In 7 years, I went from being a personal trainer at a local gym to crossing a $100M net worth. And I did it as a woman.
If you don’t know me, I’m Leila Hormozi, Founder and CEO of Acquisition.com, where I oversee a portfolio valued at over $500M. Before age 28, I built and sold three companies. I’ve hired thousands, coached thousands, and now invest in founders across industries.
One important caveat before we begin: These are truths for winning in business. They are not the same truths needed for building a healthy marriage, a fulfilling family, or a well-rounded personal life.
Business rewards emotional neutrality, detachment, and decisiveness.
Relationships reward vulnerability, connection, and softness.
Do not confuse the two.
What makes you exceptional in business does not automatically make you exceptional at home. With that said, here’s the truth you need if you want to win professionally:
42% of businesses today are owned by women. Women-led companies outperform those led by men by over 20 percent.
So talent is not the issue.
The narrative is.
Far too many conversations about women in business drift into victimhood or excuses. I want to empower women by telling the truth that gets results, not the truth that gets applause or Instagram likes.
Advice for Women in Business by Leila Hormozi
3 Truths You Need to Hear
Truth 1: Sometimes It Isn’t Because You’re a Woman. You’re Just Not Good Enough Yet.
We have to start here.
Humans love to blame something outside their control. It feels better than confronting our own deficits. But blaming doesn’t help you grow, and it definitely doesn’t help you get paid.
When I was early in my career, I had a boss who would constantly “forget” to include me on important calls. One day, I finally built the courage to confront him. I expected him to say, “You’re right, I overlooked you.” Instead, he said:
“You haven’t shown me you’re ready.”
At first I was offended. Internally, I wanted to scream, “Is it because I’m a woman?” But when I walked away and told myself the truth, it wasn’t sexism. It was that I hadn’t earned enough trust yet. I wasn’t contributing at the level that warranted inclusion.
And that was a gift, because it meant I could change it.
I started over-preparing.
I volunteered for more work.
I anticipated needs before anyone asked.
I studied the business obsessively.
Within months, I was leading those meetings.
Sometimes the story we tell ourselves is convenient.
But the story that gets you results is this one:
If you want more respect, demonstrate more excellence.
Not later. Not someday. Now.
A woman at one of our events once asked me: “What do I do if they don’t respect me because I’m a woman?”
I offered her two frames:
1. How do you know it’s true?
Most people alter their behavior because of an assumption that may not even be real.
2. Even if it is true, is that thought useful?
Does it help you grow?
Does it help you influence others?
Does it make you better?
No.
It steals your power.
If you’re not good enough yet, that’s fixable.
That is the best possible news 🙂
Truth 2: Your Values Will Conflict. That Doesn’t Make You a Bad Woman.
Women carry enormous guilt because they juggle competing identities: wife, mother, leader, partner, daughter, business owner.
A mother at one of our events came to me crying because she felt like a failure for choosing business over her kids that week.
I told her:
“You’re zoomed in on the micro. Zoom out.”
In the micro, yes, sometimes you choose work over family. Other times you choose family over work. But in the macro, if you’re intentional, it evens out.
If you want to win in all areas, ask better questions:
● How can your kids benefit from seeing you build?
● How can your work benefit your kids long-term?
● How can your marriage benefit your business?
● How can your business strengthen your marriage?
My friend Sharran teaches his son finance by having him buy land.
Dean and Lisa co-host events and turn their marriage into a business advantage. Alex and I build companies side by side, and our relationship is stronger because of it.
Everything meaningful requires tradeoffs.
Accepting that is the beginning of peace.
Again, a caveat:
Business thinking is not relationship thinking.
You cannot manage your spouse or children the way you manage a team.
You need both skill sets. You switch modes depending on the environment.
This piece is about the business mode.
Truth 3: Being Treated Differently Doesn’t Always Mean Being Treated Unfairly
You will be treated differently as a woman.
But different does not mean worse.
Being underestimated is an advantage.
Being unexpected is an advantage.
Being disarming is an advantage.
I’ve gotten into conversations, deals, and rooms precisely because I wasn’t viewed as a threat. Once inside, I proved myself quickly.
When we entered SaaS, dozens of men openly helped me because I asked in a way that invited mentorship. That transparency accelerated my learning curve.
A PE fund manager once insisted on meeting with me instead of Alex simply because he found me “easier to talk to.” Fine by me. It turned into a great opportunity.
I’ve also been called a secretary on the phone – to my face – as the CEO. At my own event, someone said, “I’m starting to think you actually have something to do with the success of this business.” I founded that business and poured my heart and soul into it everyday.
Did it hurt? A little.
Did it stop me? No way.
Use being underestimated to your advantage.
Appear weak when you are strong.
Appear harmless when you are dangerous.
Oprah once left a job where she was paid less for being a woman. She didn’t argue or fight for fairness. She left and built her own empire. Today she is worth billions.
Being underestimated is only insulting if you need validation.
It is extremely powerful if you need results.
Additional Mindsets Every Woman in Business Needs
Learn to say no.
Women are raised to be agreeable, nurturing, and accommodating. Those traits make you a wonderful human but an ineffective leader if you cannot switch modes.
I once had a Director of CS who couldn’t say no. Her team walked over her. She looked “nice,” but she wasn’t respected. Saying no is a leadership requirement.
Ask yourself:
“Does anyone I respect say yes more than no?”
They don’t.
Emotional discipline is not optional in business.
Women are indeed more emotional. We are ALSO more socialized to express emotions because it’s culturally acceptable. But leadership in business requires emotional neutrality.
I used to excuse emotional volatility because of my period. A dear friend challenged me on this. When I stopped giving myself that permission slip, the volatility disappeared. I can’t remember the last time I cried on my period now.
Your biology is real.
Your standards and effort are also real. You have more control than you think.
Men who hate you are irrelevant.
Some men will resent you simply for winning what they think is “their” game. Let them. They are not your customers, employees, or partners.
Every man who was ahead of me respected me.
The only ones throwing rocks were behind me.
Hate is the price you pay for success.
Now, caveat – everything I’ve shared is designed to help you win in business.
But I want to leave you with the same reminder I started with, because it might be the most important truth of all:
The traits that make you unstoppable at work can destroy your personal life if you don’t learn to turn them off.
Business rewards logic, detachment, speed, decisiveness, and emotional restraint. Relationships reward presence, vulnerability, softness, and connection.
If you bring “CEO mode” into your marriage, you will bulldoze people you love.
If you bring “relationship mode” into your business, you will get eaten alive.
Winning in life requires learning to operate in both worlds without confusing one for the other.
Be decisive at work.
Be compassionate at home.
Be firm with your team.
Be soft with your partner.
Be emotionally neutral in business.
Be emotionally available with your kids. Fulfillment comes from switching modes intentionally, not blending them accidentally. Master that, and you’ll build not just an exceptional career, but an extraordinary life.
