Best Sellers – Page 66 – Online Magazine for Women Entrepreneurs

What are the best confidence boosting tips for women?

You know, we don’t enter the world with it. No one has it all of the time. Talking about it won’t help you gain it. I’m referring to self-confidence. We, women, have particular difficulty developing self-confidence. Compared with men, women don’t consider themselves as ready for promotions, they predict they’ll do worse on tests, and they generally underestimate their considerable abilities. And, yet, self-confidence is linked to almost every element involved in a happy and fulfilling life.

Confidence gives you the skills and coping methods to handle setbacks and failures. Self-confidence doesn’t mean you won’t sometimes fail. But you’ll know you can handle challenges and not be crippled by them. Even when things don’t turn out anywhere close to what you planned, you’ll be able to avoid beating yourself up.

Reflect for a moment on how self-confident you think you are. How confident do you feel around your work? What about your confidence when you are with friends and your family? How confident do you feel about making a presentation at work or talking to a stranger?

You, and only you, can make new things happen in your life. If you wait for serendipity to provide you with good fortune, or with increased confidence, you’ll be waiting a long time. Realize that the path toward self-confidence is one that you will have to travel — no one else can do it for you.

If you lack confidence and want to build your self-confidence, it is important to keep in mind that it is a process and it can’t be built overnight. So, today, we’re going to talk about the steps that you can take to help you increase your self-confidence – and the more you practice those steps, the better your end result will be.

So how do some women create the belief in self required to push the limits of their abilities? How do they continue to try, even at the risk of public failure and humiliation? Today, I’m going to share with you my formula for self-confidence so you can claim your power and change the world!

First, let’s set the stage.

Today, there is a particular crisis for women—a vast confidence gap that separates the sexes. Compared with men, women generally underestimate their abilities across the board. A growing body of evidence shows just how devastating this lack of confidence can be. In fact, it turns out that confidence predicts success much more than competence. No wonder women, despite all our progress, are still woefully underrepresented at the highest levels. Overqualified and overprepared, too many women still hold back on seeking opportunities. Women feel confident only when they are perfect. Or practically perfect. The good news is that with work, confidence can be acquired. This means that the confidence gap, in turn, can be closed.

For years, women have been convinced that with enough hard work, our natural talents would be recognized and rewarded.

And, we’ve made undeniable progress. In the United States, women now earn more college and graduate degrees than men do. We make up half the workforce, and we are closing the gap in middle management. Half a dozen global studies, conducted by the likes of Goldman Sachs and Columbia University, have found that companies employing women in large numbers outperform their competitors on every measure of profitability. Our competence has never been more obvious. Those who closely follow society’s shifting values see the world moving in a female direction.

And yet, as we’ve worked diligently, the men around us have continued to get promoted faster and be paid more. The statistics are well known: at the top, especially, women are nearly absent, and our numbers are barely increasing. Half a century since women first forced open the boardroom doors, our career trajectories still look very different from men’s.

So is it really surprising that women are less self-assured than men? But, the evidence clearly indicates that to succeed, confidence matters as much as competence. So, this is an urgent issue. But, it’s not an easy task to change your worldview and cultivate confidence. How do you begin building confidence in your personal or professional life?

The first step is self-awareness. It’s identifying that these are challenges that we all have, and limiting beliefs are universal – everyone struggles with limiting beliefs. The reality is that we all have negative thoughts and self-doubt. But, the magic is when we come to understand how to manage that self-doubt and those limiting beliefs.

For instance, have you ever made a statement like “I’m not good at math” or “I have two left feet and would never make a good dancer”? These are examples of limiting beliefs that put you in a corner of your own making and often falsely define you.

A limiting belief is a state of mind, conviction, or belief that you think to be true that limits you in some way. This limiting belief could be about you, your interactions with other people, or with the world and how it works.

What if I told you that you have made one decision about yourself that is dominating every area of your life and stopping you from obtaining your desires. As humans, we only make conscious decisions 5% of the time. The other 95% of our lives are controlled by our subconscious minds. In fact, 70% of our subconscious mind consists of limiting beliefs learned from past experiences.

Limiting beliefs can have a number of negative effects on you. They could keep you from making good choices, taking new opportunities, or reaching your potential. Ultimately, limiting beliefs can keep you stuck in a negative state of mind and hinder you from living the life you truly desire.

The good thing about limiting beliefs is that you have the power to change them at any time. This doesn’t mean that doing so will be an easy process, but commitment and a greater level of self-awareness can make it possible.

Identify some of the thoughts and beliefs that hinder your success, and your happiness – your sense of fulfilment and joy. Consider all the different aspects of your life – your relationships, your health, your career.

Then, once you have identified those limiting beliefs, you have to reverse-engineer your thinking. Examine the limiting belief that you have, and then trace back to the birth of that belief, that original experience that forged the identity you created. Some of the beliefs we have about ourselves are serving us, but some of them are sabotaging us. And, for those that are sabotaging us, hindering our success and happiness, where did they come from? Do they belong to you, or do they belong to someone else? And now, do you still want that person, or that belief, to have power over you?

When you begin tackling your limiting beliefs, and you know, without a shadow of a doubt, that you have value, you instantly become a stronger person. You respect yourself, and you demand respect.

Linda Fisk

Linda Fisk is a multi-award-winning leader, keynote speaker, podcast host, author and university professor dedicated to amplifying and extending the success of other high-calibre business leaders. She is the Founder and CEO of LeadHERship Global, a community of unstoppable women enhancing their leadership blueprint and embracing their power to be the best version of themselves- in work and life.

Are you looking out for physical health, leadership skills, mindset health and image branding strengthening tools to be the best version of yourself? Subscribe to weekly free powerful updates of an online magazine Womenlines for free. Buy some interesting products for women from the Best Sellers page of Womenlines!

Also read: How women entrepreneurs can leverage a crisis into creativity!

What are the habits of successful people which help them to defeat stress every day?

There are two types of people in the world. People in the first group are empowered with the thinking that the outcome of their life and career is fully in their hands and thus are able to achieve success. The other type of people leave everything to fate and thus are prone to face stress. The empowered segments feel less anxiety when hard times strike as they know how to manage that anxiety differently. Since the Empowered believe that they have full control over the outcomes in their lives, they use their anxiety to fuel passion instead of pitying themselves. There are certain habits which help successful people to manage their stress-

They believe in the power of Deep Breathing

Successful people are big fans of deep breathing. It is said that deep breathing helps in full oxygen exchange and it helps in slowing the heartbeat and lowering or stabilising blood pressure. Find a quiet, comfortable place to sit or lie down. First, you have to take a normal breath. Then take a deep breath. While breathing slowly through your nose you have to allow your chest and lower belly to rise as you fill your lungs. You have to feel your abdomen expanding fully. Now you have to breathe out slowly through your mouth. Keep aside some time for deep breathing and see how it helps you.

They Stop Negative Self-Talk

How we communicate with ourselves impacts a lot on our health. Successful people know how to manage anxiety by stopping negative self-talk. The more you think about negative thoughts, the more power you give them. You have to remind yourself that negative thoughts are just that—thoughts, not facts.

Whenever you find yourself getting caught in negative things you have to command yourself to stop thinking negative and write them down. Literally, you have to stop whatever you are doing and write down exactly what you’re thinking. After doing this activity you will certainly be having more clarity.

They Remember the “Big Picture.”

Whatever you want to achieve or do in life can be thought of in multiple ways. For example, when thinking of “exercising” it can be described in Big Picture terms, like “get healthy”. You can also think of the ‘why’ of exercising or it can be described in more particular words like “running two miles every day” — the ‘how’ of exercising. The moment you start thinking of the ‘Big Picture’ it won’t be stressful for you as you will be having a better understanding of what you want to achieve.

They Have Self-compassion

Successful people always love themselves. Self-compassion is all about being willing to look at your mistakes with kindness and self-understanding and not with self-criticism. Self-compassion thus helps us to reduce our stress as it helps in identifying and therefore addressing what our needs are. One of the great things about self-compassion exercises is that they can be practised. You can feel incredibly sad, anxious, or frustrated with yourself, and begin to build a habit of self-compassion. Through self-compassion–through learning to relate to yourself and your experiences with kindness and compassion–you can learn to let go of internal struggles and connect more fully with the world around you.

They Always ask for help

It often happens that when we are facing challenges we shut down and withdraw within ourselves. We are not confident to talk about the cause of our stress, or we are not sure whom to talk to. Most commonly, people who suffer from stress are reluctant to admit that they have stress and then need help. They think that people will consider them weak if they will talk about their stress. Avoiding friends and family will only lead to a feeling of helplessness. Successful people always consult a professional, like a therapist or a counsellor when they are under stress. They can also go to a friend, family member or a support group to discuss their problems and find the solution to it.

Are you looking out for physical health, leadership skills, mindset health, and image branding strengthening tools to be the best version of yourself? Subscribe to weekly free powerful updates of an online magazine Womenlines for free. Buy some interesting products for women from the Best Sellers page of Womenlines!

Also read: How to Detox with Yoga after Party!

Your passion for fashion has resulted in owning a niche clothing store. Here are five small clothing business tips to increase sales in your store.

Your dream of owning a clothing shop has finally come to fruition; you get to help other buyers find the perfect outfit for date night and make professional suggestions for upcoming events. However, you noticed that you haven’t been pulling in profits as you should. Maybe the only time you’re busy is on the weekends. If you wish to pull in more customers, here are five small clothing business tips to increase sales at your shop.

Have Up-to-Date Business Tools

A small clothing business tip to increase sales is using up-to-date business tools. With the use of up-to-date business tools, you’ll have a reduced chance of running into bugs, lag, and other hindrances that can create a less-than-positive experience for a customer.

Whether your business focuses on a physical storefront or operates online, having a run-down POS system or site can result in frustrated customers and coworkers. Common issues with POS systems include drawers that cannot open or receipt papers printing blank. Make sure that you keep your systems and technology up to date for smoother transactions.

Grow Your E-Commerce Website

With the popularity of buying online, many shops and businesses have gravitated toward growing their online sales. If a physical location isn’t pulling the numbers you desire, switch gears and focus on your e-commerce site; it’s easier for customer service and is mobile-friendly for those who love to shop on their phones. Some items to focus on include:

Building brand awareness
Building email lists and email marketing
Increasing social media presence
Using data analysis for improved strategy

Understand and Know Your Customers

Owning a clothing business means providing your desired fashion trends to others. However, if your store doesn’t have a specific theme or niche, it can quickly become overwhelming for shoppers. Think of the audience you want to bring in and what styles you want to focus on. For example, if you’re targeting alternative fashion, research alternative cultures, fashion trends, and lifestyles. Customers will feel appreciated when you cater your clothing options to their specific desires.

Use Social Media to Your Advantage

Thanks to social media, many businesses have focused on growing their internet presence. By increasing your website and social media accounts, your customers will better understand your message and get behind-the-scenes sneak peeks at the magic you produce. See which social media sites work best for your business and interact with customers regularly. Some examples include:

Hosting live streams to promote upcoming sales
Creating polls for customer engagement
Keeping up with current trends and interests
Asking customers what they want to change or add to your catalog

Think About Seasonal Trends

Every season has something to offer for fashion lovers, from seasonal colors, patterns, and textures to pieces they love to use for their favorite times of the year. Bring focus to upcoming seasonal releases, deals, and events to get your customers excited. You can either release new merchandise to celebrate the season or offer a limited-time discount for holiday shopping if the winter holidays are approaching. It’s a great way to get customers excited and bring more sales to your shop. After finding the demographic you wish to cater to and improving your business practices in relation to that audience, your sales will increase profits and crowds.

Company uniforms are vital for developing a positive image for your brand, but they are also significantly more than simply how they appear. You need to factor in everything from health and safety to fabric choosing and supply management.

Here, we look at some of the things that you need to take into consideration when designing a comfortable and practical uniform for your staff.

How does it fit in with your workplace?

In order to design a uniform, it is necessary first to understand the type of working environment – or experience – you are attempting to create, as well as how a uniform may fit into that setting. Take note of the interior design; is it contemporary? Formal? What colours do you see in the room? Consider the brand logo as well – how visible is it throughout the organisation? Carry out more research to obtain a feel of modern uniform design in contexts similar to your organisation.

Know your staff

It is always crucial to consider your organisation’s demographics when making decisions. Are they in their twenties? Older? Or is it a combination of the two? The importance of designing a

uniform that will complement your staff cannot be overstated. It is also crucial to develop an outfit that your employees will like wearing – and be proud of.

The notion of a uniform is changing, thanks to the influence of millennials, who take a more relaxed attitude to their jobs and work surroundings. This implies that you should consider how to strike a balance between the uniform and your employees’ personalities. Are you attempting to conceal everything in the same manner? Or do you want to give your employees greater freedom to express themselves through their own attire?

Make sure it is practical for the job.

However, while it is crucial to have a uniform that looks good, do not lose sight of the fact that it has a functional purpose as well – it must be appropriate for the work at hand and transmit the appropriate message to consumers. For each of these reasons, distinct job positions may necessitate the use of different uniforms. For example, at a restaurant, you may want the manager to wear a distinctive uniform so that if a client has a problem, they can quickly identify who might be able to assist them. Because they will be moving about a lot, the bar personnel may require shorter aprons, while sleeve garters are excellent for keeping garments away from food and beverages while they work (while also presenting another opportunity to add a flash of colour or detail).

In general, a uniform has to be able to perform better than your average, everyday garment. Quality should always be the first consideration. Keep the uniform as simple as possible for smaller businesses; you could buy simple, good, quality shirts and use an Industrial embroidery machine to add your staff logo and names.

What color do you want?

Do not be too exact with your interpretation when it comes to color. A lot of people take the brand colors and use them in a literal sense, it can be a lot more subtle than that; keep this in mind when borrowing colors from the interior – what looks fine as décor, chairs, or signs may not always transfer well into apparel. Make an effort to be more modest. Consider using a different color for the uniform or layering colors to create a more interesting look.

Locate a reputable uniform provider.

There are a variety of reasons why your supplier is significant. When it comes to uniforms, you want to ensure that they are of great quality and that you can give them in a variety of sizes. The last thing you need is to approve a uniform only to discover that it cannot be printed in the sizes you want for certain of your employees.

Having a reliable source contributes to another aspect of uniform design that is sometimes forgotten by businesses, namely the preservation of the uniform over the course of time. When it comes to uniforms, they will suffer from wear and tear as well as being spilt on and damaged, especially in the food and hospitality industries. While this should inform your design in the first place, having a reliable source is critical to ensuring that you can get replacements as soon as you need them. Even yet, it is best to be prepared just in case. It is always a good idea to have an extra supply of your core sizes on hand so that there is always enough to go around.

There is no doubt that women are making great strides in the business world. Women are making their mark as entrepreneurs, and they are doing it very well. So why are women so successful as entrepreneurs? Here are four reasons:

Women Are Natural Multitaskers

This is one of the most commonly cited reasons why women make excellent entrepreneurs. And it makes sense; if you can juggle multiple tasks at once, you can definitely handle running a business!

Women are often great at multitasking because they have to be. They are used to managing a household, taking care of children, and working all at the same time. This ability to juggle multiple tasks also comes in handy when running a business; there are always a million things to do, and doing them all simultaneously is a valuable skill. Plus, studies have shown that women really are better at multitasking than men.

Women Are Excellent Communicators

This is another essential skill for entrepreneurs, and again, it makes sense that women would excel in this area. Women are typically better at communication than men due to years of

socialization. From a young age, girls are encouraged to communicate their feelings and share their thoughts, while boys are often discouraged from doing so. As a result, women tend to be better at verbal communication than men.

They’re also better at nonverbal communication, reading body language, and facial expressions. This can be helpful in both personal interactions and business negotiations. Reading people and understanding what they’re saying (even if they’re not saying it out loud) is a valuable skill for any entrepreneur.

Of course, not all women are excellent communicators, just like not all men are terrible communicators. But on average, women tend to communicate better than men, and that’s an essential skill for entrepreneurs.

Women Understand The Importance Of Efficient Business Processes

This one might seem a bit surprising, but it’s true. Women are often better at understanding and implementing efficient business processes. This is likely because women are used to managing a household.

Think about it – when you’re running a household, you have to be efficient. You can’t waste time or money on unnecessary tasks. You have to find the most efficient way to get things done to free up time for other things (like taking care of your family).

The same is true for businesses; if you want to be successful, you need to have efficient processes in place. Women will find solutions for all problems, such as finding the best live chat solution to ensure that their business runs as smoothly as possible and that customer service is never lacking in their business.

Women Are Often Risk-Averse

This might seem like a negative trait, but it’s actually a positive for business. Women tend to be more risk-averse than men, making them less likely to make impulsive decisions.

In business, it’s crucial to carefully consider all options before making a decision. If you make a rash decision, it could cost your business money or even put it out of business entirely. Women are less likely to take unnecessary risks, which is a good thing when running a successful business.

These are just a few of the reasons why women make excellent entrepreneurs. So if you’re a woman considering entrepreneurship, don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it because you definitely can!

About mother’s day

This mortal life has one relationship that easily goes beyond all other known relationships on this planet. Are you confused? Don’t bother too much, as this extraordinary relationship is nothing more than a truly valuable mother’s relationship in terms of her countless love, dedication, and dedication to her family. Mother’s Day is celebrated in more than 46 countries around worldwide to celebrate the existence of all mothers globally. This is a truly special day for mothers who are undervalued in this male-dominated society.
Many other countries celebrate holidays on this day, but some do celebrate holidays at other times. This year Mother’s Day will be celebrated on Sunday, May 8, 2022.

My mother is probably the one who is endowed with all the power. No creature in this universe can be as powerful as its mother! She has the key to manage and control everything in any situation. In other words, God gave her the power to take over everything in her world. Celebrating her Mother’s Day alone is not enough to thank all mothers around the world. No one can exchange them at any cost. Everyone needs to show her a lot of love and take care of the victims. She celebrates the second Sunday of May each year as Her Mother’s Day.

Our mother protects us from all problems and worries, so it’s like a very comfortable blanket for us. She doesn’t care about her problems and she always listens to what we say. To pay her homage to her, the every second Sunday in May was dedicated to her to celebrate her Mother’s Day. This event is very important to us and our mother. On this day we should make our mother happy and never saddened her at all. We must always follow her and work properly. She always wants to make us a good person in life.

On this day, I would like to express my feelings to my mothers, take care of them, and wish them a happy Mother’s Day.

Are you looking out for tools, strategies and tips to become a better version of yourself! Subscribe to powerful weekly content on leadership, health and business excellence at https://www.womenlines.com NOW!

Buy Now: Women’s Summer Floral Dress

It can be challenging to decide what to give your mom for Mother’s Day. You can relax because we have some fantastic ways to spoil your mom this Mother’s Day!

As kids, we can struggle to figure out what present would be best for Mom. We only want to give her the best—and our moms want to know we love them. Here are a few fantastic ways to spoil your mom this Mother’s Day to help you out!

Give Her the Day Off

Yes, moms love surrounding themselves with their kids and family; but one of the best presents you can give to her is a day off! Don’t let her do any of the following:

Cook
Clean
Drive
Make Decisions

All she should do is relax and do things that bring her joy. Let her binge a new show all day, or take her for a walk in her favorite public garden.

Cook Her Favorite Meal

A lot of people show love through food, so use this opportunity to cook your mom her favorite dish. Does she love lasagna? Or, perhaps your mom is a breakfast food lover? Whatever it may be, don’t allow her to cook a single thing all Mother’s Day long.

Enjoy Some Delicious Wine

Is your mom secretly a wine connoisseur? If so, grab a few different bottles of her favorite wines and toast to celebrate her on this special day! Perhaps she enjoys trying new wines. Then, gather a few new bottles of wine she’s voiced she’d like to try and enjoy a delicious tasting. There’s nothing wrong with drinking delicious wine to celebrate your mom on Mother’s Day.

Afternoon at the Spa

Does your mom love being pampered with facials, pedicures, manicures, or massages? Send her to the spa to relax and have time to herself for the afternoon. What mother wouldn’t love this idea?

If you don’t have the funds to pay for an entire spa day, buy a few face masks and new nail polish colors to pamper her at home. You can paint her fingernails for her while she lounges with one of the face masks on.

Give the Gift of Jewelry

Moms do love jewelry. Purchase a gift that she’s had her eye on, or find a piece of jewelry where you can incorporate all the kid’s or grandkids’ birthstones. This piece can be a ring, bracelet, necklace, or earrings.

Moms appreciate the thoughtfulness behind Mother’s Day gifts. Do your best, because it’s all that your mom wants. If you’re still struggling, refer to this guide for the fantastic ways to spoil your mom this Mother’s Day. Happy Mother’s Day!

Anna Sutherland Bissell was a Canadian-American businesswoman who was the first woman CEO in the United States as the executive board member of the Bissell Corporation which was known for its carpet sweepers and vacuum cleaners. Anna was a successful businesswoman in the era when business was done by men only.

Anna married Melville R. Bissell at 19, and they became a joint partner in their crockery and china business. The Bissell Sweeper website recounts that Mrs Bissell complained to her husband about sawdust that was collected in their carpets and was difficult to remove, whereupon he made great improvements to a new invention called the carpet sweeper. Melville R. Bissell invented the Bissell carpet sweeper in 1876 and Anna took care of the sales of the sweeper.

Why Anna theFirst Woman CEO was unique-

After Melville Bissell invented the carpet sweeper in 1876, Anna became a star salesperson. She used to go from town to town and sold the popular carpet sweepers for the price of $1.50.
Credit goes to Anna Bissell who organized the details of making, assembling, and delivering orders for the sweepers. She was known for her efficiency, after-sales service, general professional conduct, and customer care system which helped in creating a vast market base for the product.
Under Anna’s leadership, the Bissell Company became the largest manufacturer of carpet sweepers globally.
When a fire struck the first manufacturing plant in 188, Anna sought loans from local banks to keep the business going. Her good name helped and she was successful in securing funding that helped in starting the production again within 20 days of the fire.
During her long tenure as president (1889-1919) and chair of the board (1919-1934), Anna Bissell was known for her familiarity with all aspects of the business. Credit goes to Anna who started progressive labour relations policies, including workmen’s compensation insurance and pension plans, long before these practices were widespread in the industry in that period.
Anna’s business mind and entrepreneurial abilities turned her to the pinnacle of benchmarking in the carpet sweeper industry. It was once said that she studied business the way other women studied French.
Ann also served as a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church board and the Blodgett Children’s Home and Memorial Medical Center. She was active in social clubs focused on women’s empowerment. The Ladies Literary Club, Women’s City Club, Zonta, and the Clark Memorial Home, were all associations with which she worked. Her impact was so much felt in society that she got admission to the National Hardware Men’s Association as the only female member.
At the time of Anna’s death, newspaper reports wrote about her as “a business executive without peer, a respected and beloved philanthropist, and a true matriarch in her family.” The tribute was well earned by a lifetime of dedicated work.

Anna Sutherland Bissell’s story should be read by every woman entrepreneur in present times. Anna was a successful entrepreneur without any business degree in that era when there were hardly any resources available for wannabe entrepreneurs. We are blessed with so many technological advancements and resources in present times and have to just unleash the entrepreneur within.

(Inputs in the article are sourced from ‘Greater Grand Rapids Women’s History Council‘ and ‘ai-bees.io‘.)

Also read: Some Ways To Improve Your Fitness Regime

Employee growth and development can improve companies while benefitting workers’ personal lives. Read these ways businesses can invest in their employees.

Without employees, companies can’t function. And it’s time for employers to show appreciation by improving the lives of their staff. Keep reading to learn important ways businesses can invest in their employees.

Invest in Professional Development

Many employees can disconnect from work when they feel stagnant in their roles. And a big part of this stagnation is due to a lack of development and challenges within the workplace. Fortunately, businesses can invest in professional development to help employees. From increasing job duties and responsibilities to encouraging continuous education, employers can improve their workers’ professional lives.

Offer Job Growth Opportunities

While some employees may feel satisfied in their current positions, others want to advance and grow in the company. Another way businesses can invest in their employees is by offering job growth opportunities. Finding ways to help employees advance in the workplace through skill development can drive worker satisfaction. And it also proves that companies reward growth and education!

Recognize Good Performance

Employees are the backbone of any business, so it’s important to acknowledge milestones and achievements. Celebrating work anniversaries, project completions, or offering positive feedback can make the workplace better. Recognizing good performance makes employees feel valued for their contributions to the business. It can also encourage them to continue their good work and strive for more company success.

Make the Workplace Comfortable

People thrive in comfortable environments, and businesses can enhance their spaces by making the workplace comfortable for employees. From having good lighting to supplying useful technology, employers can promote a quality work environment. In addition, employers can add things to the building’s exterior to aid workers. For instance, transit shelters are among the four prefabricated shelters that will benefit any business.

Encourage Employee Feedback

Good workplace communication means that employees feel encouraged to give employers and upper management honest feedback. With this feedback, employers can improve the workplace by understanding what their staff needs. Providing thoughtful recommendations and offering timely solutions to issues will boost the overall flow of the company.

Womenlines takes pleasure to share the real-life inspiring stories of three generations of working women and welcomes Nalini Tandon, Geetika Tandon and Geetanjali Tandon as guest contributors in Womenlines.

American Novelist, Louisa May Alcott once said – “Nothing is impossible to a determined woman”! The story shared below proves this saying very well! The story starts with the exceptional journey of Kamala Mehrotra, who despite the challenges faced by womenfolk during the pre-independence era of India was able to complete double bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education (B. Ed. and M. Ed.). She retired as the Director of the Bureau of Psychology at Allahabad University, India. Kamala’s daughter Nalini Tandon was successful in completing her medical studies and post-graduation. She had an illustrious career as a Medical Commissioner and retired as a Chief Medical Officer at Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), India. Nalini worked hard and her determination helped her to grow up the ranks, overcoming the challenges working women faced in her era. Geetika and Geetanjali have taken a step further and have become a beacon of hope for women aspiring to excel in corporate life. They grew up fighting the societal mindset which discouraged higher studies for girls and favoured sons over daughters. Both of them have beaten all odds and are successfully breaking glass ceilings in corporate America today.

Women, like men, have been working since the origin of the human race. But the “working woman” embodies vastly different challenges from the “woman working at home.” Those few small steps that women took outside the boundaries of their homes have meant large personal struggles and huge social, economic, and cultural revolutions—bloodless, nonviolent, but revolutions, nonetheless.

Here is a story of a 100-year-old revolution that spanned three generations—from 1920s pre-independence India to the corporate USA. You won’t have to look very hard to find your story here too.

Kamala’s story (1923–2011)

Picture pre-independence India—colonial rule with its attendant inequalities and impacts on economic and social growth in the country and a struggle for freedom that further led to unrest in political and social thought.

Kamala, the second of eight children, was born in March 1923 to Gaya Prasad Tandon ( a school teacher)and Sunder. For a girl born in a lower-middle-class family in India during the third decade of the twentieth century, the chances of acquiring any sort of education were almost nonexistent. That would have been Kamala’s fate too had it not been for the conviction of her father, who believed that women had as much right to education as men.

As a son born before her had been lost to illness, Kamala’s birth was not much of an occasion to celebrate, but Gaya Prasad welcomed her, just as he welcomed each child he was blessed with.

Kamala reminisces in her memoirs, “In the pre-1947 era, women in our society and family background were hardly educated. No woman in our family had ever even attended primary school, let alone college. They led a domestic life, cooking or indulging in religious activities.”

“Our schools had no desks or chairs. We sat on the ground on mats and wrote on wooden pallets with straw pens, dipping them in white kharia and later ink.”

This was Kamala’s primary education until the age of nine. In 1937, she topped the Uttar Pradesh Board Examination for grade six (held those days under British rule). Despite vehement protests from his wife and other family members, Gaya Prasad allowed Kamala to stay in the Mahila College hostel to continue her studies. Little did he know that he was not just educating a brilliant daughter, he was spawning generations of empowerment for the women in his family.

Under her father’s championship and the tutelage of very sincere and efficient teachers, Kamala completed Class 12, standing fourth in Class 10 UP Board Examination and sixth in the Class 12 examination. She was 19 years old, a ripe age for marriage.

Her father, under immense pressure from his family to fix Kamala’s marriage, put forth one condition for the potential bridegroom: “My daughter will continue her education, and you will ensure that there are no hurdles.” Laxman Prasad Mehrotra agreed, and in June 1943, Kamala married him with the blessings of both families. With her father’s and her husband’s support, Kamala completed her Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Master of Arts (M.A.) degrees from Lucknow University.

However, her education was hard-won in the orthodox setup, where the daughter-in-law’s role was confined to her marital home, taking care of a large joint family. Whenever Kamala left home to attend college, the womenfolk would mock her with snide remarks, “Dekho, bahuria padhe jaat hai” (Look, the daughter-in-law of the house is going to college). This mockery continued with Kamala’s ineptness with household chores, something she had not learned well because most of her adult life was spent in dorms and boarding homes. Nevertheless, her husband was her rock of support and encouraged her to continue studying. Kamala went on to further complete double bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education (B. Ed. and M. Ed.).

This was 1948–49, the dawn of India’s independence, which also gave birth to the Education department of Allahabad University. Impressed by Kamala’s credentials, the Vice-Chancellor of the University offered her the post of part-time lecturer for B.Ed. students while she completed her M.Ed. She was also expecting her first child at this time and stayed with relatives or in a hostel while she studied, worked, and nurtured life within her.

The advent of a daughter three months after Kamala completed her M.Ed. and the allotment of a university quarter heralded a new chapter in her life. After returning from maternity leave, Kamala was selected as an assistant professor at the Department of Education at the University of Allahabad. She later joined the job of Senior Tester in the Bureau of Psychology, a department for research and training in Psychology.

Kamala was the only married woman in Bank Road, Allahabad who worked outside her home—and the first “working woman” on both sides of the family. She coped with the challenges of managing work, home, and family with no time-saving appliances, refrigerators, or pressure cookers. Full-time and part-time paid help, and some support from her children helped her to meet the challenges of daily life.

Kamala belonged to an era where she could not have achieved her ambitions without the approval and support of her male allies: her father and her husband. Despite the scorn and ridicule that she often faced—sadly, more from the women—she carved a path for herself, a path that few women of the time would even dream of.

As Michele Norris says, “Women who want to change the world or go as far as their talents and interests take them, sometimes have to resist or reject that little voice in their head that stokes our insecurities and suggests how we should or shouldn’t behave.”

Kamala retired as the Director of the Bureau of Psychology at Allahabad University, serving in her role with honesty and dedication.

Nalini’s story (1949–present)

Kamala’s eldest daughter, Nalini, remembers her childhood. “I remember sometimes wistfully thinking, ‘Why does my mother work? All my friends’ mothers are at home when they return from school, and they get hot snacks to eat.’ It was much later that I began respecting her and admiring that she was capable of so much more.

“She was the one who supervised our homework, instilled the love of books in us, told us bedtime stories, and ensured that we were punctual. She had a fetish for cleanliness and punctuality, and all of us siblings have inherited it.” Nalini recounts the lessons she has learned from her mother’s experiences. “Persevere and thou shalt achieve! Do not be deterred by criticism and adverse circumstances. Firm support from those who matter is a bonus that always helps.”

Nalini acknowledges that she had several advantages over her mother right from birth. She was born in independent India, where the emancipation of women was at least being talked about, if not practised. Her father’s family was open to the idea of educating women, although earning your own living was still very rare. Nalini and her three siblings were educated in good schools. After completing her school education, she elected to train as a doctor. She completed her medical studies at Lady Harding Medical College in December 1972 and married Prabhat in January 1973.

Soon after marriage, she began her internship at Lady Harding Hospital (now Sucheta Kriplani Hospital). It was gruelling work, comprising 36-hour rotations, and then a bus journey back home to take care of the myriad chores of running a household.

“That summer, I was posted at Najafgarh, an urban village which was part of the Delhi metro area. We stayed on the premises of the small community hospital at the edge of the village. We made field trips in an open jeep, which was often out of gas. Thus, instead of the jeep taking us to patients, we often ended up pushing the jeep to the destination. The dispensaries at these sites were very primitive with an acute scarcity of medicines.” It was an exhausting time for Nalini—long and arduous daily commutes in the scorching summer heat, weekends loaded with household responsibilities, night shifts, and hardly any time to relax and let go.

In June 1974, she gave birth to her first daughter—born on the day Nalini was supposed to start her residency program. “Everyone congratulated us, sharing our happiness. However, I was taken aback and extremely annoyed when my cousin’s husband remarked, ‘Ladki ho gayee! Ek laakh ki degree aa gayee!’ I learned that day that people have such extraordinary medieval notions about daughters.”

She further reminisces, “It is heart-wrenching for a mother to leave her little baby and go to work, and when that work entails leaving the home for 24 to 48 hours at a time, it pricks your conscience. My husband and my entire family rallied to support me. Though I went to work, I often fretted about why there were no daycare centres at the hospital where new mothers could feed their babies. In those days, there were no breast pumps, so I could only breastfeed my child for a very short span of five to six months.”

Nalini gave birth to her second daughter in November 1977. “My husband and I were very happy, but my mother-in-law was a little disappointed. No one directly congratulated me this time, except my close friend. It seemed as if giving birth to another daughter was a calamity.”

Nalini went on to apply for jobs and for an M.D. degree. She received the offer to do postgraduation twice—once in Anatomy and later in Pathology. However, she was pregnant at both those times and had to let those opportunities go. “What you postpone in life, you seldom get a chance to attain again. The opportunity passes you by. Although I did postgraduation later, it was never in a clinical subject.”

In December 1975, Nalini began working as a Medical Officer at Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC). The job suited her requirements, and she worked there for 34 years. Nalini retired as Chief Medical Officer and Medical Commissioner with ESIC and later completed her Masters in Public Health from the Washington University in St Louis.

Gender discrimination at work is as old as the working woman, and Nalini faced several frustrating battles. “I was given an out-of-turn chance to hold an important portfolio at our Corporate office, as Deputy Medical Commissioner. This became a source of envy for my colleagues and some of my seniors. Gradually, I noticed that I was not being given opportunities to attend conferences or be part of important inspection tours to various parts of India—only my male colleagues, who were junior to me, were being sent. When I discussed this with my then boss, a woman, I received this astounding reply. ‘You have to take care of your husband and children. The male doctors have no such problems; thus, they are selected.’ I had to convince her that my family responsibilities were my personal issue, and the decision should be taken based solely on my performance at work. I was not in the habit of speaking up for myself and that became a deterrent for me. The idea that women should take care of their homes, despite them being high achievers, was still the prevalent mindset in India of the 1980s.”

In addition to discrimination at work, maintaining a work-life balance was challenging for Nalini. Her daughters were young, and her husband developed very brittle diabetes with several episodes of hypoglycemia, especially at night. However, Nalini forged ahead, taking one step at a time. “I managed to overcome many hurdles and prospered in my career, receiving promotions and accolades through the passing decades.”

She adds, “Relatives and my extended support system helped to bring up my children. A working woman in India in those days, and perhaps still, requires a lot of help from friends and family to continue working if she desires to have a family of her own. She is fraught with guilt—for not being there for her family, for not cooking quality food, for missing important milestones in her child’s life (I missed most of my elder daughter’s milestones), for always being obligated to others, for relegating her precious children to the care of hired help.”

Nalini sums up her journey thus:

“Life is never a straight line. Even those who face no hurdles in choosing a career will be tested by the travesties of life. Be prepared to face them. A supporting family goes a long way in helping you to achieve your dreams!”

Geetika’s story (1974–present)

Geetika and her younger sister, Geetanjali, grew up in a conflicting world, in the city of Delhi, where modern ideas clashed with traditional culture and an enduring and beautiful past. The 1970s and 1980s were also India’s adolescent years when it began adopting new ways of thinking. In that atmosphere, the two girls embraced “radical” feminist ideals—ideals that their own grandmother and mother had fought hard to even think about.

Geetika remembers their small apartment in New Delhi, India. She remembers her mother working hard at her job as a doctor as well as performing her role as a dutiful wife, mother, and daughter-in-law in an Indian household.

“My home was traditional and yet nontraditional. It is hard to describe, but it was my mother’s innate feminism that inspired our strong belief that women are equal, if not better than men, and you shall never forget that.

“For as long as I can remember, I felt that I needed to fight the world for equality. Indian society and culture are so full of misogynistic and patriarchal norms that it was hard to not revolt against everything I came across. I drew little or no solace from religion, although because of growing up in a Catholic school and Hindu household, I did manage to develop a personal relationship with a force that needed to exist for my own sanity. Growing up in a culture that is innately filled with stories about God and avatars performing all kinds of feats was only possible with a strong belief in science and logic. I cannot remember a time when I was not enamoured by science and its amazing discoveries and inventions. I had a lot of questions, and science had the answers. In fact, only science had any real answers. Everything else was draped in tradition and culture.”

Both Geetika and Geetanjali were excellent students, ambitious and fiercely competitive. They completed part of their studies in India and came to the US at different times.

While Geetika’s family had been supportive all through, and waves of modern thinking were crashing against the walls of tradition in India, it was never smooth sailing. Even when Geetika’s parents were helping her apply to US universities for postgraduation, there were the occasional relatives and friends who would say, “Why are you wasting money? Why don’t you get her married instead?”

After completing her undergraduate degree in Architecture in India, Geetika did a double master’s degree in Architecture and Building Science from the University of Southern California and a master’s degree in computer science from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She got married to Pankaj in 1997.

She started her work life as a software engineer at IBM. Within a year of joining IBM, she gave birth to a daughter. “While I was still trying to settle into my career, I was also struggling as a new mother trying to balance home, child, and work. I was lucky to be surrounded by a family support system and a partner who helped me cope. As I progressed in my job to the role of an Executive IT Architect. During this time, I gave birth to a son in 2005 and was then managing two young children at home along with work.”

Geetika acknowledges that she is part of a generation of Indian women who had an unprecedented opportunity to learn and grow, who were children of the Information Age with huge exposure to the world through media, travel, and IT.

“However, little did I realize that with all the advantages came the burden of living up to the image of the mythical “superwoman”—the woman who could be a superior homemaker, a model mother, a glamorous life partner, and an ambitious career achiever.” Slowly, she realized that societal expectations of women hadn’t changed despite all the education and progress.

“A senior executive once asked me about how we make it work as a dual-career couple. After I was done telling him about our arrangement, he rolled his eyes and said, “Thank Goodness my wife does not work!” There was still a vast difference between the expectations from men and women; and glass ceilings and workplace discrimination were still very real, especially for minority women in the US.

Geetika struggled to keep up, and it was a stressful time for her. “I remember one day after a stressful day at work, as I was walking to my car, my house helper called and told me that she could not make it. I had an hour-long commute ahead of me and now would also have to cook dinner, and then get back to work. I was sleepy and exhausted. I sat in my car in the parking lot and cried my heart out. But then I grit my teeth and drove back home – ordered out food for the family and got back to work. I was deeply cognizant of the fact that as a third-generation working woman, I have a tremendous responsibility. My grandmother and mother were pioneers who shattered myths and fought the establishment and thereby became trailblazers for us. It was our responsibility to persevere and open new avenues for the women of the next generation. And persevere I did!”

Geetika sums up the ups and downs of her career with: “It’s not how many times you get knocked down that counts, it’s how many times you get back up”

Geetika is currently Managing Director with Deloitte Consulting where she leads large-scale technology implementations. She continues to promote the cause of women through her work with various nonprofits and professional organizations.

Geetanjali’s story (1977–present)

Geetanjali, Geetika’s younger sister, learned several different lessons in her journey from being the “baby of the family” to where she is today. “When I came into middle school, I felt the first twinge of having a working mother when my mother’s work hours changed, and she would be back only by 6 p.m. instead of the earlier 2 p.m. I had many more school years to go, and I was on the brink of being a teenager. I now had to come back home alone, prepare my lunch, and keep up with my studies. That period gave me the confidence to manage things on my own and made me comfortable with being by myself.”

Geetanjali experienced gender discrimination as she grew up but never gave it much thought. She recalls a time when her father’s friend came to visit them. After having met the two girls, he remarked “Oh, you have two daughters. Don’t you want a son?” Her father replied, “These daughters are my sons.” Geetanjali remembers that incident even today because “What my father said was very important for me. I was too young to even understand why people preferred sons.”

Geetanjali strongly believes in letting people make their choices and respecting that choice—stay at home or work, have babies or not, get married or not.

In the same vein, she doesn’t like expectations to be forced upon her. This strong, independent streak led to her choice of hotel management as a career option. Her parents were supportive even though they had their doubts. To pursue the course she had chosen, Geetanjali left home at the age of 17 for her undergraduate education. “This was the late 1990s, and there was open discrimination. The girls’ hostel was locked by 8 p.m. while boys could stay out until midnight or even later.”

Geetanjali was the first single woman in her family to leave India and join a US university. “My parents’ trust was a huge responsibility for me. I did not know any other girl around me (even among my friends) who had the choices I was given.”

In the US, Geetanjali finished her undergraduate studies in 2000 and went on to do her post-graduation in Agricultural Economics. She met her would-be husband at this time, and they got married in February 2003.

Geetanjali and her husband were working in different cities even after their marriage. She moved to be with him only when she found a job in his city. Three years later, Paragdecided to go back to University for his PhD, and in a role reversal from traditional expectations, Geetanjali became the primary breadwinner.

In 2009, Geetanjali had her first child. She had decided to study for an executive MBA degree while her husband was in the final year of his PhD. Her husband’s constant support and encouragement helped her along the way.

While life as a full-time professional couple had been smoother, the journey of a working mother was beset with challenges. “Not being able to spend late hours at work, feeling the guilt of taking away time from my child… and the first tug of subtle discrimination. At work, there was no one to advise me because around me were successful men or women with stay-at-home wives or husbands, single women, or married women with no children. I realized that for all the talk of diversity and support for working mothers, the real everyday management of home and work for working moms is very hard.”

Geetanjali and her partner have worked through these challenges as a dual-career couple, rather than as a working mom or dad. When her husband looked for a position, he narrowed his choices to cities that had options for Geetanjali as well. Geetanjali divided her professional life between telecommuting and physically commuting to work. They were clear that both their careers and their family were equally important, and both of them would have to make sacrifices and manage their time.

“Mothers still take up a lot more of the extra work of raising children, such as registering for extracurricular activities, planning birthday parties, or coordinating playdates, and I am learning not to feel guilty for not being able to do more. Sometimes, I feel we put tremendous pressure on ourselves to excel at everything. My grandmother and mother fought hard to get us here so we could live the way we want to, but we are still shaping our lives and choices based on society’s expectations. Our job is to make it easier for the next generation. I hope the next generation of women can take all these bridges and add their own bridge to this river. We have to keep building that bridge.”

The journey goes on with Geetanjali’s elder daughter who is now looking at career choices. “She wants to be a marine biologist and work at the research centre being built by the Jacques Cousteau Foundation at the bottom of the ocean next to Brazil. Excitedly, I told her I’d come and visit when she was working there. She looked at me and said, ‘But I want a family too. So, I will have to make choices.’”

“Would a 12-year-old boy think of his prospective family if this were his dream?” Geetanjali questions. Her firm message to her daughter: “Pursue your dreams. Everything else will fall in place.”

Geetanjali is currently Senior Vice President in Finance at Ceridian and is passionate about her profession as well as making corporate policies more women and family-friendly. She continues to be a champion of DEI initiatives and has influenced the change in policies through them

The story continues…

The story of these four women is the stories of millions of women around the world, who work hard to carve their identities, fulfil their dreams, take care of their homes and families, and sometimes, just survive. The pandemic has brought about an unparalleled regression in the careers of many women. An entire generation of women could be hurt as they have had to drop out of the workforce to take care of children. Those that drop out often have trouble getting back in, and the longer they stay out, the harder it is.

There is worse rampant discrimination against women all around the world. It can be in the harrowing form of forced female feticide and infanticide, genital cutting and mutilation, inability to abort or use family planning measures, being forced to stay indoors or wear burkhas or chadors, being denied education and financial independence, getting no or insufficient maternity leave, or just being blatantly ridiculed. Social media, too, has its share of disrespect and downright ridicule for women.

We hope this story inspires all women to persevere despite all the challenges life throws at them. We still have a long way to go. These are just a few steps in the right direction.

Entitlement

You can call it celebrity entitlement getting screwed up or call it wounded pride but nothing can reduce the effect of the slap by Will Smith at the Oscars this year. Whatever happened that night is the extreme form of the sense of entitlement on the part of Will Smith that the world owes him as he is a special person. A person with a sense of entitlement has his own view of the world and has very little empathy for others. Such people feel that they deserve better treatment than others, they are insecure and their personal needs always come before others’ needs. It is very important for them to understand what is under their control and what is not.

Meet the women of Global Women Talk-

Rene Byrd, Singer, Songwriter, Online Influence Finalist 2020, Co-Founder of #Who am I talk https://renebyrd.com
Alexia Melocchi, Partner-Hollywood producer at Little Studio Films, Host of The Heart of Show Business podcast https://www.LittleStudioFilms.com
Mary Pagano, Angel Investor, Board Advisor for Hera and Founder of Hera TV, Board Advisor for Fem Foundry https://www.heracity.org? https://www.fem-foundry.com
Susan Hum, The Love Hacker Master Coach Mentor Founder/CEO Steel Rose Inc https://www.susanhum.com
Charu Mehrotra, Serial Entrepreneur, Founder of Online Magazine https://www.womenlines.com
Clarissa Burt, Founder/CEO In the Limelight Media, TV & Magazine https://clarissaburt.com
Amy Williams, Founder & CEO, Fem Foundry, Mobile App and Magazine Https://www.Fem-Foundry.com

Are you looking out for physical health, leadership skills, mindset health and image branding strengthening tools to be the best version of yourself? Subscribe to weekly free powerful updates of an online magazine for women Womenlines for free. Buy some interesting products for women from the Best Sellers page of Womenlines!

Also read: Tips for women in business to thrive!