does. But there’s always an end to that challenge.

As an entrepreneur, I have to ask myself, ‘What does my business need at this moment? Where is my attention best laid?’ In business and life, learn the difference between what’s nice to have and what’s necessary. At Averr Aglow, we set new goals every year, and those are what we laser-focus on. Prioritize what will get you to your north star.

If there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that there’s always a way to figure it out, even if it doesn’t look like it. I don’t want to put any limitations on my goals because I believe that if you love something and want to do it, you can make it happen. Be real with yourself; you might say, “I've tried everything.” But have you? Or have you just tried maybe one or two things?