‘A woman who owns her own business owns more than income; she owns her destiny’. – Trish Odusami
Too many people start a business without a clear strategy or vision for growth, focusing only on quick cash returns. While short-term gains can be satisfying, if you want to build something truly transformational, you must think beyond “extra cash” and start thinking like the world’s most successful founders.
When Elon Musk starts a company, he’s not thinking, How can I sell a few products? He’s thinking, How can I change an industry? When Sheryl Sandberg scaled Facebook, she wasn’t asking, How can I run this project well? She was asking, How can I create systems that run without me?
This is the mindset shift potential businesswomen should embrace. The small business you start today can become a multi-generational asset if you build it with vision from day one.
Five Power Principles for Building Like a Visionary
Beyond the typical advice of finding your passion, validating your idea, starting small, tracking your expenses and building your brand, below are five powerful principles of building a business like a visionary.
1. Start With a Massive “Why”
Zuckerberg wanted to connect the world. Musk wants to make humanity multi-planetary. Your business may not launch rockets, but it should have a mission bigger than you, something that keeps you pushing through the toughest days. For example, Tara Fela-Durotoye’s House of Tara was never just about makeup; it was about empowering African women and creating a platform for their economic independence.
2. Design for Scale on Day One
Don’t build a business that only works if you are there every hour. Create processes, training manuals, and systems early. Think: Could 100 people deliver this product or service without me? If yes, you’ve built something scalable.
3. Own the Customer Relationship, Not Just the Product
Apple is not about selling devices like most would assume, it is about owning an ecosystem of loyal users. Your goal is to create experiences customers love so much that they can’t imagine going anywhere else. Build a community, through WhatsApp groups, loyalty programs, or exclusive events, that keeps customers engaged.
4. Learn to See Around Corners
Visionaries anticipate change before it is obvious. Study trends in tech, finance, and culture. For example, Meta saw the shift to mobile years before it dominated. Ask yourself: What’s the next big shift in my industry, and how can I be ready for it?
5. Build a Leadership Engine, Not Just a Business
Great leaders create other leaders. Train people who can make decisions, solve problems, and innovate without your constant input. This is how you build an organization that survives and thrives without being dependent on you every day.
According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest female entrepreneurship activity rate in the world at 26%. But the next wave of women entrepreneurs must move from survival business models to scalable empires.
So, if you’re starting today, think beyond the side hustle. Think infrastructure, systems, and legacy. Build something , build generational wealth, a venture so solid that your children, and grandchildren, could take it further than you ever imagined.
Challenge for readers: Rewrite your business idea as if it were meant to impact 10 million people. What would change? Start building from that vision. Share your progress with the hashtag #SecondActNow so other women can find you and cheer you on. Join the movement on Facebook: SecondActNow
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Trish Odusami is an executive coach, transformational leader, and AI consultant for SMEs. With a background in technology project management and relationship management, she has delivered multimillion-dollar projects for Fortune 500 companies and specializes in helping professional women step into visible leadership, achieve their full potential, and create financial independence. Whilst also applying her AI expertise to help small and medium businesses innovate and grow.
A graduate of HEC Paris, Oxford University UK, and Lagos State University, Trish is the founder of HigherDrive Coaching & Consulting, and serves on the Boards of CEEDLI, a New York-based environmental nonprofit, a Rwandan Kwizera Children’s foundation, Rwanda and the National Real Estate Board for Black Realtors Long Island. She lives in New York, with her family.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/trishodusami
https://instagram.com/higherdrive_coaching?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
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