## HERMES

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Katarzyna Fronczak *

## 'Dig Your Heels in the Ground and Get What You Deserve.' - An Exploratory Corpus-Assisted Study of Women Entrepreneurs' Blogs.

## Abstract

Throughout history, entrepreneurial contributions of women have been largely disregarded and undervalued in the business sector. However, recent decades have witnessed increased visibility of women entrepreneurs striving to challenge genderbased inequities and systemic biases in the workplace. Those who have achieved success are increasingly willing to share their  experiences  and  insights,  providing  guidance  to  aspiring  women  seeking  to  establish,  develop,  or  advance  their enterprises and careers. One notable channel to convey their messages is through women entrepreneurs' blogs. This paper explores how female entrepreneurs perceive themselves as businesswomen and examines how they construct the position of women in the current business realm. Using a Corpus-Assisted Discourse Analysis approach, a detailed examination of concordances related to selected keywords and key expressions associated with the perception of women entrepreneurs, along with business and societal challenges, unveils typical collocations and contextual usage. The analysis is based on the Women  Entrepreneurs'  Blog  Corpus,  a  dataset  comprising  329,896  words  from  318  unique  blog  entries  in  English published between 2019 and 2023. The findings reveal that blogs serve as empowering platforms where women challenge traditional narratives, reshape perceptions of entrepreneurship, and redefine their roles in the business world. The usage of frequently occurring keywords such as female , women , and mompreneur(s) , emphasises themes of resilience, motivation, and identity alongside issues like inferiority, lack of confidence, and systemic disadvantages, particularly for women of color . Moreover, keywords like imposter syndrome , self-doubt , glass ceiling , and male-dominated often appear in contexts that underscore overcoming obstacles and the benefits of female entrepreneurship.

## Keywords

blogs; businesswomen; business communication; corpus linguistics; female entrepreneurs; keywords; women entrepreneurs; women entrepreneurs' blogs

## 1. Introduction

It  is  imperative  to  acknowledge  the  historical  marginalisation  and  undervaluation  of  women entrepreneurs within the business sphere, traditionally dominated by men (Carter et al., 2006; Meyer, 2018). This discrimination is evident in the portrayal of entrepreneurship through strictly masculine terms  (Bird  &  Brush,  2002;  De  Bruin  et  al.,  2006),  defining  an  entrepreneur  as  an  'active businessman' (Scranton, 2010) a 'captain of industry' (Scranton, 2010), 'hero who perceives the gaps and connects markets' (Bird & Bush, 2002), and a 'key man' (Herbet & Link, 1982). Such terms  contribute  to  a  gendered  discourse  surrounding  entrepreneurship,  emphasising  masculine qualities that exclude women from the entrepreneurial narrative. A turning point came with the first study on women's entrepreneurship in business, published in 1976 by Eleanor Schwartz in her work titled Entrepreneurship: A New Female Frontier (Green et al., 2003; McAdam, 2013; Meyer, 2018), which  sparked  scholarly  interest  in  this  new  research  direction.  Nevertheless,  the  discourse surrounding entrepreneurship remains predominantly male-oriented, highlighting the need to explore alternative  representations,  particularly  those  constructed  by  women  entrepreneurs  themselves (Yadav & Unni, 2016).

In  portraying  and  characterising  women  entrepreneurs,  it  is  essential  to  consider  diverse perspectives elucidated in the literature. Adhikari (2008) argues that 'women entrepreneurs' can be defined  as  a  woman  or  a  collective  of  women  who  establish,  manage,  and  operate  a  business enterprise.  Additionally, the  OECD 2004 notes that '[w]omen entrepreneurs create new jobs for themselves  and  others  and  can  provide  society  with  different  perspectives  and  approaches  to management organisation and business issues'. Interestingly, the Indian government stipulates that a woman must meet certain conditions to be considered a female entrepreneur. For example, she must own at least 51% of a business and ensure that at least 51% of employed individuals are female (Ambrish, 2014). These definitions not only reflect the criteria for identifying women entrepreneurs but also underscore their broader contributions, including economic growth, innovation, and gross national product (GNP) (Allen et al., 2007).  This aligns with the insight shared by LegaMart (2023), who, in their news bulletin Legal Help Abroad, published an article on LinkedIn, designating women as 'the largest untapped reservoir of talent in the world.' Despite these advances, defining women entrepreneurs remains complex. The Financial Express underscores this challenge, emphasising that 'it is difficult to clearly define women entrepreneurs in view of diverse criteria and within a country, there is an imperative to find a single, universal definition in order to collect and compare data of women entrepreneurs'.

*  Katarzyna Fronczak Department of Specialized Languages and Intercultural Communication University of Łódź katarzyna.fronczak@uni.lodz.pl

In recent decades, a discernible surge in the presence of female entrepreneurs within the realm of business across the world has been observed (Georgeta, 2012; Nedelcheva, 2012). For instance, in the United States, the count of female entrepreneurs skyrocketed to 12.3 million by 2023, marking a substantial increase from 402,000 in 1972 (Beckman, 2023). Additionally, women are estimated to comprise  43%  of  entrepreneurs  worldwide.  Motivated  by  a  desire  to  challenge  the  prevailing narrative of male dominance in executive positions, female business leaders are actively striving to effect  change  and  draw  attention  to  various  instances  of  gender-based  injustice  in  professional environments.  In  this  context,  successful  female  entrepreneurs  serve  as  inspirational  figures, employing  a  diverse  range  of  communication  strategies,  including  the  cultivation  of  blogs,  to motivate and share their expertise.

Although the terms 'blog' and 'weblog' were officially recognised in 2003 by the Oxford English Dictionary ,  their potential has continued to evolve over the years. Since then, various definitions have emerged, with the Merriam-Webster Dictionary describing a blog as 'a website that contains online personal reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks, videos, and photographs provided by the writer' and as 'a regular feature appearing as part of an online publication that typically relates to a particular topic and consists of articles and personal commentary by one or more authors'.

While blogs typically feature personal reflections or topical commentary, they differ from other digital platforms such as discussion forums, microblogs, and social media. Discussion forums are structured  around  user-generated  threads  and  conversations  rather  than  individual  authorship. Similarly, microblogging platforms like Twitter offer shorter, more immediate updates but lack the extended  narrative  structure  of  traditional  blogs  (Scheidies,  2013;  Dryl,  2016).  Social  media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram blend personal sharing with multimedia content but are primarily designed for social networking rather than sustained, authored content (Frassinelli, 2015; Dryl, 2016).

The blogs considered in this study are distinct from these platforms due to their emphasis on longer,  narrative-driven  posts  authored  by  individuals,  often  with  a  clear  thematic  focus.  This distinction is important because blogs, in their traditional form, provide a richer, more comprehensive medium for exploring topics, allowing for deeper engagement with the subject matter-especially in the  context  of  female  entrepreneurship  which  is  central  to  this  study.  Additionally,  blogs  have established a permanent presence in the digital landscape, serving both personal and professional purposes.

On the personal side, blogs allow individuals to, for example, express their thoughts, document daily  activities,  share  hobbies  and  interests,  and  recount  travel  experiences.  Furthermore,  their affordability,  accessibility,  and  enduring  popularity  have  led  to  their  adoption  by  businesses  as effective tools for promotion and engagement (Wood et al., 2006; Ahuja & Medury, 2010; Sinha et al., 2011; Fronczak, 2021).

The range of blogs is vast, encompassing personal blogs that focus on the author's emotions, experiences, or reflections, as well as more specialised types such as health blogs, food blogs, travel blogs,  cooking  blogs,  fashion  blogs,  and  political  blogs  (Fronczak,  2021,  p.  67).  Moreover,  the diversity  of  blogs,  their  wide-ranging  topics,  and  their  communicative  potential  have  been highlighted in numerous studies. For instance, Kopytowska (2013) examines political blogs, Rains & Keating (2011) analyse health blogs, Duffy  & Hund (2015) explore fashion blogs and Anesa (2019) investigates travel blogs.

Both  the  personal  and  professional  dimensions  of  blogs  have  been  effectively  leveraged  by businesswomen,  who  have  successfully  adopted  them  as  a  channel  for  engaging  with  a  broader audience. Blogs offer female entrepreneurs a distinctive and independent platform to share their experiences, articulate challenges, and celebrate successes. Unlike traditional media, which often reinforces gendered stereotypes, blogs enable women to take control of their narratives, fostering authentic self-representation and community building. This aligns with the findings of Hammad & El Naggar (2023, pp. 10-11) who highlight the significant role of digital platforms in empowering female  entrepreneurs  by  providing  alternative  avenues  to  expand  their  reach  and  influence. Moreover,  by  challenging  the  traditionally  male-dominated  discourse  of  entrepreneurship,  blogs offer a space for women to reshape perceptions and redefine their roles in the business world. In parallel, these digital platforms offer fertile ground for scholarly exploration, warranting thorough examination and analysis.

While the role of women entrepreneurs and the phenomenon of blogging have received significant academic  attention,  there  remains  a  noticeable  lack  of  studies  in  the  literature  dedicated  to  a systematic and detailed analysis of the linguistic discourse found on women entrepreneurs' blogs (Bhowmick  &  Shahi,  2024).  Addressing  this  research  gap  is  essential  for  broadening  our understanding  of  entrepreneurship.  By  analysing  the  linguistic  patterns  and  word  associations  in women entrepreneurs' blogs, this study provides deeper insights into how language constructs and challenges traditional gender norms in the context of entrepreneurship. This approach sheds light on how  women  entrepreneurs  use  language  to  position  themselves  within  a  predominantly  maledominated field and create alternative narratives. These findings contribute to a broader discussion on  gender,  language,  and  entrepreneurship,  particularly  regarding  how  language  can  reshape perceptions of women in professional and business environments.

In this context, the overarching aim of this research initiative is to investigate the self-perception of female entrepreneurs in the business domain and their role in shaping the representation of women in  the  contemporary  business  landscape.  The  study  also  examines  how  female  authors  of entrepreneurial blogs articulate and navigate obstacles encountered in their professional journeys. Employing a Corpus-Assisted Discourse Analysis methodology (Partington et al., 2013), the research conducts  a  comprehensive  examination  of  concordances 1 pertaining  to  specific  keywords  and expressions relevant to the portrayal of women entrepreneurs, as well as the challenges posed by the business  and  societal  context.  Through  this  analysis,  typical  collocations  and  contextual  usage patterns are revealed, providing insights into the linguistic construction of female entrepreneurship and its associated challenges.

1 Also  called  concordance  lines,  refer  to  a  format  commonly  employed  in  corpus linguistics  to display  instances  of  a keyword or key phrase along with its surrounding context within a text corpus. This format enables researchers to analyse the usage patterns of a given word or expression across different sentences and linguistic environments (Sinclair 1991; Biber et al. 1998; Stubbs 2001; Baker 2006; McEnery & Hardie 2012).

## 2. Research material and methodology

The data for this paper come from the Women Entrepreneurs' Blog Corpus ( WEBC ) compiled by the author, which encompasses a curated collection of 318 blog entries authored by distinguished female entrepreneurs.  This  compilation  follows  a  thorough  examination  of  prominent  blogs 2 within  the entrepreneurial domain, with a specific focus on three notable sources: Leaders in Heels , Women on Business , and Women Entrepreneurs . These selected blogs are recognised for their contemporaneous and  relevant  content,  specifically  tailored  for  women  who  aspire  to  embark  on  entrepreneurial ventures or seek inspiration, guidance, and insights to advance in the business landscape. Notably, these platforms feature contributions from a diverse array of female writers.

The corpus was compiled through a meticulous selection process, using manual procedures to ensure the inclusion of relevant data. Specifically, approximately 100 posts were chosen from each of the three blogs, focusing on entries published between 2019 and 2024, which were selected at random. Importantly, only posts authored by women were included, despite the occasional presence of male-authored posts on the analysed blogs; such entries were therefore excluded. This exclusion criterion guarantees that the corpus reflects the study's focus on amplifying women's voices in the entrepreneurial field. Furthermore, to ensure diversity and prevent overrepresentation of individual authors, no more than three posts from a single female author were included. As a result, the final corpus consists of 318 blog entries, distributed as follows: 110 posts from Leaders in Heels , 104 from Women on Business , and 104 from Women Entrepreneurs . This distribution allows for a comparable word count across the three sources, as presented in Table 1:

Table 1. Composition of the Women Entrepreneurs' Blog Corpus

| Women Entrepreneurs' Blogs   |   # of Blog Posts |   # of Words |
|------------------------------|-------------------|--------------|
| Leaders in Heels             |               110 |      109,092 |
| Women on Business            |               104 |      104.296 |
| Women Entrepreneurs          |               104 |      115,508 |
| TOTALCORPUS                  |               318 |      329,896 |

The  Women  Entrepreneurs'  Blog  Corpus  (WEBC)  serves  not  only  as  a  valuable  resource  for examining the textual features and thematic content of women's entrepreneurial discourse, but also provides a robust foundation for a wide range of linguistic and sociolinguistic analyses.

It is important to note that the WEBC, created by the author as part of an ongoing research project, currently contains approximately 330,000 words, with plans to expand to around one million words over time. As it is still under development, the WEBC is not yet accessible online. The corpus will continue  to  grow  as  new  blog  entries  are  identified  and  incorporated.  Therefore,  the  analysis presented here should be considered as a preliminary investigation, laying the foundation for future, more extensive studies.

Although the corpus may not appear large in comparison to some well-known, extensive corpora, such as the British National Corpus (BNC) with 100 million words or the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA) with over 560 million words, the number of texts (women entrepreneurs' blog posts) included and the diversity of authors contribute to its representativeness. Furthermore, Partington (1996, p. 4) argues that there is no 'standard size' for corpora and that 'much important work has used far smaller corpora'. In addition, Biber (1993, cited in Goźdź-Roszkowski, 2011, p.

2   See https://feedly.com/i/top/women-in-business-blogs; https://blog.feedspot.com/women\_entrepreneur\_blogs Retrieved June 4, 2023.

28) underscores that the number of texts is crucial in studies where the text itself is the 'basic unit of analysis'.

The research employed a methodological framework rooted in Corpus Linguistics (Sinclair, 1991; Partington, 2004; Baker, 2006; McEnery & Hardie, 2012; Partington et al., 2013), with a particular emphasis on Corpus-Assisted Discourse Analysis (CADS) (Partington et al., 2013). CADS, a term introduced  by  Partington  in  2004,  was  created  to  address  the  need  for  a  concept  that  not  only describes the study of discourse types using quantitative methods but also highlights the 'eclectic nature of the approach' (Partington et al., 2013, p. 10). While CADS incorporates corpus techniques as  part  of  its  methodology,  it  goes  beyond  this  by  blending  these  corpus-based  methods  with traditional qualitative discourse analysis. In the current study, CADS is applied to conduct an indepth examination of concordances related to specific keywords and expressions connected to the portrayal  of  women  entrepreneurs,  as  well  as  the  challenges  posed  by  the  business  and  societal context.  This  analysis  uncovers  typical  collocations  and  patterns  of  contextual  usage,  offering valuable  insights  into  the  linguistic  construction  of  female  entrepreneurship  and  its  associated challenges.

For the analytical procedures, the study employed advanced corpus analysis software, 'Sketch Engine' 3 (Kilgarriff et al., 2004). This tool enabled comprehensive statistical analyses, including generating lists  of  keywords, identifying  key  collocations, and  key expressions  distinctive  to the discourse of women in business, as well as checking concordance lines. The first step was to generate the lists of keywords and key collocations from the WEBC. This computational program enables one to  generate such lists by comparing the frequency list from the WEBC with the larger reference corpus  selected  from  the  list  of  available  ones--in  the  present  study,  this  was  the  English Web Corpus (enTenTen). 4 As a result, the lists of overused keywords and key collocations, which are unusually frequent in the target corpus (the WEBC) in comparison with the reference corpus (the enTenTen), was obtained. After a manual analysis, the list of 20 keywords and key collocations was created (see Table 2). It is important to note that proper names and other terms irrelevant to the current study were excluded. The focus was on those referring to women entrepreneurs (and their portrayal) as well as the challenges they face in the business world.

3 See https://www.sketchengine.eu/

4   This  corpus  was selected as the reference corpus for the current analysis because  it is a large-scale, 52 billion-word English-language corpus that includes a wide range of online communication types, such as blogs, news, and social media. Its diverse content makes it particularly suited for examining contemporary language use and comparing linguistic patterns in entrepreneurial discourse.

Table 2. Keywords and key collocations generated from the WEBC

| Item                   |   Frequency (focus) |   Frequency (reference) | Relative frequency (focus)   | Relative frequency (reference)   | Score 5   |
|------------------------|---------------------|-------------------------|------------------------------|----------------------------------|-----------|
| female entrepreneur    |                  62 |                    2186 | 168,36754                    | 0,32688                          | 127,64    |
| mompreneur             |                  46 |                     173 | 124,91785                    | 0,02587                          | 122,743   |
| women entrepreneur     |                  65 |                    3212 | 176,51436                    | 0,4803                           | 119,92    |
| women-owned business   |                  43 |                    1308 | 116,77103                    | 0,19559                          | 98,505    |
| imposter syndrome      |                  61 |                    4675 | 165,65193                    | 0,69907                          | 98,084    |
| women-own              |                  47 |                    2657 | 127,63346                    | 0,39731                          | 92,058    |
| female founder         |                  35 |                    1754 | 95,0462                      | 0,26228                          | 76,089    |
| self-doubt             |                  54 |                    7386 | 146,6427                     | 1,10445                          | 70,157    |
| woman in business      |                  24 |                    1269 | 65,17453                     | 0,18976                          | 55,62     |
| female leaders         |                  23 |                    2416 | 62,45893                     | 0,36127                          | 46,617    |
| women leader           |                  23 |                    2431 | 62,45893                     | 0,36352                          | 46,541    |
| woman in leadership    |                  20 |                    1342 | 54,31211                     | 0,20067                          | 46,068    |
| woman entrepreneur     |                  16 |                     203 | 43,44969                     | 0,03036                          | 43,14     |
| women business owner   |                  16 |                     295 | 43,44969                     | 0,04411                          | 42,572    |
| male-dominated         |                  29 |                    7388 | 78,75256                     | 1,10475                          | 37,892    |
| woman in the workplace |                  14 |                     992 | 38,01848                     | 0,14834                          | 33,978    |
| glass ceiling          |                  19 |                    3760 | 51,5965                      | 0,56225                          | 33,667    |
| women of color         |                  24 |                    7881 | 65,17453                     | 1,17847                          | 30,377    |
| successful woman       |                  12 |                    1526 | 32,58727                     | 0,22819                          | 27,347    |
| businesswoman          |                  17 |                   10751 | 46,16529                     | 1,60763                          | 18,087    |

## 3. Results and Discussion

The compilation of keywords indicates that women entrepreneurs, in their blog posts, employ diverse references to women in the business domain. Notably, the highest-ranking terms on the list include women (1556)/ woman (227) and female (218), utilise in various collocations that denote specific roles  or  positions  within  the  business  sector.  Additionally,  pivotal  term  such  as momprenuer(s) emerges as a significant keyword, shedding light on the perceptions and role attributed to women engaged in business activities.

Starting  with  the  keyword female ,  it  is  noticeable  that  its  predominant  collocations: female entrepreneur(s) (27/35), female  founder(s) (10/25),  and female  leader(s) (2/21),  emphasise  the portrayal  of  diverse  categories  of  businesswomen.  Specifically, the  analysis  of the  concordances reveals that the authors of entrepreneurial blogs depict women as somewhat inferior in 24% of cases (see Example 1), portraying them as reticent, and lacking confidence regarding business matters (see Example 2).

- (1)   What It Takes To Be A Female Entrepreneur In A Male-Dominated Industry? Believe in yourself,  and  don't  let  anyone  tell  you  that  you  can't  do  something  because  of  your gender.

5  Also called the keyness score. In the present study, the focus is on the keywords which are overused in the WEBC and whose score value is equal or higher than 15.13 (p < 0.0001; 99.99% confidence level) (Rayson et al. 2004).

- (2) Unfortunately, in a number of cultures around the world, many female founders are not so confident presenting and answering tough questions.

This suggests a deeper, cultural reflection on how women are conditioned to downplay their abilities in  male-dominated  professional  environments,  often  internalising societal stereotypes about leadership and assertiveness. This portrayal implies an acknowledgment of the obstacles faced by women in the business sphere, accompanied by a deliberate endeavour to inspire, convince, and offer guidance on the requisite behaviours for achieving success. Interestingly, this dual portrayal-of recognising limitations while encouraging empowerment-may  reflect  the tension  women experience  in  balancing  societal  expectations  with  self-promotion  and  professional  advancement (Sarfaraz  et  al.,  2014).  It  is  noteworthy  that  the  discourse  extends  beyond  the  exposition  of weaknesses, delving into the enumeration of advantages associated with female entrepreneurship (see Examples 3 and 4).

- (3) As a female entrepreneur , you can shape your destiny by strategically developing your personal brand.
- (4) Also, since the teams often consider female leaders more approachable, members of the workforce are also able to freely communicate the challenges they face, and the support they require from the leadership to overcome them.

This  shift  in  focus  underscores  a  recognition  of  the  unique  strengths  women  bring  to  the entrepreneurial  space,  including  empathy,  collaboration,  and  resilience,  often  overlooked  in traditional business narratives (Kamberidou, 2013). This nuanced approach suggests a comprehensive  consideration  of  both  the  challenges  and  merits  inherent  in  the  entrepreneurial endeavours  of  women.  It  also  signals  a  growing  desire  to  redefine  the  narrative  around  female entrepreneurship, moving away from merely overcoming adversity to highlighting the distinct value women contribute to the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The  keywords women and woman with  their  predominant  occurrences  are  found  in  the collocations: women entrepreneur (65)/ woman entrepreneur(s) (16/12), women-own (47), women leader (23), successful woman/women (6/9), woman founder(s) (5/8), businesswoman (13)/ businesswomen (4). Additionally, multi-words expressions such as women-owned business (43), woman in business (24), women of color (24), woman in leadership (20), women business owner (16), woman in the workplace (14) contribute to the frequent usage of these keywords.

Upon analysing the concordance lines, it becomes apparent that the contexts in which the abovementioned collocations and expressions occur share similarities with those described in the case of the  keyword female and  its  collocates.  Due  to  space  constraints  in  this  paper,  the  focus  will  be directed  towards  one  specific  collocation,  namely, women  of  color 6 ,  which  holds  particular significance.  According to  Merriam-Webster  dictionary, 'woman  of color' is  defined  as  both  'a woman  whose  skin pigmentation is  other  than  and  especially  darker  than  what  is  considered characteristic of people typically defined as white' and also as 'a woman who is of a race other than white or who is of mixed race'. 7 The authors of women entrepreneurs' blogs frequently emphasise the inferior position of women of color (see Examples 5-9), highlighting their disadvantaged status.

- (5)   According to the US Census Bureau, women of color are in an even more disadvantageous situation.
- (6)   For women of color , lower economic status or disabilities, the situation is even more dire.

6 This paper is written in British English; however, the collocation women of color is retained in its American English form, as it originally appeared in this way in the analysed corpus.

7  Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Woman of color. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary . Retrieved November 24, 2023, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/woman%20of%20color

- (7) Although there has been some progress over the past eight years, the representation of women, particularly women of color , is still lacking.
- (8) However, the situation is even more alarming for women of color , as only 1 in 20 hold a senior leadership position.
- (9) Older women and women of color suffered even more.

Moreover,  the  analysed  Examples  highlight  a  key  issue  of  intersectionality 8 :  the  compounded disadvantages  that  women  of  color  face  compared  to  their  white  counterparts.  According  to Crenshaw (1989, p. 149), intersectionality is a framework for understanding how multiple forms of social  stratification,  such  as  race,  class,  and  gender,  overlap  and  create  unique  experiences  of discrimination. In the context of entrepreneurship, women of color are often at a disadvantage not only  because  of  their  gender  but  also  due  to  their  race.  In  this  context,  phrases  like even  more disadvantageous situation (from Example 5), the situation is even more dire (from Example 6), the situation  is  even  more  alarming (from  Example  8),  and suffered  even  more (from  Example  9) underscore the multilayered nature of the struggles faced by these women.

Additionally, the unfair treatment of women of color is noticeable, particularly concerning their access to leadership positions. Example 8 starkly emphasises the marginalisation of women of color in  senior  leadership.  Such  disparity  in  leadership  roles  between  women  of  color  and  their  white counterparts is well-documented. As, for example, Catalyst (2020) identifies that women of color are underrepresented in leadership positions and have fewer resources to succeed in entrepreneurship. Moreover, the 1 in 20 statistic  emphasises  the  gravity  of  this issue  and suggests  that  even  when women of color enter entrepreneurship, the systemic exclusion from top-tier leadership roles persists, which  affects  their  ability  to  make  decisions,  access  funding,  and  grow  their  businesses.  This corresponds with findings from McKinsey's Women in the Workplace 2019 report which underscores that black women face significant barriers in securing leadership positions due to the compounded effects of racism, sexism, and classism, ultimately hindering their professional growth and success in both corporate and entrepreneurial environments (Hunt et al., 2020, p.19). Furthermore, as the analysis reveals, an additional layer of discrimination for women of color constitutes ageism (see Example 9). Older women in business often face stigma about their competence and relevance in the workforce, and for women of color, this stigma is compounded by racial biases.

While analysing Example 7, it is noticeable that, on the one hand, female authors of entrepreneurs' blogs recognise that the situation of women of color has been improving recently, however, they also emphasise  the  slow  pace  of  progress  despite  efforts  to  increase  diversity  in  leadership.  In  fact, progress  in  gender  equality  and  representation  is  often  surface  level,  with  structural  inequalities remaining unchanged beneath the surface. While there have been incremental increases in diversity, these  changes  have  not  translated  into  meaningful  shifts  in  representation  at  the  top  levels  of leadership (Hunt et al., 2020, pp. 3-4). This lack of representation for women of color reflects the continued barriers to their advancement and the need for more sustained efforts to dismantle these obstacles.

While the term 'women of color' underscores the intersectional challenges faced by women who experience both racial and gender-based discrimination, a related but distinct category of women entrepreneurs is that of mompreneurs -a keyword that warrants further attention. Like women of color,  mompreneurs  face  the  dual  pressures  of  balancing  business  and  family  responsibilities. However, they also navigate the additional societal expectations surrounding motherhood that can further complicate their entrepreneurial journey. The term 'mompreneur', as described by Weidhass (2020), is crafted with the intention of encapsulating the amalgamation of maternal responsibilities and engagement in entrepreneurship or business ownership. Furthermore, she highlights that the term underscores the significance of motherhood by preceding it with 'mom' in relation to the business role. While the term emphasises the primacy of motherhood by placing 'mom' before the business role, it also reinforces traditional gendered expectations that women must prioritise caregiving, even when pursuing economic ventures. However, Duberley & Carrigan (2012) caution that this framing can mask the challenges women face in balancing both spheres.

8  A term coined by Crenshaw in 1989.

Analysing the concordance, it is evident that the context in which mompreneur(s) is used suggests that  combining  the  roles  of  a  mother  and  a  businesswoman  is  advantageous,  despite  potential obstacles (see Examples 10-12 and 15). For instance, Example 10 suggests that entrepreneurship offers a way to combat the mom penalty , framing individual action as a solution to systemic inequities in the labour market. However, this rhetoric shifts the responsibility for addressing wage disparities onto  women,  rather  than  advocating  for  structural  changes.  Similarly,  Example  11  positions entrepreneurship as a way to alleviate 'mom guilt', implying that women can overcome feelings of inadequacy by successfully balancing both roles. This narrative reinforces the idea that women must excel in both spheres to achieve fulfilment.

Nevertheless,  the  phenomenon  of  'mompreneurship'  is  portrayed  as  being  in  a  favourable position and is projected to become increasingly popular (see Example 13). It appears that women entrepreneurs  aim  to  motivate  and  encourage  mothers  to  embark  on  a  business  adventure, emphasising the potential benefits in their blog posts. Ekinsmyth (2013) and Sarfaraz et al. (2014) similarly argue that entrepreneurship is often seen as a way for mothers to manage both roles, offering flexibility that traditional employment may not provide. However, this emphasis on flexibility can obscure  the  significant  challenges  and  emotional  labour  involved  in  balancing  motherhood  and entrepreneurship.

In order to persuade women, whose primary role is motherhood to become businesswomen, they strive to address and understand their unique position and concerns as mothers (see Example 14). In this context, Joshua Peterson-Reid (2018) discusses the psychology behind blogging, emphasising how personal expression, authenticity, and relatability contribute to audience engagement. Moreover, he  highlights  how  bloggers  can  foster  trust  and  build  communities  through  shared  experiences, emotional resonance, and storytelling. This aligns with the current analysis, which points out that women entrepreneurs also recognise the significant role of authentic storytelling and successfully use this method in their blogs to strengthen credibility and engagement with the audience.

On the other hand, it is important to critically examine whether this framing truly empowers women or perpetuates unrealistic expectations. The phrase [t]he future is female (Example 13) aligns mompreneurship with feminist ideals, yet it risks a co-opting feminist language without addressing deeper systemic barriers. Furthermore, not all mothers have equal access to entrepreneurship, as the concept often assumes certain privileges, such as financial resources and social support.

- (10) As a mompreneur, you have the potential to achieve an income well beyond the "mom penalty" many women face.
- (11) So, becoming a mompreneur will help you to assuage your 'mom guilt' and will also help you identify different streams of earning income.
- (12) While being a mompreneur certainly has its challenges, the benefits of entrepreneurship are compelling.
- (13) The future is female, mompreneurs are on the rise, and there's no stopping us now!
- (14) As a mompreneur myself for almost 30 years, I understand where you are coming from.
- (15) For other mothers, mompreneurs serve as role models, demonstrating that entrepreneurship is possible and the seemingly impossible can be achieved with passion, determination, and the courage to forge your own way.

A  further  analysis  of  the  keyword  and  key  collocation  lists  (see  Table  2)  reveals  that  female entrepreneurs are acutely aware of the obstacles women often encounter in their careers. Specifically, they  recognise challenges like 'imposter  syndrome',  'self-doubt'  and  the  'glass ceiling'. Additionally,  the  topic  of  'male-dominated'  working  environment  is  crucial  in  the  discourse  of female entrepreneurs.

In line with this findings, Harvard Business Review describes 'imposter syndrome' as a common feeling  of  self-doubt  and  fraudulence  at  work,  often  experienced  by  women. 9 Similarly, Forbes asserts that 'these feelings of self-doubt can often be more pronounced for female entrepreneurs, as they may perceive themselves as being less qualified or as having more to prove than their male counterparts.' 10 Therefore, with regard to the aforementioned information, the frequent use of the keyword expression imposter  syndrome suggests  that  female  entrepreneurs  actively  explore  this phenomenon, recognising it as a challenge that may disproportionately impact women in comparison to  men.  This  assertion  is  substantiated  by  instances  cited  from  the  WEBC,  exemplifying  the prevalence and relevance of imposter syndrome in the context of female entrepreneurship:

- (16) Imposter syndrome was first recognized in a 1978 and remains as prominent as ever in the workplace for women!
- (17) We need more women in leadership, but the burden of imposter syndrome adds  new barriers and threatens their success.
- (18) Don't allow your feelings of imposter syndrome stop you from seeking improvement and growth.
- (19) Ultimately, there is no one way to stop feelings of imposter syndrome , but there are ways to train your brain and focus on the positives rather than the negatives.
- (20) But with more tools and knowledge to break through the extra glass ceilings of imposter syndrome , we have a better chance of achieving that reality.

The examples provided above emphasise the emotional and cognitive impact of imposter syndrome, with references to it as a burden (Example 17) that can threaten success , yet also convey messages of  hope  and  agency,  indicating  that  overcoming  it  is  possible  with  the  right  mindset  and  tools (Examples 18-20). Additionally, from a linguistic perspective, the use of verbs such as stop , add , train , and break through conveys the actionable nature of the advice being offered. The imperative mood in the sentence Don't allow your feelings of imposter syndrome stop you (...) directs the reader to take action, suggesting that female entrepreneurs have some level of control over their emotions and can take steps toward overcoming the syndrome. The focus on brain training (Example 19) reflects a cognitive-behavioural approach to overcoming imposter syndrome, suggesting that such feelings  are  not  permanent  or  inherent  but  can  be  managed  through  self-reflection  and  positive thinking. Moreover, the repeated mention of glass ceilings (Example 20) reinforces the intersection between imposter syndrome and the structural barriers that women often face in entrepreneurship.

It  is  noticeable  that  the  linguistic  patterns  in  the  examples  provided  not  only  reinforce  the significance of imposter syndrome as a key challenge for female entrepreneurs but also reveal a broader narrative of empowerment and resilience. The strategic use of language underscores the dual role  of  acknowledging the difficulties women face while offering actionable advice to overcome them. This aligns with findings from different studies (e.g. Kamberidou, 2013; Sanford et al., 2015, p. 34) which suggest addressing imposter syndrome through mentorship, cognitive reframing, and community  support  can  help mitigate its impact and facilitate  women's  advancement  in entrepreneurship.

9  See https://hbr.org/2021/02/stop-telling-women-they-have-imposter-syndrome Retrieved November 14, 2023.

10  See https://www.forbes.com/sites/roncarucci/2024/03/04/leaders-your-self-doubt-is-normal-heres-how-to-engage-it/

Retrieved June 14, 2024.

In addition to addressing imposter syndrome , the authors of women entrepreneurs' blogs highlight self-doubt as  another  obstacle  that  many  women  encounter  in  the  business environment.  From a linguistic  perspective,  the  way self-doubt is  framed  in  the  blog  posts  demonstrates  a  shift  from personal  acknowledgment  of  the  issue  to  offering  practical  solutions.  The  context  in  which  the keyword self-doubt (54)  is  discussed  suggests  that  female  entrepreneurs  not  only  acknowledge personally grappling with this detrimental feeling (see Example 21-23), but also provide various pieces of advice aimed at overcoming it. For example, the use of direct questions: How do I stay empowered in the face of challenges or self-doubt? (Example 21) and How do you overcome selfdoubt and believe in yourself? (Example 22)-encourages engagement and invites readers to reflect on their own experiences. This strategy aligns with the findings of Goźdź-Roszkowski & Fronczak (2020, p. 79) who note that the frequent occurrence of personal pronouns in direct questions is a key strategy for engaging readers and provoking reflection. By posing such questions, the authors of blogs aim to draw readers into a dialogue, prompting them to think critically about their personal challenges and responses, thus creating an interactive space for reflection and connection.

In addition, practical strategies, such as applying the Japanese 'concept of ikigai' 11 or  taking particular steps, are offered as ways to combat self-doubt. Furthermore, the authors adopt a rhetorical strategy that fosters two-way communication, motivating and persuading readers by asserting that self-doubt can be surmounted through the strength and power inherent in women (as illustrated in Examples 24 and 25).

- (21) How do I stay empowered in the face of challenges or self-doubt ? Remember your ikigai. Let your passion and purpose motivate you.
- (22) How do you overcome self-doubt and believe in yourself? Here are five key steps you can take: 1. Increase Your Knowledge and Skills (…)
- (23) In addition to the five steps you can take to overcome self-doubt discussed above, below are more tips to help you gain confidence, reach your goals, and be a successful business woman.
- (24) Don't let self-doubt hold you back from living on your own terms. You have everything within you already to be a successful freelancer.
- (25) You deserve to achieve your goals, and with a little bit of effort, you can get rid of the self-doubt that's  holding  you  back.  You  have the power  to  change  your thinking  and improve your life, so don't wait any longer.

Within the landscape of women entrepreneurship, a salient challenge highlighted in discourse is the barrier known as the 'glass ceiling'. Business Insider defines the 'glass ceiling' as the metaphorical barriers  hindering  the  career  advancement  of  women  and  people  of  color  in  the  workplace. 12 Similarly, in the WEBC, the glass ceiling is contextualised as an imperative hurdle to overcome for achieving success, as evident in Examples 26-28. Notably, the prevalent use of this term underscores a strong nexus between the 'glass ceiling' phenomenon and environments characterised by male dominance, as exemplified in Examples 29 and 30. Therefore, it can be inferred that men are, in some way, responsible for the existence of this invisible barrier. Women entrepreneurs conscientiously draw attention to this issue, recognizing it as a substantive impediment hindering women's success in the business realm, as demonstrated in Example 31. Yet, they also emphasise the importance of combating such obstacles and provide advice on how to do so (see Examples 27 and 30).

11  Understood as 'a term that embodies the idea of happiness in living. Essentially, ikigai is the reason why you get up in the morning. https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20170807-ikigai-a-japanese-concept-to-improve-work-and-life Retrieved November 14, 2023.

12  See https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/glass-ceiling?IR=T Retrieved November 14, 2023.

Moreover,  it  is  noticeable  that  the  use  of  metaphorical  expressions  such  as shattering and smashing along with the phrase glass ceiling conveys a sense of action and urgency. These dynamic verbs reflect the intense effort required to overcome barriers like the glass ceiling , underscoring the persistent struggle women face in male-dominated industries. Additionally, phrases like push the dial and smashes the patriarchy introduce a sense of a progressive change, suggesting that breaking the glass ceiling involves not only individual efforts but also structural shifts in how society views gender roles. The use of inclusive language, such as it's important that women include men , serves as a call for male allyship, implying that both men and women must collaborate to break down gendered barriers.

Furthermore, the social implications of these linguistic choices emphasise the need for systemic change in both organisational structures and societal attitudes toward gender.

- (26) As such, for us to push the dial, it's important that women in breaking the glass ceiling includes men, seeing as it involves them.
- (27) (…) we shall explore some of the key strategies that women can follow to break through the glass ceiling and become professionally stronger in male-centric fields.
- (28) (…) women still face significant hurdles in accessing venture capital, securing loans and breaking the glass ceiling in leadership positions.
- (29) To sum up, for women in male-dominated industries, shattering the glass ceiling is  a major concern.
- (30) Top 3 ways remote work shatters the glass ceiling and smashes the patriarchy.
- (31) You've probably heard of the glass ceiling when it comes to women in the workplace, but the 'glass cliff' is just as harmful.

Building on the analysis of the glass ceiling as an invisible barrier to women's advancement, the concept of 'male-dominated' environments further illuminates the structural challenges women face, as these industries and spaces often perpetuate the limitations and inequalities embodied by the glass ceiling.  As  the  findings  reveal,  the  keyword male-dominated appears  29  times  in  the  WEBC, frequently  collocating  with industry / industries (13  occurrences), world (3  occurrences),  and environment(s) (2 occurrences), as well as culture , fields and societies (each occurring ones) which suggests that the experiences of women entrepreneurs are often framed within the context of broader structural gender inequalities. Furthermore, the negative connotations linked with the term maledominated , as identified through the concordance analysis, indicate that the contexts in which this keyword  is  used  are  generally  unfavourable.  Nouns  like damage , frustrations ,  and doubt (e.g. Examples 32 and 33) suggest that women are often confronted with systemic discrimination or biases in male-dominated environments. Moreover, this reflects a negative semantic prosody 13 (Sinclair's 1987 and Louw's 1993), from a linguistic perspective.

- (32) For  ages,  women's  ability  to  lead  has  remained  under  constant  doubt,  as  the maledominated world continued to deem them 'too empathetic and soft' while necessitating the presence of a 'strong' man at the helm.
- (33) Our male-dominated world and male-dominated culture damage both men and women.

13  Certain words and phrases, when repeatedly used in negative contexts, come to evoke unfavourable or harmful meanings.

- (34) She knows the frustrations of working in a male-dominated environment (…)
- (35) In A Male-Dominated Industry Believe in yourself, and don't let anyone tell you that you can't do something because of your gender.

On the other hand, the tone of Examples 36-38 shifts from describing male-dominated environments as hostile or restrictive to framing them as spaces where women can not only survive but excel. By focusing on resilience, confidence, and collaboration, the authors encourage a mindset that views these challenges as opportunities for personal and professional growth. This rhetorical strategy seeks to inspire women to embrace the evolving dynamics of these industries (see Example 36), rather than shy away from them, fostering a sense of agency and empowerment (see Examples 37 and 38).

- (36) Things are steadily improving in these formally male-dominated industries as employers begin to see the benefit of a diverse workforce.
- (37) Women working in male-dominated industries shouldn't be afraid to challenge the norm and work together.
- (38) Building confidence and resilience are essential to shine in workplaces, especially maledominated ones.

## 4. Conclusions, limitations, and future work

To conclude, the analysis of women entrepreneurs' blogs in the WEBC reveals a nuanced discourse that  acknowledges  challenges,  opportunities,  celebrates  successes,  and  encourages  women  to navigate and contribute to the evolving business environment.

One  of  the  key  findings  is  that  women  employ  various  techniques  to  convey  both  their accomplishments  and  vulnerabilities,  reflecting  the  challenges  they  encounter  in  navigating entrepreneurial spaces that often favour male counterparts. Additionally, women entrepreneurs strive to balance the presentation of a professional identity with the need to manage societal expectations. As the analysis demonstrates, they frequently present themselves as both competent entrepreneurs and  relatable  individuals,  carefully  curating  their  digital  personas.  Furthermore,  the  analysed discourse indicates that women entrepreneurs increasingly use their blogs not only to assert their identities  but  also  to  challenge  traditional  gender  roles,  creating  spaces  for  empowerment  and advocacy.

The  Women  Entrepreneurs'  Blog  Corpus  (WEBC)  significantly  advances  the  study  of entrepreneurial discourse from a gendered perspective. Specifically, it provides a valuable dataset for exploring how female entrepreneurs express their experiences, challenges, and successes, thereby deepening  our  understanding  of  women's  roles  in  business.  Furthermore,  the  use  of  Corpus Linguistics  (CL)  offers  an  empirical,  data-driven  approach,  which  enhances  objectivity  and replicability.  In  addition,  Corpus-Assisted  Discourse  Analysis  (CADA)  enables  the  systematic identification of language patterns and keywords, thus providing insights beyond those captured in smaller-scale or qualitative studies. Moreover, the methodology facilitates the exploration of various linguistic patterns, including syntactical, lexical, and discursive features, offering rich insights into how women entrepreneurs frame their experiences, position themselves, and navigate business and societal challenges through language. It is also important to note that one key benefit of the current study is that the WEBC is a living corpus, continuously updated as new blog posts are added. As a result, this ensures that the corpus remains a dynamic resource for ongoing research and an everexpanding tool for future studies. Thus, it contributes to the growing field of corpus-based gender and entrepreneurship research.

Despite its contributions, this study is not without limitations. The corpus, while extensive, is still in  its  early  stages  and  represents  a  preliminary  investigation  into  the  landscape  of  women entrepreneurs'  blogs.  The  time-intensive  nature  of  the  data  collection  process,  coupled  with  the relatively small sample size, means that the findings should be regarded as a starting point for more comprehensive future studies. Moreover, the focus of the current research on linguistic features of the  blog  posts  may  limit  the  understanding  of  other  factors  influencing  women  entrepreneurs' narratives, such as the cultural context or socio-economic backgrounds. To address these limitations, future  research  could  benefit  from  incorporating  interdisciplinary  perspectives  from  sociology, psychology, and cultural studies, which would broaden the scope of the analysis.

Another limitation of this study is the dynamic nature of blogs and other online platforms. As a rapidly evolving medium, blogs are subject to frequent changes in content, style, and format, which can  affect  the  consistency  of  the  data  over  time.  This  fast-paced  evolution  poses  challenges  for capturing a stable, long-term representation of women's entrepreneurial discourse. Since blogs are often updated or modified with new entries, the corpus can become outdated quickly, limiting the ability to generalize findings to future trends in online discourse. Given this, future research could explore changes in language  use  over  time  by  extending the  analysis  to  include  earlier  years  or additional recent years. A longitudinal approach could reveal evolving trends and shifting linguistic dynamics in women entrepreneurs' discourse, offering valuable insights into how language evolves in this context.

Furthermore,  a  comparative  analysis  between  blogs  authored  by  women  and  those  with contributions from men could provide insights into potential linguistic differences, stereotypes, and variations  in  the  portrayal  of  women  in  entrepreneurship  across  gender-authored  blogs.  Such  a comparative lens may deepen our understanding of how different perspectives influence the linguistic landscape in discussions about women in business.

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