Being a woman is said to be a lot of things, but “easy” is not one of them. As a woman entrepreneur myself, I experienced first-hand the pushback, the struggles, and a multitude of other obstacles associated with being a woman in the workplace. This International Women’s Day, in hopes that my journey will serve as a little inspiration or motivation, to instigate an increase in female businesswomen and leaders, I would like to share my story, my struggles, and my genuine advice with all the women aspiring to succeed as entrepreneurs in India.
My journey began when I was only a little girl of 15 years old, a tiff with my father compelled me to make a drastic decision to leave home and make it in a tough world on my own. I was put through innumerable trials, and hardship was an everyday chore. I tried my hand at several odd jobs to make ends meet, a waitress, a door-to-door salesperson, and even a receptionist were among the list. By no means was it a walk in the park, but I believe it was necessary in order to guide me where I am today. This is my first piece of advice: gather as much knowledge, resilience, and mental fortitude from the hard days, they will be of great utility when the good days arrive.
My next piece of advice is best explained through an anecdote from the early years of my business: One unsuspecting morning, I was startled awake by a phone call stating that my office was on fire, immediately I rushed to the location, and was heartbroken by what I was witnessing; years of hard work, inventory, and my dream reduced to ash. This was undoubtedly one of the biggest setbacks for me and my brand, but also one of the greatest lessons. That same night, I addressed my team and reassured them if we could get through this together, nothing would stop us from achieving everything we set out to achieve. And hence, being persistent, hardworking, and dedicated to fulfilling your dreams, is my second piece of advice. My last piece of advice for every woman out there: self-love, self-esteem, and spirit.
These three qualities hold a dear spot in my heart and are ingrained into the soul of Rubans. We want our products to be more than just an ornament or accessory, we want them to make a bold sentimental statement, to reflect who we are, to inspire feelings of self-love, self-care, and increase self-esteem; my customers buy their jewellery keeping this in mind, and I design my jewellery keeping them in mind.
The world has been through tough and terrible times these last few years, and even today continues to endure them. I want to take this opportunity to remind everyone that we could use the qualities that women thinkers and innovators bring to the table, and encouraging more of them to pursue leadership roles will be an asset not only to one country but the world.
The writer is Founder, Rubans Accessories.
