The new world comes with great opportunities. To be able to see these and shift to who you want to be in the future will determine your destiny.
While companies restructure their models, vision and workforce, you have the time to think and do what you have always wanted too. The work from home shift gives us the opportunity to become entrepreneurs. The experience of being effective at deliverables without being at the workplace gives birth to a lot of new jobs that can be done without full time employment and saves huge costs to companies. Hence, companies are considering job cuts where they can commission freelancers on project basis without the liability of employing them full time.
This will open up several avenues for employees rendered redundant to explore their talent and passion. It can be a great win-win for both segments. Be an opportunist, as every challenge has opportunities in it.
Entrepreneurship is an extremely rewarding journey and to understand this is very important, if your work doesn’t allow you to grow, love and enjoy life, then it’s not worth it! Love what you do and do what you love is my motto and hence I chose the path of entrepreneurship.
I have been super ambitious from a very young age and launched my brand the year I graduated from the university. The following year I got married, and because I was an entrepreneur, I was able to pursue my career as it gave me flexibility, fulfilled my passion and helped me to create and excel. To balance a new marriage and pursue my passion would not be possible if I was in a job.
As women, our life has more dynamics and facets compared to that of a man and entrepreneurship would allow us to be able to enjoy each of these facets with ease. From being a wife to being a daughter-in-law to being a mother and to being a daughter, I fulfill these roles with ease because I am an entrepreneur. At the peak of our career is the time to bear babies and this is the time we need flexibility. Being able to work flexible hours and days is something that an entrepreneur can enjoy without the burden of being liable to a job. I highlight below some of the aspects that women bring on table.
We create and excel
Woman is the means of creation in this world and creating organisations is a fulfilling one. To be able to create a company from bottom up is a great experience. To be in a position of power and excel in that position is a driving force. Statistics state that women and men are not treated in the same way at any organisation and hence to be able to create and grow your company, its reputation and its revenue is an uplifting journey. Women are stronger then perceived and certainly as efficient and intelligent than any man. I often refer to Oprah Winfrey who has proven to be an inspirational and superbly successful entrepreneur.
We have passion and a growth mindset
While women are intelligent and efficient, they are also known to lead with heart which enables them to create, grow and sustain high performing teams and businesses. This quote by Deepak Chopra expresses my feelings:
Women possess some of the most important traits needed to succeed in business: empathy, tenderness, and affection. Without these characteristics, wisdom cannot exist. We could dream a new world into actuality, a more sustainable, kind, nurturing world.
– Deepak Chopra
To start a business you love will always make you lead by heart not ego because the heart is filled with compassion. Leading by heart has got me great wins, be it terminating an agreement before time or requesting a project to be done on time. All relationships are maintained with respect.
We believe it is important to elevate and enrich
When a mother is an independent and earning member of society, the opportunities presented to the family are beyond standard. Besides providing and contributing to the family’s standard of living, women entrepreneurs also elevate and enrich the lives of their children and extended families.
The network that is built by being an entrepreneur enables you to leverage it at the time you need it. We are able to pass on experiences to our family which would not be there as a salaried employee.
Even today, you set an example to not only your children but also many other women around. My niece was able to secure an internship at a fellow EO members firm for two years, which gave her hands on experience as a lawyer; she loved every minute of it.
The biggest joy that I receive from being an entrepreneur is in contribution, as I evolve and elevate my journey, I can enrich the lives of my team and stakeholders. As entrepreneurs, the path to leadership is extremely wholesome, you need to constantly learn and grow, adapt and adopt, and organisations such as the EO, give us the opportunity to do so. We learn from peers and share experiences that enable our fellow members to grow.
So when you work for yourself you will need to go beyond your comfort zone to make your life and the lives of people connected to you more successful, and that’s when the journey begins. Let not anything hold you back from your greatness! You have the power to succeed. Now is the time to take the leap of faith! To see the opportunity in the challenge is what makes us who we are meant to be.
This article was originally written by Meher Mirchandani for Thrive Global. It was first published on 6 June 2020.
