Happy International Women’s Day: Words of Advice from Female Founders

Mar 8

In honor of International Women’s Day, we looked to all of our wonderful and impressive clients and asked for a piece of advice from them as female entrepreneurs. They all have such inspiring stories and we are so grateful to have such women in our network - thank you so much for supporting Kahani.

Rajindar Rai, Sunrais Health

As a founder, it's easy to get overwhelmed and caught up in the day to day of running your business so that's why it's important to pause and remember your why. That time I give myself has been essential to allow for my own personal growth and success as well as my business's.

Pooja Patel, Couplr

Growing up as South Asian women, there is always a sense of responsibility embedded in us, as well as a need to be perfect. Becoming a founder has taught me that it's okay to fail, that there will be no's, and that every loss is an opportunity for growth. You don't need the perfect job, or the perfect clients. You need a vision and the determination to succeed. You need to surround yourself with people who believe in you. Above all, you need self-love and belief in yourself and your gut instincts. Everything else falls into place, no matter how long it takes. So turn down that job you don't really want but would make your parents happy; choose that job you will LOVE waking up to every morning even if it pays a little less; start that business idea you've been dwelling on because you "need to be" responsible (lean on your crew); and bet on yourself every day!

Lakshmi Sarkar, Laksh Sarkar Creations

In honor of International Women's Day , my advice is to young mothers who are starting a new business or simply trying to balance motherhood and work is to create sustainable goals and prioritize your mental and physical health. We are only human and it takes a lot of courage to build a business.

Jessica Chopra, Mudita Earth

Being a founder of ME, my message to every woman is to never stop checking in with yourself and asking what feels meaningful to you. Age is not a constraint and at any point you can go after your dreams and live a fulfilling independent life.

Maryam Qaiyumi, Huntington Smiles

Just do it! It was peak Covid, I had a 3 month old baby, we were moving. But the opportunity came to start my business. It’s never the ‘right’ time. BUT it’s always the right time.

Hema Persad, Sagrada Studio

You can do anything but not everything. Focus on your “why” aka your business purpose and say no to anything that doesn’t align with that.

Neha Darji, We Rise Therapy and Wellness

With given the right resources, including a supportive community, with confidence persistence and perseverance, women are unstoppable. I’ve built my business around my growing family, my changing identity, and have grappled with self doubt, imposter syndrome and time management. My motto has been temporary obstacles lead to long term growth and success. leaning on my supports, and continuing to prioritize my mental and physical health has been vital. To any woman of color who has a big dream, it is absolutely possible! Find your people, work on your mindset, set small achievable goals and you will be unstoppable! Your skills and talents are so needed!

Sharmista Chintalapalli, Founder, CEO, SIVAH

As a female founder, International Women's Day holds a special place in my heart and is what we strive to celebrate daily at SIVAH. Although we highlight it today, every day, we celebrate the incredible achievements of women who have paved the way for us and also an opportunity to reflect on the work that still needs to be done. I firmly believe empowerment is about creating space for all women to succeed, to create a more equitable world, despite our challenges. It's about building resilience in the face of adversity and standing up for what you believe in. Finding your voice can be challenging, but once you take that step to find your strength, and face your fears, you might find yourself rumbling in your resilience.

I found that in doing so myself, my passion to shape the future of healthcare became my profession. My hopes to redefine how behavioral health is viewed, enable women to feel empowered, and ultimately find their deserving place in the world, started with the internal work I had to (and continue to) do before I could build a platform.

So, I hope today you choose to embrace the woman you were, to empower the woman you are… now and becoming.

Sonya Panchal, Scrumptious Wicks

My advice as a female founder is to encourage other women to break down goals into small actionable steps. There are no "overnight successes." Rather, there are tons of tiny steps that were made behind the scenes to accomplish that goal.

Reme Miah, Skriti App

Regardless of what the crowd is doing, be true to yourself. Be yourself and don't react to their comments. Being different is great and dig deep. One day, you'll be the one leading the crowd.

Parthi Patel, Intentional Therapy

One of the biggest lessons I have learned is to differentiate between feeling uncomfortable and fear. Growth is almost always uncomfortable and when you continue to be assertive, you get a chance to experience a self happiness that is almost euphoric. Use your uncomfortability as your greatest strength, use it to be authentic. A consistent lesson you will be learning is patience - so get comfortable with uncomfortability & patience! Take things slowly and always listen to your gut feeling! Above all, protect your support system. They are the ones who show up genuinely & wholeheartedly.

Tanya Rao, Kaveri Coffee

When you are bouncing around in your 'ideas' playground and want to do it all, remember that it is okay to pick one idea and save the rest for later. There is so much joy and reward in nurturing one original idea, and when that blooms you can do it all over again with the next one.

Radha Patel, Single to Shaadi

My best advice to female founders is to always remember your "why". There must be a reason or passion you have that propelled you to want to share your idea with the world and have the confidence to charge money for it. Burnout is one of the main reasons small/solo businesses fail so when you are starting to question whether or not to keep going in your endeavors, reconnect with your "why" and focus on what fuels your passion. There are always creative ways to outsource the parts that are causing burnout no matter what stage of entrepreneurship you're in.

Motherhood and entrepreneurship almost seem like an oxymoron - how can you devote 100% of your time & energy to two completely different "babies"?! As a mother, I am constantly struggling with mom guilt - from my parents, society, and what hurts the most, sometimes from my partner & kids. So I learned early on to set boundaries and carve out non-negotiables when it comes to my family life (no meetings on weekends, be present for their activities/games, have a meal together each day) which allows my kids to feel secure in knowing when mommy might be busy & when she gives us her undivided attention. Bringing them along with my journey - highs/lows/successes/failures - make them feel like part of the team and my business is no longer seen as something they have to compete with for my attention.

Arshiya Shaikh, Pints of Joy

Being an entrepreneur who is also a mom is a super power, prioritizing comes naturally.

Sruthi Ramaswami, Neythri

You are your best when you are your most authentic self. Don’t feel like you need to play someone else’s game - lean into your strengths and have confidence in the unique insights you can bring to the table.

Lavanya Selka, LUVIH

As a female founder and mother of 2 daughters, it is important to me to bring equality into the home. I am an entrepreneur and still working full time so while I am busy, my husband helps my oldest daughter when she has her period. Fathers should be able to help their daughters through puberty & periods and that’s exactly how it is in my household and I think it is important to foster that in all homes. It is a natural female thing and there shouldn’t be such a stigma around it, especially within your own family.

Sofhia Qamar, Cha Street Food

The words of Ruth Bader Ginsburg have resonated with me deeply: "Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn't be that women are the exception." Her message has been a guiding force in my life, reminding me that I too deserve a place at the table – not just any seat, but the head of the table! So whenever you doubt yourself, remember that you are meant to be there and that your voice deserves to be heard.