“I’m tired of women playing small... Failure is alright because remember, even Warren Buffet only invests in companies that have failed at least three times.”
She once wanted to be an actress. Bershan Shaw, started off by saying “I love women empowerment and I want everyone to say ‘I am a warrior.’”
Let me tell you about entrepreneurship. My entrepreneurial journey started in 2009 when I was diagnosed with stage 4 terminal breast cancer. I was young, in New York City and I did not know that I had cancer. At the time I was working in New York City, I owned my own restaurant – a small business owner. I raised a million dollars by myself (cheers to that.) During that journey I got sick, and I was afraid to tell anyone. I was afraid to tell a single should because I was embarrassed, I didn’t want to be known as the sick girl that had cancer, the girl who had an issue.
I hid behind my sickness and didn’t tell anyone (which is not what you should do, ladies). But my cancer became my gift because I realised that it was bigger than cancer, it was not the body cancer that was holding me back. It was the cancer of not speaking up as a female. It was about not living my truth. It was the cancer of not stepping into my greatness and being an entrepreneur.
It was the cancer of ‘letting everyone else tell me that I wasn’t good enough to start a business,’ that I wasn’t good enough to be a celebrated motivational speaker because everyone already seemed to be doing that anyway. What I had to realise was that everyone wasn’t me. I had to realise that it was my own journey.
Cancer wasn’t just a health issue, it was a journey that woke me up to how great I can be. Are we stepping into your greatness? Or are you living in ‘FEAR’? FEAR is only False Evidence Appearing Real. Are you judging yourself? Are you criticising yourself? Do you self-sabotage? Do you tell yourself that you’re not good enough because you’re not from the right Indian family, or the right neighbourhood, or are not educated enough? You don’t have the right money, connections. Are you telling yourself that? Or are you really living your truth?
For so long I didn’t live in my truth. For so long I lived a lie. And organisations like WEF help women come out to get connections. To get networking opportunities. And if you’re not here passing your card out to everyone in this organisation, then shame on you! Everyone in this organisation should by now have a contact of someone else in this organisation (that they didn’t know before today). And if you go back to your hometown, you should be better connected – on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, ready to start a business /step into our greatness.
I’m tired of women playing small in the world. I’m tired of us being afraid and wearing masks. We have been doing it for so long, telling everyone we are happy when we are not. So here’s what I suggest, my 5 tips to stop hiding and get ready to be the greatest version of yourself:
D – make a Decision.
D – be Dedicated to that decision.
D – be Disciplined enough to follow through on that decision.
C- be Committed to that decision/goal
A – Act on that decision. The reason for failure is failure to act. Failure is alright because remember, even Warren Buffet only invests in companies that have failed at least three times.
BW Reporters
Regina is a reporter for BW Businessworld. In her previous assignments, she has worked with Independent television Network as a news anchor and reporter in Sri Lanka
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