I am an Immigrant Woman Entrepreneur, here is my Journey
As Women’s Day is on the horizon, a lot of people and organizations have started contacting me at Kitty Party, asking me how it has been for me as a woman entrepreneur in Berlin. Personally, in my everyday life, I do not find a difference in handling an event planning business as a woman.
I grew up in a small town in India where there was definitely inequality between males and females. My father was very conservative in his thoughts. His control over me and my sister limited any fun we could have outside our home and school. It was never quite easy for us to convince him to send us to a picnic or a friend’s house. As conservative as their thoughts might have been, my parents and grandparents were very supportive for women in the workforce and education.
At a very early age, my father introduced me to the spirit of handling a business. During the summer holidays, my father wouldn't let us sit at home and play, he would rather take us to his store and insist that we learn something new.
Somehow my sister managed to escape this, but I didn’t mind helping at his store. Even when we had two days off from school, I would go on and lend him a helping hand. He would leave his store all stocked up for me to look after, and it was an enjoyable learning experience for me.
I was always very curious to know more and more. Since those days, I became deeply invested in the idea of having my own business. The autonomy and satisfaction of managing everything on my own attracted me. I knew that I wanted to start and run a business on my own.
As a child, I never felt that being a girl restricted me from doing anything that my father asked of me. Today, years later, when I run my own event planning business, the fact of being a woman hardly crosses my mind.
As an adult outside of my small town, I have been able to explore and learn more. Since my partner is so understanding, and non-gender-biased, it has been simple for me to feel equal in my daily life.
I am also very lucky that I live in Berlin, which is such a modern and open city. Being a woman, and in my case, an immigrant woman of color, has never posed a problem. There are definitely new and complex situations to tackle in business from time to time, but in my opinion, none of these arise from me being a female.
Business has its own set of difficulties, as it doesn't give you the assurance of a monthly paycheck. Even when you work harder than you did the previous month, you might not earn a cent due to the unpredictable nature of the profession.
In my father’s language, there would be days when we wouldn't earn a single Indian Rupee. He had seen those days himself at the beginning of his work, and I, too, have witnessed these low days firsthand, where I worked way too much without seeing any results for many days. I have learnt that business is all about consistency. It is about not quitting when it gets hard.
When people ask me how belonging to a non-male gender has been for me, I have to really think before answering. I have regular brainstorming sessions related to business with my family and friends, and I don't remember a single incident where anyone pointed out my gender.
Today, when I work, and I notice the overall business scene in Berlin and around the world, I do observe an imbalance in the existence of female and male entrepreneurs. I believe this might be because women weren’t provided with the opportunity to start early.
I myself, as I have said many times, delayed a bit in starting my own work because I lacked courage and not because I was judging myself for being a woman. Today, I see a lot of emerging women entrepreneurs, and I appreciate how daring and enthusiastic they are. I work with the biggest companies and with people in the highest positions in these organizations, and not once have I felt treated any differently because I am a woman. Around 80% of my single point of contact with my clients is through women.
I am fully aware that there are situations all over the globe like the one I had in my small town. Women continue to struggle to find work, start businesses, and advance in their careers. I sincerely hope that with the example today’s courageous women are setting, we will be able to blur the disparity between male and non-male entrepreneurs.
Grateful for all the love and support
I don't have to shy away or hide my face in the pillow during any hardships because my friends and family, even those who are not working in businesses but in jobs, support me. They bestow all the positivity I need to keep going.
I couldn't have had the courage to start my business all on my own in a foreign land, had my father not believed in my potential all those years ago, had my grandmother not encouraged me to excel at work, and had my grandfather not diligently taught me the skill of reading and writing in English.
I wouldn't be able to achieve any success without my mother, who always made me believe that I was capable of anything.
Last but not least, this cascade of thoughts would be incomplete if I didn't give enough credit to my partner, who has always supported me in all the ways possible, in all my highs and lows, at work and in fun. He gives me the freedom to fail and get back on my feet time and time again.
Success and failure will always be parts of life. But the people with whom you can’t be embarrassed by your failures are the people you want around you, no matter what gender you identify with. Their support is what keeps me going as a female entrepreneur and event manager in Berlin.