Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus— There is a reason why this book by John Gray got worldwide recognition. No wonder men and women differ in a lot of things, from their physicality to their emotional intelligence. But one thing that industry-led research can vouch for is that women do business differently; not more or better.
November 19 every year marks Women’s Entrepreneurship Day. Considering today’s scenario, women have started breaking the shackles of stereotypes that tie them to household chores. There is nothing in today’s world that a man can do and a woman cannot and vice versa. Even a study reports that no differences exist regarding personal goals such as independence, achievement and economic necessity when it comes to men and women entrepreneurs. On this note, we got in touch with 3 successful women entrepreneurs to know what they think of men and women being the same or different in their entrepreneurial roles.
1. As a woman entrepreneur, have you ever felt that you haven’t been taken seriously or you have been treated differently as compared to male entrepreneurs? Or do you now feel the difference of people normalizing the gender gap?
“We need more female entrepreneurs and society needs to take note of the different challenges women entrepreneurs face in day today life. In my experience, I feel it’s quite true that male investors are more inclined to invest in male entrepreneurs. There is a conscious or unconscious bias on the part of investors and this lack of support is playing a big part in the lack of female entrepreneurs. Encouraging women to start their own business would actually help the economy in my opinion”, asserts Renji Anooj, founder of Shesha Ayurveda, a brand that brings Authentic Ayurveda from God’s Own Country, Kerala.
2. Women do business differently; not more or better. What are the secrets to your success?
“Women have always been fantastic multi-taskers. The best women lead business power houses have seen inspirations from their personal lives. There is no secret to my success. It’s just the approach; I always believe in staying driven through my passion. And never stop learning. The best of ideas come when you are not even looking for one. I learn from people around me, I ensure to hear the right updates and to always keep updated of what’s happening in industry and around the global economy”, says Shaily Mehrotra, founder of Fixderma.
3. How did you persevere through the tough times?
“I once read a book called “Don’t sweat the small stuff and it is all small stuff”. So, I live a practical life. In tough times, it is only your patience and consistency that helps you sail along. Not every one day is the same and the sooner you learn to live with it, everything shall seem bearable,” says Sunayana Walia, founder of Raw Beauty Wellness, a brand which redefines mindful living through clean, minimal, effective products & practices.
4. What advice would you give to entrepreneurs who’re just starting out?
“Pick something that excites and motivates you. And work towards it relentlessly.
For me, I always had an inclination towards beauty and being in the UK made me realize the importance of clean beauty and how this was the path I wanted to be on,” says Naina Ruhail, Founder of Vanity Wagon, India’s first clean beauty marketplace.
