How Bumble Founder Whitney Wolfe Herd Overcame Hurdles

As founder and CEO of Bumble, Whitney Wolfe Herd has revolutionised the way we date and work. At the start of 2018, her chicks-make-the-first-move app was joined by Bumble Bizz, a networking and mentoring feature. This year also saw Whitney appear on Time’s most-influential-people list, while Bumble now has more than 29 million users and is valued at over $1 billion. But her success hasn’t been
plain sailing. Here, the go-getter reveals how she turned her darkest hour into an opportunity that puts women first.

1. See negatives as motivation

“In early 2014, I experienced firsthand how damaging online bullying and abuse from complete strangers can be.” Whitney,
also a Tinder co-founder, sued the company for sexual harassment in a high-profile case.

“That was a time in my life when I was at my lowest. Knowing how destructive this could be gave me the motivation to try to build something better online for women. That moment gave me the inspiration to fight for something that meant a great deal to me then and even more to me today.”

2. Question yourself to keep growing

“My biggest challenge was overcoming my own very unconscious bias [about gender stereotypes]. I was actually part of the problem, as I accepted these ridiculous gender norms. Understanding how wrong all that was became a huge part of how I regained my self-confidence and also my sense of self-worth.”

3. Always look after number one, you!

“Exercise, your diet, meditation, downtime – it’s all absolutely vital to maintaining balance in life and enables me to perform at my best. I love exercising in the morning as a way of setting the table for the entire day.”

4. Get excited for what’s ahead

“The future for women in business? Transparency and an unwillingness to accept anything but equality. Women and men are no longer accepting the antiquated approach to gender norms. It’s going to pave the way for the next generations of women in business to have more than just a seat at the table but any seat they want.”

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