Beyond Valuations: The Emotional Economy Of Entrepreneurship As Women

Entrepreneurship is often shown through valuations, scale, and success stories. However, when it comes to women entrepreneurs, the journey moves far beyond metrics. It is powered by emotional labour, relentless multitasking, and a resilience that rarely gets the spotlight. Behind every milestone lies a mix of determination and doubt, personal sacrifices and professional courage, and the ability to carry multiple worlds at once.

There’s also a silent FOMO, the fear of "falling behind" that many women face, the feeling that they’re lagging in personal milestones set by society, despite moving forward in every other area of their lives.

This is why platforms like the SheThePeople Digital Women Awards matter. They don’t just celebrate scale or success, but the spirit, the resilience, and the stories behind every milestone. 

This year's theme, Lead The Leap, recognises the bold moves women make as they step into spaces that once felt out of reach, create their own opportunities, and lead with conviction and purpose.
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The Inner World of Women Entrepreneurs

For many women, entrepreneurship isn’t just a job; it’s a whole emotional community. It’s a daily juggle between ambition, family, identity, and expectations.

Anupama Dalmia, Founder of Beyond The Box and winner of a Digital Women Award 2024, spoke about the unseen labour that comes with this journey. 

“Balancing work and motherhood was tough," Anupama reflected. "I had to prioritise, delegate, and still stay true to my vision. But every challenge helped me grow.” 

And this is where many women find themselves learning and constantly adjusting because entrepreneurship rarely offers the space to stand still.

Every decision they make comes with the weight of two worlds resting on their shoulders. That feeling isn’t hers alone; it’s shared by countless women founders. 

Deeksha Jaipuria Agarwal, Founder of Knitting Doodles, and winner of the Digital Women Award 2024, expressed how people dismissed her early efforts as “just a hobby."

Deeksha recounted, “Many didn’t take my business seriously, and even getting my own workspace was hard. But staying focused helped me build what I believed in.”

This shows a deeper truth about why women are expected to prove their seriousness even before they get a chance to show what they can do.

Their consistency becomes their first proof of worth, long before any funding, validation, or growth arrives. This fight behind a calm face is rarely seen. Women founders carry the emotional pressure alone and still try to show that everything is fine.

Kanika Tekriwal, Founder of JetSetGo, expressed at DWA 2024, “There are days I wake up overwhelmed with problems. But somehow, we find the strength to face everything with a smile.”

This makes it clear that even when challenges pile up, women don’t stop. They keep showing up, keep fighting, and keep proving that they deserve their space, no matter how tough the day is.

What often goes unnoticed is how this loneliness shapes women into stronger, sharper versions of themselves.

When they walk into any space, they don’t just bring skills; they carry resilience built from years of fighting both visible and invisible battles.

Over time, all this constant pressure slowly turns into a kind of loneliness that's the part entrepreneurs rarely talk about. 

Anam Mirza, Founder of The Label Bazaar, said at DWA 2024, “There were moments I felt completely alone, even when surrounded by people. But women do so many roles at once, it reminds me there’s nothing we can’t do.”

These voices give insight into an emotional truth we often overlook. Women entrepreneurs aren’t just building businesses; they’re carrying a mental load that touches every part of work, home, relationships, and expectations.

They go through daily emotional pressure, the guilt of not doing “enough,” and the fear of missing milestones society expects from them.

Yet they show up on good days, impossible days, and even the days when everything feels too heavy. That’s the true picture of how women founders use their minds to build a company, but their emotional strength helps them survive and rise. 

The Digital Women Awards remind us that these journeys deserve visibility. The platform recognises women who are leading growth, shifting narratives, and owning their impact in the digital economy.

Views expressed by the author are their own.