In this series, we ask entrepreneurs questions about life and business.
Have you ever wondered what being an entrepreneur is like? In this new series, The life of an entrepreneur, we ask business owners questions about their personal and business life.
The first entrepreneur to take the stand is Ruth Marsden, founder of Bettercup, a company that produces menstrual cups and helps fight period poverty in Zimbabwe.
Why did you become an entrepreneur?
I’ve always loved the idea of starting my own business. Bettercup started for a few reasons: I tried menstrual cups having previously judged them and couldn’t believe how great they were. Around the same time, I was chatting to my sister who works at a rural farm school in Zimbabwe and she mentioned that the girls there miss school when they’re on their period due to a lack of sanitary wear. So I decided to start Bettercup and for each cup sold we would donate one.
Three (lifestyle or business) tips for someone that wants to start a business?
Make sure you know ‘why’ you want to start and hold on to that, it will see you through the harder days. Surround yourself with other business people that you trust and can go to for advice. Be humble and happy to get things wrong, you need to be able to learn quickly and move on rather than wallow!
What did you learn about yourself since becoming an entrepreneur?
I am capable of a lot more than I realised. I just needed to give myself the chance to tackle the challenge.
What’s your usual day like?
There is no usual day, especially at the moment! Some days I’m with my children full time scooting around the park and then attempting to answer emails while they watch a movie and other days I am in my office playing catch up!
Do you have a morning routine that you swear by?
Not really to be honest. I go through stages. Sometimes I get up and do 20 mins of Yoga before the children wake up and other days I’m snoozing my alarm.
What about a night-time routine?
As you might be starting to notice from my answers I’m not really a ‘routine’ person, more of a fly by the seat of your pants kinda person! My Night-time routine tends to be Netflix and collapse into bed!
Can you recommend a book, a podcast or a film that helped you?
I love listening to Guy Raz How I Built This podcast, I find it really inspiring and helpful to listen to female entrepreneurs talking about their journey.
If you had more time, how would you spend it?
Sleeping on a lounger in a spa somewhere!
