Startup Playbook: success through failure

Top 7 LESSONS from Audrey Gelman, Co-Founder of The Wing, to PREVENT Entrepreneurial Pitfalls in 2025

Audrey Gelman, the co-founder of The Wing, gained widespread recognition for creating a network of co-working and community spaces specifically designed for women. Her journey, encompassing meteoric growth, major challenges, and unexpected shifts, offers invaluable lessons for entrepreneurs in 2025 who want to build impactful businesses while avoiding common pitfalls.

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This article not only explores the rise and challenges of The Wing but also highlights seven key lessons that can help entrepreneurs navigate their own paths. Along the way, you’ll find actionable steps and tips to implement these lessons effectively - and avoid costly mistakes that many startups make.

Audrey Gelman: Shaping a Different Narrative

Before founding The Wing in 2016, Audrey Gelman had already established herself as a politically active and creative entrepreneur. The Wing was conceived as a combination of a co-working space and a women-focused community hub. By emphasizing inclusion, empowerment, and shared experiences, Audrey and her team spearheaded something unique in the startup ecosystem.

However, by 2022, The Wing faced backlash over issues related to diversity, inclusion, and internal culture, eventually leading to its closure. The Wing's story serves as both an example of dynamic entrepreneurship and a cautionary tale for modern business founders.

SEVEN LESSONS from Audrey Gelman and The Wing: Successes, Challenges, and Solutions

1. Prioritize Market Research Over Assumptions

One key issue The Wing faced was its initial assumption of what "inclusion" meant. Despite setting out to create spaces for women, criticisms emerged regarding the extent to which diversity was operationalized.

How to Improve:

Use tools like F/MS YouTube Transcript Generator to extract and analyze industry-specific insights from relevant video interviews and TED Talks. With its features like customizable transcripts and the ability to remove unnecessary sections, you can mine actionable data from expert discussions on topics like inclusion.
Constantly solicit feedback from target audiences through surveys, forums, and live beta-testing to ensure your product aligns with their needs.

2. Build Diverse and Inclusive Teams from Day One

The Wing’s biggest challenge stemmed from its internal company culture. Employees reported feeling disenfranchised, mainly because diversity and inclusion were reportedly not effectively prioritized internally.

Actionable Tip:

Hire inclusively from the outset. Diverse leadership leads to better decision-making and stronger company culture. Stay aligned with industry standards by consistently running self-audits on HR and organizational policies. Tools like F/MS Website SEO Analysis can even help analyze how inclusive external-facing communication (like job postings) appears to potential candidates.

3. Set Clear Cultural Guidelines

Even for businesses built with a strong cultural emphasis (like The Wing’s focus on feminism and empowerment), clear internal documentation and processes are critical as organizations scale.

Common Mistake to Avoid:

Mistake: Failing to communicate workplace expectations clearly during growth phases.
Solution: Establish detailed onboarding materials, employee-friendly guidelines, and regular reviews to assess alignment with your values.

4. Adapt Quickly to Feedback

The Wing’s customers and employees often shared critiques about its operations, but by the time significant changes were implemented, it was already too late. Entrepreneurs who succeed in 2025 prioritize real-time adaptation.

How YOU Can Do It:

Implement regular quarterly reviews and customer feedback loops. Utilize AI tools, such as automated customer service bots, that immediately record and categorize user feedback for actionable improvements.

5. Sustain Brand Loyalty by Staying True to Your Mission

Although The Wing’s initial narrative focused on fostering community and uplifting women, challenges with internal policies led to doubts about its commitment to that mission.

The Fix:

While scaling, protect your core vision fiercely. Entrepreneurs can strike this balance by developing a “Mission Checkpoint Process,” where major decisions are evaluated against whether they genuinely align with brand values.

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DEEP INSIGHTS: How Audrey Gelman Reimagined Her Strategy with "The Six Bells"

After stepping down from her role at The Wing, Audrey Gelman returned to the entrepreneurial scene by launching The Six Bells, a nostalgia-infused general store. This pivot highlights two profound insights:

Reinvention Is Part of the Process: Entrepreneurs must embrace flexibility and learn from past ventures. The Six Bells integrates lessons from The Wing’s journey, particularly regarding audience customization.
Smaller, Niche Markets Create Loyalty: Instead of scaling rapidly, Audrey has opted for a more targeted, curated approach that prioritizes emotional connection over volume.

How to Incorporate These Lessons into YOUR Business Strategy

Step-by-Step Guide to Prevent Pitfalls in 2025

Analyze Your Starting Point: Use resources like F/MS Complete Website SEO Analysis to ensure your online presence aligns with your values and messaging.
Start Small but Strong: Focus first on building a loyal, authentic community before attempting rapid scaling.
Innovate in Moderation: Strike a balance between product updates and consistency to avoid alienating long-term customers.
Leverage AI Automation for Cost Savings: Running an efficient startup in 2025 requires using tools like the F/MS AI Article Writer, which lets you create high-ranking content effortlessly. Not only does this help drive audience awareness, but it also ensures you maintain online competitiveness in evolving platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Failing to Pivot in Time: Businesses that cling too tightly to their original idea often miss opportunities for innovation.
Underestimating Team Culture: Working on company culture isn’t a “post-growth” task - it’s foundational.
Ignoring Early Warning Signs: Feedback from your first 10–100 users can prevent massive downstream issues later.

The Secret To Building Resilient Brands In 2025

Audrey Gelman’s entrepreneurship story reminds us that every founder must be prepared for the unexpected. While The Wing succeeded in capturing a cultural zeitgeist, its challenges also revealed key gaps in execution. By remembering the lessons from Audrey’s journey and staying consistent with your business values, you can build startups that thrive sustainably.

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FAQ on Audrey Gelman's Entrepreneurial Lessons and Tools for 2025

1. What can entrepreneurs learn from The Wing's rise and fall?

Audrey Gelman's story with The Wing highlights the importance of aligning business practices with the company's mission. Entrepreneurs can learn to prioritize diversity, inclusion, and clear organizational guidelines from day one. Read about The Wing's journey

2. How can startups avoid assumptions about market needs?

Startups should prioritize ongoing market research and seek consistent feedback from target audiences. Tools like customizable transcript generators can analyze industry-specific insights effectively. Check out F/MS YouTube Transcript Generator

3. Why is workplace culture vital for startups?

A strong, inclusive company culture supports employee engagement and strategic growth. Entrepreneurs can conduct regular self-audits to ensure their teams align with diversity goals. Learn more with F/MS Website SEO Analysis

4. What are actionable steps for adapting to audience feedback?

Entrepreneurs should implement regular customer feedback loops and use AI tools to categorize and analyze critiques in real-time. This ensures responsiveness to market needs and strengthens customer loyalty.

5. How did Audrey Gelman pivot after The Wing?

After stepping away from The Wing, Audrey Gelman founded "The Six Bells," focusing on small, nostalgia-driven niche markets. Her strategy shows the value of targeted loyalty over rapid scaling. Explore The Six Bells

6. Can small businesses remain true to their mission while scaling?

Yes, but scaling requires a "Mission Checkpoint Process" to align expansion strategies with core values. This avoids alienating the original audience and maintains brand integrity. Discover foundational business strategies

7. Can I use AI to write SEO-optimized articles that help my brand grow?

Most business owners don't understand how SEO works, let alone how to use AI for writing blog articles. That's why for busy business owners there's a great free tool that doesn't require much knowledge. Write articles for free

8. How does diversity in leadership impact decision-making?

Diverse leadership fosters innovative solutions and reduces blind spots in decision-making processes. Hiring inclusively from day one is critical to creating a resilient company culture. Learn about leadership tactics

9. What mistakes led to The Wing's decline?

The Wing's failure to address internal inclusivity issues and delays in adapting to customer feedback contributed to its closure. Clear cultural guidelines and agility in response are crucial lessons. Learn why The Wing closed

10. How can startups maintain brand loyalty in a competitive market?

Entrepreneurs need to sustain a consistent narrative and deliver on their mission promise. Tools like AI article writers and SEO optimization platforms can help maintain relevance. Check out F/MS Startup Tools

About the Author

Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur.

Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).

She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond and launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks.

Violetta Bonenkamp

2025-04-21 16:11 Top Female Entrepreneurs