By Vivian Nunez – Forbes

Building your career is difficult enough, but the noise that can escalate as you make more and more decisions for yourself doesn’t make it any easier. Everyone else’s opinions can be difficult to zone out and even though they may be well-intentioned, it’s hard to deny that only you know what path you’re walking and why.

“Most entrepreneurs struggle with imposter syndrome, but the minute I dropped the worry of being judged, I was free,” explains Jasmine Star, a photographer, and business strategist. “I used to be handcuffed to people’s opinions of me, aching for their acceptance and approval, but once I realized that people’s opinions of me don’t pay my bills, I was set free. Every morning I ask myself, ‘Why not me? Who am I not to pursue creative projects with reckless abandon?”

Star’s commitment to herself has led her to become one of the most sought after business strategists to date. For Kay Lopez and Alondra Carbajal, it was stepping into the possibility of crafting the career they wanted on their own terms that have allowed them to turn those dreams into realities.

Below these three entrepreneurs share advice that can help you whenever your commitment to yourself may wane.

Kay Lopez, Founder of Latinas Poderosas

“Sometimes we don’t think something is possible because we don’t see someone who looks like us or worse we don’t even think of it as an option and that’s a narrative we need to change,” emphasizes Lopez.

When you start taking up space and allowing others to see the ways you show up for your career, it makes it possible for the next person to believe they can do it too. Baking in the pay it forward mindset to your career will help you keep going even on the hardest of days.

Alondra Carbajal, Co-Founder of Blank Tag Co

When Carbajal and her boyfriend got the idea to launch a sticker business, Carbajal knew a few things to be true — she was going to keep her 9-to-5 and she was going to create a brand that everyone wanted to be a part of. After some troubleshooting, Blank Tag Co was off to the races. During this time Carbajal was constantly reminded that the only way her balancing act was going to work was if she started to prioritize what she thought more than what others assumed.

“Focus on what feels right to you, and not what you think a business owner should do [or be],” shares Carbajal. “For a long time, I wanted nothing to do with owning a business because I always thought it meant I would have to leave my career. I love my career and didn’t want to have to give it up. It wasn’t until we started Blank Tag Co that I realized that being a business owner didn’t mean I could only be a business owner.”

Jasmine Star, Photographer, and Business Strategist

Leaving law school to pursue her passion isn’t the last time Star is constantly committing to make the most of the life she is given and the career she works for.