May 2013 editor's letter: You the boss

When it comes to entrepreneurs, most of us think of risk takers. But an entrepreneurial person is also someone who has initiative and is resourceful, enterprising and committed — the ultimate "how-to-er."

I decided to try my hand at working for myself before I ever worked for anyone else. I had an idea and found partners who complemented my skill set (conceptual thinking and a willingness to try anything!) with more concrete capacities like marketing and finance. This period of my life bore many fruits: learning to lead a team, nurturing morale during challenging times, managing resources, wearing many hats, finding increasingly innovative ways to get more for less—and developing stamina for long hours and minimal holidays. While I now work for a large organization, my entrepreneurial training has served me well. I often look outside my current world with admiration (and some envy) at business owners who are completely responsible for their company’s success.

That’s why I’m so proud of Chatelaine’s commitment to celebrating entrepreneurialism and the adventurous women who excel at it. Through our partnership with Profit in the W100 program, we honour 100 such achievers every year. Not only are the winners inspiring, but their experiences are enlightening for the rest of us. Whether their companies are one-woman shows or multi-million-dollar conglomerates, these successful women provide transformational insight. Nominations are now open for this year’s W100. If you have an entrepreneurial success story (yours or someone else’s), please enter it now. We’d all love to hear them!

Follow Jane Francisco on Twitter @JaneFrancisco