5 Things Men Can Learn From The #GirlBosses Of The Startup World

Currently, I’m a senior studying marketing.

From my experience, this is a field dominated by women.

I’d like to keep it that way.

Recently, I was able to work with Tread, a new social recommendation app created and run by one of the most determined, kickass and funniest women I have ever met.

I’ve learned more in my time working with her than I have in the last three years while interning and giving away my time and effort to numerous companies.

One of my main roles entailed interviewing and writing about influencers, entrepreneurs, tastemakers and globetrotters for feature stories highlighted on the app and website.

Guess whom I loved working with the most?

Women.

It’s not just because girls rule the world (Beyoncé knows it), but it’s because they have something inspiring to offer and are happy to share.

Men, here are five things you need to learn from women:

1. They’re open to failing.

The CEO of Tread, Amber Milos, encouraged me to fail every single day.

She’d sit me down in our weekly meetings, ask for my newest ideas and tell me to go ahead and implement them.

If they didn’t work, I’d try something new.

If they did, I’d keep improving it.

Sounds simple, right?

Everyone wants to succeed, but you don’t need to cut corners or skew numbers to do it.

I’m not suggesting all men do this, but the reason behind fraud and manipulation is often the fear of failing.

If you don’t fail, you’ll never learn to succeed.

Throw your worries in the trash and get to work; you might just change the game.

2. They’re on top of their game.

I reached out to men and women alike, only to realize men were about three times less likely to answer me or meet any of my deadlines.

That's no big deal, unless you’re trying to get some work done.

I hate pestering people, so don’t put me in a position where I’m forced to pester you.

You don’t want a feature written by yours truly?

Cool, let’s move on.

Women, on the other hand, were eager to get back to me.

They were honored to help out and were willing to share any and all advice when it came to their experiences of world, whether work-related or not.

Take one guess as to the people I’m still in touch with, months after their interviews?

Thank you, women, for being such fearless, badass leaders.

3. They’re humble.

I worked with women who were leaders in their industries, in their companies and ultimately in their lives, but they never failed to be the most thoughtful people.

Sure, some girls can be petty and enhance drama, but these are women we’re talking about.

They were incredibly easy to work with, and they always provided me with answers that were clearly thought out and promising.

They acted as if they had no idea just how awesome they all were, but I knew.

4. They create a community.

Women inspire women.

Because I was working for a startup in a social media space that focused on entertainment and experiences, I was exposed to a variety of industries and roles.

These women let me peek into their day-to-day lives to help me decide if it was something I wanted for my future.

I met an abundance of women who left their corporate (and safe) jobs to pursue their passions and create more good in the world, including Tread’s CEO.

These women taught me that following the status quo is ludicrous.

If I ever wanted to change my industry, or even my focus, I’d know who to call.

That’s a pretty incredible feeling.

5. They support each other.

Not only do they provide a sense of community, but they’re not about kicking everyone else down as they work their way to the top.

As Tread prepared for its launch, many (if not all) of the women I had reached out to before were so incredibly willing to share their stories, their wisdom and even their marketing knowledge.

The business world has been known to be dominated by men, but let me introduce you to the women entrepreneurs who are changing the game: Ashlee Ammons is working on her own networking app, Paula Herrera is from MAPA Collective, Laura Kofoid is from Laudi Vidni, Megan Patterson is from Sparkles & Sprinkles and the list goes on and on.

Don’t get me wrong; I’ve had my fair share of male bosses who have inspired me and helped me figure out what I wanted to do.

But, women create a completely different playing field.

It's one I fully support and encourage everyone to be a part of at one point or another.

Who run the world?

Kickass women owning the business world.