Inventor, Entrepreneur and Inspiration for the Movie 'Joy' Joy Mangano Shares How to Be Successful In a recent conversation, Joy Mangano discusses success, creativity, failure and more.
By Rose Leadem
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Entrepreneurship is no walk in the park. And to be successful, look for advice from those around you.
On July 11, Rising Tide Capital, a nonprofit organization focused on empowering entrepreneurs, met with famous inventor, entrepreneur and TV personality Joy Mangano (the inspiration behind the movie Joy) to discuss the ins and outs of entrepreneurship. As part of RTC's pitch competition, Start Something Challenge, the nonprofit's co-founder and CEO Alfa Demmellash and Mangano gave inspiring advice to a group of 200 aspiring entrepreneurs at WeWork's Fulton St. location in New York City.
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It's safe to say Mangano knows a thing or two about entrepreneurship. Starting at 00:15:00 in the clip, listen to Mangano share her take on success, creativity, rejection and more.
Some takeaways to consider:
On the importance of pursuing your passion
To Mangano, there's nothing better in life than doing what you love. "If you have something that comes naturally, and you love doing it and you're not doing it... Do it." And what's the first step? Start small. If you start small, and keep moving forward everyday, there will be a moment when things begin to connect and grow. It's a journey -- not an overnight process.
On rejecting rejection
Mangano says to never take "no" for an answer. "No is not a no. No means find an alternative," says Mangano. We live in a world today with an abundant amount of resources and supportive communities, especially for entrepreneurs. With companies like RTC and WeWork, which provide support and mentorship to entrepreneurs, it's more important than ever to utilize these things.
Related: 5 Ways Criticism and Rejection Builds Your Capacity to Succeed
On maintaining momentum
Whatever you do and whatever stage of business you are in, just keep moving forward, says Mangano. Take advantage of the people and resources around you, utilize new technology and live your passions. "If you're female, male, young or old, keep moving forward," Mangano advises the audience. "We need entrepreneurs and we need small businesses."
