Being a woman entrepreneur is not always easy or glamorous or fun or a fill-in-the-blank path to follow. And yet, there are more of us pursuing this path today than ever before in history and I’ve been wondering why.

I recently asked several colleagues at a day-long intensive – you’ll see a synopsis of their responses below.

Would you be surprised to know that not one of the entrepreneurs I talked with mentioned money as the #1 reason they started their business?

Here’s why – money isn’t a motivator. Money is a satisfier – it satisfies our need to pay our bills, meet our financial obligations, and have the discretionary income to play with.

If entrepreneurs aren’t motivated by money, then what? Here are the top 5 responses to my spontaneous, super unscientific survey:

1. Freedom: to be in charge of their calendar, to do the work they love and out from under the bookends of 9-5 plus a lengthy commute.
2. Be myself: the opportunity to be fully and completely me
3. Create: getting to create a business that’s aligned with their life and lifestyle and that means family first
4. Satisfaction: doing what they love to do every day and feeling really satisfied at about helping others
5. Impact: positively impacting their clients, business, family, lifestyle and legacy.

Now it’s your turn – why did you start your business and what keeps you committed to the wild wacky world of being an entrepreneur?

I look forward to reading your comments!