Five entrepreneurial lessons from Mount Kilimanjaro

3. We are what we think

People debate whether entrepreneurs are born or made. But this group reminded us: Success comes from how you think. Verónica Orvalho, Founder and CEO of Didimo, said it wasn’t physical, but rather, mental strength that got them to the summit: “Hours and hours of just walking in step with your breathing for nine days … but what really takes you up and out there every day is your mind,” she remembered. “You realize you have to get healthy in your mind and push everyone else forward, too.”

Hannah Wrixon, Co-founder and CEO of Kella Leadership, agreed. “My head and my feet were the only thing that was going to get me out of there. That was a huge lesson in when you think you’re spent, there is a way if your want is big enough. And I wanted to finish.” 

That resonated. Whatever kind of business or team we lead, our own mindset affects everyone around us. These entrepreneurs sang together for hours on end, to keep one another going. They found laughter in a mishap with a monkey — and came back to that moment again and again, retelling the story when someone started to fall behind. In these mindful moments, they transformed mental strength into physical progress toward a shared goal. That mindfulness had a pollinating effect right across the team, propelling them to the summit for the penultimate reward: a photo of the group at the top; one now furthering their entrepreneurial mindset back at home.

4. The hardest things are never the ones you planned for

Ciara Crossan, Founder and CEO of WeddingDates was amazed to find the climb up Kilimanjaro was the ‘easy’ part. Reflecting on summitting with fellow climbers, including Angela Byrne, General Manager of Easydry and Michelle Pesce, Founder and CEO, Nona Entertainment, Ciara said: "It was the descent that I found grueling both physically and mentally. We had been so focused on the goal - the view of the summit propelled us forward every day but coming down was tough because the high was behind us! I massively relied on the support of the rest of the team to help me get over the finish line as it were."

Amazingly, it was in that downward climb that ideas began to percolate. In the face of a seemingly endless, 16 km set of steps and markedly rugged terrain down, solutions took shape. “There were a lot of good ideas for slides, ziplines and other ways to get down that mountain,” laughed Anne Butterly, CEO and Founder of Easydry International, reflecting on her first-ever genuine break from the business she founded.

Reflecting on the journey and the support from fellow climbers, Tina Keogh, Co-founder and Managing Director at Warner’s Distillery, shared how the experience encapsulated the essence of EY Winning Women: "Together, anything is possible. Courage driven by connection enabled us to conquer fears, support each other, and achieve the unimaginable. We are capable of more than we ever dreamed."

Over the years, we’ve seen so many women entrepreneurs unearth opportunities in the face of huge adversity – from a founder who was turned down for financing nearly 200 times, to another who reimagined her entire organization in the face of a pandemic, war and total supply chain disruption. While you cannot always plan for the toughest or most surprising moments, they do bring with them a silver lining: ingenuity. 

5. Be vulnerable. That’s when the magic happens

When she set out for Kilimanjaro, it had been eight years since Veronica had used an out-of-office (OOO) reply. This trip marked also Farana’s first dedicated time off since becoming an entrepreneur 24 years before. True, too, for almost everyone else embarking on this new and challenging experience, it was unlike anything they’d ever tried. 

In all that vulnerability, something interesting took hold. They thrived. So did their businesses. In Bevin’s words: “When you take time out and then share something so epic with your team, your team rallies around you. All our teams were so proud of us (and asked) what do you need from us so you don’t have to think about work?” 

Veronica said people receiving her OOO started reaching out. Customers wanted to talk about her experiences. Colleagues asked to know more. People inquired about contributing. “It had an extremely positive ripple effect without me really knowing it would.”

Meanwhile, Bevin was amazed by the ripple effect that her own stepping away had not just on her, but her team and network overall. “We could not have done this without the openness of bringing people together.  The power of our connection and our communication and being open and being very honest and asking for help on this trip has created friendships for life.”

That’s a testament to the idea of authentic, empathetic leadership — on the mountain and in the boardroom. They showed themselves, one another and business stakeholders: I am willing to be bold, to try new things, to test uncharted waters and to ask for help. 

There is such potential in that willingness to lead with vulnerability, across the entrepreneurial space and beyond.