Inspiring quotes for Budding women entrepreneurs from Women entrepreneurs who made it big in the startup industry
Women have always handled the two extremes so well. From being a mother to being a high level professional they have always played all the roles to the fullest. From early 20's to mid 40's these women are changing the dimensions of the startup world. Just like a woman raises her baby, similarly their ventures are no less than a baby for them.They have grown their virtual babies with dedicated motherhood towards them. They have given a perfect blend of creativity and grace in the industry. Be it e-commerce or fin-tech, no circles are untapped.
This Women's Day, there's a message for all the budding women entrepreneurs from the women who are ruling the startup industry:
Purba Kalita, Co-founder, Salebhai
"Success is not only about achieving new milestones, but also about touching lives along the way. So whatever venture you set out to build, my advice would be to find a purpose in giving back for all that you receive."
Sakshi Vij, Founder & CEO, Mylescars.com
"It would be lovely to reach a time when International Women's Day is not recognized only for the inequalities that exist in gender issues in the world. To me, this day celebrates the individuality as well as the common goals of women. I do however believe, that it is now time for successful women from all spheres to reach out to the less privileged or less aware women around us to help them build a better future for themselves."
Sangeeta Banerjee, Co-founder & CEO , ApartmentADDA
"Be fearless. Be fearless about criticism, about rejection, about breaking relationships, about bad reputation. You are venturing out because you have found a purpose that is above all this. Like one of Angels - Sharad Sharma says “Be the Panga Entrepreneur, don’t be the Dhanda Entrepreneur."
Neha Bagaria,Founder & CEO,JobsForHer
"For a woman entrepreneur to succeed in the competitive business landscape, it is imperative that we become comfortable giving equal weightage to our careers as we do to our other obligations, roles and responsibilities. And for that we need to build a thick skin and a strong support system.
Because until we don’t, we won’t be able to create the ecosystem required to support this challenging journey to the top of the corporate ladder. We will need to rally the troops and have our backbone structure in place - parents, in-laws, extended family, friends, and yes, husband too. We will need to stop caring about people who don’t understand, and help the people who we care about to understand. We will need to make sacrifices and compromises about being there for everyone all the time and having everything perfect. And we will need to stop feeling apologetic about it."
Ms.Swati Dayal, co-founder and Executive Director, Sagoon.com
Women who seek equality with men lack ambition. It’s time to make our own identity and discover the new heights of success. The opportunities are same for all of us; all we have to do is stop seeing us the weaker gender and utilize all we have to turn those opportunities into success.
Pritika Chatterjee, CEO & Founder, TidyHomz:
"One woman’s success always helps another woman’s success! I come from a family where we are more women than men and all of the women in my family are highly educated, working and amazingly inspiring. My grandmother has 8 sisters and all of them are very successful in their respective fields. Currently they are all in the age groups of 60-85 and are still so active working for various NGOs, traveling the world, teaching and freelance writing for various magazines. They have always supported me and all of us in the family to do better and achieve more. My mom similarly is also very highly educated, works in the family business with us and is one of the most aware and knowledgeable people I know! She has always supported me to do better, fly higher and do whats best for me. Seeing this in my own family and house, I've grown up with this in mind. To support other girls and make their lives better and thus through TidyHomz we have adopted girls and we pay for their higher education that they can’t afford. We believe that the right education is the first step towards big and incredible things and through our initiative we hope to inspire and help lots of girls to achieve their dreams."- by Pritika Chatterjee, CEO & Founder, TidyHomz.
Sidhika Gupta, Head of Fashion, ROPOSO:
"I am a married working woman and without the support of my mother, mother-in-law and also my household maid (no kidding), I would be totally distracted at workplace. I recall an incident when I wanted to take a cab after a party at a friend’s place - I was both scared and skeptical as it was quite late at night to ride alone, until a popular cab services app popped up the option of women cab drivers. All I needed that time was to be driven home. We call her the weaker sex, it’s ironic and a brutal reality of an apparently progressive 21st century society, that I felt safer in a woman's company than a male cab driver. You don’t need a man to be your driver, gardener, delivery person, insurance agent or even boss, all you need is support and acceptance - when that comes from a woman, incredible things do happen.
I don’t condemn men supporting women, but it’s imperative that women support one another rather than looking at the other as competition. How often do we see men jealous by virtue of another man’s looks or materialistic possessions? Makes me wonder, why we hear of ‘bro-code’ and not any ‘sis-code’? We have been conditioned to accept male supremacy and are pegged against each other to contest his time and attention - it’s a double-edged sword. Let’s replace rivalry with relationship and comparison with compassion to help each other, as nobody understands a woman better than another woman."- by Sidhika Gupta, Head of Fashion, ROPOSO
Shilpi Shukla, Head of Corporate Communications, ROPOSO:
"I owe all my accomplishments - big and small - to these wonderful angels in my life.
My maternal grandmother couldn't read or write anything other than her own name. But she would always tell me - "Your dreams will never betray you if you don't give up on them." During my exams, she’d stay awake with me till late at night, and eagerly wait for me to return home after school the next day to know how I performed. I'd discuss all exam questions with her, not knowing if she even understood anything. But I knew she was listening all along.
At the age of 3, my mom saw me dance well, and asked if I wanted to learn dancing. A dance teacher started coming home from the very next day. At age 6, mumma observed my love for basketball and got me enrolled in a sports academy. She knew I was weak in mathematics. She told me one day - “A bright student like you who excels in every subject and so many extra-curricular activities shouldn’t dread mathematics either. Give it your best shot and numbers will soon become your friends. And if they don’t, never mind, you will still excel in your career – with or without math.” I never feared math after that day.
My English teacher Ms Sanchita Singh had more confidence in my communication skills than I. She always knew that I’d eventually enter the field of media and communications. She’d register my name for inter-school debate and declamation contests, at times even without my wish. This ever-smiling teacher din’t just teach me but also groomed me into becoming a thorough communications professional.
My ex-boss at one of the media houses where I worked needs a special mention here, as without her mentorship I wouldn’t have achieved half of what I’ve. A seasoned journalist, Ms Poonam Singh had an eye for detail and would make me write and rewrite an article unless the smallest of nuances were taken care of and the article reflected the right sentiment or desired message. One year of working with her has given me more than any course book could ever have offered."- by Shilpi Shukla, Head of Corporate Communications, ROPOSO