What we have learnt from some strong women in the industry
Patricia Bright - Social media sensation and founder of The Break Platform
Challenge your self perception
According to research, men are more likely to apply for a job regardless of whether they're qualified or not. Women, on the other hand, wait until they are qualified (and sometimes overqualified) to even consider applying.
Patricia speaks of how she challenged her self perception and applied for an internship she initially thought was a far cry. Guess what? With persistence, she landed the job.
Reality of the matter is that sometimes we are our biggest enemies. If we overcome that, we’re taking the first step towards our success.
Whitney Wolfe Herd - CEO of Bumble
Start Somewhere and go for it
A lot of us have ideas, that is the easy part. When it comes to execution, however, things get a little trickier. We always manage to see the bigger picture but we fear the smaller steps that will lead us there.
According to Whitney, we all need to find what the starting point looks like for us. It may be a rough spider chart or a need to reach out to experts for advice. Whatever it may be... ACTION IT.
Oh and remember: “There is nothing more powerful than your own conviction and own belief in yourself”
Melinda Gates - Philanthropist
Learning is a continuous process
Educational institutions develop us only till a point. The learning that happens after that? Well, you’ve got to do it for yourself and it comes in many shapes and forms. Whatever it may be, in order to progress one has to learn to seize the opportunities.
Are you giving up on something because it lies outside of your comfort zone? Well, get comfortable being uncomfortable as per Melinda.
If you don’t open yourself up to failure and hardships, you're never going to learn of your capabilities.
Candice Carty-Williams - British writer
Allow yourself to have your moments
Sometimes, in the midst of everything, we forget to stop and reflect. Even when we go mind blank for a few minutes, we get frustrated and neglect the fact that it’s all an entirely natural result of constant active thinking.
As a writer, Candice has spoken of having writer's block and says that she allows herself to have those times. It makes her more conscious of what's going on as well.
We all need to stop to smell the roses (or candles) occasionally. It’s all a small part of self care, which when practised can go a long way.
There are so many more inspirational women and so many more lessons to be learnt. All the above though? We take them incredibly seriously here at Selfmade. If self perception hadn't been challenged and thoughts not actioned then we wouldn't be where we are today. That is not to say that the path ends here, this is only the beginning. We treat everyday as a school day and are learning on the daily but as a self care brand, we also recognise the importance of allowing ourselves the occasional break (accompanied by a glass, perhaps?)
These women preached it and we practised it and we’re hoping you all do too. Tell us if you have a role model in the industry. What have you learnt from her? Or maybe you’ve got some important lessons of your own to tell - share them with us by leaving a comment below!
