Women are launching companies at a historic pace. In 2024, women founded 49 percent of new U.S. businesses, a 69 percent jump since 2019. The headline is exciting. The reality is more complex. Growth takes structure and a circle that keeps you honest when momentum gets noisy.
I have lived both sides. As the CEO of SP Grace, I help leaders grow people and organizations. We also run a company that must meet payroll, win contracts, and deliver results. The lesson that repeats across both lanes is simple. Vision needs a system. Founders need a village.
The New Face of Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship today looks nothing like it did even five years ago. Many women are entering business ownership after layoffs, career pauses, or shifts brought by hybrid work. Some start because they want freedom over their time. Others want to create an impact that extends beyond profit. Whatever the reason, this generation of founders is shaping a more human definition of success.
Still, there is a hard side to this story. Behind every headline about record-breaking business formation are countless late nights, moments of doubt, and sacrifice. Starting a company can be isolating, especially for women who juggle multiple roles at once. Many find themselves managing the complexities of operations, sales, finances, hiring the right team, and family commitments all at the same time.
It’s tempting to tell new entrepreneurs that passion and vision are enough to propel their businesses to success, but that’s only part of the story. While passion fuels the dream, growth demands structure and discipline to build a lasting foundation. I learned this through years of trial and error in the unpredictable waves of entrepreneurship, and later through structured learning that reshaped how I viewed my company. Every business is unique. What works for one venture might fail for another, and pretending there’s a universal formula is not only unrealistic but unfair to those just starting out.
The entrepreneurial journey is often overwhelming. The learning curve is steep, and no amount of “doing the right things” can fully prepare you for the surprises each day brings. There were countless moments when I wanted to retreat and tell the world to leave me alone. But through the chaos, I discovered a lifeline: community.
Building Bigger Through Community
Community breathes new energy into the grind, turning a solitary struggle into a shared, vibrant pursuit of growth. For me, everything changed when my friend Andrea Jones, owner of several Nothing Bundt Cakes franchises, proposed we collaborate to support each other’s businesses. What started as a partnership grew into a vibrant mastermind group of women business owners. Through this community, I gained a deeper understanding of the unique needs of women entrepreneurs, especially when one launched the Amour Women Work Community, a luxury workshare space designed specifically for women. It was also within this circle that I was encouraged to apply to the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program.
When I joined the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, I spent over twelve weeks studying finance, marketing, and leadership with 29 other business owners who were also looking for insights. The curriculum, designed by Babson College, was a well-structured walk-through of all of the most important foundational elements we needed to have in place to prepare our companies for growth. Yet, something even bigger happened for me within that experience: I was expanding my community of support.
My classmates included people who ran farms, restaurants, and technology firms. We had little in common on paper but shared the same determination to scale. That community reminded me that growth isn’t a solo act. Entrepreneurship thrives when ideas collide, when one person’s insight sparks another’s next step. Those conversations helped me refine my company’s direction and gave me the confidence to accelerate launching The College Smarter™ Method. This method grew from my passion for helping college-bound students go from being impressive to being unforgettable as they apply for competitive programs and universities.
Fresh off the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, I was energized and ready to take my business to new heights. That momentum led me to join Pinnacle Global Network, led by Allison Maslan, author of Scale or Fail. The mastermind sessions with highly successful CEOs from around the globe were a revelation, each member committed not just to scaling their own companies but to embodying Allison’s philosophy of being “go-givers.”
These communities helped me understand that the value wasn’t in chasing every opportunity. It was about clarity, strategy, resources, and support. As I carried that same mindset into SP Grace and The College Smarter™ Method, it changed everything. We became even more strategic and more sustainable.
Women Leading Forward
This is a defining moment for women entrepreneurs. We are no longer on the sidelines of economic growth. We are building it. We are designing companies that prioritize inclusion, impact, and innovation. The data shows progress, but the human stories behind that progress show something even greater, a shared commitment to building with purpose.
Entrepreneurship is rarely easy, but it is deeply rewarding when built in community. That’s the message I hope every woman founder takes to heart. We do not have to build alone. The best ideas grow when they are nurtured by others who understand the journey.
Scaling smarter begins with learning, connecting, and staying open to change. It continues when we help other women do the same.
As I often say, leading a business is an ongoing education. Every milestone teaches you something new about courage, creativity, and resilience. The best part is sharing those lessons so the next generation of entrepreneurs can build even stronger foundations.
About Dr. Carmen Bell-Ross
Dr. Carmen Bell-Ross, founder of SP Grace, is a leadership consultant and workforce development specialist with 20 years of experience empowering people through professional development and executive coaching. With dual doctoral studies and a proven track record of success, she now offers an innovative program that helps students literally get “college smarter” faster and stand out in the busy, competitive application process for being themselves and showcasing it in a completely ELEVATED way. Transform your student’s college journey at: CollegeSmarter.com
